ch.doublewhammy-第59部分

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　Garcia　stared　at　him。　〃What　do　they　taste　like？〃　he　asked。
　〃Like　shiners。〃　Skink　took　another　fish　from　the　bucket　and　thwacked　it　lightly　against　the　gunwale；　killing　it　instantly。　〃Watch　here；〃　he　said　to　Garcia。
　Leaning　over　the　side　of　the　skiff；　Skink　slapped　the　palm　of　his　hand　on　the　water；　causing　a　loud　concussion。　He　repeated　this　action　several　times　until　suddenly　he　pulled　his　hand　from　the　pond　and　said；　〃Whooo；　baby！〃　He　dropped　the　dead　shiner　and　beneath　it　the　black　water　erupted…a　massive　fish；　as　bronze　and　broad　as　a　cannon；　engulfed　the　little　fish　where　it　floated。
　〃Cristo！〃　gasped　Al　Garcia。
　Skink　stared　at　the　now…silken　surface　and　grinned　proudly。　〃Yeah；　she's　a　big　old　momma。〃　He　tossed　another　shiner；　with　the　same　volcanic　result。
　〃That's　a　bass？〃　Garcia　asked。　^
　〃Hawg；〃　Skink　said。　〃The　fucking　monster…beastie　of　all　time。　Guess　her　weight；　Sergeant。〃
　〃I've　got　no　idea。〃　In　the　fickle　light　of　the　lantern　Garcia　looked　hard　for　the　fish　but　saw　nothing；　the　water　was　impenetrable；　the　color　of　crude　oil。
　〃Name's　Queenie；〃　Skink　said；　〃and　she　weighs　twenty…nine　pounds；　easy。〃
　Skink　tossed　three　more　shiners；　and　the　bass　devoured　them；　soaking　the　men　in　her　frenzy。
　〃So　this　is　your　pet；〃　Garcia　said。
　〃Hell；　no；〃　Skink　said；　〃she's　my　partner。〃　He　handed　the　bucket　to　Al　Garcia。　〃You　try；〃　he　said；　〃but　watch　your　pinkies。〃
　Garcia　crippled　a　shiner　and　tossed　it　into　the　pond。　Nothing　happened；　not　a　ripple。
　〃Spank　the　water；〃　Skink　instructed。
　Garcia　tried；　timidly；　making　more　bubbles　than　noise。
　〃Louder；　dammit！〃　Skink　said。　〃That's　it。　Quick；　now；　drop　a　shiner。〃
　No　sooner　had　the　tiny　fish　landed…still　wriggling；　this　one…than　the　monster…beastie　slurped　it　down。　The　noise　was　obscene。
　〃She　likes　you；〃　Skink　said。　〃Do　it　again。〃
　Garcia　tossed　another　baitfish　and　watched　it　disappear。　〃You　learn　this　shit　from　Marlin　Perkins？〃　he　said。
　Skink　ignored　him。　〃Give　me　the　bucket；〃　he　said。　He　fed　the　big　fish　the　rest　of　the　dying　shiners；　save　one。　Skink　held　it　between　his　thumb　and　forefinger；　tickling　the　water。　He　used　the　fish　as　a　silvery　wand；　tracing　figure…eights　by　the　side　of　the　rowboat。　From　its　unseen　lair　deep　in　the　pond；　the　big　fish　rose　slowly　until　its　black　dorsal　punctured　the　velvet　surface。　As　the　fish　hung　motionless；　Garcia　for　the　first　time　could　see　its　true　size；　and　appreciate　the　awesome　capacity　of　its　underslung　jaw。　The　bass　glided　slowly　toward　Skink's　teasing　shiner；　frenzy　had　been　replaced　by　a　delicate　deliberation。　Skink's　fingers　released　the　baitfish；　which　disappeared　instantly　into　the　white　maw…yet　the　fish　did　not　swim　away；　nor　did　Skink　withdraw　his　hand。　Amazingly；　he　took　the　bass　by　its　lower　lip；　hoisted　it　from　the　pond；　and　laid　it　carefully　across　his　lap。　〃There　now；　momma；〃　Skink　said。　Dripping　in　the　boat；　the　fish　flared　its　gills　and　snapped　at　air；　but　did　not　struggle。　It　was；　Garcia　thought；　a　magnificent　gaping　brute…nearly　thirty　pounds　of　iridescent　muscle。
