ch.nativetongue-第34部分

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　〃I　must　be　hearing　things。〃
　〃No；　I　mean　it。〃
　〃Then　what　do　you　want？〃
　〃More　voles。〃
　〃You're　joking。〃
　〃My　customers；　hell；　they　go　nuts　for　the　damn　things。　Now　I　got　spin…offs；　merchandise…a　major　warehouse　situation；　if　you　follow　me。〃
　〃Sorry；〃　Rachel　Lark　said；　〃it　was　a　one…time　deal。〃　She'd　pulled　off　the　endangered…species　racket　on　two　other　occasions…once　for　a　small　Midwestern　zoo；　and　once　for　a　disreputable　reptile　farm　in　South　Carolina。　Neither　deal　made　as　much　money　as　the　mango…vole　scam；　but　neither　had　wound　up　in　the　headlines　of　the　Washington　Post；　either。
　Kingsbury　said；　〃Look；　I　know　there's　no　more　mango　voles…〃
　〃Hey；　sport；　there　never　were　any　mango　voles。〃
　〃So　what　you're　saying；　we　defrauded　the　government。〃
　〃God；　you're　quick。〃
　〃I'm　wondering；〃　said　Kingsbury；　〃those　fucking　fur…balls　I　paid　for…what　were　they？　Just　out　of　curiosity。〃
　Rachel　Lark　said；　〃Give　me　some　credit；　Frankie。　They　were　voles。　Microtus　pitymys。　mon　pine　voles。〃
　〃Not　endangered？〃
　〃There's　billions　of　the　darn　things。〃
　It　figures；　Kingsbury　thought。　The　blue　tongues　were　a　neat　touch。　〃So　get　me　some　more；〃　he　said。　〃We'll　call　'em　something　else；　banana　voles　or　whatever。　The　name's　not　important；　long　as　they're　cute。〃
　The　woman　who　called　herself　Rachel　Lark　said：　〃Look；　I　can　get　you　other　animals…rare；　not　endangered…but　my　advice　is　to　stay　away　from　the　feds　for　a　while。　You　put　in　for　another　big　grant；　it's　a　swell　way　to　get　audited。〃
　Again　Kingsbury　agreed　without　objection。　〃So　what　else　have　you　got；　I　mean；　in　the　way　of　a　species？〃
　〃Lizards　are　your　best　bet。〃　Rachel　Lark　stretched　on　her　belly　and　motioned　the　masseur；　whose　real　name　was　Ray；　to　do　her　spine。
　〃Christ　on　a　Harley；　who　wants　goddamn　lizards！〃　Kingsbury　cringed　at　the　idea；　he　had　been　thinking　more　along　the　lines　of　a　panda　or　a　koala　bear。　〃I　need　something；　you　know；　soft　and　furry　and　all　that。　Something　the　kiddies'll　want　to　take　home。〃
　Rachel　Lark　explained　that　the　Florida　Keys　were　home　to　a　very　limited　number　of　native　mammals；　and　the　sudden　discovery　of　a　new　species　（so　soon　after　the　mango…vole　announcement）　would　attract　more　scientific　scrutiny　than　the　Amazing　Kingdom　could　withstand。
　〃You're　saying；　I　take　it；　forget　about　pandas。〃
　〃Frank；　they'd　die　of　heatstroke　in　about　five　minutes。〃
　Exasperated；　Kingsbury　said；　〃I　got　problems　down　here　you　wouldn't　believe。〃　He　nearly　told　her　about　the　blackmailing　burglars。
　〃A　new　lizard　you　can　get　away　with；〃　she　said；　〃especially　in　the　tropics。〃
　〃Rachel；　what'd　I　just　say？　Fuck　the　lizards。　I　can't　market　lizards。〃
　Rachel　Lark　moaned　blissfully　as　the　masseur　kneaded　the　muscles　of　her　neck。　〃My　advice；〃　she　said　into　the　phone；　〃is　stay　away　from　mammals　and　birds…it's　too　risky。　Insects　are　another　story。　Dozens　of　species　of　insects　are　discovered　every　year。　Grasshoppers；　doodlebugs；　you　name　it。〃
　There　was　a　grumpy　pause　on　the　other　end。　Finally；　Francis　X。　Kingsbury　said；　〃Getting　back　to　the　lizards。　I　mean；　for　the　sake　of　argument。。。〃
　〃They're　very　colorful；〃　said　the　woman　who　called　herself　Rachel　Lark。
　〃Ugly　is　out　of　the　question；〃　Kingsbury　stated　firmly。　〃Ugly　scares　the　kiddies。〃
　〃Not　all　reptiles　are　ugly；　Frankie。　In　fact；　some　are　very　beautiful。〃
　〃All　right；〃　he　said。　〃See　what　you　can　do。〃
