cw.blackalibi-第20节

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ective　shubbery；　all　the　very　things　its　instinct　leads　it　to　seek；　and　deliberately　return　of　its　own　choice　to　the　stone　and　asphalt　traps　of　the　streets　out　there？　Ha！〃
　　One　of　the　other　operatives　rushed　to　the　defense　of　his　superior；　probably　to　regain　his　esteem；　before　Robles　himself　could　answer。　〃There　are　traces　left　by　bloodied　paws　on　the　outside　of　the　wall；　where　it　dropped　down　after　the　attack　had　been　pleted。　We　have　already　photographed　them。〃
　　It　was　a　telling　blow；　Manning's　mouth　opened；　closed　again；　without　his　being　able　to　utter　a　word。
　　〃And　just　for　golpe　de　gracia；　look　at　that；〃　Robles　said　crushingly。　He　borrowed　a　small　pair　of　forceps；　stooped　down　swiftly　over　the　mangled　form　a　second　time；　fortunately　keeping　his　back　to　all　of　them　as　he　did　so。　Manning　couldn't　see　what　it　was　he　was　using　the　forceps　to　extract；　only　the　wrench　of　his　elbow　joint　that　acpanied　the　act。
　　He　stood　up　again；　turned；　again　bedded　it　on　paper。　This　time　it　looked　like　a　small　thorn；　curved；　and　thicker　at　one　end　than　the　other。
　　〃And　in　the　face　of　this；　you　still　think　it's　not　a　jaguar？〃　he　parodied　tartly。　〃Hold　that　glass　over　it　a　minute；　for　seсor　the　know…it…all。〃
　　Manning　peered　down　at　it；　magnified。　It　was　enlarged　now　to　a　miniature　tusk；　of　hornlike　substance；　broken　off　short　at　the　wide　end。　〃What　is　it；　a　tooth？　A　fang？〃
　　〃For　anyone　that　knows　so　much　about　jaguars；　you　are　not　very　good；　you　should　study　up　on　your　zoology；〃　was　Robles'　merciless　retort。　〃It　is　the　tip　of　one　of　its　claws；　broken　off　short。　And　left　imbedded　in　her　throat。〃
　　Manning　couldn't　answer　for　a　minute；　but　he　wouldn't　give　in；　retract。　He　drew　his　head　away　from　the　derisive　proximity　with　which　Robles　was　holding　the　nauseating　token　up　to　him；　muttered　disconcertedly：　〃It's　against　all　the　laws　of　nature　for　it　to　turn　its　back　on　here　and　go　out　there　again。〃
　　Robles　raised　his　voice　overbearingly。　〃When　the　laws　of　nature　conflict　with　indisputable　evidence　like　this；　the　laws　of　nature　go　into　the　discard。　Who　is　to　say　what　they　are　anyway…　you？　I？　Are　we　animals　ourselves？　Not　enough　is　known　about　this　species；　in　the　first　place；　to　lay　down　hard…and…fast　rules　of　behavior　for　them。　They　can　be　as　unpredictable　as　human　beings；　for　all　we　know。　Perhaps　it　is　not　the　nature　of　jaguars　to　return　to　built…up　streets。　This　one　did。　perhaps　it　has　grown　accustomed　to　its　lair。　Perhaps　it　is　the　one　exception　to　the　rule。　But　exception　or　not；　it　is　still　a　jaguar！〃
　　The　heretic　properly　and　publicly　shown　the　error　of　his　ways；　to　the　obvious　satisfaction　of　all　his　men；　he　turned　back　to　the　business　at　hand。　〃Who　is　it　keeps　making　that　noise？〃　he　inquired　irritably。
　　〃　El　novio；〃　someone　murmured。
　　〃Have　you　questioned　him　yet？　Bring　him　over　here。〃
　　The　grief…crazed　youth　in　the　belted　topcoat　was　hurried　staggeringly　forward　between　the　two　men　who　had　been　supporting　him　the　whole　time。
