sidneysheldon.astrangerinthemirror-第3部分

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　a　wonderful　lover。　Moments　later；　the　trembling　bride　joined　her　groom　on　the　marital　bed。　While　she　was　waiting　for　him　to　say　something　romantic；　Paul　rolled　over　on　top　of　her；　made　a　few　thrusts　inside　her；　and　rolled　off　again。　For　the　stunned　bride；　it　was　finished　before　it　began。　As　for　Paul；　his　few　previous　sexual　experiences　had　been　with　the　whores　of　Munich；　and　he　was　reaching　for　his　wallet　when　he　remembered　that　he　no　longer　had　to　pay　for　it。　From　now　on　it　was　free。　Long　after　Paul　had　fallen　asleep；　Frieda　lay　in　bed；　trying　not　to　think　about　her　disappointment。　Sex　is　not　every　she　told　herself。　My　Paul　will　make　a　wonderful　husband。　As　it　turned　out；　she　was　wrong　again。　
　It　was　shortly　after　the　honeymoon　that　Frieda　began　to　see　Paul　in　a　more　realistic　light。　Frieda　had　been　reared　in　the　German　tradition　of　a　Hausfrau；　and　so　she　obeyed　her　husband　without　question；　but　she　was　far　from　stupid。　Paul　had　no　interest　in　life　except　his　poems；　and　Frieda　began　to　realize　that　they　were　very　bad。　She　could　not　help　but　observe　that　Paul　left　a　great　deal　to　be　desired　in　almost　every　area　she　could　think　of。　Where　Paul　was　indecisive；　Frieda　was　firm；　where　Paul　was　stupid　about　business；　Frieda　was　clever。　In　the　beginning；　she　had　sat　by；　silently　suffering；　while　the　head　of　the　family　threw　away　her　handsome　dowry　by　his　softhearted　idiocies。　By　the　time　they　moved　to　Detroit；　Frieda　could　stand　it　no　longer。　She　marched　into　her　husband's　butcher　shop　one　day　and　took　over　the　cash　register。　The　first　thing　she　did　was　to　put　up　a　sign：　No　credit。　Her　husband　was　appalled；　but　that　was　only　the　beginning。　Frieda　raised　the　prices　of　meat　and　began　advertising；　showering　the　neighbourhood　with　pamphlets；　and　the　business　expanded　overnight。　From　that　moment　on；　it　was　Frieda　who　made　all　the　important　decisions；　and　Paul　who　followed　them。　Frieda's　disappointment　had　turned　her　into　a　tyrant。　She　found　that　she　had　a　talent　for　running　things　and　people；　and　she　was　inflexible。　It　was　Frieda　who　decided　how　their　money　was　to　be　invested；　where　they　would　live；　where　they　would　vacation；　and　when　it　was　time　to　have　a　baby。　
　She　announced　her　decision　to　Paul　one　evening　and　put　him　to　work　on　the　project　until　the　poor　man　almost　suffered　a　nervous　breakdown。　He　was　afraid　too　much　sex　would　undermine　his　health；　but　Frieda　was　a　woman　of　great　determination。　〃Put　it　in　me；〃　she　would　mand。　〃How　can　I？〃　Paul　protested。　〃It　is　not　interested。〃　Frieda　would　take　his　shriveled　little　penis　and　pull　back　the　foreskin；　and　when　nothing　happened；　she　would　take　it　in　her　mouth　　〃Mein　Gott；　Frieda！　What　are　you　doing？〃　　until　it　got　hard　in　spite　of　him；　and　she　would　insert　it　between　her　legs　until　Paul's　sperm　was　inside　her。　
　Three　months　after　they　began；　Frieda　told　her　husband　that　he　could　take　a　rest。　She　was　pregnant。　Paul　wanted　a　girl　and　Frieda　wanted　a　boy；　so　it　was　no　surprise　to　any　of　their　friends　that　the　baby　was　a　boy。　The　baby；　at　Frieda's　insistence；　was　delivered　at　home　by　a　midwife。　Everything　went　smoothly　up　to　and　throughout　the　actual　delivery。　It　was　then　that　those　who　were　gathered　around　the　bed　got　a　shock。　The　newborn　infant　was　normal　in　every　way；　except　for　its　penis。　The　baby's　organ　was　enormous；　dangling　like　a　swollen；　outsized　appendage　between　the　baby's　innocent　thighs。　　
　His　father's　not　built　like　that；　Frieda　thought　with　fierce　pride。　
