emb.seethemdie-第12部分

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　〃Then　why　don't　you？〃
　〃Are　you　on　a　ship？〃
　〃Yes。　Look；　will　you。。。〃
　〃What　kind？〃
　〃A　destroyer。〃
　〃Is　it　big？〃
　〃Pretty　big。　Will　you　meet　me？〃
　〃Why　do　you　want　to　meet　me？　Haven't　you　got　a　girl　back　home？〃
　〃I　used　to；　but　not　any　more。　Have　。。。　have　you　got　a　。。。　a　boy？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Good。　That's　good。〃　He　smiled。
　〃Yes；〃　she　said；　and　she　returned　the　smile。
　〃Will　you　。。。　will　you　meet　me？〃
　〃If　I　do　。。。　would　we　go　someplace　outside　the　neighborhood？〃
　〃If　you　like。〃
　〃Where　will　we　go？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I　don't　know　this　city　too　well。〃
　〃But　we　will　leave　the　neighborhood？〃
　〃Yes。　You　see；　if　we　were　back　in　Colorado；　I'd　take　you　up　in　the　mountains。　We'd　pack　a　picnic　basket　and　go　up　in　the　mountains。　I'd　drive　you　in　my　car。　I've　got　a　'37　Ford。〃
　〃What　color　is　it？〃
　〃Yellow。　I　painted　it　myself。〃
　〃I　knew　it　was　yellow；〃　she　said。
　〃Did　you？　How'd　you　know？〃
　〃Yellow　or　red。　Those　are　the　two　colors　I　thought。〃
　〃Hey；　you　know　I　was　going　to　paint　it　red　but　Jenken's　…　that's　the　hardware　store　back　home　…　was　all　out。　So　I　took　yellow。〃
　〃Do　you　live　in　a　very　small　town？〃
　〃Fletcher？　Well；　it's　not　so　small；　you　understand。〃
　〃Do　you　have　apartment　buildings？〃
　〃Oh；　no。〃
　〃Why　did　you　leave　home？〃
　〃I　wanted　to　see　the　world；〃　he　said　glibly；　and　then　he　knew　immediately　that　glibness　was　not　for　this　girl。　With　this　girl　you　played　it　straight　or　you　didn't　play　it　at　all。　〃I　was　going　to　get　drafted；〃　he　said；　〃so　I　figured　I'd　rather　be　in　the　Navy。　So　I　enlisted。〃　He　shrugged。
　〃And　the　world？　Have　you　seen　it？〃
　〃A　little　of　it。〃
　〃Have　you　been　to　Puerto　Rico？〃
　〃No。　Have　you？〃
　〃No。　It's　supposed　to　be　beautiful　there。　I　was　born　here。　I've　never　been　outside　this　city。〃　She　paused。　〃Oh；　yes；　I　once　went　to　a　wedding　in　Pennsylvania。〃
　〃You'd　like　my　town；〃　he　said。　〃You　really　would。〃
　〃Yes；　I　know　I　would。〃
　They　fell　silent。　She　stared　up　at　him；　and　he　felt　terribly　unsure　of　himself　all　at　once；　unsure　and　far　younger　than　he　actually　was。　In　a　very　small　voice；　he　said；　〃Meet　me　after　church。　Please。〃
　〃If　I　met　you；　we　could　go　to　the　park；〃　she　said。　〃There　are　no　mountains；　but　we　could　take　a　picnic　basket。　There　are　trees　there。〃
　〃Any　place　you　say。　Only　。。。　you　know　。。。　I've　only　got　about　eighteen　bucks。　We　can　go　as　far　as　that'll　take　us。〃　He　grinned　tentatively。　〃Okay？〃
　The　girl　nodded。　〃Okay。〃
　〃Gee；　that's…　You'll　meet　me？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Look；　I'll　。。。　I'll　meet　you　right　here。　Right　on　this　spot。　I　won't　budge　from　this　spot　until　you　e　back。〃
　〃No；　not　here。　When　La　Gallina　opens；　the　girls'll　congregate　here；　on　the　sidewalk。　Not　here。〃
