dk.watchers-第67部分

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xpect　the　baby　the　third　week　of　June；　and　Travis　said　stupidly；　〃Next　June？〃　and　she　laughed　and　said；　〃I　don't　intend　to　carry　this　baby　for　a　whole　extra　year；〃　and　finally　Einstein　insisted　on　having　a　chance　to　nuzzle　her　and　express　his　delight。
　〃I　brought　home　a　chilled　bottle　of　bubbly　to　celebrate；〃　she　said；　thrusting　a　paper　bag　into　his　hands。
　In　the　kitchen；　when　he　took　the　bottle　out　of　the　bag；　he　saw　that　it　was　sparkling　apple　cider；　nonalcoholic。　He　said；　〃Isn't　this　a　celebration　worth　the　best　champagne？〃
　Getting　glasses　from　a　cupboard；　she　said；　〃I'm　probably　being　silly；　a　world…champion　worrier。　。　。　but　I'm　taking　no　chances；　Travis。　I　never　thought　I'd　have　a　baby；　never　dared　dream　it；　and　now　I've　got　this　hinkey　feeling　that　I　was　never　meant　to　have　it　and　that　it's　going　to　be　taken　away　from　me　if　I　don't　take　every　precaution；　if　I　don't　do　everything　just　right。　So　I'm　not　taking　another　drink　until　it's　born。　I'm　not　going　to　eat　too　much　red　meat；　and　I'm　going　to　eat　more　vegetables。　I　never　have　smoked；　so　that's　not　a　worry。　I'm　going　to　gain　exactly　as　much　weight　as　Dr。　Weingold　tells　me　I　should；　and　I'm　going　to　do　my　exercises；　and　I'm　going　to　have　the　most　perfect　baby　the　world　has　ever　seen。〃
　〃Of　course　you　are；〃　he　said；　filling　their　wine　glasses　with　sparkling　apple　cider　and　Pouring　some　in　a　dish　for　Einstein。
　〃Nothing　will　go　wrong；〃　she　said。
　〃Nothing；〃　he　said。
　They　toasted　the　baby…and　Einstein；　who　was　going　to　make　a　terrific　godfather；　uncle；　grandfather；　and　furry　guardian　angel。
　Nobody　mentioned　The　Outsider。
　　
　Later　that　night；　in　bed　in　the　dark；　after　they　had　made　love　and　were　just　holding　each　other；　listening　to　their　hearts　beating　in　unison；　he　dared　to　say；　〃Maybe；　with　what　might　be　ing　our　way；　we　shouldn't　be　having　a　baby　just　now。〃
　〃Hush；〃　she　said。
　〃But…''
　〃We　didn't　plan　for　this　baby；〃　she　said。　〃In　fact；　we　took　precautions　against　it。　But　it　happened　anyway。　There's　something　special　about　the　fact　that　it　happened　in　spite　of　all　our　careful　precautions。　Don't　you　think？　In　spite　of　all　I　said　before；　about　maybe　not　being　meant　to　have　it　。　。　。　well；　that's　just　the　old　Nora　talking。　The　new　Nora　thinks　we　were　meant　to　have　it；　that　it's　a　great　gift　to　us…as　Einstein　was。〃
　〃But　considering　what　may　be　ing…〃
　〃That　doesn't　matter；〃　she　said。　〃We'll　deal　with　that。　We'll　e　out　of　that　all　right。　We're　ready。　And　then　we'll　have　the　baby　and　really　begin　our　life　together。　I　love　you；　Travis。〃
　〃I　love　you；〃　he　said。　〃God；　I　love　you。〃
　He　realized　how　much　she　had　changed　from　the　mousy　woman　he'd　met　in　Santa　Barbara　last　spring。　Right　now；　she　was　the　strong　one；　the　determined　one；　and　she　was　trying　to　allay　his　fears。
　She　was　doing　a　good　job；　too。　He　felt　better。　He　thought　about　the　baby；　and　he　smiled　in　the　dark；　with　his　face　buried　in　her　throat。　Though　he　now　had　three　hostages　to　fortune…Nora；　the　unborn　baby；　and　Einstein…he　was　in　finer　spirits　than　he　had　been　in　longer　than　he　could　remember。　Nora　had　allayed　his　fears。
　　
　2
　Vince　Nasco　sat　in　an　elaborately　carved　Italian　chair　with　a　deep　glossy　finish　that　had　acquired　its　remarkable　transparency　only　after　a　couple　of　Centuries　of　regular　polishing。
