'WhereafterMaryland?'Iasked.

'Uh...here.IseenthisadintheBloodHorse,andIwrote.Itwasajoke,mostly.Ineverexpectedtohearaword,knowingthiswasabigplaceandeverything.ButMrOffen,itseemshedidn'twantnogreatbusinessman,justsomeonewithafeelingforthemares...andhe'skeepingmeon,hesays,thoughtherewastwobeforemeheletgoafterthey'dbeenhereamonth.'

Itdidn'tseemtoworryhim.HehadtheG.o.d-will-providenaturewhichdoesn'tunderstandanxietyandneverstoresupwinternuts.Notthathehadanyneedto.His'feelingformares'wasinfactpriceless:hewouldprobablynevercashinonitashecould,buthe'dneverwantforajob.

Kiddowatchedusgointhesamecalmfriendlinesswithwhichhe'dshownusround.WaltandIagreedonthewaybacktoSantaBarbarathathewasonlypotentiallyanopponent.LoyaltymightbegiventoOffenifhedemandedit,butatpresentKiddohadnoideawhatwasgoingon.

'Unless,'Waltsaidthoughtfully,'he'sabrilliantactor.'

Ishookmyhead.'Hewasn'tacting.Noneofthesigns.'

Waltlookedatmecuriously,takinghiseyestoolongofftheroad.'Canyoualwaystell?'

Ismiled.'That'soneofthoseunanswerablequestions.I'veafeelingforit,likeKiddowithhismares.Butifitletsmedownsometimes,howamItoknow?'

'You'dknowsoonenoughwhensecretsstartedleakingtotheotherside,'Waltpointedout.'Haveyoueverpa.s.sedasclearanyonewhoturnedouttobeaspy?'

'Yes.'

'Howoften?'

'Once.'

'Inyourfirstyear,Isuppose,'Waltsaidwithmildsarcasm.

'Inmysecondyear.HewasthefirstseriousspyIhadtodealwith,andIdidn'tspothim.Thecounter-espionagechapsturnedhimupsixmonthslaterwhenhe'ddoneagooddealofdamage,andthepressmadetheusualscathingremarksaboutthefeeblenessofourscreeningsystem.'

'Whichyoutooktoheart,'Waltsaiddryly.

'Iguessso.'

Hedroveamileandthensaid,'Andnowyou'resogoodat.i.tthattheybeatyouup.Whatdoyouthinkaboutthingswhenthathappens?'

'Thatthere'sabigfishcomingdownthepipelineandtheywantmeoutoftheway.'

'Soyoulookalltheharder.'Astatement,notaquestion.

'Youmightsayso.Yes.'

'They'llkillyouoneofthesedays.'

Ididn'tanswer.Waltflickedaglancesidewaysandsighed.'Isupposeyoudon'tcare.'

'Therearealotofothersinthedepartment.'

WaltdroveintoSantaBarbarawithoutanotherword,wherewejoinedEuniceandLynnieintheterracerestaurantforlunch.Theyhad,theysaid,boughtthatmorningthebigbrightdanglingearringswhichswungwitheveryturnoftheirheads.Lynnie'swerescarlet,Eunice'sacidgreen;otherwiseidentical.Stillfriends,Ithoughtinsomerelief.Stillinharmony.Whether Eunicewoulddoasmallch.o.r.eformewas,however,anothermatter.

Wehadclamchowderwithshrimptofollow,andLynniesaidwithallthisseafoodshe'dbegrowingfins.Duringcoffee,whenshestooduprestlesslyandsaidshewasgoingdowntothesea,itwasWalt,afterapause,whosaidhewouldgowithher.Shelookedatmequestioningly,worriedly,andthenturnedandwalkedquicklyoffwithhim,talkingagooddealtoobrightly.

'Don'tyouhurtthatchild,'Eunicesaidfiercely.

'Idon'twantto.'

'You'retoob.l.o.o.d.yattractive.'

'Yeah.Charmthebirdsoffthetrees,'Iagreedsardonically.'Littlewivesspilltheirhusbands'secretsintomyb.l.o.o.d.yattractiveears.'

Shelookedshocked.Quiteachange,Ithought,fromdishingitout.

