按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃No； sir。〃 The publicity man gritted his teeth and told Kingsbury what had happened。 There was a long unpleasant silence； followed by the sound of a toilet being flushed。
〃I'm in the can；〃 Kingsbury said。 〃That's what you get for calling me at home。〃
〃Sir； did you hear what I said？ About the snake story that Winder put out？〃
〃Yes； hell； I'm not deaf。 Hold on。〃 Chelsea heard the toilet flush again。 Grimly he motioned for his secretary to get him another cup of coffee。
On the other end； Kingsbury said； 〃All right； so on this snake thing； what do you think？〃
〃Close the park for a day。〃
〃Don't be an idiot。〃
〃There's no choice； Mr。 Kingsbury。 Even if we came clean and admitted the press release was fake； nobody's going to believe it。 They'll think we're covering up。〃 That was the insidious genius of Joe Winder's strategy。
Kingsbury said： 〃Close the goddamn park； are you kidding？ What about business？〃
〃Business is shot；〃 Chelsea replied。 〃Nobody but reptile freaks would show up today。 We're better off closing the Kingdom and taking our lumps。〃
〃Un…fucking…real； this is。〃
〃I forgot to mention； we'll also need to purchase some boots。 Several hundred pairs。〃 Chelsea's fingers began to cramp on the telephone receiver。 He said； 〃Don't worry； I'll put something out on the wires right away。〃
〃Everything's under control； blah； blah； blah。〃
〃Right；〃 said Chelsea。 Now he could hear the water running in Francis Kingsbury's sink。
〃I bruffing my teef；〃 Kingsbury gargled。
Chelsea waited for the sound of spitting。 Then he said； 〃I'll call a press conference for noon。 We'll get somebody； some scientist； to say the snakes are almost gone。 Then we'll reopen tomorrow。〃
Kingsbury said； 〃Four hundred grand is what this fucking clown is costing me； you realize？ A whole day's receipts。〃
〃Sir； it could get worse。〃
〃Don't say that； Charlie。〃
In a monotone Chelsea read the phony press release to Francis Kingsbury； who said： 〃Christ Almighty； they get six feet long！ These poison cottonheads do？〃
〃I don't know。 I don't know how big they get。〃 Chelsea wanted to tell Kingsbury that it really didn't matter if the imaginary snakes were two feet or twenty feet； the effect on tourists was the same。
Over the buzz of his electric razor； Kingsbury shouted； 〃What does he want…this prick Winder…what's he after？〃
〃Nothing we can give him；〃 Chelsea said。 〃It's got to stop or he'll kill our business。〃
〃Yes； I know。〃
〃And I'll tell you what else；〃 Francis Kingsbury said。 〃I'm very disappointed in that fucking Pedro。〃
Molly McNamara was writing a letter to her daughter in Minneapolis when Danny Pogue rushed into the den。 Excitedly he said： 〃I just saw on the news about all them snakes！〃 His Adam's apple juked up and down。
〃Yes；〃 Molly said； 〃it's very odd。〃
〃Maybe you could get your people together。 The Mothers of Wilderness。 Maybe go down to Key Largo and demonstrate。〃
〃Against what？〃
〃Well； it said on the news they're killing 'em all。 The snakes； I mean。 That don't seem right…it ain't their fault about the high water。〃 Danny Pogue was rigid with indignation； and Molly hated to dampen the fervor。
Gently she said； 〃I don't know that they're actually killing the snakes。 The radio said something about capture teams。〃
〃No； unh…uh； I just saw on the TV。 A man from the Amazing Kingdom said they were killing the ones they couldn't catch。 Especially the preggy ones。〃 He meant 〃pregnant。〃 〃It's that Kingsbury asshole； pardon my French。〃
Molly McNamara capped her fountain pen and turned the chair toward Danny Pogue。 She told him she understood how he felt。 〃But we've got to choose our battles carefully；〃 she said； 〃if we hope to get the public on our side。〃
〃So？〃
〃So there's not much sympathy for poisonous snakes。〃
Danny Pogue looked discouraged。 Molly said； 〃I'm sorry； Danny； but it's true。 Nobody's going to care if they use flamethrowers； as long as they get rid of the cottonmouths。〃
〃But it ain't right。〃
Molly patted his knee。 〃There's plenty of snakes out there。 Not like the mango voles； where there were only two left in the entire world。〃
With those words she could have hammered an icepick into Danny Pogue's heart。 Morosely he bowed his head。 As his environmental consciousness had been awakened； the vole theft had begun to weigh like a bleak ballast on his soul； he'd e to feel personally responsible for the extinction of the voles； and had inwardly promised to avenge his crime。
He said to Molly： 〃What's that word you used before…'atome' 〃？
〃Atone； Danny。 A…t…o…n…e。 It means making amends。〃
〃Yeah； well； that's me。〃
Molly smiled and removed her reading glasses。 〃Don't worry； we've all made mistakes in our lives。 We've all mitted errors of judgment。〃
〃Like when you shot me and Bud。 Before you got to know us better。〃
〃No； Danny； that wasn't a mistake。 I'd do the same thing all over again； if it became necessary。〃
〃You would？〃
〃Oh； now； don't take it the wrong way。 e here。〃 Molly reached out and took him by the shoulders。 Firmly she pulled his greasy head to her breast。 The heavy jasmine scent brought the tickle of a sneeze to Danny Pogue's nostrils。
Molly gave him a hug and said； 〃Both you boys mean so much to me。〃
Danny Pogue might have been moved to tears； except for the familiar bluish glint of the pistol tucked in the folds of Molly's housedress。
He said； 〃You want some tea？〃
〃That would be lovely。〃
As soon as Carrie Lanier left for work； Skink curled up in the shower； turned on the cold water and went to sleep。
Joe Winder kept writing for thirty minutes； until his will dissolved and he could no longer concentrate。 He dialed Miriam's house and asked for Nina。
〃It's six…dirty inna morning；〃 Miriam plained。
〃I know what time it is。 May I speak to her； please？〃
〃What if chee no here？〃
〃Miriam； I swear to God…〃
〃All rye； Joe。 Chew wait。〃
When Nina came on the line； she sounded wide awake。 〃This is very rude of you；〃 she said crossly； 〃waking Miriam。〃
〃What about you？〃
〃I was writing。〃
〃Me； too；〃 Joe Winder said。 〃You were working on your phone fantasies？〃
〃My stories； yes。〃
〃That's the main reason for the call。 I had an idea for you。〃
Nina said； 〃I've got some good news； Joe。 I'm getting syndicated。〃
〃Hey； that's great。〃 Syndicated？ What the hell was she talking about。 Ann Landers was syndicated。 Ellen Goodman was syndicated。 Not women who write about bondage on Olympic diving boards。
〃There's a pany called Hot Talk；〃 Nina said。 〃They own； like； two hundred of these adult phone services。 They're going to buy my scripts and market them all over。 Chicago； Denver； even Los Angeles。〃
〃That's really something。〃
〃Yeah； in a few months I'll be able to get off the phones and write full…time。 It's like a dream e true。〃
She asked about Joe's idea for a fantasy and he described it。 〃Not bad；〃 Nina admitted。 〃It just might work。〃
〃Oh； it'll work；〃 Winder said； but Nina didn't take the bait。 She expressed no curiosity。 〃Remember；〃 he added； 〃it has to be a fishnet suit with absolutely nothing underneath。〃
〃Joe； please。 I understand the principle。〃
He was hoping she would a