chiaasen.stormyweather-第31部分

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e。　Max's　physical　topography　was　entirely　different；　but　Bonnie　pushed　the　thought　from　her　mind。　It　wasn't　fair　to　pare　hugging　prowess。　Not　now。
　
　She　asked　Augustine　if　he'd　ever　been　married。　He　said　no。
　
　〃Engaged？〃
　
　〃Three　times。〃
　
　Bonnie　raised　her　head。　〃You're　kidding。〃
　
　〃Unfortunately　not。〃　In　the　artificial　twilight；　Augustine　saw　she　was　smiling。　〃This　amuses　you？〃
　
　〃Intrigues　me；〃　she　said。　〃Three　times？〃
　
　〃They　all　came　to　their　senses。〃
　
　〃We're　talking　about　three　different　women。　No　repeats？〃
　
　〃Correct；〃　said　Augustine。
　
　〃I've　got　to　ask　what　happened。　You　don't　have　to　answer；　but　I've　got　to　ask。〃
　
　〃Well；　the　first　one　married　a　successful　personal…injury　lawyer…he's　doing　class…action　breast…implant　litigation；　the　second　one　started　an　architecture　firm　and　is　currently　a　mistress　to　a　Venezuelan　cabinet　minister；　and　the　third　one　is　starring　on　a　popular　Cuban　soap　opera…she　plays　Miriam；　the　jealous　schizophrenic。　So　I　would　say；〃　Augustine　concluded；　〃that　each　of　them　made　a　wise　decision　by　ending　our　relationship。〃
　
　Bonnie　Lamb　said；　〃I　bet　you　let　them　keep　the　engagement　rings。〃
　
　〃Hey；　it's　only　money。〃
　
　〃And　you　still　watch　the　soap　opera；　don't　you？〃
　
　〃She's　quite　good　in　it。　Very　convincing。〃
　
　Bonnie　said；　〃What　an　unusual　guy。〃
　
　〃You　feeling　better？　My　personal　problems　always　seem　to　cheer　people　up。〃
　
　She　put　her　head　down。　〃I'm　worried　about　tomorrow；　about　seeing　Max　again。〃
　
　Augustine　told　her　it　was　normal　to　be　nervous。　〃I'm　a　little　antsy　myself。〃
　
　〃Will　you　bring　the　gun？〃
　
　〃Let's　play　it　by　ear。〃　He　seriously　doubted　if　the　governor　would　appear；　much　less　deliver　Bonnie's　husband。
　
　〃Are　you　scared？〃　When　she　spoke；　he　could　feel　her　soft　breath　on　his　chest。
　
　〃Restless；〃　he　said；　〃not　scared。〃
　
　〃Hey。〃
　
　〃Hey　what？〃
　
　〃You　getting　excited？〃
　
　Augustine　shifted　in　embarrassment。　What　did　she　expect？　He　said；　〃My　turn　to　apologize。〃
　
　But　she　didn't　move。　So　he　took　a　slow　quiet　breath　and　tried　to　focus　on　something　else　。。。　say；　Uncle　Felix's　fugitive　monkeys。　How　far　had　they　scattered？　How　were　they　coping　with　freedom？
　
　Augustine's　self…imposed　pondering　was　interrupted　when　Bonnie　Lamb　said：　〃What　if　Max　is　different　now？　Maybe　something's　happened　to　him。〃
　
　Augustine　thought：　Something's　happened；　all　right。　You　can　damn　sure　bet　on　it。
　
　But　what　he　told　Bonnie　was：　〃Your　husband's　hanging　in　there。　You　wait　and　see。〃
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　TWELVE
　
　
　Skink　said；　〃Care　for　some　toad？〃
　
　The　shock　collar　had　done　its　job；　Max　Lamb　was　unconditionally　conditioned。　If　the　captain　wanted　him　to　smoke　toad；　he　would　smoke　toad。
　
　〃It's　an　offer；　not　a　mand；〃　Skink　said；　by　way　of　clarification。
　
　〃Then　no；　thanks。〃
　
　Max　Lamb　squinted　into　the　warm　salty　night。　Somewhere　out　there；　Bonnie　was　searching。　Max　was　neither　as　anxious　nor　as　hopeful　as　he　should　have　been；　and　he　wondered　why；　his　reaction　to　practically　every　circumstance　was　muted；　as　if　key　brain　synapses　had　been　cauterized　by　the　ordeal　of　the　kidnapping。　For　instance；　he　had　failed　to　raise　even　a　meek　objection　at　the　Key　Biscayne　golf　course；　where　they'd　stopped　to　free　the　Asian　scorpion。　Skink　had　tenderly　deposited　the　venomous　bug　in　the　cup　on　the　eighteenth　green。　〃The　mayor's　favorite　course；〃　he'd　explained。　〃Call　me　an　optimist。〃　Max　had　stood　by　wordlessly。
　
　Now　they　were　on　a　wooden　stilt　house　in　the　middle　of　the　bay。　Skink　dangled　his　long　legs　off　the　end　of　a　dock；　which　was　twisted　and　buckled　like　a　Chinese　parade　dragon。　The　hurricane　had　sucked　the　wooden　pilings　from　their　holes。　Most　of　the　other　stilt　houses　were　shorn　at　the　stems；　but　this　one　had　outlasted　the　storm；　though　barely。　It　lurched　and　creaked　in　the　thickish　breeze；　Max　Lamb　suspected　it　was　sinking　with　the　tide。　Skink　said　the　house　belonged　to　a　man　who'd　retired　on　disability　from　the　State　Attorney's　Office。　The　man　recently　had　married　a　beautiful　twelve…string　guitarist　and　moved　to　the　island　of　Exuma。
