rz.signoftheunicorn-第21部分

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　I　felt　that　I　could　open　my　eyes　but　I　did　not　want　to。　I　was　afraid　that　I　would　look　only　on　the　dark　and　empty　road；　that　the　sounds　would　resolve　into　pulsebeats　and　wind　once　more。　It　was　better　to　keep　what　I　had　than　to　gamble。
　〃Hey！　What's　the　matter？　You　hurt？〃
　Footsteps。。。　This　was　real。
　I　opened　my　eyes。　I　forced　myself　up　once　again。
　〃Corey！　My　God！　It's　you！〃
　I　forced　a　grin；　cut　my　nod　short　of　a　topple。
　〃It's　me；　Bill。　How've　you　been？〃
　〃What　happened？〃
　〃I'm　hurt；〃　I　said。　〃Maybe　bad。　Need　a　doctor。〃
　〃Can　you　walk　if　I　help？　Or　should　I　carry　you？〃
　〃Let's　try　walking；〃　I　said。
　He　got　me　to　my　feet　and　I　leaned　on　him。　We　started　for　his　car。　I　only　remember　the　first　few　steps。
　
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　When　that　low…swinging　sweet　chariot　turned　sour　and　swung　high　once　more；　I　tried　to　raise　my　arm；　realized　that　it　was　restrained；　settled　for　a　consideration　of　the　tube　affixed　thereto；　and　decided　that　I　was　going　to　live。　I　had　sniffed　hospital　smells　and　consulted　my　internal　clock。　Having　made　it　this　far；　I　felt　that　I　owed　it　to　myself　to　continue。　And　I　was　warm；　and　as　fortable　as　recent　history　allowed。　That　settled；　I　closed　my　eyes；　lowered　my　head；　and　went　back　to　sleep。
　Later；　when　I　came　around　again；　felt　more　fit　and　was　spotted　by　a　nurse；　she　told　me　that　it　was　seven　hours　since　I　had　been　brought　in　and　that　a　doctor　would　be　by　to　talk　with　me　shortly。　She　also　got　me　a　glass　of　water　and　told　me　that　it　had　stopped　snowing。　She　was　curious　as　to　what　had　happened　to　me。
　I　decided　that　it　was　time　to　start　plotting　my　story。　The　simpler　the　better。　All　right。　I　was　ing　home　after　an　extended　stay　abroad。　I　had　hitchhiked　out；　gone　on　in；　and　been　attacked　by　some　vandal　or　drifter　I　had　surprised　inside。　I　crawled　back　out　and　sought　help。　Finis。
　When　I　told　it　to　the　doctor　I　could　not　tell　at　first　whether　he　believed　me。　He　was　a　heavy　man　whose　face　had　sagged　and　set　long　ago。　His　name　was　Bailey；　Morris　Bailey；　and　he　nodded　as　I　spoke　and　then　asked　me；　〃Did　you　get　a　look　at　the　fellow？〃
　I　shook　my　head。
　〃It　was　dark；〃　I　said。
　〃Did　he　rob　you　too？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃
　〃Were　you　carrying　a　wallet？〃
　I　decided　I　had　better　say　yes　to　that　one。
　〃Well；　you　didn't　have　it　when　you　came　in　here；　so　he　must　have　taken　it。〃
　〃Must　have；〃　I　agreed。
　〃Do　you　remember　me　at　all？〃
　〃Can't　say　that　I　do。　Should　I？〃
　〃You　seemed　vaguely　familiar　to　me　when　they　brought　you　in。　That　was　all；　at　first。。。〃
　〃And。。。？〃　I　asked。
　〃What　sort　of　garments　were　you　wearing？　They　seemed　something　like　a　uniform。〃
　〃Latest　thing。　Over　There；　these　days。　You　were　saying　that　I　looked　familiar？〃
　〃Yes；〃　he　agreed。　〃Where　is　Over　There；　anyway？　Where　did　you　e　from？　Where　have　you　been？〃
　〃I　travel　a　lot；〃　I　said。　〃You　were　going　to　tell　me　something　a　moment　ago。〃
