rs.toomanywomen-第3部分

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　a　way　that　left　no　possible　doubt　whether　it　was　noiseless　or　not。
　　Coolness。
　　
　　Chapter　Six
　　I　started　work　as　a　personnel　expert　for　Naylor…Kerr；　Inc。；　the　next　day；　Wednesday　morning；　March　19；　the　next　to　last　day　of　winter。
　　I　knew　just　what　I　had　known　after　my　first　call　on　Pine；　and　no　more。　Tuesday　afternoon；　when　I　took　him　Wolfe's　letter；　he　was　co…operative　about　letting　me　ask　questions；　but　he　couldn't　supply　many　answers。　He　liked　Wolfe's　idea　on　procedure；　and　proved　he　was　a　good　executive　by　starting　immediately　to　execute。　That　was　simple。　All　he　had　to　do　was　call　in　an　assistant　vice…president；　introduce　me；　tell　him　about　me；　and　instruct　him　to　put　me　on　the　payroll　and　present　me　personally　to　all　heads　of　departments。　That　was　acplished　Tuesday　afternoon；　the　presentations　being　made　in　the　office　of　the　assistant　vice…president；　to　which　the　department　heads　were　summoned。　I　found　an　opportunity　to　drop　the　remark　that　after　looking　over　the　reports　and　records　I　thought　I　would　start　in　the　stock　department。
　　Wednesday　morning　I　was　on　the　job　in　the　stock　department　on　the　thirty…fourth　floor。　It　handed　me　a　surprise。　I　had　vaguely　supposed　it　to　be　something　on　the　order　of　an　overgrown　hardware　store；　with　rows　of　shelves　to　the　ceiling　containing　samples　of　things　that　hold　bridges　together　and　related　objects；　but　not　at　all。　Primarily；　as　far　as　space　went；　it　was　a　room　about　the　size　of　the　Yankee　Stadium；　with　hundreds　of　desks　and　girls　at　them。　Along　each　side　of　that　arena；　the　entire　length；　was　a　series　of　partitioned　offices；　with　some　of　the　doors　closed　and　some　open。　No　stock　of　anything　was　in　sight　anywhere。
　　One　good　glance　and　I　liked　the　job。　The　girls。　All　right　there；　all　being　paid　to　stay　right　there；　and　me　being　paid　to　move　freely　about　and　converse　with　anyone　whomever；　which　was　down　in　black　and　white。　Probably　after　I　had　been　there　a　couple　of　years　I　would　find　that　close…ups　revealed　inferior　individual　specimens；　Grade　B　or　lower　in　age；　contours；　skin　quality；　voice；　or　level　of　intellect；　but　from　where　I　stood　at　nine…fifty…two　Wednesday　morning　it　was　enough　to　take　your　breath　away。　At　least　half　a　thousand　of　them；　and　the　general　and　overwhelming　impression　was　of…clean；　young；　healthy；　friendly；　spirited；　beautiful；　and　ready。　I　stood　and　filled　my　eyes；　trying　to　look　detached。　It　was　an　ocean　of　opportunity。
　　A　voice　at　my　elbow　said；　〃I　doubt　very　much　if　there's　a　virgin　in　the　room。　Now　if　you'll　e　to　my　office。。。〃
　　It　was　Kerr　Naylor；　the　head　of　the　stock　department。　I　had　reported　to　him　on　arrival；　as　arranged；　and　he　had　introduced　me　to　a　dozen　or　so　of　his　assistants；　heads　of　sections。　All　but　two　of　them　were　men。　One　of　them　I　had　regarded　with　special　interest　was　the　head　of　the　Correspondence　Checking　Section；　since　Waldo　Wilmot　Moore　had　been　a　correspondence　checker；　but　I　was　careful　not　to　give　him　any　extra　time　or　attention　there　at　the　start。　His　name　was　Dickerson；　he　could　easily　have　been　my　grandfather；　and　his　eyes　watered。　I　gathered　from　our　brief　talk　that　the　function　of　a　correspondence　checker　was　to　mosey　around；　pounce　and　grab　a　letter　when　the　whim　seized　him；　take　it　to　the　checkers'　office；　and　give　it　the　works　on　content；　tone；　policy；　style；　and　mechanical　execution。　So　it　could　safely　be　assumed　that　his　popularity　quotient　around　the　place　would　be　about　the　same　as　that　of　an　MP　in　the　army；　and　that　was　bad。　It　presented　the　possibility　that　any　letter…dictator　or　stenographer　in　the　department　might　have　felt　like　murdering　Moore；　including　those　who　had　lost　their　jobs…and　the　turnover　had　been　twenty…eight　per　cent。　For　one　man　to　sort　out　the　whole　haystack；　a　straw　at　a　time；　was　not　my　idea　of　the　pursuit　of　happiness；　but　it　did　have　its　good　points　as　suggested　above。