　To　his　right　was　a　sofa　and　two　more　chairs　and　a　low　table　of　equal　elegance；　arranged　before　a　backdrop　of　bookcases　filled　with　leather…bound　volumes　that　had　never　been　read。　He　knew　they　had　never　been　read　because　Mario　Tetragna；　whose　private　study　this　was；　had　once　pointed　to　them　with　pride　and　said；　〃Expensive　books。　And　as　good　as　the　day　they　were　made　because　they've　never　been　read。　Never。　Not　a　one。〃
　In　front　of　him　was　the　immense　desk　at　which　Mario　Tetragna　reviewed　earnings　reports　from　his　managers；　issued　memos　about　new　ventures；　and　ordered　people　killed。　The　don　was　at　that　desk　now；　overflowing　his　leather　chair；　eyes　closed。　He　looked　as　if　he　was　dead　of　clogged　arteries　and　a　fat…impacted　heart；　but　he　was　only　considering　Vince's　request。
　Mario　〃The　Screwdriver〃　Tetragna…respected　patriarch　of　his　immediate　blood　family；　much…feared　don　of　the　broader　Tetragna　Family　that　controlled　drug　traffic；　gambling；　prostitution；　loan…sharking；　pornography；　and　other　organized　criminal　activity　in　San　Francisco…was　a　five…foot…seven…inch；　three…hundred…pound　tub　with　a　face　as　plump　and　greasy　and　smooth　as　an　overstuffed　sausage　casing。　It　was　hard　to　believe　that　this　rotund　specimen　could　have　built　an　infamous　criminal　operation。　True；　Tetragna　had　been　young　once；　but　even　then　he　would　have　been　short；　and　he　had　the　look　of　a　man　who'd　been　fat　all　his　life。　His　pudgy；　stubby…fingered　hands　reminded　Vince　of　a　baby's　hands。　But　they　were　the　hands　that　ruled　the　Family's　empire。
　When　Vince　had　looked　into　Mario　Tetragna's　eyes；　he　instantly　realized　that　the　don's　stature　and　his　all　too　evident　decadence　were　of　no　importance。　The　eyes　were　those　of　a　reptile：　flat；　cold；　hard；　watchful。　If　you　weren't　careful；　if　you　displeased　him；　he　would　hypnotize　you　with　those　eyes　and　take　you　the　way　a　snake　would　take　a　mesmerized　mouse；　he　would　choke　you　down　whole　and　digest　you。
　Vince　admired　Tetragna。　He　knew　this　was　a　great　man；　and　he　wished　he　could　tell　the　don　that　he；　too；　was　a　man　of　destiny。　But　he　had　learned　never　to　speak　of　his　immortality；　for　in　the　past　such　talk　had　earned　him　ridicule　from　a　man　he'd　thought　would　understand。
　Now；　Don　Tetragna　opened　his　reptilian　eyes　and　said；　〃Let　me　be　certain　I　understand。　You　are　looking　for　a　man。　This　is　not　Family　business。　It　is　a　private　grudge。〃
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Vince　said。
　〃You　believe　this　man　may　have　bought　counterfeit　papers　and　may　be　living　under　a　new　name。　He　would　know　how　to　obtain　such　papers；　even　though　he　is　not　a　member　of　any　Family；　not　of　the　fratellanza？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　His　background　is　such　that　。　。　。　he　would　know。〃
　〃And　you　believe　he　would　have　obtained　these　papers　in　either　Los　Angeles　or　here；〃　Don　Tetragna　said；　gesturing　toward　the　window　and　the　city　of　San　Francisco　with　one　soft；　pink　hand。
　Vince　said；　〃On　August　twenty…fifth　he　went　on　the　run；　starting　from　Santa　Barbara　by　car　because　for　various　reasons　he　couldn't　take　a　plane　anywhere。　I　believe　he　would've　wanted　a　new　identity　as　quickly　as　he　could　get　it。　At　first；　I　assumed　he'd　go　south　and　seek　out　counterfeit　ID　in　Los
　Angeles　because　that　was　closest。　But　I've　spent　the　better　part　of　two　months　talking　with　all　the　right　people　in　L。A。；　Orange　County；　and　even　San　Diego；　all　the　people　to　whom　this　man　could've　gone　for　high…quality　false　ID；　and　I've　had　a　few　leads；　but　none　panned　out。　So　if　he　didn't　go　south　from　Santa　Barbara；　he　came　north；　and　the　only　place　in　the　north　where　he　could　get　the　kind　of　quality　papers　he　would　want…〃