　　〃Raul　Belmonte；〃　read　off　Robles'　assistant。　〃Fourteen　Calle　San　Vicente。　Cashier；　Banco　de　ercio。〃
　　His　face　was　pitiful。　A　man　shouldn't　love　too　deeply；　Manning　thought；　looking　at　it；　it's　better　for　him　not　to。　He's　more　defenseless　than　a　woman；　when　it　es　to　a　thing　like　this；　that　he　can't　fight　back　against。
　　〃Are　you　able　to　talk；　Belmonte？〃　Robles　said　curtly。　〃Give　us　your　story。〃
　　His　voice　was　dead；　listless。
　　〃…I　came　out　to　telephone　to　her　home　to　find　out　from　this　little　servant　girl　who　was　backing　us　up　whether　she'd　really　started　out　at　all。　To　do　so；　I　must　have　entered　the　very　establishment　she　was　in　at　the　time　with　her　paсera；　it's　the　only　place　around　there　one　can　telephone　from。　She　must　have　been　sitting　hidden　from　me　in　a　booth　at　the　back。　My　back　must　have　been　to　her；　in　the　telephone　enclosure　off　to　one　side；　and　as　she　left；　we　neither　of　us　saw　one　another！　Then；　on　finding　the　grounds　locked；　instead　of　leaving　at　once；　I　returned　across　the　road　a　second　time；　to　ease　my　disappointment　with　a　cognac　before　driving　off。　And　when　I　finally　emerged　at　last　and　got　into　my　car；　it　seemed　to　me　that　far　off　somewhere　I　heard　a　faint　cry…I　remember　that　now。　But　I　thought　it　was　my　imagination；　and　I　was　too　heavyhearted　at　not　having　seen　her　to　care　what　it　was。　What　had　it　to　do　with　me？〃
　　He　was　starting　to　shiver。　Robles　made　a　sign　and　they　led　him　away。　〃Lock　him　up　for　the　time　being；〃　the　inspector　said　quietly　as　soon　as　he　was　out　of　hearing。
　　〃Surely　you　don't　think…？〃　Manning　expostulated。
　　〃Protective　arrest；〃　Robles　answered。　〃He　is　a　danger　to　himself；　until　he　has　recovered　somewhat。　It　is　written　all　over　him。〃
　　Manning　turned　and　moved　slowly　away　from　the　hideous　glare　that　continued　to　beat　down　on　the　mortal　remains　of　Conchita　Contreras。　They　all　glanced　after　him　curiously；　noticing　the　thoughtful　way　he　held　his　head　lowered　and　kicked　at　nothing　along　the　ground；　to　show　the　personal　dissatisfaction　and　lack　of　conviction　he　derived　from　this。
　　〃He's　got　an　obsession；　that　man；〃　he　heard　Robles　explaining　scornfully　to　some　of　his　cohorts　without　troubling　to　lower　his　voice　much；　〃that　there　is　some　other　element　than　the　jaguar　involved　in　this。　Don't　ask　me　why！〃
　　〃Don't　ask　me　either；〃　Manning　turned　his　head　to　call　back。　〃But　don't　ask　me　to　give　it　up。〃　He　put　his　foot　to　the　lower　rung　of　one　of　the　ladders；　to　get　out　of　the　accursed　place。
　　〃It's　right　here　before　his　very　eyes；〃　Robles　went　on　in　a　loud；　carrying　voice；　provoked　by　the　opposition。　〃Look；　the　very　ribs　are　exposed　in　places！　Nothing　human　could　mit　such　a　shambles。〃
　　They　were　dropping　slowly　below　Manning；　a　rung　at　a　time。　〃And　I　say　the　very　opposite；〃　he　contradicted　over　his　shoulder；　〃that　only　something　human　could　be　so　thorough　about　it。　It's　carried　too　far　for　even　the　most　vicious　brute　animal。　Their　rages　don't　last　that　long；　the　death　of　the　quarry　ends　them。　Their　memories　are　shorter…〃
　　A　hard；　mirthless　laugh　went　up　all　around　as　he　straddled　the　top　of　the　wall　with　his　legs　and　took　his　unlamented　and　somewhat　undignified　departure。