　　Kerr　Naylor's　office　was　also　a　corner　room；　but　was　considerably　more　modest　in　every　respect　than　the　president's；　two　floors　up。　One　whole　wall　was　behind　ceiling　high　filing　cabinets；　and　there　were　piles　of　papers　around　on　tables　and　even　two　of　the　chairs。　After　we　were　seated；　him　at　his　desk　and　me　at　one　end　of　it；　I　asked　him：
　　〃Why；　do　you　refuse　to　hire　virgins？〃
　　〃What？〃　Then　he　tittered。　〃Oh；　that　was　just　a　remark。　No；　Mr。　Truett；　this　office　has　no　prejudice　against　virgins。　I　merely　doubt　if　there　are　any。　Now　how　do　you　want　to　begin？〃
　　His　voice　matched　his　appearance。　The　voice　was　a　thin　tenor；　and　while　he　was　not　a　pygmy　they　had　been　all　out　of　large　sizes　the　day　he　was　outfitted。　Also　they　had　been　low　on　pigments。　His　skin　had　no　color　at　all；　and　the　only　thing　that　made　it　reasonable　to　suppose　there　was　anybody　at　home　inside　it　was　the　eyes。　They　too　were　without　color；　but　they　had　a　sharp　dancing　glint　that　wasn't　just　on　the　surface　but　came　from　behind；　deep。
　　〃This　first　day；〃　I　said；　〃I　guess　I'll　just　poke　around　and　get　my　directions　straight。　No　virgins　at　all？　Who　has　picked　all　the　flowers？　You　might　as　well　call　me　Pete。　Everybody　does。〃
　　The　name　I　had　chosen　to　be　introduced　by　was　Peter　Truett；　liking　the　implication　of　the　first　syllable　of　the　Truett。　Pine　had　thought　my　own；　Archie　Goodwin；　might　be　familiar　to　someone。　I　went　back　to　virgins　again　because　I　wanted　to　keep　the　talk　going　to　get　acquainted　with　this　bird。　But　apparently　it　had　really　been　just　a　remark　and　the　virgin　question　had　not　e　to　a　boil　in　him；　as　it　often　does　with　men　over　fifty；　for　he　ignored　it　and　said：
　　〃As　I　understand　it　you　are　going　to　study　the　whole　employee　problem；　past；　present；　and　future。　If　you　want　to　start　with　a　specific　case　and　spread　out　from　there；　I　suggest　the　name　of　Waldo　Wilmot　Moore。　He　was　with　us　last　year；　from　April　eighth　to　December　fourth…a　correspondence　checker。　He　was　murdered。〃
　　The　glint　in　his　eyes　danced　out　at　me　and　went　back　in　again。　I　kept　my　own　face　under　control；　in　spite　of　his　splashing　it　out　like　that；　but　it　is　only　natural　and　proper　for　anyone　to　betray　a　gleam　of　interest　in　murder；　so　I　let　one　show。
　　My　brows　went　up。　〃Gosh；〃　I　said；　〃no　one　told　me　it　had　gone　that　far。　Murdered？　Right　here？〃
　　〃No　no；　not　on　the　premises；　up　on　Thirty…ninth　Street　at　night。　He　was　run　over　by　a　car。　His　head　was　smashed　flat。〃　Mr。　Naylor　tittered；　or　maybe　it　wasn't　a　titter　but　only　a　nerve　untwisting　somewhere　in　the　network。　〃I　was　one　of　those　requested　to　e　and　identify　him；　at　the　morgue；　and　I　can　tell　you　it　was　a　strange　experience…like　trying　to　identify　something　you　have　known　only　as　a　round　object；　for　instance　an　orange；　after　it　has　been　pressed　to　make　two　plane　surfaces。　It　was　extremely　interesting；　but　I　wouldn't　care　to　try　it　again。〃
　　〃Could　you　identify　him？〃