　〃Is　in　our　fair　city；〃　Don　Tetragna　said；　gesturing　again　toward　the　window　and　smiling　at　the　populous　slopes　below。
　Vince　supposed　that　the　don　was　smiling　fondly　at　his　beloved　San　Francisco。　But　the　smile　didn't　look　fond。　It　looked　avaricious。
　〃And；〃　Don　Tetragna　said；　〃you　would　like　for　me　to　give　you　the　names　of　the　people　who　have　my　authorization　to　deal　in　papers　such　as　this　man　needed。〃
　〃If　you　can　see　it　in　your　heart　to　grant　me　this　favor；　I　would　be　most　grateful。〃
　〃They　won't　have　kept　records。〃
　〃Yes；　sir；　but　they　might　remember　something。〃
　〃They're　in　the　business　of　not　remembering。〃
　〃But　the　human　mind　never　forgets；　Don　Tetragna。　No　matter　how　hard　it　tries；　it　never　really　forgets。〃
　〃How　true。　And　you　swear　that　the　man　you　seek　is　not　a　member　of　any　Family？〃
　〃I　swear　it。〃
　〃This　execution　must　not　in　any　way　be　traced　to　my　Family。〃
　〃I　swear　it。〃
　Don　Tetragna　closed　his　eyes　again；　but　not　for　as　long　as　he　had　closed　them　before。　When　he　opened　them；　he　smiled　broadly　but；　as　always；　it　was　a　humorless　smile。　He　was　the　least　jolly　fat　man　Vince　had　ever　seen。　〃When　your　father　married　a　Swedish　girl　rather　than　one　of　his　own　people；　his　family　despaired　and　expected　the　worst。　But　your　mother　was　a　good　wife；　unquestioning　and　obedient。　And　they　produced　you…a　most　handsome　son。　But　you're　more　than　handsome。　You're　a　good　soldier；　Vincent。　You　have　done　fine；　clean　work　for　the　Families　in　New　York　and　New　Jersey；　for　those　in　Chicago；　and　also　for　us　on　this　coast。　Not　very　long　ago；　you　did　me　the　great　service　of　crushing　the　cockroach　Pantangela。〃
　〃For　which　you　paid　me　most　generously；　Don　Tetragna；〃
　The　Screwdriver　waved　one　hand　dismissively。　〃We're　all　paid　for　our　labors。　But　we're　not　talking　money　here。　Your　years　of　loyalty　and　good　service　are　worth　more　than　money。　Therefore；　you　are　owed　at　least　this　One　favor。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Don　Tetragna。〃
　〃You'll　be　given　the　names　of　those　who　provide　such　papers　in　this　City；　and　I'll　see　that　they　are　all　forewarned　of　your　visit。　They'll　cooperate　fully。〃
　〃If　you　say　they　will；〃　Vince　said；　rising　and　bowing　with　only　his　head　and　shoulders；　〃I　know　that　it　is　true。〃
　The　don　motioned　him　to　Sit　down。　〃But　before　you　attend　to　this　private　affair；　I'd　like　you　to　take　another　contract。　There's　a　man　in　Oakland　who　is　giving　me　much　grief。　He　thinks　I　can't　touch　him　because　he's　politically　well　connected　and　well　guarded。　His　name　is　Ramon　Velazquez。　This　will　be　a　difficult　job；　Vincent。〃
　Vince　carefully　concealed　his　frustration　and　displeasure。　He　did　not　want　to　take　on　a　troublesome　hit　right　now。　He　wanted　to　concentrate　on　tracking　down　Travis　Cornell　and　the　dog。　But　he　knew　Tetragna's　contract　was　more　a　demand　than　an　offer。　To　get　the　names　of　the　people　who　sold　false　papers；　he　must　first　waste　Velazquez。
　He　said；　〃I　would　be　honored　to　squash　any　insect　that　has　stung　you。　And　there'll　be　no　charge　this　time。〃
　〃Oh；　I'd　insist　on　paying　you；　Vincent。〃
　As　ingratiatingly　as　he　knew　how；　Vince　smiled　and　said；　〃Please；　Don　Tetragna；　let　me　do　this　favor。　It　would　give　me　great　pleasure。〃
　Tetragna　appeared　to　consider　the　request；　though　this　was　what　he　expected…a　free　hit　in　return　for　helping　Vince。　He　put　both　hands　on　his　enormous　belly　and　patted　himself。　〃I　am　such　a　l