dw.jimmythekid-第8部分

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　〃I've　still　got　it；〃　she　said。　〃You　could　read　it　again。〃
　〃I　didn't　like　the　style；〃　he　said。
　〃It　isn't　the　style；　it's　the　story。　Will　you　read　it　again？〃　He　looked　at　her。　She　saw　he　was　weakening。　〃I　don't　promise　anything；〃　he　said。
　〃But　you　will　read　it？〃
　〃But　I　don't　promise　anything。〃
　Jumping　to　her　feet；　she　said；　〃You　won't　be　sorry；　John；　I　know　you　won't。〃　She　kissed　him　on　the　forehead；　and　ran　off　to　the　bedroom　to　where　she'd　hid　the　book。
　
　6
　
　K　E　L　P　walked　into　the　0。　J。　Bar　and　Grill　on　Amsterdam　Avenue　at　five　minutes　after　ten。　He　hadn't　wanted　to　make　a　bad　impression　by　showing　up　too　early；　so　he'd　hung　back　a　little　and　the　result　was　he　was　five　minutes　late。
　Two　customers　at　the　bar；　telephone　repairmen　with　their　tool…lined　utility　belts　still　on；　were　discussing　the　derivation　of　the　word　spic。　〃It　es　from　the　word　speak；〃　one　of　them　was　saying。　〃Like　they　say　all　the　time；　'I　spic　English。'　So　that's　why　they　got　the　name。〃
　〃Naw；〃　the　other　one　said。　〃It　didn't　e　like　that　at　all。　Don't　you　know？　A　spic　is　one　of　those　little　knives　they　use。　Din　you　ever　see　one　of　the　women　with　a　spic　stuck　down　inside　her　stocking？〃
　The　first　one　said；　〃Yeah？〃　He　was　frowning；　apparently　trying　to　see　in　his　mind's　eye　a　spic　stuck　down　inside　a　woman's　stocking。
　Kelp　walked　on　down　to　the　far　end　of　the　bar。　Rollo　the　bartender；　a　tall　meaty　balding　blue…jawed　fellow　in　a　dirty　white　shirt　and　dirty　white　apron；　came　moving　heavily　down　the　other　side　of　the　bar　and　pushed　an　empty　glass　across　to　him。　〃The　other　bourbon's　already　here；〃　he　said。　〃He's　got　the　bottle。〃
　〃Thanks；〃　Kelp　said。
　Rob　said；　〃And　the　draft　beer　with　the　salt　on　the　side。〃
　〃Right。〃
　〃Gonna　be　any　more　of　you？〃
　〃Naw；　just　the　three　of　us。　See　you；　Rollo。〃
　〃Hey；〃　Rob　said；　in　a　confidential　manner；　and　made　a　head　gesture　for　Kelp　to　e　in　closer。
　Kelp　went　in　closer；　leaning　toward　him　over　the　bar。　Was　there　trouble？　He　said；　〃Yeah？〃
　Rob；　in　an　undertone；　said；　〃They're　both　crazy；〃　and　made　another　head　gesture；　this　one　indicating　the　two　telephone　repairmen　down　at　the　other　end　of　the　bar。
　Kelp　looked　down　that　way。　Crazy？　With　all　those　screwdrivers　and　things；　they　could　get　kind　of　dangerous。
　Rollo　murmured；　〃It　es　from　Spic…and…Span。〃
　A　confused　vision　of　people　eating　a　detergent　and　going　crazy　entered　Kelp's　head。　Like　sniffing　airplane　glue　He　said；　〃Yeah？〃
　〃On　account　of　the　cleaning　women；〃　Rollo　said。
　〃Oh；〃　Kelp　said。　Cleaning　women　had　started　it　apparently；　drinking　the　stuff。　Maybe　it　was　a　kind　of　high。　〃I'll　stick　to　bourbon；〃　he　said；　and　picked　up　the　empty　glass。
　〃Sure；〃　Rollo　said；　but　as　Kelp　turned　away　Rollo　began　to　look　confused。
