ch.nativetongue-第6节

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　〃In　the　back。　Here；　look。〃　Carrie　showed　him。　〃The　batteries　last　about　two　hours　max；　then　forget　about　it。　We　tried　to　call　the　feds　and　plain…what　a　joke。　They　haven't　been　out　here　since　the　day　Petey　Possum　died。〃
　〃Do　I　want　to　hear　this　story？〃
　〃Heart　attack；〃　Carrie　Lanier　went　on。　〃This　was　Sessums。　Billy　Sessums。　The　very　first　Petey　Possum。　He'd　been　twenty…two　years　with　Disneyland…Goofy；　Pluto；　you　name　it。　Billy　was　a　pro。　He　taught　me　plenty。〃
　〃So　what　happened？〃
　〃One　of　those　days。　Ninety…two　in　the　shade；　one　twelve　inside　the　possum　suit。　The　AC　went　out；　and　so　did　Billy。〃　Carrie　Lanier　paused　reflectively。　〃He　was　an　older　fella　but　still。。。〃
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　said　Joe　Winder。　He　put　his　notebook　away。　He　was　starting　to　feel　prickly　and　claustrophobic。
　Carrie　said；　〃You're　gonna　put　my　name　in　the　press　release？〃
　〃I'm　afraid　not。　It's　pany　policy　not　to　identify　the　actors　who　portray　the　animal　characters。　Mr。　Kingsbury　says　it　would　spoil　the　illusion　for　the　children。〃
　Carrie　laughed。　〃Some　illusion。　I've　had　kids　grab　my　boobs；　right　through　the　costume。　One　time　there　was　a　Shriner；　tried　to　goose　me　in　the　Magic　Mansion。〃
　Winder　said；　〃How'd　they　know　you　were　a　woman？〃
　〃That's　the　scary　part。〃　Her　eyes　flashed　mischievously。　〃What　if　they　didn't　know　I　was　a　woman？　What　if　they　thought　I　was　a　real　raccoon？　What　would　Mr。　Francis　X。　Kingsbury　say　about　that？〃　She　took　a　pair　of　blue　jeans　out　of　the　locker　and　squirmed　into　them。　〃Anyhow；　I　don't　want　my　name　in　any　stupid　press　release；〃　she　said。　〃Not　for　this　place。〃
　〃Maybe　not；　but　you　did　a　brave　thing；〃　said　Winder。
　As　Carrie　buttoned　her　blouse；　she　said；　〃I　don't　want　my　folks　knowing　what　I　do。　You　blame　me？〃
　〃You　make　lots　of　little　children　happy。　What's　wrong　with　that？〃
　She　looked　at　him　evenly。　〃You're　new　here；　aren't　you？〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Joe　Winder　said。
　〃My　job's　crummy；　but　you　know　what？　I　think　your　job　is　worse。〃
　
　Joe　Winder　wrote　the　press　release　in　forty　minutes。　〃Theft　of　Rare　Animals　Stuns　Amazing　Kingdom。〃　Ten　paragraphs　on　the　crime　itself；　with　a　nod　to　the　heroics　of　Robbie　Raccoon　（〃who　barely　escaped　serious　injury〃）。　Three　paragraphs　of　official　reaction　（〃a　sad　and　shocking　event〃）　from　Francis　X。　Kingsbury；　chairman　and　president　of　the　park。　Three　graphs　more　of　scientific　background　on　the　blue…tongued　mango　vole；　with　a　suitable　quote　from　Dr。　Will　Koocher。　A　hundred　words　about　the　10；000　reward；　and　a　hundred　more　announcing　new　beefed…up　security　precautions　at　the　park。
　Winder　put　the　press　release　on　Charles　Chelsea's　desk　and　went　home。　By　the　time　he　called　Nina；　it　was　nearly　one　in　the　morning。　He　dialed　the　number　and　hoped　she　would　be　the　one　to　answer。
　〃Hello；　sugar；〃　Nina　said。
　〃It's　me。〃
　〃God；　I　need　to　talk　to　a　real　man；〃　she　said。　〃I　had　a　fantasy　that　got　me　so　hot。　We　were　on　the　bow　of　a　sailboat。　Making　love　in　the　sun。　I　was　on　top。　Suddenly　a　terrible　storm　came…〃