　The　woman　who　called　herself　Rachel　Lark　hung　up　the　phone　and　closed　her　eyes。　When　she　awoke；　the　masseur　was　gone　and　the　man　from　Singapore　was　knocking　on　the　door。　In　one　hand　was　a　small　bouquet　of　yellow　roses；　and　in　the　other　was　a　tan　briefcase　holding　a　large　down　payment　for　a　shipment　of　rare　albino　scorpions。　Real　ones。
　
　EIGHTEEN
　On　the　morning　of　July　23；　a　semi…tractor　truck　leaving　North　Key　Largo　lost　its　brakes　on　the　Card　Sound　Bridge。　The　truck　plowed　through　the　tollbooth；　jack…knifed　and　overturned；　blocking　both　lanes　of　traffic　and　effectively　severing　the　northern　arm　of　the　island　from　the　Florida　mainland。　The　gelatinous　contents　of　the　container　were　strewn　for　ninety…five　yards　along　the　road；　and　within　minutes　the　milky…blue　sky　filled　with　turkey　buzzards…hundreds　of　them；　wheeling　counterclockwise　lower　and　lower；　only　the　noisy　throng　of　gawkers　kept　the　hungry　scavengers　from　landing　on　the　crash　site。　The　first　policeman　to　arrive　was　Highway　Patrol　Trooper　Jim　Tile；　who　nearly　flipped　his　Crown　Victoria　cruiser　when　he　tried　to　stop　on　the　freshly　slickened　pavement。　The　trooper　tugged　the　truck　driver　from　the　wreckage　and；　while　splinting　the　man's　arm；　demanded　to　know　what　godforsaken　cargo　he'd　been　hauling。
　〃A　dead　whale；〃　moaned　the　driver；　〃and　that's　all　I'm　saying。〃
　
　Charles　Chelsea　was　summoned　to　Francis　X。　Kingsbury's　office　at　the　unholy　hour　of　seven　in　the　morning。
　Kingsbury　looked　as　if　he　hadn't　slept　since　Easter。　He　asked　Chelsea　how　long　it　would　take　to　get　the　TV　stations　out　to　the　Amazing　Kingdom　of　Thrills。
　〃Two　hours；〃　Chelsea　said　confidently。
　〃Do　it。〃　Kingsbury　blew　his　nose。　〃On　the　horn；　now。〃
　〃What's　the　occasion；　if　I　might　ask？〃
　Kingsbury　held　up　five　fingers。　〃Today's　the　big　day。　Our　five…millionth　visitor。　Arrange　something；　a　fucking　parade；　I　don't　care。〃
　Charles　Chelsea　felt　his　stomach　yaw。　〃Five　million　visitors；〃　he　said。　〃Sir；　I　didn't　realize　we'd　reached　that　milestone。〃
　〃We　haven't。〃　Kingsbury　hacked　ferociously　into　a　monogrammed　handkerchief。　〃Damn　my　hay　fever；　I　think　it's　the　mangroves。　Every　morning　my　whole　head's　fulla　snot。〃　He　pushed　a　copy　of　the　Wall　Street　Journal　at　Chelsea。　A　column　on　the　front　page　announced　that　Walt　Disney　World　was　expanding　its　empire　to　build　a　mammoth　retail　shopping　center；　one　of　the　largest　in　the　Southeastern　United　States。
　〃See；　we　can't　just　sit　here；〃　Kingsbury　said。　〃Got　to　e　back　strong。　Big　media　counterpunch。〃
　Chelsea　skimmed　the　Journal　article　and　laid　it　on　his　lap。　Tentatively　he　said；　〃It's　hard　to　pete　with　something　like　this。　I　mean；　it　goes　so　far　beyond　the　realm　of　a　family　theme　park…〃
　〃Bullshit；〃　said　Kingsbury。　〃The　Miami…Lauderdale　TV　market　is…what；　three　times　the　size　of　Orlando。　Plus　CNN；　don't　they　have　a　bureau　down　here？〃　Kingsbury　spun　his　chair　and　gazed　out　the　window。　〃Hell；　that　new　dolphin　I　bought…can't　you　work　him　into　the　piece？　Say　he　rescued　somebody　who　fell　in　the　tank。　A　pregnant　lady　or　maybe　an　orphan。　Rescued　them　from　drowning…that's　your　story！　'Miracle　Dolphin　Saves　Drowning　Orphan。'　〃
　〃I　don't　know　if　that's　such　a　good　plan；〃　said　Chelsea；　though　inwardly　he　had　to　admit　it　would　have　been　one　helluva　headline。
　〃This　celebration；　make　it　for　noon；〃　Kingsbury　said。　〃Whoever　es　through　the　turnstiles；　strike　up　the　band。　But　make　sure　it's　a　tourist；　no　goddamn　locals。　Number　five　million；　okay？　In　giant　letters。〃
