cwilleford.theburntorangeheresy-第16部分

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　　Berenice　giggled。　〃You're　cute　when　you're　stern。　No　。　。　。　I　guess　not；　but　art；　it　seems　to　me；　is　supposed　to　be　for　everybody；　not　just　for　those　critics　you　mentioned　。　。
　　I　put　down　the　spoon　and　wiped　my　lips　on　a　paper　napkin。　〃Whales　are　for　everybody；　too；　sweetheart。　But　not　everybody　studies　whales　as　a　lifetime　occupation。　That's　the　big　difference　you　don't　seem　to　understand。〃
　　〃All　right。〃　She　shrugged。　〃I　still　think　there's　something　you　haven't　told　me　about　all　this。〃
　　I　grinned。　〃There　is。　In　return　for　Debierue's　address　I've　got　to　do　a　favor　for　Mr。　Cassidy…〃
　　〃The　lawyer　who　told　you　about　Debierue？〃
　　〃Yeah。〃　I　nodded。　〃And　what　I'm　telling　you　is　'privileged　information；'　as　Cassidy　would　put　it。　It's　between　you　and　Mr。　Cassidy　and　these　ice　cream　sodas。〃
　　〃You　can　trust　me；　James。〃　Her　face　softened。　〃You　can　trust　me　with　your　life。〃
　　〃I　know。　And　in　a　way　it　is　my　life。　Anyway；　Mr。　Cassidy　gave　me　privileged　information…where　Debierue　is　living…　and　all　I　have　to　do　in　return　is　to　steal　a　picture　for　him。〃
　　〃Steal　a　picture？　Why　can't　he　buy　one？　He's　rich　enough。〃
　　〃Debierue　doesn't　sell　his　pictures。　I　explained　all　that。　If　Cassidy　gets　a　picture；　even　one　that's　been　stolen；　he'll　be　the　only　collector　in　the　world　to　have　one；　you　see。〃
　　〃What　good　will　it　do　him？　If　it's　a　stolen　picture；　Debierue　can　get　it　back　by　calling　the　police。〃
　　〃Debierue　won't　know　he　has　it；　and　neither　will　anyone　else…until　after　Debierue's　dead；　anyway。　Then　the　picture　will　be　even　more　valuable。〃
　　〃How're　you　going　to　steal　a　picture　without　Debierue　knowing　it　was　you？〃
　　〃I　don't　know　yet。　I'm　playing　things　by　ear　at　the　moment。　It　might　not　be　a　picture。　If　he's　working　with　ceramics；　I　can　slip　a　piece　in　my　pocket　while　you　distract　him。　Maybe　there　are　some　drawings　around。　Mr。　Cassidy　would　be　satisfied　with　a　drawing。　In　fact　he'd　be　delighted。　But　until　I　find　out　what　Debierue　has　been　doing；　I　won't　know　what　to　do　myself。〃
　　〃But　you　want　me　to　help　you？〃
　　〃If　you　want　to；　yes。　He　can't　watch　both　of　us　at　the　same　time；　and　he's　an　old　man。　So　when　a　chance　es；　and　it　will；　I'll　give　you　the　high　sign　and　then　I'll　snatch　something。〃
　　〃It's　awfully　haphazard；　James；　the　way　you　say　it。　Besides；　as　soon　as　we　leave；　he'll　know　that　you're　the　one　who　stole　it…whatever　it　is。〃
　　〃No。〃　I　shook　my　head。　〃He　won't　know。　He'll　suspect　that　I　took　it；　but　he　won't　be　able　to　prove　it。　I'll　deny　everything；　if　charged；　and　besides　it'll　never　get　that　far。　Meanwhile；　Mr。　Cassidy　will　have　the　painting；　chunk　of　sculpture；　drawing；　or　whatever；　hidden　away　where　Jesus　Christ　couldn't　find　it。　See？〃
　　〃Do　you　realize；　James；〃　she　said；　rather　primly；　〃that　if　you　ever　got　caught　stealing　a　painting　from　anybody　that　your　career　would　be　over？〃
　　〃Not　really；　and　not；　certainly；　from　Debierue。　His　work；　as　you　mentioned　before　about　Van　Gogh；　belongs　to　the　world…and　if　I　were　ever　tried　for　something　like　that；　which　I　wouldn't　be…I'd　have　a　defense　fund　from　art　lovers　and　art　magazines　that　would　make　me　look　like　a　White　Panther。　Anyway；　that's　the　plan…in　addition　to　somehow　getting　an　interview；　of　course。〃
　　〃It　isn't　much　of　a　plan。〃
　　〃True。　But　now　that　you　know　what　I　have　to　do；　you　might　get　an　idea　once　we're　on　the　scene。　The　important　thing　is　this：　don't　take　anything　yourself。　I'll　take　it　when　the　time　is　propitious。　I　have　to　get　the　interview　before　anything　else　is　done。〃
　　〃I　understand。〃
　　The　rain　caught　us　before　we　reached　Lake　Worth。
　　There　were　torrents　of　it；　and　I　could　hardly　see　to　drive。　Berenice；　because　of　her　suit；　had　to　roll　up　her　window；　but　it　was　too　hot　for　me　to　roll　up　mine。　My　left　shoulder　and　arm　got　soaked；　but　with　the　humidity　I　would　have　been　just　as　wet　inside　the　car　with　the　window　rolled　up。　The　rain　finally　came　down　so　hard　I　had　to　pull　over　to　the　curb　in　Lake　Worth　to　wait　for　a　letup。
　　Berenice　was　frowning。　〃How　much；〃　she　asked；　〃does　a　baby　whale　weigh　when　it's　first　born？〃