　〃Nina；　it's　me！〃
　〃…but　instead　of　hiding　in　the　cabin；　we　lashed　each　other　to　the　deck　and　kept　on　doing　it　in　the　lightning　and　thunder。　Afterwards　the　warm　rain　washed　the　salt　off　our　bodies。。。。〃
　〃For　Christ's　sake。〃
　〃Joe？〃
　〃Yeah；　it's　me。　Why　don't　you　ever　listen？〃
　〃Because　they　don't　pay　me　to　listen；〃　Nina　said。　〃They　pay　me　to　talk。〃
　〃I　wish　you'd　get　a　normal　job。〃
　〃Joe；　don't　start。〃
　Nina　was　a　voice　for　one　of　those　live　dial…a…fantasy　telephone　services。　She　worked　nights；　which　put　a　strain　on　her　personal　relationships。　Also；　every　time　Joe　Winder　called；　it　cost　him　four　bucks。　At　least　the　number　was　easy　to　remember：　976…E。
　Nina　said；　〃What　do　you　think　about　the　lightning…and…thunder　business？　I　added　it　to　the　script　myself。〃
　〃What　was　it　before…something　about　whales；　right？〃
　〃Porpoises；　Joe。　A　school　of　friendly　porpoises　leaped　and　frolicked　in　the　water　while　we　made　love。　Our　animal　cries　only　seemed　to　arouse　them。〃
　Nina　had　a　wonderful　voice；　Winder　had　to　admit。　〃I　like　the　new　stuff　better；〃　he　agreed。　〃The　storm　idea　is　good…you　wrote　that　yourself？〃
　〃Don't　sound　so　surprised。〃　She　asked　him　how　his　day　had　gone；　and　he　told　her　about　the　stolen　voles。
　Nina　said；　〃See？　And　you　thought　you　were　going　to　be　bored。〃
　〃I　am　bored。　Most　of　the　time。〃
　〃Joe；　it's　never　going　to　be　like　the　old　days。〃
　He　wasn't　in　the　mood　to　hear　it。　He　said；　〃How's　it　going　with　you？〃
　〃Slow；〃　Nina　said。　〃Beverly　went　home　early。　It's　just　me　and　Miriam。〃
　〃Any　creeps　call　in？〃　Of　course　creeps　had　called…who　else　would　bother？
　〃The　usual　jack…off　artists；〃　Nina　reported。　〃They're　harmless；　Joe；　don't　worry。　I　just　give　a　straight　read；　no　moans　or　groans；　and　still　they　get　off　in　about　thirty　seconds。　I　had　one　guy　fall　asleep　afterwards。　Snoring　like　a　baby。〃
　Sometimes　she　talked　about　her　job　as　if　it　were　a　social　service；　like　UNICEF　or　Meals　on　Wheels。
　〃When　will　you　be　home？〃　Winder　asked。
　The　usual；　Nina　said；　meaning　four　in　the　morning。　〃Want　me　to　wake　you　up？〃
　〃Sure。〃　She　had　loads　of　energy；　this　girl。　Winder　needed　somebody　with　energy；　to　help　him　use　up　his　own。　One　of　the　drawbacks　of　his　high…paying　bullshit　PR　job　was　that　it　took　absolutely　nothing　out　of　him；　except　his　pride。
　Hurriedly　Nina　said；　〃Joe；　I　got　another　call　waiting。〃
　〃Make　it　short　and　sweet。〃
　〃I'll　deal　with　you　later；　sailor　boy。〃
　And　then　she　hung　up。
　
　Winder　couldn't　sleep；　so　he　put　a　Warren　Zevon　tape　in　the　stereo　and　made　himself　a　runny　cheese　omelet。　He　ate　in　the　living　room；　near　the　speakers；　and　sat　on　a　box　because　there　were　no　chairs　in　the　apartment。　The　box　was　filled　with　old　newspaper　clippings；　his　own；　as　well　as　plaques　and　certificates　from　various　journalism　awards　that　he　had　received　over　the　years。　The　only　important　journalism　award　that　wasn't　in　the　box　was　the　single　one　that　impressed　anybody…the　Pulitzer　Prize；　which　Joe　Winder　had　never　won。
　When　he　was　first　interviewed　for　the　publicity…writing　job　at　the　Amazing　Kingdom　of　Thrills；　Joe　Winder　had　been　asked　if　he'd　ever　gotten　a　Pulitzer。　When　he　answered　no；　Charles　Chelsea　had　threatened　to　put　him　on　the　polygraph　machine。