　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃We　are　a　small　clinic；　and　some　time　ago　a　fast…talking　salesman　persuaded　the　directors　to　invest　in　a　puterized　medical…records　system。　If　the　area　had　developed　more　and　we　had　expanded　a　lot；　it　might　have　been　worthwhile。　Neither　of　these　things　happened；　though；　and　it　is　an　expensive　item。　It　even　encouraged　a　certain　laziness　among　the　clerical　help。　Old　files　just　don't　get　purged　the　way　they　used　to；　even　for　the　emergency　room。　Space　there　for　a　lot　of　useless　backlog。　So；　when　Mr。　Roth　gave　me　your　name　and　I　ran　a　routine　check　on　you；　I　found　something　and　I　realized　why　you　looked　familiar。　I　had　been　working　the　emergency　room　that　night　too；　around　seven　years　ago；　when　you　had　your　auto　accident。　I　remembered　working　on　you　then　…　and　how　I　thought　you　weren't　going　to　make　it。　You　surprised　me；　though；　and　you　still　do。　I　can't　even　find　the　scars　that　should　be　there。　You　did　a　nice　job　of　healing　up。〃
　〃Thanks。　A　tribute　to　the　physician；　I'd　say。〃
　〃May　I　have　your　age；　for　the　record？〃
　〃Thirty…six；〃　I　said。　That's　always　safe。
　He　jotted　it　somewhere　in　the　folder　he　held　across　his　knees。
　〃You　know；　I　would　have　sworn　…　once　I　got　to　checking　you　over　and　remembering　…　that　that's　about　what　you　looked　the　last　time　I　saw　you。〃
　〃Clean　living。〃
　〃Do　you　know　about　your　blood　type？〃
　〃It's　an　exotic。　But　you　can　treat　it　as　an　AB　positive　for　all　practical　purposes。　I　can　take　anything；　but　don't　give　mine　to　anybody　else。〃
　He　nodded。
　〃The　nature　of　your　mishap　is　going　to　require　a　police　report；　you　know。〃
　〃I　had　guessed　that。〃
　〃Just　thought　you　might　want　to　be　thinking　about　it。〃
　〃Thanks；〃　I　said。
　〃So　you　were　on　duty　that　night；　and　you　patched　me　up？　Interesting。　What　else　do　you　recall　about　it？〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃The　circumstances　under　which　I　was　brought　in　that　time。　My　own　memory　is　a　blank　from　right　before　the　accident　until　some　time　after　I　had　been　transferred　up　to　the　other　place　…　Greenwood。　Do　you　recall　how　I　arrived？〃
　He　frowned；　just　when　I　had　decided　he　had　one　face　for　all　occasions。
　〃We　sent　an　ambulance；〃　he　said。
　〃In　response　to　what？　Who　reported　the　accident？　How？〃
　〃I　see　what　you　mean；〃　he　said。　〃It　was　the　State　Patrol　that　called　for　the　ambulance。　As　I　recollect；　someone　had　seen　the　accident　and　phoned　their　headquarters。　They　then　radioed　a　car　in　the　vicinity。　It　went　to　the　lake；　verified　the　report；　gave　you　first　aid；　and　called　for　the　ambulance。　And　that　was　it。〃
　〃Any　record　of　who　called　in　the　report　in　the　first　place？〃
　He　shrugged。
　〃That's　not　the　sort　of　thing　we　keep　track　of；〃　he　said。　〃Didn't　your　insurance　pany　investigate？　Wasn't　there　a　claim？　They　could　probably　…〃
　〃I　had　to　leave　the　country　right　after　I　recovered；〃　I　said。　〃I　never　pursued　the　matter。　I　suppose　there　would　have　been　a　police　report；　though。〃
　〃Surely。　But　I　have　no　idea　how　long　they　keep　them　around。〃　He　chuckled。　〃Unless；　of　course；　that　same　salesman　got　to　them；　too。。。　It　is　rather　late　to　be　talking　about　that　though；　isn't　it？　It　seems　to　me　there　is　a　statute　of　limitations　on　things　of　that　sort。　Your　friend　Roth　will　tell　you　for　sure　…〃
　〃It　isn't　a　claim　that　I　have　in　mind；〃　I　said。　〃Just　a　desire　to　know　what　really　happened。　I　have　wondered　about　it　on　and　off　for　a　number　of　years　now。　You　see；　I　have　this　touch　of　retrograde　amnesia　going。〃
　〃Have　you　ever　talked　it　over　with　a　psychiatrist？〃　he　said；　and　there　was　something　about　the　way　he　said　it　that　I　did　not　like。　Came　one　of　those　little　flashes　of　insight　then：　Could　Flora　have　managed　to　get　me　certified　insane　before　my　transfer　to　Greenwood？　Was　that　on　my　record　here？　And　was　I　still　on　escape　status　from　that　place？　A　lot　of　time　had　passed　and　I　knew　nothing　of　the　legalities　involved。　If　this　was　indeed　the　case；　however；　I　imagined　they　would　have　no　way　of　knowing　whether　I　had　been　certified　sane　again　in　some　other　jurisdiction。　Prudence；　I　guess　it　was；　cautioned　me　to　lean　forward　and　glance　at　the　doctor's　wrist。　I　seemed　possessed　of　a　subliminal　memory　that　he　had　consulted　a　calendar　watch　when　taking　my　pulse。　Yes；　he　had；　I　squinted。　All　right。　Day　and　month：　November　28。　I　did　a　quick　calculation　with　my　two…and…a…half…to…one　conversion　and　had　the　year。　It　was　seven；　as　he　had　indicated。