　〃Sergeant；〃　Skink　said；　〃say　hi　to　Queenie。〃
　Garcia　did　not　wish　to　seem　rude；　but　he　didn't　feel　like　talking　to　a　fish。
　〃e　on；〃　Skink　prodded。
　〃Hey；　Queenie；〃　said　the　detective；　without　conviction。　He　was　very　glad　his　lieutenant　couldn't　see　him。
　Skink　kept　a　thumb　curled　in　the　bass's　lower　lip；　and　slipped　the　other　hand　under　its　bloated　pale　belly。　He　lifted　the　bass　and　propped　it　long…wise　on　his　shoulder；　like　a　barrel。　Skink's　face　was　side…by…side　with　that　of　the　monster　bass；　and　Al　Garcia　found　himself　staring　at　（from　left　to　right）　the　eyes　of　a　fish；　a　man；　and　a　stuffed　owl。
　As　if　cuddling　a　puppy；　Skink　pressed　his　cheek　against　Queenie's　scaly　gillplates。　〃Meet　the　new　boss；〃　he　whispered　to　the　fish；　〃same　as　the　old　boss。〃
　Al　Garcia　didn't　know　what　the　hell　he　was　talking　about。
　The　Reverend　Charles　Weeb　arrived　at　Lunker　Lakes　just　in　time　to　see　the　second　batch　of　fish　die。　The　hydrologist　was　crestfallen　but　said　there　was　nothing　to　be　done。　Under　a　gray　sky　Weeb　stood　on　the　bank　next　to　the　young　scientist　and　counted　the　fish　as　they　bobbed　to　the　surface　of　the　bad　water。　At　number　seventy…five；　Weeb　turned　and　stalked　back　to　the　model　town…home　that　was　serving　as　tournament　headquarters。
　〃Cancel　tomorrow's　press　tour；〃　he　snapped　at　Deacon　Johnson；　who　obediently　lunged　for　his　Rolodex。
　To　the　hydrologist　Weeb　said：　〃So　how　long　did　this　bunch　live？〃
　〃Eighteen　hours；　sir。〃
　〃Shit。　And　the　trip　down　from　Alabama　was　。。。　？〃
　〃About　two　days；〃　the　hydrologist　said。
　〃Shit。〃　Lunker　Lakes　had　now　claimed　four　thousand　young　bass；　and　Charlie　Weeb　was　deeply　worried。　For　now　he　was　thinking　in　the　short…term。
　〃I　can　get　another　two　thousand；〃　he　said　to　the　hydrologist。
　〃I　wouldn't　remend　it；〃　the　man　said。　〃The　water's　still　substandard。〃
　〃Substandard？　What　you're　really　saying　is　these　fish　stand　a　better　chance　in　a　sewer；　is　that　right？〃
　〃I　wouldn't　go　quite　that　far；〃　the　hydrologist　said。
　〃Okay；　pencil…neck；　let's　hear　the　bad　news。〃　Weeb　shut　the　door　to　his　private　office　and　motioned　the　young　man　to　a　Chippendale　chair。　