　〃I　never　won；〃　Winder　insisted。　〃You　can　look　it　up。〃　And　Charles　Chelsea　did。　A　Pulitzer　on　the　wall　would　have　disqualified　Joe　Winder　from　the　PR　job　just　as　surely　as　flunking　a　urinalysis　for　drugs；
　〃We're　not　in　the　market　for　aggressive；　hard…bitten　newshounds；〃　Chelsea　had　warned　him。　〃We're　looking　for　writers　with　a　pleasing；　easygoing　style。　We're　looking　for　a　certain　attitude。〃
　〃I'm　flexible；〃　Joe　Winder　had　said。　〃Especially　my　attitude。〃
　Chelsea　had　grilled　him　about　the　other　journalism　awards；　then　about　the　length　of　his　hair；　then　about　the　thin　pink　scar　along　his　jawline。
　Eyeing　Winder's　face　at　close　range；　the　publicity　man　had　said；　〃You　look　like　a　bar　fighter。　Did　you　get　that　scar　in　a　fight？〃
　〃Car　accident；〃　Joe　Winder　had　lied；　figuring　what　the　hell；　Chelsea　must've　known　the　truth。　One　phone　call　to　the　newspaper；　and　any　number　of　people　would've　been　happy　to　drop　the　dime。
　But　Chelsea　never　said　another　word　about　the　scar；　never　gave　a　hint　that　he'd　even　picked　up　the　rumor。　It　was　Joe　Winder's　journalism　achievements　that　seemed　to　disturb　the　publicity　man；　although　these　concerns　were　ultimately　outweighed　by　the　discovery　that　Winder　had　been　born　and　raised　in　Florida。　The　Publicity　Department　at　the　Amazing　Kingdom　was　desperate　for　native　talent；　somebody　who　understood　the　mentality　of　tourists　and　crackers　alike。
　The　Disney　stint　hadn't　hurt　Joe　Winder's　chances；　either；　he　had　worked　among　the　enemy；　and　learned　many　of　their　professional　secrets。　So　Charles　Chelsea　had　set　aside　his　doubts　and　hired　him。
　That　was　two　weeks　ago。　It　was　still　too　early　for　Winder　to　pare　the　new　job　with　the　one　at　Disney　World。　Certainly　Disney　was　slicker　and　more　efficient　than　the　Amazing　Kingdom；　but　it　was　also　more　regimented　and　impersonal。　The　Disney　bureaucracy；　and　its　reach；　was　awesome。　In　retrospect　Joe　Winder　wasn't　sure　how　he　had　lasted　as　long　as　he　did；　six　months；　before　he　was　caught　having　sex　on　Mr。　Toad's　Wild　Ride　and　fired　for　not　wearing　his　ID　card。　Winder　felt　especially　bad　that　the　young　woman　with　whom　he'd　been　dallying；　a　promising　understudy　to　Cinderella；　had　also　been　dismissed　over　the　incident；　she　for　leaving　Main　Street　during　Mickey's　Birthday　Parade。
　During　the　job　interview　at　the　Amazing　Kingdom；　Charles　Chelsea　had　told　him：　〃You　work　for　us；　you'd　better　keep　it　in　your　pants；　understand？〃
　〃I've　got　a　girlfriend　now；〃　Joe　Winder　had　said。
　〃Don't　think　you　won't　be　tempted　around　here。〃
　Winder　hadn't　been　tempted　once；　until　today。　Now　he　was　thinking　about　Carrie　Lanier；　the　fearless　beauty　inside　a　seven…foot　raccoon　suit。
　This　is　what　happens　when　you　turn　thirty…seven；　Winder　thought；　the　libido　goes　blind　with　fever。　What　else　could　explain　his　attraction　to　Nina？　Or　her　attraction　to　him？
　Being　a　newspaper　reporter　had　left　Joe　Winder　no　time　for　such　reckless　attachments。　Being　a　flack　left　him　all　the　time　in　the　world。　Now　that　he　was　forbidden　to　write　about　troubl