　His　gut　tightening；　Chelsea　said；　〃Sir；　it　might　be　wiser　to　go　with　two　million。　It's　closer　to　the　real　number。。。just　in　case　somebody　makes　an　issue　of　it。〃
　〃No；　two　is…chickenshit；　really。　Five's　better。　And　the　parade；　too；　I'm　serious。〃　Kingsbury　stood　up。　He　was　dressed　for　golf。　〃A　parade；　that's　good　video；〃　he　said。　〃Plenty　of　time　to　get　it　for　the　six…o'clock　news。　That's　our　best　demographic；　am　I　right？　Fucking　kids；　they　don't　watch　the　eleven。〃
　Chelsea　nodded。　〃What　do　we　give　the　winner？　Mr。　Five　Million；　I　mean。〃
　〃A　car；　Jesus　Christ。〃　Kingsbury　looked　at　him　as　if　he　were　an　idiot。　A　few　years　earlier；　Disney　World　had　given　away　an　automobile　every　day　for　an　entire　summer。　Kingsbury　had　never　gotten　over　it。　〃Make　it　a　Corvette；〃　he　told　Chelsea。
　〃All　right；　but　you're　looking　at　forty　thousand　dollars。　Maybe　more。〃
　Kingsbury　extended　his　lower　lip　so　far　that　it　seemed　to　touch　his　nose；　for　a　moment　he　wore　the　pensive　look　of　a　caged　orangutan。　〃Forty　grand；〃　he　repeated　quietly。　〃That's　brand　new；　I　suppose。〃
　〃When　you　give　one　away；　yes。　Ordinarily　the　cars　should　be　new。〃
　〃Unless　they're　classics。〃　Kingsbury　winked。　〃Make　it　a　classic。　Say；　a　1964　Ford　Falcon。　You　don't　see　many　of　those　babies。〃
　〃Sure　don't。〃
　〃A　Falcon　convertible；　geez；　we　could　probably　pick　one　up　for　twenty…five　hundred。〃
　〃Probably；〃　agreed　Chelsea；　not　even　pretending　enthusiasm。
　〃Well；　move　on　it。〃　Francis　X。　Kingsbury　thumbed　him　out　of　the　office。　〃And　tell　Pedro；　get　his　ass　in　here。〃
　Pedro　Luz　was　in　the　executive　gym；　bench…pressing　a　bottle　of　stanozolol　tablets。　He　was　letting　the　tiny　pink　pills　drop　one　by　one　into　his　mouth。
　A　man　named　Churrito；　lounging　on　a　Nautilus；　said：　〃Hiss　very　bad　for　liver。〃
　〃Very　good　for　muscles；〃　said　Pedro　Luz；　mimicking　the　accent。
　Churrito　was　his　latest　hire　to　the　security　squad　at　the　Amazing　Kingdom　of　Thrills。　He　had　acpanied　Pedro　Luz　on　his　mission　to　Miami；　but　had　declined　to　participate　in　the　beating。　Pedro　Luz　was　still　miffed　about　what　had　happened…the　old　lady　chomping　off　the　top　joint　of　his　right　index　finger。
　〃You're　useless；〃　he　had　told　Churrito　afterward。
　〃I　am　a　soldier；〃　Churrito　had　replied。　〃I　dun　hit　no　wooman。〃
　Unlike　the　other　security　guards　hired　by　Pedro　Luz；　Churrito　had　not　been　a　crooked　cop。　He　was　a　Nicaraguan　contra　who　had　moved　to　Florida　when　things　were　bleak；　and　had　not　gotten　around　to　moving　back。
　While　Churrito　was　pleased　at　the　prospect　of　democracy　taking　seed　in　his　homeland；　he　suspected　that　true　economic　prosperity　was　many　years　away。　Elections　notwithstanding；　Churrito's　buddies　were　still　stuck　in　the　border　hills；　frying　green　bananas　and　dynamiting　the　rivers　for　fish。　Meanwhile　his　uncle；　formerly　a　sergeant　in　Somoza's　National　Guard；　now　lived　with　a　twenty…two…year…old　stewardess　in　a　high…rise　condo　on　Key　Biscayne。　To　Churrito　this　seemed　like　a　pretty　good　advertisement　for　staying　right　where　he　was。
　Pedro　Luz　had　hired　him　because　he　looked　mean；　and　because　he'd　said　he　had　killed　people。
　〃unistas；〃　Churrito　had　specified；　that　night　at　the　old　lady's　apartment。　〃I　only　kill　moonists。　And　I　dun　hit　no　wooman。〃
　And　now　here　he　was；　lecturing　Pedro　Luz　about　the　perils　of　anabolic　steroids。
　〃Make　you　face　like　balloon。〃
　〃Shut　up；〃　said　Pedro　Luz。　He　was　wondering　if　the　hosp