　〃You　like　this　unit？　We've　got　your　atrium　doors；　your　breakfast　bay；　your　cathedral　ceiling…did　I　mention　solar　heat？　See；　I've　got　to　sell　twenty…nine　thousand　of　these　babies　and　right　now　they're　moving　real　fucking　slow。　It's　gonna　get　slower　if　I　got　a　dead…fish　problem；　you　understand？〃　Charlie　Weeb　inhaled　two　Chiclets。　〃I'm　selling　a　new　Florida　here；　son。　The　last　of　the　frontier。　My　buyers　are　simple　folks　who'd　rather　go　fishing　than　get　fried　to　raisins　on　the　beach。　Lunker　Lakes　is　their　kind　of　place；　an　outdoor　munity；　see？　Walk　out　the　back　door　with　your　fishing　pole　and　reel　in　a　whopper。　That's　the　way　I　dreamed　it；　but　right　now　。。。　well。〃
　〃We're　talking　cesspool；〃　the　hydrologist　said　bluntly。　〃I　did　some　more　tests；　very　sophisticated　chemical　scans。　You've　got　toxins　in　this　water　that　make　the　East　River　seem　like　Walden　Pond。　The　worst　concentration　is　in　the　bottom　muck…we're　talking　Guinness…record　PCBs。〃
　〃How？〃　Charlie　Weeb　yowled。　〃How　can　it　be　poisoned　if　it's　pre…dredged！〃
　The　hydrologist　said；　〃I　was　puzzled　too；　until　I　checked　down　at　the　courthouse。　This　used　to　be　a　landfill；　Reverend　Weeb；　right　where　the　lakes　are。〃
　〃A　dump？〃
　〃One　of　the　biggest…and　worst；〃　the　hydrologist　reported　grimly。　〃Four　hundred　acres　of　sludge；　rubbers；　dioxins；　you　name　it。　EPA　never　did　find　out。〃
　Charlie　Weeb　said；　〃Lord　God！〃…an　exclamation　he　almost　never　used　off　the　air。
　〃In　layman's　terms；〃　the　hydrologist　concluded；　〃when　you　dredged　Lunker　Lakes；　you　tapped　into　twenty…four　years'　worth　of　fermented　battery　acid。〃
　Charlie　Weeb　coughed　his　gum　into　the　trashcan。　His　mind　was　racing。　He　visualized　the　disastrous　headlines　and　rubbed　his　eyes；　as　if　to　make　the　nightmare　go　away。　Silently　he　cursed　himself　for　succumbing　to　the　South　Florida　real…estate　disease　when　he　could　have　played　it　safe　and　gone　for　tax…free　muni　bonds…the　OCN　board　bad　left　it　up　to　him。　Through　his　befogged　paroxysm　of　self…pity　Weeb　remotely　heard　the　hydrologist　explaining　how　the　lakes　could　be　cleansed　and　made　safe；　but　the　project　would　take　years　and　cost　millions　。。。　
　First　things　first；　thought　Charlie　Weeb。　The　poster　on　the　wall　reminded　him　that　the　big　tournament　was　only　four　days　away。　The　immediate　priority　was　getting　some　new　fish。
　〃If　I　could　get　the　tanker　truck　here　before　dawn；〃　Charlie　Weeb　said；　〃get　the　bass　in　the　water　early；　would　they　live　until　sunset？〃
　〃Probably。〃
　〃Thank　God　it's　a　one…day　tournament；〃　Weeb　said；　thinking　aloud。
　〃Can't　say　how　healthy　they'd　be；〃　the　hydrologist　cautioned。　'They　may　not　feed　at　all。〃
　〃They　don't　need　to；〃　Weeb　said；　leaving　the　man　thoroughly　confused。　〃Get　those　fucking　dead　fish　out　of　my　sight；　every　one；〃　the　preacher　ordered；　and　the　hydrologist　fled　to　round　up　some　boats。
　
　Fast　Eddie　Spurling　was　next　on　Charlie　Weeb's　agenda。　Eddie　came　in　wearing　a　Happy　Gland　fishing　cap　and　a　shiny　silver　Evinrude　jacket。　Tucked　into　his　cheek　was　a　plug　of　Red　Man　tobacco　so　big　it　would　have　gagged　a　hyena。