df.theedge-第31节

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　　He　rather　grumpily　agreed　and　went　away　saying　they　would　have　to　rehearse。　Nell　smiled　sweetly　at　his　departing　back　and　asked　if　I'd　ever　noticed　how　important　everything　was　to　actors？　Everything　except　the　real　world；　of　course。
　　'Pussycat；'　I　said。
　　'But　I　have　such　tiny；　indulgent　claws。'
　　Oliver　and　Cathy　arrived　and　with　Emil　began　spreading　tablecloths　and　setting　places。　I　got　to　my　feet　and　helped　them；　and　Nell　with　teasing　amusement　watched　me　fold　pink　napkins　into　water　lilies　and　said；　'Well；　well；　hidden　depths；'　and　I　answered；　'You　should　see　my　dishwashing；'　which　were　the　sort　of　infantile　surface　remarks　of　something　we　both　guessed　might　suddenly　bee　serious。　The　surface　meanwhile　was　safe　and　shimmering　and　funny；　and　would　stay　that　way　until　we　were　ready　for　change。
　　As　usual；　the　passengers　came　early　into　the　dining　car；　and　I　faded　into　the　scenery　in　my　uniform　and　avoided　Nell's　eyes。
　　The　passengers　hadn't　over…enjoyed　their　sojourn　in　the　station；　it　appeared；　as　they　had　been　fallen　upon　by　the　flock　of　pressmen　who　had　taken　Xanthe　back　again　to　the　brink　of　hysteria；　and　had　asked　Mercer　whether　it　wasn't　unwise　to　flaunt　the　privilege　of　wealth　in　his　private　car；　and　hadn't　he　invited　trouble　by　adding　it　to　the　train。　Indignation　on　his　behalf　was　thick　in　the　air。　Everyone　knew　he　was　public　spiritedly　on　the　trip　For　the　Sake　of　Canadian　Racing。
　　The　Lorrimores；　all　four　of　them；　arrived　together　to　murmurs　of　sympathy；　but　the　two　young　ones　split　off　immediately　from　their　parents　and　from　each　other；　all　of　them　gravitating　to　their　various　havens：　the　parents　went　to　join　Filmer　and　Daffodil　of　their　own　free　will；　Xanthe　made　a　straight　piteous　line　to　Mrs　Young；　and　Sheridan　grabbed　hold　of　Nell；　who　was　by　this　time　standing；　saying　that　he　needed　her　to　sit　with　him；　she　was　the　only　decent　human　being　on　the　whole　damn　train。
　　Nell；　unsure　of　the　worth　of　his　pliment；　nevertheless　sat　down　opposite　him；　even　if　temporarily。　Keeping　Sheridan　on　a　straight　or　even　a　wavy　line　definitely　came　into　the　category　of　crisis　control。
　　Sheridan　had　the　looks　which　went　with　Julius's　name；　Apollo：　he　was　tall；　handsome；　nearly　blond；　a　child　of　the　sun。　The　ice；　the　arrogance；　the　lack　of　mon　sense　and　of　control；　these　were　the　darkside　tragedy。　A　mini　psychopath；　I　thought；　and　maybe　not　so　mini；　at　that；　if　Xanthe　thought　he　should　be　in　jail。
　　The　Australian　Unwins；　sitting　with　the　rival　owners　of　Flokati；　were　concerned　about　a　lifelessness　they　had　detected　in　Upper　Gumtree　due　to　the　fact　that　on　the　train　their　horse　had　been　fed　a　restricted　diet　of　pressed　food　nuts　and　high…grade　hay　and　the　Flokati　people　were　cheerfully　saying　that　on　so　long　a　stretch　without　exercise；　good　hay　was　best。　Hay　was　calming。　'We　don't　want　them　climbing　the　walls；'　Mr　Flokati　said。　Upper　Gumtree　had　looked　asleep；　Mrs　Unwin　remarked　with　disapproval。　The　Flokati　people　beamed　wide　trying　to　look　sympathetic。　If　Upper　Gumtree　proved　listless；　so　much　the　better　for　Flokati's　chances。
