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〃So locking you up won't do any good； will it？ Not with him still out there。〃 The trooper put on his hat and adjusted it out of habit。 In the darkness of the car； Skink couldn't read the expression on his friend's face。 Jim Tile said； 〃Promise me one thing； all right？ Talk some sense to the boy。 He's new at it； Governor； and he could get hurt。 That stunt with the bulldozers； it's not cool。〃
〃I know；〃 said Skink； 〃but it's got a certain flair。〃
〃Listen to me；〃 Jim Tile said sternly。 〃Already he's got some serious people after his ass； you understand？ There's things I can help with and things I can't。〃
Skink nodded。 〃I'll talk to him； I promise。 And thanks。〃
Then he was gone。 Jim Tile reached across to shut the door and his arm instantly was enveloped by an influx of mosquitoes。 Frenzied humming filled the car。
He stomped the accelerator and the big Crown Victoria sprayed a fusillade of gravel into the mangroves。 Westbound at a hundred fifteen miles an hour； the trooper rolled down the windows to let the wind suck the bugs from the car。
〃Two of them。〃 His words were swallowed in the roar of the open night。 〃Now I got two of the crazy bastards。〃
TWENTY…ONE
Carrie Lanier's place was furnished as exquisitely as any mobile home。 It had a microwave； an electric can opener； a stove； a nineteen…inch color TV； two paddle fans and a Naugahyde convertible sofa where Joe Winder slept。 But there was no music； so on his third day as a fugitive Winder borrowed Carrie's car and went back to the apartment to retrieve his stereo system and rock tapes。 He was not totally surprised to find that his place had been broken； entered and ransacked； judging by the viciousness of the search； Pedro Luz was the likely intruder。 The inventory of losses included the portable television； three champagne glasses； a tape recorder； the plumbing fixtures； the mattress； a small Matisse print and the toaster。 One of Nina's pink bras； which she had forgotten； had been desecrated ominously with cigarette burns； and hung from a Tiffany lamp。 Also； the freshwater aquarium had been shattered； and the twin Siamese fighting fish had been killed。 It appeared to Joe Winder that their heads were pinched off。
The stereo tuner and tape deck escaped harm； though the turntable was in pieces。 A pair of hedge clippers protruded from one of the speakers； the other； fortunately； was undamaged。
〃It's better than nothing；〃 Joe Winder said when he got back to the trailer。 〃Low fidelity is better than no fidelity。〃
While he reassembled the ponents； Carrie Lanier explored the box of cassettes。 Every now and then she would smile or go 〃Hmmm〃 in an amused tone。
Finally Winder looked up from the nest of colored wires and said； 〃You don't like my music？〃
〃I like it just fine；〃 she said。 〃I'm learning a lot about you。 We've got The Kinks。 Seeger live at Cobo Hall。 Mick and the boys。〃
〃Living in the past； I know。〃
〃Oh； baloney。〃 She began to stack the tapes alphabetically on a shelf made from raw plywood and cinder blocks。
〃Do you have a typewriter？〃 he asked。
〃In the closet；〃 Carrie said。 〃Are you going to start writing again？〃
〃I wouldn't call it writing。〃
She got out the typewriter； an old Olivetti manual； and made a place for it on the dinette。 〃This is a good idea；〃 she said to Joe Winder。 〃You'll feel much better。 No more shooting at heavy machinery。〃
He reminded her that he hadn't actually pulled the trigger on the bulldozers。 Then he said； 〃I stopped writing a long time ago。 Stopped being a journalist； anyway。〃
〃But you didn't burn out； you sold out。〃
〃Thanks；〃 Winder said； 〃for the reminder。〃
It was his fault for staggering down memory lane in the first place。 Two nights earlier； Carrie had quizzed him about the newspaper business； wanted to know what kind of stories he'd written。 So he'd told her about the ones that had stuck with him。 The murder trial of a thirteen…year…old boy who'd shot his little sister because she had borrowed his Aerosmith album without asking。 The marijuana…smuggling ring led by a fugitive former justice of the Florida Supreme Court。 The bribery scandal in which dim…witted Dade County building inspectors were caught soliciting Lotto tickets as payoffs。 The construction of a 47 million superhighway by a Mafia contractor whose formula for high…grade asphalt included human body parts。
Joe Winder did not mention the story that had ended his career。 He offered nothing about his father。 When Carrie Lanier had asked why he'd left the newspaper for public relations； he simply said； 〃Because of the money。〃 She had seemed only mildly interested in his short time as a Disney World flack； but was impressed by the reckless sexual behavior that had gotten him fired。 She said it was a healthy sign that he had not bee a corporate drone； that the spark of rebellion still glowed in his soul。 〃Maybe in my pants；〃 Winder said； 〃not in my soul。〃
Carrie repeated what she had told him the first night： 〃You could always go back to being a reporter。〃
〃No； I'm afraid not。〃
〃So what is it you want to type…love letters？ Maybe a confession？〃 Mischievously she tapped the keys of the Olivetti； two at a time； as if she were playing 〃Chopsticks。〃
The trailer was getting smaller and smaller。 Joe Winder felt the heat lick at his eardrums。 He said； 〃There's a reason you've hidden that gun。〃
〃Because it's not your style。〃 Carrie slapped the carriage and made the typewriter ring。 〃God gave you a talent for expression； a gift with the language。〃
Winder moaned desolately。 〃Have you ever read a single word I've written？〃
〃No；〃 she admitted。
〃So my alleged talent for expression； this gift…〃
〃I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt；〃 she said。 The fact is； I don't trust you with a firearm。 Now e help me open the wine。〃
Every evening at nine sharp； visitors to the Amazing Kingdom of Thrills gathered on both sides of Kingsbury Lane； the park's main thoroughfare； to buy overpriced junk food and await the rollicking pageant that was the climax of the day's festivities。 All the characters in the Kingdom were expected to participate； from the gunslingers to the porpoise trainers to the elves。 Sometimes a real marching band would acpany the procession； but in the slow months of summer the music was usually canned； piped in through the garbage chutes。 Ten brightly colored floats prised the heart of the parade； although mechanical problems frequently reduced the number of entries by half。 These were organized in a story line based loosely on the settlement of Florida； going back to the days of the Spaniards。 The plundering； genocide； defoliation and gang rape that typified the peninsula's past had been toned down for the sake of Francis X。 Kingsbury's younger； more impressionable customers； also； it would have been difficult to find a musical score suitable to acpany a mass disemboweling of French Huguenots。
For the feel…good purposes of the Amazing Kingdom's nightly pageant； the sordid history of Florida was pressed into a series of amiable and bloodless encounters。 Floats celebrated such fabricated milestones as the first beachfront Thanksgiving； when friendly settlers and gentle Tequesta Indians sh