bl.necroscope2-第24部分

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　Helen　sighed；　very　deliberately　and　audibly；　and　said；　〃Oh；　mother！　I　know　what　breasts　are　for…apart　from　being　natural　attractions　for　the　opposite　sex；　that　is。　Why　must　you　put　them　on　your　taboo　list？〃
　〃Ta…boob　list！〃　George　grinned。
　〃George！〃　said　Anne　again；　more　forcefully。
　〃Nineteen　seventy…seven；〃　Helen　scoffed；　〃but　you'd　never　know　it。　Not　in　this　family。　I　mean；　feeding　your　baby's　natural；　isn't　it？　More　natural　than　letting　your　breasts　be　groped　in　the　back　row　of　some　grubby　flea…pit　cinema！〃
　〃Helen！〃　Anne　half…turned　in　her　seat；　her　lips　…pressing　to　a　thin　line。
　〃It's　been　a　long　time；〃　George　glanced　at　his　wife；　semi…ruefully。
　〃What　has？〃　she　snapped。
　〃Since　I　was　groped　in　a　flea…pit　cinema；〃　he　said。
　Anne　snorted　her　exasperation。　〃She　gets　it　from　you！〃　she　accused。　〃You've　always　treated　her　like　an　adult。〃
　〃Because　she　is　an　adult；　very　nearly；〃　he　answered。　〃You　can　only　guide　them　so　far；　Anne　my　love；　and　after　that　they're　on　their　own。　Helen's　healthy；　intelligent；　happy；　good…looking；　and　she　doesn't　smoke　pot。　She's　worn　a　bra　for　nearly　four　years；　and　every　month　she…〃
　〃George！　〃Taboo！〃　said　Helen；　giggling。
　〃Anyway；〃　George's　irritation　was　showing　now；　〃we　weren't　talking　about　Helen　but　Yulian。　Helen；　I　submit；　is　normal。　Her　cousin…or　cousin　once　removed；　or　whatever…is　not。〃
　〃Give　me　a　for…instance；〃　Anne　argued。　〃An　example。　Not　normal；　you　say。　Well　then；　is　he　abnormal？　Subnormal？　Where's　his　defect？〃
　〃Whenever　Yulian　crops　up；〃　Helen　joined　in　from　the　back；　〃you　two　always　end　up　arguing。　Is　he　really　worth　it？〃
　〃Your　mother's　a　very　loyal　person；〃　George　told　her　over　one　shoulder。　〃Georgina　is　her　cousin　and　Yulian　is　Georgina's　son。　Which　means　they're　untouchable。　Your　mother　won't　face　simple　facts；　that's　all。　She's　the　same　with　all　her　friends：　she　won't　hear　a　word　against　them。　Very　laudable。　But　I　call　a　spade　a　spade。　I　find…and　have　always　found…Yulian　a　bit　much。　As　I　said　before；　weird。〃
　〃You　mean；〃　Helen　pressed；　〃a　bit　nine…bob　notish？〃
　〃Helen！〃　her　mother　protested　yet　again。
　〃I　get　that　one　from　you！〃　Helen　stopped　her　dead　in　her　tracks。　〃You　always　talk　about　gays　as　nine…bobbers。〃
　〃I　never　talk　about。。。　about　homosexuals！〃　Anne　was　furious。　〃And　certainly　not　to　you　about　them！〃
　〃I've　heard　Daddy…in　conversation　with　you；　about　one　or　two　of　his　man…friends…say　that　so…and…so　is　gay　as　a　defrocked　vicar；〃　said　Helen　matter…of…factly。　〃And　you've　replied：　〃What；　so…and…so；　nine…bobbish？　Really？〃'
　Anne　rounded　on　her　and　might　well　have　lashed　out　physically　if　she　could　have　reached　her。　Red…faced；　she　cried；　〃Then　in　future　we'll　have　to　lock　you　in　your　bloody　room　before　we　dare　have　an　adult　conversation！　You　horrid　girl！〃
　〃Perhaps　you　better　had。〃　Helen　was　equally　quick　to　rise。　〃Before　I　also　start　to　swear！〃
　〃All　right；　all　right。r　George　quietened　them。　〃Points　taken　all　round。　But　we're　on　holiday；　remember？　I　mean；　it's　probably　my　fault；　but　Yulian's　a　sore　point　with　me；　that's　all。　And　I　can't　even　explain　why。　But　he　usually　keeps　out　of　the　way　most　of　the　time　we're　there；　and　I　can't　help　it　but　I　hope　it's　the　same　this　time。　For　my　peace　of　mind；　anyway。　He's　simply　not　my　type　of　lad。　As　for　him　being　how's…your…father…〃　（Helen　some…how　contrived　not　to　snigger）　〃…I　can't　say。　But　he　did　get　kicked　out　of　that　boarding　school；　and…〃
　〃He　did　not！〃　Anne　had　to　have　her　say。　〃Kicked　out；　indeed！　He　got　his　qualifications　a　year　early；　left　a　year　before　the　rest。　I　mean　to　say；　do　qualifications…does　being　intelligent　above　the　average…certify　someone　as　a　raving。。。　homosexual？　Heaven　forbid！　Clever　Miss　Know…it…all　here　has　a　couple　of　second　class　〃A〃　levels；　which　apparently　make　her　near…omniscient；　in　which　case　Yulian　has　to　be　close　to　godlike！　George；　what　qualifications　do　you　have？〃
　〃I　fail　to　see　what　that　has　to　do　with　it；〃　he　answered。　〃The　way　I　hear　it；　more　gays　e　out　of　the　universities　than　ever　came　out　of　all　the　secondary　moderns　put　together。　And…'
　〃George？〃