　
　Under　a　swinging　lantern；　Skink　lighted　another　exotic…smelling　joint；　marijuana　and　French　onion　soup；　thought　Max　Lamb。　Something　strong　and　cheesy。
　
　〃The　toad　itself　is　toxic；〃　Skink　explained。　〃Bufo　marinus。　A　South　American　import…overran　the　local　species。　Sound　familiar？〃　He　took　a　long　sibilant　drag。　〃The　glands　of　Sefior　Bufo　perspire　a　milky　sap　that　can　kill　a　full…grown　Doberman　in　six　minutes　flat。〃
　
　To　Max；　it　didn't　sound　like　a　substance　that　one　should　be　inhaling。
　
　〃There's　a　special　process；〃　Skink　said；　〃of　extraction。〃　He　took　another　huge　hit。
　
　〃What　does　it　do；　this　toad　sap？〃
　
　〃Nothing。　Everything。　What　all　good　drugs　do；　I　suppose。　Psychoneurotic　roulette。〃　Skink's　chin　dropped　to　his　chest。　His　good　eye　fluttered　and　closed。　His　breathing　rose　to　a　startling　volume；　the　exhalations　sounded　like　the　brakes　of　a　subway　train。　For　fifteen　minutes　Max　Lamb　didn't　make　a　move；　the　notion　to　escape　never　occurred　to　him；　such　was　the　Pavlovian　influence　of　the　collar。
　
　In　the　interval　of　enforced　suspension；　Max's　thoughts　drifted　to　Bill　Knapp　up　at　Rodale。　The　scheming　viper　undoubtedly　had　his　sights　on　Max's　corner　office；　with　its　partially　obstructed　but　nonetheless　energizing　view　of　Madison　Avenue。　Each　day　lost　to　the　ambivalent　kidnapper　was　a　potential　day　of　advancement　for　Billy　the　Backstabber；　Max　Lamb　was　burning　to　return　to　the　agency　and　crush　the　devious　little　fucker's　ambitions。　Brutal　humiliation　was　called　for；　and　Max　hoped　he　was　up　to　the　task。　Darkly　he　imagined　Billy　Knapp　a　jobless；　wifeless；　homeless；　toothless　wretch；　hunched　over　a　can　of　Sterno　in　a　wintry　alley；　sucking　on　a　moist　spliff　laced　with　poisonous　toad　sweat。。。
　
　When　Skink　snapped　awake；　he　coughed　hard　and　flipped　the　butt　of　the　dead　joint　into　the　storm…silted　water。　Not　far　from　the　house；　the　broken　mast　of　a　submerged　sailboat　protruded　from　the　waves。　Skink　pointed　at　the　ghostly　wreck　but　said　nothing。　His　leathery　finger　stayed　in　the　air　for　an　exceptionally　long　time。
　
　〃Tell　me；〃　he　said　to　Max　Lamb；　〃the　most　breathtaking　place　you've　ever　seen。〃
　
　〃Yellowstone　Park。　We　took　a　bus　tour。〃
　
　〃Good　God。〃
　
　〃So　what？〃
　
　〃Outside　Yellowstone　they've　got　a　grizzly…bear　theme　park。　Did　you　go？　I　mean；　some　truly　sad　cases…　no　claws；　no　testicles。　They're　about　as　wild　as　goddamn　hamsters；　but　tourists　line　up　to　see　'em。　Deballed　grizzly　bears！〃
　
　Rapidly　Skink　shook　his　head　back　and　forth；　as　if　trying　to　roust　a　bumblebee　from　his　ear。　Max　Lamb　wasn't　sure　how　the　conversation　had　gone　so　far　astray。　He　did　not　share　the　madman's　passion　for　the　altered　grizzly　bears；　removing　the　claws　seemed　an　entirely　sensible　procedure；　liability…wise；　for　a　public　amusement　park。　But　Max　knew　there　was　no　percentage　in　arguing。　He　remained　quiet　as　Skink　withdrew　into　a　heap　on　the　planks　of　the　spavined　deck。　The　kidnapper　trembled　and　heaved　and　cried　out　names　that　Max　Lamb　didn't　recognize。　A　half　hour　later　he　was　up；　scouting　the　starlit　horizons。
　
　〃You　all　right？〃　Max　asked。
　
　Skink　nodded　soberly。　〃The　down　side　of　toad。　I　do　apologize。〃
　
　〃Are　you　sure　Bonnie　can　find　us　out　here？〃
　
　〃Why　in　the　name　of　God　would　you　marry　a　woman　who　can't　follow　simple　directions？〃
　
　〃But　it's　so　dark…〃
　
　The　trip　to　Stiltsville　had　frightened　Max　Lamb　beyond　exclamation…full　throttle；　no　running　lights；　a　wet　nasty　chop　in　an　open　skiff。　Infinitely　more　harrowing　than　the　airboat。　The　hurricane　had　turned　the　bay　into　a　spectral　gauntlet　of　sunken　yachts；　trawlers；　cabin　cruisers　and　runabouts。　On　the　way　out；　Skink　had　removed　his　glass　eye　and　pressed　it；　for　safekeeping；　into　the　palm　of　Max's　right　hand。　Max　had　clenched　it　as　if　it　were　the　Hope　diamond。
　
　〃Your　wife；〃　Skink　was　saying；　〃will　surely　hook　up　with　somebody　who　knows　the　way。〃
　
　〃I　could　use　a　cigaret。　Please；　captain。〃
　
　Skink　groped　in　his　coat　until　he　came　up　with　a　fresh　pack。　He　tossed　it；　along　with　a　lighter；　to