df.theedge-第37部分

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　　'It's　realistic；'　I　said　with　a　smile。
　　She　was　unsoftened；　unsoftenable
　　'My　chair；　as　you　see；'　she　said　carefully；　'is　next　to　the　water　tank。　I　sit　there　and　watch。　I　do　not　think。。。　I　repeat；　I　do　not　believe；　that　anyone　has　tampered　with　the　water。'
　　'Mm；'　I　said　calmingly。　'But　you　could　ask　the　grooms；　couldn't　you；　if　they've　seen　anything　wrong。'
　　She　began　to　shake　her　head　automatically；　but　then　stopped　and　shrugged。　'I'll　ask　them；　but　they　won't　have。'
　　'And　just　in　case；'　I　said；　'in　case　the　worst　happens　and　the　horses　prove　to　have　been　interfered　with；　I　think　I'll　take　a　sample　of　what's　in　the　tank　and　also　what's　in　their　buckets　at　this　moment　You　wouldn't　object　to　that；　Ms　Brown；　would　you？'
　　She　grudgingly　said　she　wouldn't。　George　elected　himself　to　go　and　see　what　could　be　done　in　the　way　of　sample　jars　and　presently　returned　with　gifts　from　the　Chinese　cook　in　the　dome　car；　in　the　shape　of　four　rinsed…out　plastic　tomato…sauce　bottles　rescued　from　the　rubbish　bin。
　　George　and　Leslie　Brown　took　a　sample　from　the　tank；　draining　it；　at　the　dragon's　good　suggestion；　from　the　tap　lower　down；　where　the　buckets　were　filled。　I　visited　Voting　Right；　Laurentide　Ice　and　Upper　Gumtree；　who　all　graciously　allowed　me　to　dip　into　their　drink　With　Leslie　Brown's　pen；　we　wrote　the　provenance　of　each　sample　on　the　sauce　label　and　put　all　four　containers　into　a　plastic　carrier　bag　which　Leslie　Brown　happened　to　have　handy。
　　Carrying　the　booty；　I　thanked　her　for　her　kindness　in　answering　our　questions；　and　helping；　and　George　and　I　retreated。
　　'What　do　you　think？'　he　said；　as　we　started　back　through　the　train。
　　'I　think　she　now　isn't　as　sure　as　she　says　she　is。'
　　He　chuckled　'She'll　be　doubly　careful　from　now　on。'
　　'As　long　as　it's　not　already　too　late　'
　　He　looked　as　if　it　were　a　huge　joke　'We　could　get　the　tank　emptied；　scrubbed　and　refilled　at　Winnipeg；'　he　said。
　　'Too　late　If　there's　anything　in　it；　it　was　there　before　Thunder　Bay；　and　the　horses　will　have　drunk　some　of　it。
　　Some　horses　drink　a　lot　of　water。。。　but　they're　a　bit　fussy。　They　won't　touch　it　if　they　don't　like　the　smell　If　there's　traces　of　soap　in　it；　for　instance；　or　oil。　They'd　only　drink　doped　water　if　it　smelled　all　right　to　them
　　'You　know　a　lot　about　it；'　George　mented
　　'I've　spent　most　of　my　life　near　horses；　one　way　and　another　'
　　We　reached　his　office　where　he　said　he　had　some　paperwork　to　plete　before　we　stopped　fairly　soon　for　ten　minutes　at　Kenora。　We　would　be　there　at　five…twenty；　he　said。　We　were　running　thirty　minutes　behind　the　Canadian。　There　were　places　the　race　train　didn't　really　need　to　stop；　he　said；　except　to　keep　pace　with　the　Canadian。　We　needed　always　to　stop　where　the　trains　were　serviced　for　water；　trash　and　fuel。
　　I　had　nowhere　on　our　journey　to　and　from　the　horse　car　seen　the　man　with　the　gaunt　face　George　had　pointed　someone　out　to　me　in　the　dayniter；　but　he　was　not　the　right　person　grey　haired；　but　too　ill…looking；　too　old　The　man　I　was　looking　for；　I　thought；　was　fifty…something；　maybe　less；　still　powerful；　not　in　decline。
　　In　a　vague　way；　I　thought；　he　had　reminded　me　of　Derry　Welfram。　Less　bulky　than　the　dead　frightener；　and　not　as　smooth；　but　the　same　stamp　of　man。　The　sort　Filmer　seemed　to　seek　out　naturally。
　　I　sat　for　an　hour　in　my　roomette　looking　out　at　the　unvarying　scenery　and　trying　to　imagine　anything　else　that　Filmer　might　have　paid　to　have　done。　It　was　all　the　wrong　way　round；　I　thought'　it　was　more　usual　to　know　the　crime　and　seek　the　criminal；　than　to　know　the　criminal　and　seek　his　crime。
　　The　four　sample　bottles　of　water　stood　in　their　plastic　carrier　on　my　roomette　floor。　To　have　introduced　something　noxious　into　that　tank；　gaunt…face　would　certainly　have　to　have　bribed　a　groom。　He　wasn't　one　of　the　grooms　himself；　though　perhaps　he　had　been　one；　somewhere；　some　time。　The　grooms　on　the　train　were　all　younger；　thinner　and　from　what　I'd　seen　of　them　in　their　uniform　T…shirts　less　positive。　I　couldn't　imagine　any　of　them　having　the　nerve　to　stand　up　to　Filmer　and　demand　their　money。
