thedestroyer.slavesafari-第17部分

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　He　stopped　when　the　glass　was　half　empty。　〃Why；　of　course；〃　he　said。　〃Same　arrangement？〃
　Butler　nodded。
　The　same　arrangement　meant　5；000　in　cash　for　the　captain　of　the　Liberian…registered　tanker。　At　least　that　was　the　polite　fiction　that　Butler　and　the　ship's　captain　maintained。　The　full　truth　was　that　the　〃same　arrangement〃　meant　that　the　captain's　wife　and　mother　and　children　who　lived　in　Busati　would　continue　to　live　there　and　not　turn　up　dead　in　a　ditch。　This　point　had　been　made　clear　at　Butler's　first　meeting　with　the　captain　ten　months　before；　it　had　never　been　raised　again　since　there　was　no　need　for　it。　The　captain　remembered。
　〃However；〃　Butler　added；　〃there　will　be　a　slight　difference　this　time。〃　He　looked　around　the　room　to　be　sure　no　one　was　watching　or　listening。　The　small　bar　reverberated　with　the　soul…screeching　of　the　jukebox。　Reassured；　Butler　said；　〃Two　women。〃
　〃Two？〃　the　captain　said。
　Butler　smiled。　〃Two。　But　one　will　not　plete　the　trip。〃
　The　captain　sipped　his　drink；　then　smiled　again。　〃I　see；〃　he　said。　〃I　see。〃　But　he　did　not　see　why　he　should　carry　two　women　for　the　same　price　he　was　paid　for　carrying　one。　Yet；　neither　did　he　see　how　he　could　raise　the　subject　to　Butler　without　risking　serious　trouble。　Again；　he　said；　〃I　see。〃
　〃Good；〃　said　Butler。　〃When　do　you　sail？〃
　The　captain　glanced　down　at　his　watch。　〃Five　o'clock；〃　he　said。　〃Just　before　dawn。〃
　〃I'll　be　there；〃　Butler　said。　He　rose　from　the　table。
　〃Join　me　in　a　drink；　Colonel？〃　the　captain　asked。
　〃Sorry；　no。　I　never　drink。〃
　〃Too　bad。　I　should　think　you　would。　It　makes　life　so　much　easier。〃
　Butler　put　his　big　hand　on　the　table　and　leaned　forward　to　the　officer。　〃You　don't　understand；　Captain。　Nothing　could　be　easier　than　my　life　is　now。　Or　more　pleasurable。〃
　The　captain　nodded。　Butler　paused　a　moment；　almost　challenging　a　ment；　but　when　none　came；　he　pushed　away　from　the　table；　turned　and　left。
　Butler's　next…stop　was　a　motel　on　the　outskirts　of　the　city；　where　he　rented　a　room　under　the　name　of　F。　B。　Williams；　producing　identification　in　that　name；　paying　cash　and　rebuffing　efforts　by　the　motel　clerk　to　engage　him　in　conversation。
　Butler　checked　the　room。　The　door　locks　satisfied　　him。　He　tossed　his　small　traveling　bag　on　the　bed　and　returned　to　the　car。
　For　an　hour；　he　cruised　the　streets　of　Norfolk；　looking　for　a　person。　It　had　to　be　a　special　kind　of　person。
　Finally；　he　found　her。　She　was　a　tall　willowy　blonde　with　ashen　hair。　She　stood　on　a　corner　near　a　traffic　light　in　the　time…honored　fashion　of　whores　everywhere…ready　to　cross　the　street　if　a　police　car　came　along；　but　willing　to　stand　there　forever　if　the　fuzz　didn't　e；　or　at　least　until　the　right　kind　of　man　came　along　in　the　right　kind　of　car。
　Butler　saw　her；　quickly　drove　the　rented　Buick　around　the　block；　then　timed　it　so　that　he　rolled　up　in　front　of　her　as　the　traffic　light　turned　red。
　The　girl　looked　at　him　through　the　windshield　and　Butler　pressed　the　button　that　unlocked　the　car　doors。　The　heavy；　clicking　sound　was　another　universal　signal。　The　girl　came　over；　leaned　on　the　door　and　stuck　her　head　inside　the　open　window；　carefully　glancing　into　the　back　seat　first。　She　was　just　about　the　right　size　and　age；　Butler　guessed。　The　coloration　looked　about　right　also。
　〃Want　to　party？〃　she　said。
　〃Sure；〃　Butler　said。
　〃Go　down　for　　15；　straight　for　25。〃
　〃You　go　all　night？〃　Butler　asked。　He　thought　it　odd　that　the　words　and　phrases　of　the　street　came　back　to　him　so　easily；　almost　as　if　they　had　never　left　his　mind。
　〃Naah；〃　the　girl　said。　〃All　night's　a　bummer。〃
　〃Three　hundred　dollars　make　it　more　pleasant？〃　Butler　asked；　knowing　that　the　figure　was　outrageous　and　could　have　hired　the　best　efforts　of　any　three　girls　on　the　block。
　〃You　got　three　hundred？〃　
　Butler　nodded。
　〃Let's　see　it。〃
　〃Get　in　and　I'll　show　you。〃
　The　girl　opened　the　door　and　slid　into　the　front　seat　next　to　Butler。　The　light　was　green　and　he　turned　the　corner　and　pulled　up　into　a　spot　near　an　all…night　bookstand。