　　It　seemed　that　all　of　the　owners　had　taken　the　opportunity　of　visiting　the　horses　while　the　train　was　standing　still；　and　listen　though　I　might　I　could　hear　no　one　else　reporting　trouble。
　　Upper　Gumtree；　it　seemed　to　me；　might　revive　spectacularly　on　the　morrow；　given　oats；　fresh　air　and　exercise。　His　race　was　still　more　than　forty…eight　hours　away。　If　gaunt…face　had　in　fact　given　Upper　Gumtree　something　tranquillizing；　the　effects　would　wear　off　long　before　then。
　　On　reflection；　I　thought　it　less　and　less　probable　that　he　had　done　any　such　thing：　he　would　have　to　have　by…passed　the　dragon…lady；　Leslie　Brown；　for　a　start。　Yet　presumably　at　times　she　left　her　post。。。　to　eat　and　sleep。
　　'I　said；'　Daffodil　said　to　me　distinctly；　'would　you　bring　me　a　clean　knife？　I've　dropped　mine　on　the　floor。'
　　'Certainly；　madam；'　I　said；　ing　back　abruptly　to　the　matter　in　hand　and　realizing　with　a　shock　that　she　had　already　asked　me　once；　I　fetched　her　a　knife　fast。　She　nodded　merely；　her　attention　again　on　Filmer；　and　he；　I　was　mightily　relieved　to　see；　had　taken　no　notice　of　the　small　matter。　But　how　could　I；　I　thought　ruefully；　how　could　I　have　possibly　stopped　concentrating　when　I　was　so　close　to　him。　Only　one　day　ago　the　proximity　had　had　my　pulse　racing。
　　The　train　had　made　its　imperceptible　departure　and　was　rolling　along　again　past　the　uninhabited　infinity　of　rocks　and　lakes　and　conifers　that　seemed　to　march　on　to　the　end　of　the　world。　We　finished　serving　lunch　and　coffee　and　cleared　up；　and　as　soon　as　I　decently　could　I　left　the　kitchen　and　set　off　forward　up　the　train。
　　George；　whom　I　looked　for　first；　was　in　his　office　eating　a　fat　ragged　beef　sandwich　and　drinking　diet　Coke。
　　'How　did　it　go；'　I　asked；　'In　Thunder　Bay？'
　　He　scowled；　but　halfheartedly。　'They　found　out　nothing　I　hadn't　told　them。　There　was　nothing　to　see。　They're　thinking　now　that　whoever　uncoupled　the　private　car　was　on　it　when　the　train　left　Cartier。'
　　'On　the　private　car？'　I　said　in　surprise。
　　'That's　right。　The　steam　tube　could　have　been　disconnected　in　the　station；　eh？　Then　the　train　leaves　Cartier　with　the　saboteur　in　the　Lorrimores'　car。　Then　less　than　a　mile　out　of　Cartier；　eh？；　our　saboteur　pulls　up　the　rod　that　undoes　the　coupling。　Then　the　private　car　rolls　to　a　stop；　and　he　gets　off　and　walks　back　to　Cartier。'
　　'But　why　should　anyone　do　that？'
　　'Grow　up；　sonny。　There　are　people　in　this　world　who　cause　trouble　because　it　makes　them　feel　important。　They're　ineffective；　eh？；　in　their　lives。　So　they　burn　things　。。。　and　smash　things。。。　paint　slogans　on　walls。。。　leave　their　mark　on　something；　eh？　And　wreck　trains。　Put　slabs　of　concrete　on　the　rails。　I've　seen　it　done。　Power　over　others；　that's　what　it's　about。　A　grudge　against　the　Lorrimores；　most　like。　Power　over　them；　over　their　possessions。　That's　what　those　investigators　think。'
　　'Hm；'　I　said。　'If　that's　the　case；　the　saboteur　wouldn't　have　walked　back　to　Cartier　but　up　to　some　vantage　point　from　where　he　could　watch　the　smash。'