　She　named　him　Tobias；　after　an　alderman　who　lived　in　their　precinct。　Paul　told　Frieda　that　he　would　take　over　the　training　of　the　boy。　After　all；　it　was　the　father's　place　to　bring　up　his　son。　Frieda　listened　and　smiled；　and　seldom　let　Paul　go　near　the　child。　It　was　Frieda　who　brought　the　boy　up。　She　ruled　him　with　a　Teutonic　fist；　and　she　did　not　bother　with　the　velvet　glove。　At　five；　Toby　was　a　thin；　spindly…legged　child；　with　a　wistful　face　and　the　bright；　gentian…blue　eyes　of　his　mother。　Toby　adored　his　mother　and　hungered　for　her　approval。　He　wanted　her　to　pick　him　up　and　hold　him　on　her　big；　soft　lap　so　that　he　could　press　his　head　deep　into　her　bosom。　But　Frieda　had　no　time　for　such　things。　She　was　busy　making　a　living　for　her　family。　She　loved　little　Toby；　and　she　was　determined　that　he　would　not　grow　up　to　be　a　weakling　like　his　father。　Frieda　demanded　perfection　in　everything　Toby　did。　When　he　began　school；　she　would　supervise　his　homework；　and　if　he　was　puzzled　by　some　assignment；　his　mother　would　admonish　him；　〃e　on；　boy　　roll　up　your　sleeves！〃　And　she　would　stand　over　him　until　he　had　solved　the　problem。　The　sterner　Frieda　was　with　Toby；　the　more　he　loved　her。　He　trembled　at　the　thought　of　displeasing　her。　Her　punishment　was　swift　and　her　praise　was　slow；　but　she　felt　that　it　was　for　Toby's　own　good。　From　the　first　moment　her　son　had　been　placed　in　her　arms；　Frieda　had　known　that　one　day　he　was　going　to　bee　a　famous　and　important　man。　She　did　not　know　how　or　when；　but　she　knew　it　would　happen。　It　was　as　though　God　had　whispered　it　into　her　ear。　Before　her　son　was　even　old　enough　to　understand　what　she　was　saying；　Frieda　would　tell　him　of　his　greatness　to　e；　and　she　never　stopped　telling　him。　And　so；　young　Toby　grew　up　knowing　that　he　was　going　to　be　famous；　but　having　no　idea　how　or　why。　He　only　knew　that　his　mother　was　never　wrong。　
　Some　of　Toby's　happiest　moments　occurred　when　he　sat　in　the　enormous　kitchen　doing　his　homework　while　his　mother　stood　at　the　large　old…fashioned　stove　and　cooked。　She　would　make　heavenly　smelling；　thick　black　bean　soup　with　whole　frankfurters　floating　in　it；　and　platters　of　succulent　bratwurst；　and　potato　pancakes　with　fluffy　edges　of　brown　lace。　Or　she　would　stand　at　the　large　chopping　block　in　the　middle　of　the　kitchen；　kneading　dough　with　her　thick；　strong　hands；　then　sprinkling　a　light　snowflake　of　flour　over　it；　magically　transforming　the　dough　into　a　mouth…watering　Pflaumenkuchen　or　Apfelkuchen。　Toby　would　go　to　her　and　throw　his　arms　around　her　large　body；　his　face　reaching　only　up　to　her　waist。　The　exciting　female　smell　of　her　would　bee　a　part　of　all　the　exciting　kitchen　smells；　and　an　unbidden　sexuality　would　stir　within　him。　At　those　moments　Toby　would　gladly　have　died　for　her。　For　the　rest　of　his　life；　the　smell　of　fresh　apples　cooking　in　butter　brought　back　an　instant；　vivid　image　of　his　mother。　
　One　afternoon；　when　Toby　was　twelve　years　old；　Mrs。　Durkin；　the　neighbourhood　gossip；　came　to　visit　them。　Mr。　Durkin　was　a　bony…faced　woman　with　black；　darting　eyes　and　a　tongue　that　was　never　still。　When　she　departed；　Toby　did　an　imitation　of　her　that　had　his　mother　roaring　with　laughter。　It　seemed　to　Toby　that　it　was　the　first　time　he　had　ever　heard　her　laugh。　From　that　moment　on；　Toby　looked　for　ways　to　entertain　her。　He　would　do　devastating　imitations　of　customers　who　came　into　the　butcher　shop　and　of　teachers　and　schoolmates；　and　his　mother　would　go　into　gales　of　laughter。　Toby　had　finally　discovered　a　way　to　win　his　mother's　approval。　He　tried　out　for　a　school　play　No　Account　David；　and　was　given　the　lead。　On　opening　night；　his　mother　sat　in　the　front　row　and　applauded　her　son's　success。　It　was　at　that　moment　that　Frieda　knew　how　God's　promise　was　going　to　e　true。　
　It　was　the　early　1930s；　the　beginning　of　the　Depression；　and　movie　theaters　all　over　the　country　were　trying　every　conceivable　stratagem　to　fill　their　empty　seats。　They　gave　away　dishes　and　radios；　and　had　keno　nights　and　bingo　nights；　and　hired　organists　to　acpany　the　bounding　ball　while　the　audience　sang　along。　And　they　held　amateur　contests。　Frieda　would　carefully　check　the　theatrical　section　of　the　newspaper　to　see　where　contests　were　taking　place。　Then　she　would　take　Toby　there　and　sit　in　the　audience　while　he　did　his　imitations　of　Al　Jolson　and　James　Cagney　and　Eddie　Cantor　and　yell　out；　〃Mein　Himmel！　What　a　talented　boy！〃　Toby　nearly　always　won　first　prize。　He　had　grown　taller；　but　he　was　still　thin；　an　earnest　child　with　guileless；　bright　blue　eyes　set　in　the　face　of　a　cherub。　One　looked　at　him　and　instantly　thought：　innocence。　When　people　saw　Toby　they　wanted　to　put　their　arms　around　him　and　hug　him　and　protect　him　from　life。　They　loved　him　and　on　stage　they　applauded　him。　For　the　firs