　　〃One　ton。　And　it's　fourteen　feet　long。〃　I　lit　a　cigarette　and　passed　it　to　Berenice。　She　shook　her　head　and　handed　it　back。　I　took　a　long　drag。　〃One　ton；〃　I　said　solemnly；　〃is　two　thousand　pounds。〃
　　〃I　know　how　much　a　ton　is！〃　she　said　angrily。　〃You…　you…you　damned　intellectual；　you！〃
　　I　couldn't　contain　myself。　I　had　to　laugh　and　ruin　my　joke。
　　
　　
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　　I　could　have　taken　State　Road　Seven　straight　away　by　picking　it　up　west　of　West　Palm　Beach；　but　because　the　old　two…lane　highway　was　used　primarily　by　truck　traffic　barreling　for　Miami's　back　door；　into　Hialeah；　I　stayed　on　U。S。　1　all　the　way　to　Boynton　Beach　before　searching　for　a　through　road　to　make　the　cutover。　I　got　lost　for　a　few　minutes　and　made　several　aimless　circles　where　new　blacktops　had　been　crushed　down　for　a　subdivision　called　inappropriately　Ocean　Pine　Terraces　（miles　from　the　ocean；　no　pines；　no　terraces）；　but　when　I　finally　reached　the　state　highway；　it　was　freshly　paved；　and　the　truck　traffic　wasn't　nearly　as　bad　as　I　had　expected。
　　The　rain；　mercifully；　had　stopped。
　　My　crude　map　was　clear　enough；　but　I　had　zipped　past　Debierue's　turnoff　to　the　Dixie　Drive…in　Movie　Theater　before　I　realized　it。　The　mixed　dirt…and…gravel　private　road　leading　to　Debierue's　home…and…studio　was　clearly　visible　from　the　highway；　and　on　the　right　of　the　highway　about　three　hundred　yards　before　the　drive…in　entrance；　but　I　had　failed　to　notice　it。　I　made　a　crimped　circle　in　the　deserted　drive…in　entrance　and　this　time；　from　the　other　side　of　the　highway；　it　was　easy　to　spot　the　break。
　　Thick　gama　grass　had　reclaimed　the　deep　wheel　ruts　of　the　road；　and　I　crawled　along　in　first　gear。　The　bumpy；　rarely　used　trail　straight…lined　through　a　stand　of　secondgrowth　slash　pine　for　about　a　half　mile　and　then　made　a　sigmoid　loop　to　circumvent　two　stinking　stagnant　ponds　of　black　swamp　water。　On　the　right　of　the　road；　abandoned　chicken　runs　stretched　into　the　jungly　mass　of　greenery；　and　weeds　had　grown　straight　and　tall　along　the　sagging　chicken…wire　fences。　The　unpainted　wooden　chickenhouses　had　weathered　to　an　unpatterned　dirty　gray；　and　most　of　the　roofs　had　caved　in。　The　narrow　road　petered　out　at　an　open　peeled…pine　gate。　I　eased　into　the　fenced　area；　with　its　untended；　thickly　grassed　yard；　which　resembled　a　huge；　brown　bathmat；　and　pulled　up　in　front　of　the　screened　porch　of　the　house。
　　Paradoxically；　I　was　awed　by　my　first　sight　of　the　old　painter。　I　switched　off　the　engine；　and　as　it　ticked　heatedly　away；　I　sat　and　stared。　I　say　〃paradoxically〃　because　Debierue　in　person　was　anything　but　awe　inspiring。
　　He　resembled　any　one　of　a　thousand；　no　literally　tens　of　thousands；　of　those　tanned　Florida　retirees　one　sees　on　bridges　fishing；　on　golf　courses　tottering；　and　on　the　shuffleboard　courts　of　rest　homes　and　public　parks　shuffling。　He　even　wore　the　uniform。　Green…billed　khaki　baseball　cap；　white　denim　Bermuda　shorts；　low…cut　Zayre　tennis　shoes　in　pale　blue　canvas；　and　the　standard　white　open…necked　〃polo〃　shirt　with　short　sleeves。　The　inevitable　tiny　green　alligator　was　embroidered　over　the　left　pocket　of　the　shirt；　an　emblem　so　mon　in　Florida　that　any　Miami　Beach　edian　could　get　a　laugh　by　saying；　〃They　caught　an　alligator　in　the　Glades　the　other　day；　and　he　was　wearing　a　shirt　with　a　little　man　sewn　over　the　pocket　。　。　。〃
　　But　unlike　those　other　thousands　of　old　men　who　had　retired　to　Florida　in　anticipation　of　a　warm　death；　men　who　had　earned　their　dubious　retirement　by　running　shoe　stores；　managing　light…bulb　plants　in　Amarillo；　manufac　turing　condoms　in　Newark；　hustling　as　harried　sales　managers　in　the　ten　western　states；　Debierue　had　served；　and　was　still　serving；　the　strictest　master　of　them　all…the　selfdiscipline　of　the　artist。
　　Debierue；　apparently　unperturbed　by　the　arrival　of　a　strange；　beat…up　convertible　in　his　yard；　sat　limberly　erect　in　a　green…webbed；　aluminum　patio　chair　beside　the　porch　door；　soaking　up　late　afternoon　sun。　I　was　pleased　to　see　that　he　was　allowing　his　white　beard　to　grow　again　（for　several　years　he　had　been　clean　shaven）；　but　it　was　not　as　long　and