　　George　looked　startled。　'Well。。。　I　suppose　he　might。'
　　'Arsonists　often　help　to　put　out　the　fires　they've　started。'
　　'You　mean　he　would　have　waited　around。。。　to　help　with　the　wreck。　Even　to　help　with　casualties？'
　　'Sure；'　I　said。　'Pure；　heady　power；　to　know　you'd　caused　such　a　scene。'
　　'I　didn't　see　anyone　around；'　he　said　thoughtfully；　'when　we　went　back　to　the　car。　I　shone　the　lamp。。。　there　wasn't　anyone　moving；　eh？；　or　anything　like　that。'
　　'So；　what　are　the　investigators　going　to　do？'　I　asked。
　　His　eyes　crinkled　and　the　familiar　chuckle　escaped。　'Write　long　reports；　eh？　Tell　us　never　to　take　private　cars。　Blame　me　for　not　preventing　it；　I　dare　say。'
　　He　didn't　seem　worried　at　the　idea。　His　shoulders　and　his　mind　were　broad。
　　I　left　him　with　appreciation　and　went　forward　into　the　central　dining　car　where　all　the　actors　were　sitting　in　front　of　coffee　cups　and　poring　over　typed　sheets　of　stage　directions；　muttering　under　their　breaths　and　sometimes　exclaiming　aloud。
　　Zak　raised　his　eyes　vaguely　in　my　direction　but　it　would　have　been　tactless　to　disrupt　the　thoughts　behind　them；　so　I　pressed　on　forwards；　traversing　the　dayniter　and　the　sleeping　cars　and　arriving　at　the　forward　dome　car。　There　were　a　lot　of　people　about　everywhere；　but　no　one　looked　my　way　twice。
　　I　knocked　eventually　on　the　door　of　the　horse　car　and；　after　inspection　and　formalities　that　would　have　done　an　Iron　Curtain　country　proud；　was　admitted　again　by　Ms　Brown　to　the　holy　of　holies。
　　Rescrawling　Tommy　Titmouse　on　her　list　I　was　interested　to　see　how　long　it　had　grown；　and　I　noticed　that　even　Mercer　hadn't　been　let　in　without　signing。　I　asked　the　dragon…lady　if　anyone　had　e　in　who　wasn't　an　owner　or　a　groom；　and　she　bridled　like　a　thin　turkey　and　told　me　that　she　had　conscientiously　checked　every　visitor　against　her　list　of　bona　fide　owners；　and　only　they　had　been　admitted。
　　'But　you　wouldn't　know　them　all　by　sight；'　I　said。
　　'What　do　you　mean？'　she　demanded。
　　'Supposing　for　instance　someone　came　and　said　they　were　Mr　Unwin；　you　would　check　that　his　name　was　on　the　list　and　let　him　in？'
　　'Yes；　of　course。'
　　'And　suppose　he　wasn't　Mr　Unwin；　although　he　said　he　was？'
　　'You're　just　being　difficult；'　she　said　crossly。　'I　cannot　refuse　entry　to　the　owners。　They　were　given　the　right　to　visit；　but　they　don't　have　to　produce　passports。　Nor　do　their　wives　or　husbands。'
　　I　looked　down　her　visitors'　list。　Filmer　appeared　on　it　twice；　Daffodil　once。　Filmer's　signature　was　large　and　flamboyant；　demanding　attention。　No　one　had　written　Filmer　in　any　other　way：　it　seemed　that　gaunt…face　hadn't　gained　entry　by　giving　Filmer's　name；　at　least。　It　didn't　mean　he　hadn't　given　someone　else's。
　　I　gave　Leslie　Brown　her　list　back　and　wandered　around　under　her　eagle　eye　looking　at　the　horses。　They　swayed　peacefully　to　the　motion；　standing　diagonally　across　the　stalls；　watching　me　incuriously；　seemingly　content。　I　couldn't　perceive　that　Upper　Gumtree　looked　any　more　sleepy　than　any　of　the　other：　his　eyes　were　as　bright；　and　he　pricked　his　ears　when　I　came　near　him。