　Kelp　walked　on　down　past　the　end　of　the　bar　and　past　the　two　doors　marked　with　silhouettes　of　dogs　and　the　words　POINTE　and　SETTERS；　and　then　on　past　the　phone　booth　and　through　the　green　door　at　the　back　and　into　a　small　square　room　with　a　concrete　floor。　All　the　walls　of　the　room　were　lined　floor　to　ceiling　with　beer　and　liquor　cases；　leaving　only　enough　space　in　the　middle　for　a　battered　old　table　with　a　green　felt　top；　half　a　dozen　chairs；　and　a　dirty　bare　bulb　with　a　round　green　tin　reflector　hanging　low　over　the　table　on　a　long　black　wire。
　Dortmunder　and　Murch　were　seated　together　at　the　table。　A　glass　was　in　front　of　Dortmunder；　next　to　a　bottle　whose　label　said　AMSTERDAM　LIQUOR　STORE　BOURBON…　〃OUR　OWN　BRAND。〃　In　front　of　Murch　were　a　full　glass　of　beer　with　a　fine　head　on　it；　and　a　clear　glass　saltshaker。　Murch　was　saying　to　Dortmunder；　〃。　…　。　through　the　Midtown　Tunnel；　and…oh；　hi；　Kelp。〃
　〃Hi。　How　you　doing；　Dortmunder？〃
　Fine；〃　Dortmunder　said。　He　nodded　briefly　at　Kelp；　but　then　looked　away　to　pick　up　his　glass。　Kelp　could　sense　that　Dortmunder　was　still　feeling　very　prickly　about　this；　still　wasn't　entirely　sure　he　wanted　to　be　friends　or　go　along　with　this　kidnapping　idea　or　anything。　May　had　told　Kelp　to　go　slow　and　easy；　not　push　Dortmunder　too　hard；　and　Kelp　could　see　that　May　had　been　right。
　Murch　said；　〃I　was　just　telling　Dortmunder；　as　long　as　they've　got　that　construction　on　the　Brooklyn…Queens　Expressway；　I　give　up　on　the　Midtown　Tunnel　at　all。　At　night　like　this；　I　can　e　right　up　Flatbush；　take　the　Manhattan　Bridge；　FDR　Drive；　e　through　the　park　at　Seventy…ninth　Street；　and　here　I　am。〃
　〃Right；〃　Kelp　said。　He　sat　down　not　too　near　Dortmunder；　and　put　his　glass　on　the　table。　〃Could　I；　uh。。。〃　He　gestured　at　the　bottle。
　〃Help　yourself；〃　Dortmunder　said。　It　was　brusque；　but　not　really　unfriendly。
　〃Thanks。〃
　While　Kelp　poured；　Murch　said；　〃Of　course；　going　back；　what　I　might　try　is　go　down　the　west　side；　take　the　Battery　Tunnel；　then　Atlantic　Avenue　over　to　Flatbush；　down　to　Grand　Army　Plaza；　then　Eastern　Parkway　and　Rockaway　Parkway　and　I'm　home。〃
　
　〃Is　that　right；　Kelp　said。
　Dortmunder　pulled　a　paperback　book　out　of　his　hip　pocket　and　slapped　it　down　on　the　table。　〃I　read　this　thing　again；〃　he　said。
　〃Oh；　yeah？〃　Kelp　sipped　at　his　bourbon。
　Dortmunder　spread　his　hands。　He　shrugged。　He　seemed　to　be　considering　his　words　very　carefully；　and　finally　he　said；　〃It　could　maybe　be　used　a　little。〃
　Kelp　found　himself　grinning；　even　though　he　was　trying　to　remain　low　key。　〃You　really　think　so？〃　he　said。
　〃It　could　maybe　be　adapted；〃　Dortmunder　said。　He　glanced　at　Kelp；　then　looked　at　the　book　on　the　table　and　gave　it　a　brushing　little　slap　with　his　fingertips。　〃We　could　maybe　take　some　of　the　ideas；〃　he　said；　〃and　work　up　a　plan　of　our　own。〃