　〃No；　I　haven't；〃　I　said。　〃I　just　assumed　it　was　organic　rather　than　functional　and　wrote　the　time　off　as　a　loss。〃
　〃I　see；〃　he　said。　〃You　use　such　phrases　rather　glibly。　People　who've　been　in　therapy　sometimes　do　that。〃
　〃I　know；〃　I　said。　〃I've　read　a　lot　about　it。〃
　He　sighed。　He　stood。
　〃Look；〃　he　said。　〃I　am　going　to　call　Mr。　Roth　and　let　him　know　you　are　awake。　It　is　probably　best。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃
　〃I　mean　that　with　your　friend　being　an　attorney；　there　might　be　things　you　want　to　discuss　with　him　before　you　talk　to　the　police。〃
　He　opened　the　folder　wherein　he　had　somewhere　jotted　my　age；　raised　his　pen；　furrowed　his　brow；　and　said；　〃What's　the　date；　anyway？〃
　
　***
　
　I　wanted　my　Trumps。　I　imagined　my　belongings　would　be　in　the　drawer　of　the　bedside　table；　but　getting　at　it　involved　too　much　twisting　and　I　did　not　want　to　put　the　strain　on　my　sutures。　It　was　not　all　that　urgent；　though。　Eight　hours'　sleep　in　Amber　would　e　to　around　twenty　hours　here；　so　everyone　should　still　have　been　respectably　retired　back　home。　I　wanted　to　get　hold　of　Random；　though；　to　e　up　with　some　sort　of　cover　story　for　my　not　being　there　in　the　morning。　Later。
　I　did　not　want　to　look　suspicious　at　a　time　like　this。　Also；　I　wanted　to　know　immediately　whatever　Brand　had　to　say。　I　wanted　to　be　in　a　position　to　act　on　it。　I　did　a　quick　bit　of　mental　juggling。　If　I　could　do　the　worst　of　my　recovering　here　in　Shadow；　it　would　mean　less　wasted　time　for　me　back　in　Amber。　I　would　have　to　budget　my　time　carefully　and　avoid　plications　on　this　end。　I　hoped　that　Bill　would　arrive　soon。　I　was　anxious　to　know　what　the　picture　was　in　this　place。
　Bill　was　a　native　of　the　area；　had　gone　to　school　in　Buffalo；　e　back；　married；　joined　the　family　firm；　and　that　was　that。　He　had　known　me　as　a　retired　Army　officer　who　sometimes　traveled　on　vague　business。　We　both　belonged　to　the　country　club；　which　was　where　I　had　met　him。　I　had　known　him　for　over　a　year　without　our　exchanging　more　than　a　few　words。　Then　one　evening　I　happened　to　be　next　to　him　in　the　bar　and　it　had　somehow　e　out　that　he　was　hot　on　military　history；　particularly　the　Napoleonic　Wars。　The　next　thing　we　knew；　they　were　closing　up　the　place　around　us。　We　were　close　friends　from　then　on；　right　up　until　the　time　of　my　difficulties。　I　had　occasionally　wondered　about　him　since。　In　fact；　the　only　thing　that　had　prevented　me　from　seeing　him　the　last　time　I　had　passed　through　was　that　he　would　doubtless　have　had　all　sorts　of　questions　as　to　what　had　bee　of　me；　and　I　had　had　too　many　things　on　my　mind　to　deal　with　them　all　that　gracefully　and　still　enjoy　myself。　I　had　even　thought　once　or　twice　of　ing　back　and　seeing　him　if　I　could；　when　everything　was　finally　settled　in　Amber。　Next　to　the　fact　that　this　was　not　the　case；　I　regretted　not　being　able　to　meet　him　in　the　club　lounge。
　He　arrived　within　the　hour；　short；　heavy；　ruddy；　a　bit　grayer　on　the　sides；　grinning；　nodding。　I　had　propped　myself　up　by　then；　already　trie