　　I　spent　the　brief　stop　at　the　small　town　of　Kenora　hanging　out　of　the　open　doorway　past　George's　office；　watching　him；　on　the　station　side　of　the　train；　walk　a　good　way　up　and　down　outside　while　he　checked　that　all　looked　well。　The　Lorrimores'　car；　it　appeared；　was　still　firmly　tacked　on。　Up　behind　the　engine；　two　baggage　handlers　were　loading　a　small　pile　of　boxes。　I　hung　out　of　the　door　on　the　other　side　of　the　train　for　a　while；　but　no　one　was　moving　out　there　at　all。
　　George　climbed　back　on　board　and　closed　the　doors；　and　presently　we　set　off　again　our　last　stop　before　Winnipeg。
　　I　wished　intensely　that　I　had　the　power　to　see　into　Filmer's　mind。　I　ached　to　foresee　what　he　was　planning。　I　felt　blind；　and　longed　for　second　sight。　Failing　such　superhuman　qualities；　however；　there　was　only　as　usual　ordinary　observation　and　patience；　and　they　both　seemed　inadequate　and　tame。
　　I　went　along　to　the　dining　car　where　I　found　that　Zak　had　already　positioned　some　of　the　actors　at　the　tables　for　the　cocktail…hour　double…length　scene。　He　and　Nell　were　agreeing　that　after　the　scene　the　actors　would　leave　again　（all　except　Giles…the…murderer）；　even　though　they　didn't　like　being　banished　all　the　time　and　were　plaining　about　it。
　　Emil；　laying　tablecloths；　said　that　wine　alone　was　included　in　the　fare；　all　other　cocktails　having　to　be　paid　for；　and　perhaps　I'd　better　just　serve　the　wine；　he　and　Oliver　and　Cathy　would　do　the　rest。　Fine　by　me；　I　said；　distributing　ashtrays　and　bud　vases。　I　could　set　the　wine　glasses　also；　Emil　said。　Glasses　for　red　wine　and　for　white　at　each　place。
　　The　passengers　drifted　in　from　their　rooms　and　the　dome　car　and　fell　into　by　now　predictable　patterns　of　seating。　Even　though　to　my　mind　Bambi　Lorrimore　and　Daffodil　Quentin　were　as　patible　as　salt　and　strawberries；　the　two　women　were　again　positioned　opposite　each　other；　bound　there　by　the　attraction　between　their　men。　When　I　put　the　wine　glasses　on　their　table；　Mercer　and　Filmer　were　discussing　world…wide　breeding　in　terms　of　exchange　rates。
　　Daffodil　told　Bambi　there　was　a　darling　little　jewellery　store　in　Winnipeg。
　　Xanthe　was　still　clinging　to　Mrs　Young。　Mr　Young　looked　exceedingly　bored。
　　Sheridan　had　struck　up　an　acquaintanceship　with　the　actor…murderer　Giles；　a　slightly　bizarre　eventuality　which　might　have　odd　consequences。
　　The　Upper　Gumtree　Unwins　and　the　Flokati　couple　seemed　locked　in　mon　interest：　whether　the　instant　friendship　would　wither　after　their　mutual　race　would　be　Wednesday　evening's　news。
　　Most　of　the　other　passengers　I　knew　only　vaguely；　by　face　more　than　by　name。　I'd　learned　their　names　only　to　the　extent　that　they　owned　horses　in　the　horse　car　or　had　touched　bases　with　Filmer；　which　came　to　only　about　half。　They　were　all　in　general　pleasant　enough；　although　one　of　the　men　sent　nearly　everything　back　to　the　kitchen　to　be　reheated；　and　one　of　the　women　pushed　the　exceptional　food　backwards　and　forwards　across　her　plate　with　flicking　movements　of　her　fork；　sternly　remarking　that　plain　fare　was　all　anyone　needed　for　godliness。　What　she　was　doing　among　the　racing　fraternity；　I　never　found　out。
　　Zak's　long　scene　began　with　impressive　fireworks　as　soon　as　everyone　in　the　dining　car　had　been　served　with　a　drink。
　　A　tall　man　dressed　in　the　full　scarlet　traditional　uniform　of　the　Royal　Canadian　Mounted　Police　strode　into　the　dining　car　and　in　a　conversation…stopping　voice　said　he　had　some　serious　information　for　us。　He　had　e　aboard　at　Kenora；　he　said；　because　the　body　of　a　groom　from　this　train　called　Ricky　had　been　found　lying　beside　the　railway　lines　near　Thunder　Bay。　He　had　been　wearing　his　Race　Train　T…shirt；　and　he　had　identification　in　his　pocket。
　　The　passengers　looked　horrified。　The　Mountie's　impressive　presence　dominated　the　whole　place　and　he　sounded　undoubtedly　authentic。　He　understood；　he　said；　that　the　groom　had　been　attacked　earlier；　in　Toronto；　when　he　foiled　the　kidnapping　of　a　horse；　but　he　had　insisted　on　making　the　journey　nevertheless；　having　been　bandaged　by　a　Miss　Richmond。　Was　that　cor