　〃Well；　sure；〃　Kelp　said。　〃That's　what　I　figured。〃　He　had　his　own　copy　of　the　book　in　his　jacket　pocket。　Pulling　it　out；　he　said；　〃The　way　I　saw　it…〃
　〃The　point　is；〃　Dortmunder　said；　and　now　he　looked　directly　at　Kelp；　and　even　shook　a　finger；　〃the　point　is；〃　he　said；　〃what　you　got　with　this　book　is　a　springboard。　That's　all；　just　a　springboard。〃
　〃Oh；　sure；〃　Kelp　said。
　〃It　still　needs　a　plan；〃　Dortmunder　said。
　〃Absolutely；〃　Kelp　said。　〃That's　why　the　first　thing　I　thought　of；　I　thought　to　bring　it　to　you。〃
　Murch　said；　〃What；　are　we　back　with　that　book？　I　thought　we　weren't　gonna　do　that。〃
　Dortmunder　was　being　very　dignified；　very　judicious；　and　Kelp　was　hanging　back　and　letting　him　have　his　head。　Turning　to　Murch　now；　Dortmunder　said；　〃I　give　the　book　another　reading。　I　wanted　to　be　fair；　and　we　don't　have　that　much　on　the　fire　that　we　ought　to　turn　something　down　without　giving　it　a　chance。〃
　〃Oh；〃　Murch　said。　He　pulled　out　a　copy　of　the　book　and　said；　〃I　brought　this　along　to　give　back　to　Kelp。〃
　〃Well；　hold　onto　it；〃　Kelp　told　him。
　He　was　immediately　sorry；　because　Dortmunder　apparently　hadn't　liked　that。　〃Hold　onto　the　book　if　you　want；〃　he　said；　〃but　what　we'll　do　is；　we'll　work　out　our　own　plan　from　it。　We　do　what　we　do；　not　what　the　book　does。〃
　〃Sure　thing；〃　Kelp　said；　and　tried　to　flash　Murch　a　high　sign　that　he　should　go　along　with　it。
　Whether　Murch　saw　the　sign　or　not；　all　he　did　next　was　shake　his　head；　look　baffled；　and　say；　〃Fine　with　me。　You　want　my　Mom　in　on　it？〃
　〃Right。　She　and　May　can　take　care　of　the　kid。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Murch　said。　〃Only；　where's　the　kid？〃
　〃Up　till　now；〃　Dortmunder　said；　〃we're　going　along　with　the　idea　this　book　can　tell　us　how　we　get　one。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Kelp　said。　〃How　to　find　just　the　kid　we　want；　it's　all　in　the　book　here。〃
　Picking　up　his　copy；　Dortmunder　said；　〃Well；　I　got　an　open　mind。　I'm　always　ready　to　have　a　book　writer　tell　me　my　business。　Let's　take　a　look　at　that　part。〃
　Kelp；　riffling　hurriedly　through　his　own　dog…eared　copy；　said；　〃It's　chapter　four。　Page　twenty…nine。〃
　Dortmunder　said；　〃Thanks；〃　and　turned　to　the　right　page。　He　read　slowly　and　patiently；　his　lips　not　quite　moving；　his　blunt　fingertip　following　the　words　from　line　to　line。
　Kelp　watched　him　for　a　few　seconds；　then　began　to　read　the　same　chapter　in　his　own　copy　of　the　book。
　Murch　sat　there　by　himself。　He　looked　at　Dortmunder；　and　then　at　Kelp。　It　took　him　quite　a　while　to　figure　out　what　they　were　doing；　until；　in　fact；　both　of　them　had　turned　a　page。　Then　he　shrugged；　picked　up　his　own　copy　of　the　book；　shook　a　little　salt　into　his　beer　to　get　the　head　bac