　〃The　luncheonette　then；　okay？　On　the　corner。〃
　〃Luis？　All　right；　fine。〃　。　〃What　time？〃
　〃Mass'11　be　over　at　about　a　quarter　to　twelve。　I'll　make　the　lunch　now　and…〃
　〃Hey；　you　don't　have　to…〃
　〃I　want　to。〃
　〃Well　。。。　okay。〃
　〃And　I'll　stop　home　for　it　before　I　e。　Twelve　o'clock？　Would　that　be　all　right？〃
　〃Fine。　Hey；　listen；　I'm　sorry　I　mistook　you　for。。。〃
　〃That's　all　right。　Twelve？〃
　〃Twelve；〃　he　said。
　〃All　right。〃　She　stared　at　him　for　a　moment　and　then　said；　〃Wait　for　me。〃
　〃Yes；　I　will。〃
　She　turned　and　began　walking　up　the　street；　walking　quickly；　not　looking　back；　almost　as　if　she　knew　his　eyes　were　on　her；　almost　as　if　she　were　waiting　for　him　to　call　after　her。　When　he　did　call；　she　whirled　immediately。
　〃Hey！〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃Hurry！　Please　hurry；　would　you？〃
　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　She　gave　a　small　wave；　turned；　and　began　walking　again。
　〃Hey！〃　he　called。
　〃Yes？〃
　〃I　don't　even　know　your　name！〃
　〃What？〃
　〃Your　name；〃　he　shouted。　〃What's　your　name？〃
　〃Oh；〃　the　girl　said；　and　she　giggled。
　〃Well；　what　is　it？〃
　〃China！〃　she　called　back；　and　then　she　ran　up　the　street。
　
　
　7
　
　Heat　is　a　strange　thing。
　Like　love；　it　can　drive　men　to　opposite　extremes。　Like　love；　it　can　be　a　persistently　nagging　thing；　relentless；　unwilling　to　budge；　until　one　day　it　explodes　in　wild　passion。　〃I　hit　him　with　the　hatchet　because　it　was　hot。〃　That　is　an　explanation；　a　reason；　and　an　excuse。　It　was　hot。　Everything　is　contained　in　those　three　words。　It　was　hot；　and　so　I　was　not　responsible　for　my　actions；　I　only　knew　that　it　was　hot；　that　I　was　suffocating　all　day　long；　that　I　could　hardly　breathe；　there　was　no　air；　it　was　hot；　and　he　said　to　me；　〃This　coffee　is　too　strong；〃　and　so　I　hit　him　with　the　hatchet。　It　was　hot；　you　see。
　A　shrug。
　You　understand。　It　was　hot。
　And；　like　love；　the　heat　can　generate　a　different　kind　of　feeling；　a　feeling　which　…　had　the　slick　paper　magazines　not　defiled　the　word　…　could　be　described　as　togetherness；　a　knowledge　that　human　beings　on　this　day；　on　this　insufferably　hot　day；　are　at　least　sharing　one　thing　in　mon。　The　heat　bees　a　bond　as　strong　as　reinforced　concrete。　Do　you　hate　the　color　of　my　skin？　That　is　interesting；　but　God　it　is　hot；　God　we　are　sweating　together。　Do　you　lech　for　my　wife？　That　is　unforgivable；　but　let's　go　have　a　beer　together　to　escape　this　damned　heat；　and　later　we　can　work　it　out。
　Heat；　like　love；　is　no　good　unless　you　can　talk　about　it。　The　adulterer　seeks　a　confidante；　the　lecher　boasts　of　his　conquests　in　the　pool　hall；　the　sixteen…year…old　cheerleader　spends　hours　on　the　telephone　describing　a　football　player's　kiss　…　you　have　to　talk　about　love。