'Youmeanyou...useit?'

'Likeacanopener.Andasacatalyst.Whodoesn't?Salesmen,politicians,actors,women,allusingitlikemad.'

'ForG.o.d'ssake...'Hervoicewasfaint,butshewasalsolaughing.

'ButnotonLynnie,'Iaddedwryly.

'Youdidn'tneedto,Iguess.DraggingDaveoutoftheThameswasalotmoreeffective.'

IwatchedLynnie'sandWalt'sbacksastheyreachedthetideline.

'Sothat'swhy...?'Isaid,almosttomyself.

'Heroworship,'Eunicesaidwithbarbs.'Doesitgiveyouakick?'

'Likeamule'sinthestomach...'

Shelaughed.'It'snotthatyou'resomadlyhandsomeinanyobviousway.'

'No,'Iagreedwithtruth,'I'mnot.'

Shelookedasifsheweregoingtosaymoreandthenthoughtbetterofit.Ijumpedstraightinwhilehermindwa.s.stillhalfflirting,knowing,anddespisingtheknowledge,thatinthatmoodshewasmorelikelytodowhatIasked.

'HasLynniestillgotthosephotographsofme?'

'Don'tworry,'shesaidsarcastically.'Inafire,she'dsavethemfirst.'

'I'dlikeCulhamJamesOffentoseethem.'

'You'dlikewhat?Whatareyoutalkingabout?'

'AboutyouandLynniedrivingovertopayaneighbourlycallonCulhamJamesthisafternoon,andeasily,dearestEunice,youcouldtellhimaboutmepullingDaveoutoftheThames,andLynniecouldshowhimmyphotograph.Especiallytheoneofmesittingbyatableoutsideapub.Thatgroupofallofus.'

Shegapedandgasped,andthenstartedthinking.

'Youreallycan'tbeaspleasedwithyourselfasallthat...soforG.o.d'ssake,why?'

'Anexperiment.'

'That'snoanswer.'

'EarningmykeepatTheVacationer.'

Alookofdisgustturneddownhermouth.

'Findingthatb.l.o.o.d.yhorse?'

'I'mafraidso.'

'Youdon'tmean...surelyyoucan'tmeanthatOffenhasanythingtodowithit?'

'I'dliketomakesurehehasn't.'

'Oh,Isee.Well.Iguessthat'snotmuchtoask.Sure.I'llgetLynnietocomewithme.'

'AndtellhimI'mlookingforAllyx.'

Shegavemeastraighta.s.sessingstare,andsaid,'HowaboutChrysalis?'

'Whateveryoulike.SaythatDaveemployedmetogethimback.'

'Idon'tknowwhyI'mdoingit.'

'Moreinterestingthangolf?'Isuggested.

'Isitagame?'Shewa.s.sceptical.

'Well...likehuntingbears,'Ismiled.

'Oh,yes.'Shenoddedsardonically.'Asport.'

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN.

IparkedahiredcarinsomescrubofftheroadleadingtoOrpheusFarm,andsmokedararecigarette.Thefierceafternoonsunroastedthroughthemetalroofandawatermiragehunginastreakoverthedryroad.Adayforlizardstolookforshade.They'drunoutofair-conditionedheapsatthehirefirms:I'dhadtotakeoneofthoseoldfashionedjobswhereyoubreathedfreshairbyopeningthewindow.Theairinquestionwasasfreshaslastweek'snewsandashotastomorrow's.

AtfivepastfourEuniceandLynniepa.s.sedunseeinglyacrossmybows,headingbacktoSantaBarbara.Ifinishedthecigaretteandstubbeditoutcarefullyintheflakedchromiumashtray.Ilookedatmyfingernailsfortenminutes.Nospecialinspiration.AthalfpastfourIstartedthecar,pointeditsnosetowardsOrpheus,andwenttocallonUncleBark.

ThistimeIdrovestraightuptothehouseandrangtheornatebell.Ahouseboycame:allonthesamescaleasatJeffRoots'.WhenhewenttofindCulhamJamesIfollowedquietlyonhisheels,somyhost,evenifhehadmeantto,hadnochancetosayhewasout.Thehouseboyopenedthedoorontoasquarecomfortableoffice-sitting-roomandCulhamJameswasrevealedsittingathisdeskwithagreentelephonereceivertohisear.