　Butler　reached　his　wallet　from　his　pocket　and　took　out　three　one…hundred…dollar　bills；　making　sure　that　the　girl　got　a　look　at　the　remaining　fat　wad　of　bills　in　the　wallet。　He　held　the　three　up　in　front　of　the　girl。
　〃Payment　in　advance；〃　she　said　warily。
　〃Two　hundred　now；〃　he　said。　〃You　can　stash　it。　The　other　hundred　after。〃
　〃How　e　you're　so　eager？〃　she　said。
　〃Look。　I'm　no　freak。　No　whips；　none　of　that　shit。　I　just　like　white　women。　If　you're　good　to　me；　there's　another　hundred　in　it　that　nobody　has　to　know　about。〃
　She　looked　at　Butler's　face　again；　hard　this　time；　obviously　trying　to　fit　him　into　one　of　her　danger　categories　of　fuzz；　freaks　and　fighters；　but　he　didn't　match。　〃Okay；〃　she　said；　〃wait　here。　I'm　going　to　drop　off　the　two　hundred　and　I'll　be　right　back。〃
　Butler　nodded。　He　wouldn't　trust　a　prostitute　out　of　sight　for　any　reason　but　money；　so　he　had　made　a　point　of　showing　her　all　the　cash　in　his　wallet　and　her　little　brain　already　was　working　overtime；　he　knew；　trying　to　figure　out　how　to　get　more　out　of　him　than　the　four　hundred　dollars　already　promised。　She　would　be　back　as　soon　as　she　gave　the　two　hundred　to　her　pimp。
　Three　minutes　later　she　returned　and　as　she　slid　into　the　front　seat　she　grabbed　him。
　〃My　name's　Thelma；〃　she　said。　〃What's　yours？〃　
　〃Simon；〃　he　said。　〃I've　already　got　a　room。〃　He　snapped　the　door　locks　shut　and　drove　off。
　Ten　minutes　later；　they　were　in　Butler's　motel　room。　Twenty　minutes　later；　she　was　tied；　gagged；　drugged　and　lying　on　the　floor　behind　the　bed；　not　visible　from　the　window　and　out　of　reach　of　the　telephone。　The　last　was　an　unnecessary　precaution　because　she　would　be　out　for　the　rest　of　the　night
　Butler　looked　at　her　one　more　time　before　leaving　the　room　and　he　was　satisfied。　The　size　was　right；　the　hair　coloring　about　right。　It　wouldn't　be　perfect；　it　certainly　might　not　fool　anyone　for　too　long；　but　it　should　do。　It　would　buy　enough　time。
　He　whistled　as　he　drove　out　through　（the　hot　city　into　the　rolling　fox…hunting　hills　of　rich…bitch　Virginia。
　He　drove　the　road　three　times　before　he　found　the　cutoff　to　the　long　winding　drive　that　led　to　the　Butler　estate。　With　his　headlights　out；　and　after　sitting　in　the　dark　for　a　moment；　he　could　see　the　main　house　high　up　on　a　hill；　two　hundred　yards　from　the　road。　He　decided　not　to　drive　up；　the　roadway　was　probably　hooked　up　to　an　alarm。　He　cruised　slowly　down　the　highway　for　another　hundred　yards；　found　a　deep　shoulder　off　the　road　covered　by　an　overhang　of　trees；　and　drove　in。
　He　closed　the　car　up；　checked　his　pockets　to　make　sure　he　had　his　materials　and　then　set　across　the　razor…cut　lawns　of　the　Butler　estate　toward　the　big　house　on　the　hill；　keeping　close　to　the　line　of　trees　at　the　property's　northern　end。
　As　he　loped；　he　glanced　at　the　luminous　dial　of　his　wristwatch。　Cutting　it　close；　but　still　enough　time。
　The　grass　oozed　up　a　damp　coolness　that　enveloped　him　as　he　moved；　and　he　imagined　himself　in　an　earlier　day；　trudging　barefooted　along　these　hills；　dressed　perhaps　in　a　monkey　suit；　bringing　drinks　to　Massa　on　the　patio。　When　had　it　happened？　When　had　he　e　to　hate　so？
　He　moved　in　a　rhythmic　trot；　his　giant　athlete's　body　swinging　free　and　easy；　the　way　he　used　to　on　the　grass　covered　fields　of　football；　when　he　performed　in　the　big　open…air　cage　for　the　whites　lucky　enough　to　have　a　friend　who　could　help　them　get　season's　tickets。
　No　matter　when　he　started　to　hate。　He　hated。　That　was　enough　of　an　answer；　but　then　he　remembered。　King　Kong　was　why　he　hated。
　Butler　had　had　a　particularly　bitter　argument　with　his　sister；　had　gone　out　into　the　New　York　night；　and　somehow　had　wound　up　listening　to　a　free　lecture　on　racism　~　at　the　New　School　for　Social　Research。
　The　lecturer　was　one　of　that　roving　band　of　non…teaching　teachers　who　make　a　headline　with　one　interesting；　if　erroneous；　statement　and　then　milk　it　for　lecture　fees　at　campuses　for　the　next　twenty　years。　The　lecturer　began　to　talk　about　racism　hi　the　films；　drawing　unsupported　conclusions　from　unsubstantiated　data；　to　the　growing　applause　of　the　two　hundred　people；　mostly　white；　in　the　audience。
　Then　the　house　l