　　〃Oh；　certainly。　There　was　no　question　about　that。〃
　　〃Why　do　you　say　murdered？　Did　they　catch　the　guy　and　hang　it　on　him？〃
　　〃No。　I　understand　that　the　police　regard　it　as　an　accident…what　they　call　a　hit…and…run。〃
　　〃Then　it　wasn't　murder。　Technically。〃
　　Naylor　smiled　at　me。　His　neat　little　mouth　wasn't　designed　for　anything　expansive；　but　it　was　certainly　meant　for　a　smile；　though　it　went　as　quick　as　it　came。　〃Mr。　Truett；〃　he　said；　〃if　we　are　to　work　together　we　should　understand　each　other。　I　am　rather　perceptive；　and　it　would　probably　surprise　you　to　know　how　much　I　understand　of　you　already。　One　little　fact　about　me；　I　have　always　been　a　student　of　languages；　and　I　am　extraordinarily　meticulous　in　my　choice　of　words。　I　detest　euphemisms　and　circumlocutions；　and　I　am　acquainted　with　all　the　verbs；　including　those　of　the　argots；　which　mean　to　cause　the　death　of。　What　did　I　say　happened　to　this　man　Moore？〃
　　〃You　said　he　was　murdered。〃
　　〃Very　well。　That's　what　I　meant。〃
　　〃Okay；　Mr。　Naylor；　but　I　like　words　too。〃　I　had　a　strong　feeling　that　no　matter　what　his　reason　had　been　for　tossing　this　at　me　right　off　the　bat；　if　I　fielded　it　right　I　might　at　least　end　the　inning；　and　possibly　the　game；　that　first　morning。　I　tried。　I　grinned　at　him。　〃I　have　always　been　fond　of　words；〃　I　declared。　〃I　never　got　worse　than　B　in　grammar；　clear　to　the　eighth　grade。　Not　that　it's　any　hide　off　of　me；　but　since　we're　speaking　of　words；　when　you　say　Moore　was　murdered　I　take　it　to　mean　that　the　driver　of　the　car　knew　it　was　Moore；　wanted　him　dead　or　at　least　hurt；　and　aimed　the　car　at　him。　Doesn't　it　e　down　to　that？〃
　　Naylor　was　looking　up　at　the　wall　behind　me。　His　eyes　stayed　that　way；　with　no　glint　showing　because　they　were　upraised；　until　I　twisted　my　neck　to　see　what　he　was　looking　at。　All　that　was　there　was　a　clock。　I　untwisted　back　to　him；　and　his　gaze　came　down　to　my　level。
　　He　smiled　again。　〃Twenty　minutes　past　ten；〃　he　said　resentfully。　〃I　understand；　Mr。　Truett；　that　Mr。　Pine　has　hired　you　to　survey　our　personnel　problems。　What　do　you　think　he　would　say　if　he　knew　you　were　sitting　here　at　your　ease；　prolonging　a　discussion　of　a　murder　which　has　no　possible　connection　with　your　job？〃
　　The　damn　little　squirt。　The　only　satisfactory　way　to　field　that　one　would　have　been　to　pick　him　up　and　use　him　for　a　dust　rag。　Under　the　circumstances　that　satisfaction　would　have　to　be　postponed。　I　swallowed　it；　stood　up；　and　grinned　down　at　him。
　　〃Yeah；〃　I　said；　〃I'm　a　great　talker。　It　was　nice　of　you　to　listen。　Why　don't　you　put　through　a　voucher　in　triplicate；　or　however　you　do　it；　docking　me　for　an　hour？　I　deserve　it；　I　really　do。〃
　　I　left。　If　the　〃uh；　plexities〃　that　Pine　had　mentioned　included　a　desire　on　the　part　of　his　brother　executives　and　him　to　tie　a　can　to　Kerr　Naylor's　tail；　I　was　all　for　it。　He　sure　was　tricky　and　mean。　He　had　me　so　sore　that　I　went　from　his　office　straight　to　the　main　arena；　took　a　random　course　through　the　labyrinth　of　desks；　glancing　in　all　directions　at　faces；　shoulders；　and　arms；　and　took　my　time　picking　one　who　had　probably　been　a　Powers　model　and　got　fired　because　she　made　all　her　colleagues　look　below　standard。
　　I　sat　on　the　corner　of　her　desk　and　she　looked　up　at　me　with　the　clear　blue　eyes　of　an　angel　and　a　virgin。
　　I　leaned　to　her。　〃My　name　is　Peter　Truett；〃　I　told　her；　〃and　I've　been　hired　as　a　personnel　expert。　If　your　section　head　hasn't　told　you　ab