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ch.nativetongue-第51章

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 〃Only till you're feeling better;〃 said Bud Schwartz。 〃We got some business that requires our full attention。〃
 〃Of course; I understand。〃
 〃We made five grand tonight!〃 said Danny Pogue。 Quickly he withered under his partner's glare。
 〃Five thousand is very good;〃 Molly said。 〃Add the money I still owe you; and that's quite a handsome nest egg。〃 She slid deeper into the sheets; and pulled the blanket to her chin。
 〃Get some rest;〃 Bud Schwartz said。 〃We'll take you to the house in the morning。〃
 〃Yeah; get some sleep。〃 Danny Pogue gazed at her dolorously。 Bud Schwartz wondered if he was about to cry。
 〃Bud?〃 Molly spoke in a fog。
 〃Yeah。〃
 〃Did you boys happen to find a piece of finger on the floor?〃
 〃No;〃 said Bud Schwartz。 〃Why?〃
 〃Would you check in the kitchen; please?〃
 〃No problem。〃 He wondered how the pills could mess her up so quickly。 〃You mean; like a human finger?〃 But Molly's eyes were already closed。
 
 NINETEEN
 Charles Chelsea worked feverishly all morning。 By half past eleven the parade was organized。 The gateway to the Amazing Kingdom of Thrills was festooned with multicolored streamers and hundreds of Mylar balloons。 Cheerleaders practiced cartwheels over the turnstiles while the Tavernier High School band rehearsed the theme from Exodus。 Several of the most popular animal characters…Robbie Raccoon; Petey Possum and Barney the Bison…were summoned from desultory lunch breaks in The Catabs to greet and be photographed with the big winner。 Above a hastily constructed stage; a billowy hand…painted banner weled 〃OUR FIVE…MILLIONTH SPECIAL GUEST!!!〃
 And there; parked in the courtyard; was a newly restored 1966 Chevrolet Corvair; one of Detroit's most venerated deathtraps。 Charles Chelsea had been unable to locate a mint…condition Falcon; and the vintage Mustangs were beyond Francis Kingsbury's budget。 The Corvair was Chelsea's next choice as the giveaway car because it was a genuine curiosity; and because it was cheap。 The one purchased by Chelsea had been rear…ended by a dairy tanker in 1972; and the resulting explosion had wiped out a quartet of home…appliance salesmen。 The rebuilt Corvair was seven inches shorter from bumper to bumper than the day it had rolled off the assembly line; but Charles Chelsea was certain no one would notice。 Two extra coats of cherry paint and the Corvair shouted classic。 It was exactly the sort of campy junk…mobile that some dumb Yuppie would love。
 The scene was set for the coronation of the alleged five…millionth visitor to the Amazing Kingdom。 The only thing missing from the festive tableau; Chelsea noted lugubriously; was customers。 〃The park had opened more than two hours ago; yet not a single carload of tourists had arrived。 The trams were empty; the cash registers mute; no one had passed through the ticket gates。 Chelsea couldn't understand it…the place had not experienced such a catastrophic attendance drop since salmonella had felled a visiting contingent of Rotarians at Sally's Cimarron Saloon。
 Chelsea prayed with all his heart that some tourists would show up before the television vans。 He did not know; and could not have envisioned; that an eighteen…wheeler loaded with the deposing remains of Orky the Whale had flipped on Card Sound Road and paralyzed all traffic heading toward the Amazing Kingdom。 The highway patrol diligently had set up a roadblock at the junction near Florida City; where troopers were advising all buses; campers and rental cars filled with Francis X。 Kingsbury's customers to turn around and return to Miami。 The beleaguered troopers did not consider it their sworn duty to educate the tourists about an alternate route to the Amazing Kingdom…taking Highway 1 south past Jewfish Creek; then backtracking up County Road 905 to the park。 The feeling among the troopers (based on years of experience) was that no matter how simple and explicit they made the directions; many of the tourists would manage to get lost; run out of gas and bee the victims of some nasty roadside crime。 A more sensible option was simply to tell them to go back; there'd been a bad accident。
 Consequently Charles Chelsea stood in eery solitude on the makeshift stage; the cheery banner flapping over his head as he stared at the empty parking lot and wondered how in the hell he would break the news to Francis X。 Kingsbury。 Today there would be no celebration; no parade; no five…millionth visitor。 There were no visitors at all。
 
 Joe Winder felt like a damn redneck…he hadn't been to a firing range in ten or twelve years; and that was to shoot his father's revolver; an old Smith。 The gun Skink had given him was a thin foreign…made semi…automatic。 It didn't have much weight; but Skink promised it would do the job; whatever job needed doing。 Winder had decided to keep it for ornamental purposes。 It lay under the front seat as he drove south on County Road 905。
 He stopped at a pay phone; dialed the sex…talk number and billed it to his home。 Miriam answered and started in with a new routine; something about riding bareback on a pony。 When Winder broke in and asked for Nina; Miriam told him she wasn't there。
 〃Tell her to call me; please。〃
 〃Hokay; Joe。〃
 〃On second thought; never mind。〃
 〃Whatever chew say。 You like the horsey business?〃
 〃Yes; Miriam; it's very good。〃
 〃Nina wrote it。 Want me do the end?〃
 〃No thank you。〃
 〃Is hot stuff; Joe。 Cheese got some mansionation。〃
 〃She sure does。〃
 Joe Winder drove until he reached the Falcon Trace construction site。 He parked on the side of the road and watched a pair of mustard…colored bulldozers plow a fresh section of hammock; creating a tangled knoll of uprooted tamarinds; buttonwoods; pigeon plums and rouge…berry。 Each day a few more acres were being destroyed in the name of championship golf。
 A team of surveyors worked the distant end of the property; near Winder's fishing spot。 He assumed they were marking off the lots where the most expensive homes would be built…the more ocean frontage; the higher the price。 This was how Francis X。 Kingsbury would make his money…the golf course itself was never meant to profit; it was a real…estate tease; plain and simple。 The links would be pieced together in the middle of the development on whatever parcels couldn't be peddled as residential waterfront。 Soon; Winder knew; they'd start blasting with dynamite to dig fairway lakes in the ancient reef rock。
 He saw that both bulldozers had stopped; and that the drivers had gotten down from the cabs to look at something in the trees。 Joe Winder stepped out of the car and started running。 He remembered what Skink had told him about the baby eagles。 He shouted at the men and saw them turn。 One folded his arms and slouched against his dozer。
 Winder covered the two hundred yards in a minute。 When he reached the men; he was panting too hard to speak。
 One of them said: 〃What's your problem?〃
 Winder flashed his Amazing Kingdom identification badge; which he had purposely neglected to turn in upon termination of employment。 The lazy bulldozer driver; the one leaning against his machine; studied the badge and began to laugh。 〃What the hell is this?〃
 When Joe Winder caught his breath; he sai
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