　Lieutenant　Peter　Byrnes　came　out　of　his　office　wanting　to　talk　about　the　heat。　He　was　a　pact　man　with　graying　hair　and　steel…blue　eyes。　He　liked　to　believe　that　he　sweated　more　than　men　who　were　less　chunky　than　he。　He　liked　to　believe　that　the　heat　had　been　designed　in　hell　especially　for　him；　sent　earthward　to　plague　him。　He　didn't　quite　understand　why　he'd　been　singled　out　for　such　torture；　but　he　did　know　that　he　suffered　more　when　it　was　hot　than　any　man　had　a　right　to　suffer。
　The　squadroom　was　silent。　Steve　Carella；　his　shirt　sleeves　rolled　up；　was　sitting　at　his　desk；　reading　an　FBI　report　on　a　suspected　burglar。　Hot　sunlight　covered　the　top　of　his　desk　like　molasses。　Bymes　walked　to　the　grilled　window　and　stared　out　at　the　street。　The　cars；　the　people；　all　seemed　to　have　been　captured　in　transparent　plastic；　suspended　in　time　and　space；　unmoving。　Byrnes　sighed。
　〃Hot；〃　he　said。
　〃Mmm；〃　Carella　answered。
　〃Where　is　everybody？〃
　〃Barker's　on　the　prowl；　Hernandez　is　answering　a　squeal；　and　Kling。。。〃　Carella　shrugged。　〃He's　on　a　plant；　isn't　he？〃
　〃That　drugstore　thing？〃
　〃I　think　so。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Byrnes　said；　remembering。　〃The　guy　who's　passing　phony　cocaine　prescriptions。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃He　won't　turn　up。　Not　in　this　heat。〃
　〃Maybe　not；〃　Carella　said。
　〃I　always　choose　the　wrong　time　for　my　vacation；〃　Byrnes　said。　〃Harriet　and　I　spend　months　figuring　it　out。　I'm　the　senior　officer　around　here；　so　I　get　first　choice。　So　what　happens？　I　always　miss　the　good　weather　by　a　month。　It's　so　hot　you　can't　even　think；　and　then　it's　time　for　my　vacation；　and　it　starts　raining；　or　it　rums　gray；　or　we　suddenly　get　a　snowstorm　from　Canada。　It　never　fails。　Every　year。〃　He　paused　for　a　moment。　〃Well；　every　year　except　one。　We　went　to　the　Vineyard　once。　We　had　good　weather。〃　He　nodded；　remembering。
　〃Vacations　are　rough　anyway；〃　Carella　said。
　〃Yeah？　How　so？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　It　generally　takes　me　two　weeks　to　unwind；　and　the　minute　I　start　relaxing；　it's　time　to　e　back　to　work。〃
　〃You　going　away　this　year？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so。　The　kids　are　too　small。〃
　〃How　old　are　they；　anyway？〃　Byrnes　asked。
　〃They　were　a　year　old　in　June。〃
　〃Boy；　time　flies；〃　Byrnes　said；　and　fell　silent。　He　thought　about　the　passage　of　time；　thought　about　his　own　son；　thought　how　much　Carella　seemed　like　a　son　to　him；　thought　how　his　squadroom　seemed　like　a　family　business；　a　candy　store　or　a　grocery　store；　thought　how　good　it　was　to　have　Carella　working　behind　the　counter　with　him。
　〃Well；　talking　about　the　heat　never　helped　it　any；〃　Byrnes　said；　and　he　sighed　again。
　〃Some　day；　they're　going　to　invent。。。〃　Carella　started；　and　the　telephone　rang。　He　picked　up　the　receiver。　〃Eighty…seventh　Squad；〃　he　said。　〃Detective　Carella。〃
　The　voice　on　the　other　end　said；　〃I　know　where　Pepe　Miranda　iss。〃
　They　saw　Sixto　a