　〃I　was　an　apprentice；〃　he　sighed；　〃as　you　well　know。　Trade　qualifications；　I've　got　them　all。　And　then　I　was　a　journeyman…an　architect　earning　money　for　my　boss；　until　I　got　into　business　for　myself。　And　anyway…〃
　〃What　academic　qualifications？〃　she　was　determined。
　George　drove　the　car；　said　nothing；　wound　down　his　window　a　little　and　breathed　warm　air。　After　a　while：　The　same　as　you；　darling。〃
　〃None　whatsoever！〃　Anne　was　triumphant。　〃Why；　Yulian's　cleverer　than　all　of　us　put　together。　On　paper；　anyway。　I　say　give　him　time　and　he'll　show　us　all　a　thing　or　two。　Oh；　I　admit　he's　quiet；　es　and　goes　like　a　ghost；　seems　less　active　and　enthusiastic　about　life　than　a　boy　his　age　should　be。　But　give　him　a　break；　for　God's　sake！　Look　at　his　disadvantages。　He　never　knew　his　father；　was　brought　up　by　Georgina　entirely　on　her　own；　and　she's　never　been　altogether　with　it　since　Ilya　died；　has　lived　in　that　gloomy　old　mansion　of　a　place　for　twelve　years　of　his　young　life。　Little　wonder　he's　a　bit；　well；　reticent。〃
　She　seemed　to　have　won　the　day。　They　said　nothing　to　dispute　her　logic；　had　apparently　lost　all　interest　in　the　argument。　Anne　searched　her　mind　for　a　new　topic；　found　nothing；　relaxed　in　her　seat。
　Reticent。　Helen　turned　her　own　thoughts　over　in　her　head。　Yulian；　reticent？　Did　her　mother　mean　backward？　Of　course　not；　her　argument　had　been　all　against　that。　Shy？　Retiring？　Yes；　that's　what　she　must　have　meant。　Well；　and　he　must　seem　shy…if　one　didn't　know　better。　Helen　knew　better；　from　that　time　two　years　ago。　And　as　for　queer…hardly。　She　would　greatly　doubt　it；　anyway。　She　smiled　secretly。　Better　to　let　them　go　on　thinking　it；　though。　At　least　while　they　thought　he　was　a　woofter　they　wouldn't　worry　about　her　being　in　his　pany。　But　no；　Yulian　wasn't　entirely　gay。　AC；　DC；　maybe。
　Two　years　ago；　yes。。。
　It　had　taken　Helen　ages　to　get　him　to　talk　to　her。　She　remembered　the　circumstances　clearly。
　It　had　been　a　beautiful　Saturday；　their　second　day　of　a　ten…day　spell；　her　parents　and　Aunt　Georgina　gone　off　to　Salbe　for　a　day's　sea…　and　sun…bathing；　Yulian　and　Helen　were　left　in　charge　of　the　house；　he　with　his　Alsatian　pup　to　play　with　and　she　to　explore　the　gardens；　the　great　barn；　the　crumbling　old　stables　and　the　dark；　dense　copse。　Yulian　wasn't　into　bathing；　indeed　he　hated　the　sun　and　sea；　and　Helen　would　have　preferred　anything　rather　than　spend　time　with　her　parents。
　〃Walk　with　me？〃　she'd　pressed　Yulian；　finding　him　alone　with　the　gangling　pup　in　the　dim；　cool　library。　He　had　shook　his　head。
　Pale　in　the　shade　of　this　one　room　which　the　sun　never　seemed　to　reach；　he'd　lounged　awkwardly　on　a　settee；　fondling　the　pup's　floppy　ears　with　one　hand　and　holding　a　book　in　the　other。
　〃Why　not？　You　could　show　me　the　grounds。〃
　He　had　glanced　at　the　pup。　〃He　gets　tired　if　he　walks　too　far。　He's　still　not　quite　steady　on　his　legs。　And　I　burn　easily　in　the　sun。　I　really　don't　much　care　for　the　sun。　And　anyway；　I'm　reading。〃
　〃You're　not　much　fun　to　be　with；〃　she　had　told　him；　deliberately　pouting。　And　she'd　asked；　〃Is　there　still　straw　in　the　hayloft　over　the　barn？〃
　〃Hayloft？〃　Yulian　had　looked　surprised。　His　long；　not　unhandsome　face　had　formed　a　soft　oval　against　the　dark　velvet　of　the　back　of　the　settee。　〃I　haven't　been　up　there　in　years。〃
　〃What　are　you　reading；　anyway？〃　She　sat　down　beside　him；　reached　for　the　book　held　loosely　in　his　long…fingered；　soft…looking　hand。　He　drew　back；　kept　the　book　from　her。
　〃Not　for　little　girls；〃　he　said；　his　expression　unchanging。
　Frustrated；　she　tossed　her　hair；　glanced　all　about　the　large　room。　And　it　was　large；　that　room；　partitioned　in　the　middle；　just　like　a　public　library；　with　floor　to　ceiling　shelves　and　book…lined　alcoves　all　round　the　walls。　It　smelled　of　old　books；　dusty　and　musty。　No；　it　reeked　of　them；　so　that　you　almost　feared　to　breathe　in　case　your　lungs　got　filled　with　words　and　inks　and　desiccated　glue　and　paper　fibres。
　There　was　a　shallow　cupboard　in　one　corner　of　the　room　and　its　door　stood　open。　Tracks　in　the　threadbare　carpet　showed　where　Yulian　had　dragged　a　stepladder　to　a　certain　section　of　the　shelving。