Hegavethehouseboyandmyselfamurderousglarebetweenuswhichchangedtoreasonableaffabilityoncehe'dgotcontrolofit.'I'llcallyoulater,'hesaidtothetelephone.'AMrHawkinshasthisminutearrived...that'sright...laterthen.'Heputdownthereceiverandraisedhiseyebrows.

'Didyoumisssomethingthismorning?'heasked.

'No...shouldwehavedone?'

Heshookhisheadinmildannoyance.'Iammerelyaskingthepurposeofthisreturnvisit.'

'MycolleagueandIwantedanswerstooneortwoextraquestionsabouttheprecautionsyoutakeagainstfire,especiallyasregardsthosetwoexceptionallyvaluablestallions...er...MoviemakerandCentigrade.'

Underhissuntannedface,behindthewhitebracketofeyebrows,CulhamJamesOffenwasbeginningtoenjoyahugejoke.Itfizzedlikesodawaterinhispaleblueeyesandbubbledinhisthroat.Hewasevenhavingdifficultyinpreventinghimselffromsharingit:butafterastrugglehehaditnaileddownunderhatches,andcalmwithatouchofseveritytookover.Wewentsolemnlythroughthefarceoffireprecautions,meleaningonhisdeskandcheckingoffWalt'ssolidsoundinginventionsonebyone.Theymostlyhadtodealwiththeamountofsupervisioninthestallions'barnatnight.Whethertherewereanyregularpatrols,anydogslooseonwatch,anyphotoelectricapparatusfordetectingopacity,suchasheavysmoke?

Offenclearedhisthroatandanswerednotothelot.

'Wehavetheextremelyexpensiveandreliablesprinklersystemwhichyousawthismorning,'hepointedout.'Itisthoroughlytestedeverythreemonths,asItoldyouearlier.'

'Yes.Thankyou,then.Iguessthat'sall.'Ishutmynotebook.'You'vebeenmosthelpful,MrOffen.'

'You'rewelcome,'hesaid.Thejokerumbledinhisvoice,butwascolourednowwithunmistakablemalice.Hightimetogo,Ithought:andwent.

WhenIgotbacktoTheVacationersomewhilelaterIfoundEuniceandLynnieandWaltsittinginaglumrowbehindemptygla.s.ses.Ifloppedintoachairoppositethemandsaid'Whythema.s.sdepression?'

'You'relate,'Waltsaid.

'Itoldyounottowaitdinner.'Icaughtapa.s.singwaiteronthewingandarrangedrefillsallround.

'Wewereconsideringasearchparty,'Eunicesaid.

Ilookedatallthreeofthemmorecarefully.'You'vebeencomparingnotes,'Isaidresignedly.

'Ithinkit'sterribleofyou...wicked,'Lynnieburstout.'Tohavemademegoanddeliberately...deliberately...putyouinsuchfrightfuldanger.'

'Lynnie,stopit.Iwasn'tinanydanger...hereIam,aren'tI?'

'ButWaltsaid...'

'Waltneedshisbrainsseento.'

Waltglaredandcompressedhismouthintoarigidline.'Youdidn'ttellmeyou'darrangedforOffentoknowyouwerethemanwhotookChrysalis.Andyoudidn'ttellmetheCliveshadtriedtokillMrTeller.'

'Andyoudidn'ttellme,'Euniceadded,'thatthecoupleinthebackgroundofthephotographLynnieshowedCulhamOffenhadtriedtokillyoutoo.'

'Oryou'dneverhaveletLynnieshowittohim?'

'No,'shesaidslowly.

'JustaswellIdidn't.'

'AndyoudeliberatelymisledmebysayingyouwantedtoclearOffen.Itwasn'ttrue.'

'Er...no.ButIdidwantyoutobehavenaturallywithhim.Andanyway,whyallthefuss?'

'Wethought...'Lynniesaidinasubduedvoice.'Wealmostthought...asyouweregonesolong...thatyou...thatthey...'