　　
　　
　　IV。　Clo…Clo
　　
　　Clo…Clo　was　rapidly　tiring　of　the　German　merchant…marine　officer。　She　wasn't　sure　he　was　German　and　she　wasn't　even　sure　he　was　a　merchant…marine　officer。　All　she　knew　was　he　came　from　one　of　those　countries　where　the　people　have　butter…colored　hair　and　blue　eyes　and　can't　speak　Spanish　properly；　and　that　he　had　tarnished　brass　buttons　on　his　short　blue　jacket；　instead　of　the　bone　kind　other　people　wore。
　　There　was　nothing　personal　in　this　rapid　tiring　on　her　part。　Just　as　there　was　nothing　personal　in　anything　she　did　after　six　in　the　evening。　Those　were　her　working　hours。　He　hadn't　been　any　too　loaded　with　money　even　when　she　first　met　him…some　of　his　shipmates　must　have　warned　him；　before　he　came　ashore　down　on　the　coast；　about　bringing　his　whole　pay　up　to　the　city　with　him　at　one　time…and　now　he　had　slowed　down　to　about　a　drink　a　half…hour。　Also；　he　kept　wanting　to　marry　her　all　the　time；　and　that　made　for　heavy　conversation。　The　main　thing　wrong　with　him；　though；　was　he　was　holding　her　up；　making　her　behindtime　on　her　schedule　of　nightly　rounds。　She'd　have　to　skip　her　ten…o'clock　stop　and　go　straight　on　to　the　midnight　one；　from　here。
　　Clo…Clo　adhered　to　a　rigid　timetable。　She　lived　by　the　clock。　If　you　didn't；　you　didn't　get　anywhere。　You　had　to　work　fast；　you　had　to　keep　going。　Each　night　had　its　fixed　stops；　and　each　stop　had　its　hour　and　its　allotted　duration。　The　day。　light　hours　up　to；　say；　about　seven　or　eight　in　the　evening；　that　was　strictly　antemeridian；　that　didn't　count。　You　didn't　expect　anything。　You　didn't　get　anything。　You　stayed　home　and　did　your　hair。　You　washed　stockings。　You　lazed　around。　If　you　felt　good　maybe　you　even　gave　the　poor　old　lady　a　hand；　with　that　never…ending　cooking　and　dishing　it　out　to　hungry　mouths　that　she　was　always　doing。　Or　if　you　went　out；　it　was　just　to　get　something　you　needed；　a　bit　of　nail　polish　at　the　five…and…ten。　The　grand　sortie　didn't　e　until　around　eight；　eight…thirty。　You　looked　things　over；　you　got　their　feel；　you　warmed　yourself　up。　Her　nine…o'clock　stop　was　the　Elite　Bar。　This　was　the　Elite　Bar　now。　There　wasn't　really　much　doing　yet。　The　real　swells；　the　real　spenders；　were　all　still　at　home　with　their　families；　lingering　over　their　cigars　and　after…dinner　drinks。　At　nine　o'clock　you　got　things　like　this　foreign　sea　officer；　good　enough　to　kill　time　with；　a　couple　of　brandies　over　a　bar。
　　Ten　to　eleven　was　a　notch　up　the　social　scale。　Places　like　the　Tivoli　and　the　Miraflor　Gardens。　The　swells　were　all　at　shows　around　now；　they　still　hadn't　appeared　yet。　You　hung　around　over　a　table；　with　young　writers；　clerks；　businessmen。　Wine　now。
　　Midnight　to　about　two　was　the　zenith。　Meridian　of　her　〃day。〃　That　was　when　the　shows　let　Out。　They　let　out　late　in　Ciudad　Real。　The　Casino　Bleu；　the　Madrid　out　in　the　park　（she　never　went　out　there；　though；　too　far　to　walk　back　in　case　you　didn't　connect）；　the　Jockey　Club；　the　Tabarin；　the　Select。　Those　were　the　places　to　seek　out　then。　That　was　the　cream　of　the　night　life；　swarming　with　t