gns.snakes-第24部分

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　　He　went　back　downstairs；　holding　on　to　the　stair…rail　the　whole　way。　Shaken；　repulsed；　he　vomited　outside　on　the　drive。　If　Mrs　Doyle　was　the　victim　then　where　was　her　son？
　　
　　The　operational　HQ　had　an　atmosphere　of　confusion　about　it；　groups　of　police　and　soldiers　clustered　outside　around　the　vehicles；　a　meeting　of　some　kind　was　being　held　in　the　small　office。　John　recognised　Burlington；　Colonel　Marks；　Chief　Inspector　Watts　and　several　others　through　the　open　window；　caught　a　buzz　oflow　voices。
　　
　　'You　can't　go　in　there；　sir。'　A　uniformed　sergeant　barred　his　path　to　the　door。
　　
　　'I　。。。　have　to　。　。　。'
　　
　　'I'm　sorry；　sir。'
　　
　　'There's　been　a　。。。　killing。　Another　death。'
　　
　　The　officer　puffed　his　cheeks　out；　closed　his　eyes；　opened　them　again。　'Who？　Where？'　His　voice　was　low；　tired。
　　
　　'The　council　houses　。。　。　the　Doyles　。。。　I'm　not　sure　which　one；　Mrs　Doyle　probably。　It　was　the　python。'
　　
　　'We'll　get　somebody　up　there　right　away。'　The　sergeant　gave　some　instructions　to　another　officer　in　the　doorway；　turned　back　to　the　zoologist。　'There's　problems　this　morning。　PC　Aylott　vanished　during　the　night　shift。　We　don't　think　it's　the　snakes；　he　just　appears　to　have　walked　out。　His　nerve　might　have　cracked；　we　don't　know。　Anyway；　it's　not　up　to　me　to　say。'
　　
　　'Where　are　we　going　to　search　today？'　John　was　still　shaking　from　his　experience；　the　last　thing　he　wanted　was　another　day　in　the　burning　sun　bashing　out　thick　undergrowth。
　　
　　'We'll　be　told　soon；'　the　policeman　replied。　'Until　then　you'll　just　have　to　hang　around　like　everybody　else。'
　　
　　It　was　another　ten　minutes　before　the　superintendent　emerged　from　the　building；　those　lines　in　his　features　etched　even　deeper；　his　voice　husky　as　though　he　had　done　a　lot　of　talking　and　his　vocal　cords　were　on　the　verge　of　packing　up。
　　
　　'There　is　the　possibility　that　we　have　another　snake　casualty。'　He　addressed　the　crowded　driveway；　manded　an　instant　silence。　The　listeners　felt　the　tension；　the　sudden　change　in　those　around　them。　'We　cannot　be　sure　at　the　moment　but　it　seems　that　way。　Also　we　have　one　of　our　officers　missing　but　again　we　do　not　know　if　that　is　directly　linked　to　the　current　crisis。　We　must；　therefore；　for　the　safety　of　this　munity；　assume　that　the　snakes　have　not　left　the　area。　We　have　searched　for　them　diligently；　and　for　that　I　thank　every　one　of　you；　but　now　the　time　has　e　when　we　must　change　our　tactics。　We　shall　not　let　up　on　the　offensive　but　priority　has　to　be　given　to　the　defence　of　this　village。　We　must　guard　every　house　24　hours　a　day；　leaving　just　a　small　band　to　continue　the　search。　No　more　lives　must　be　lost。　Let　us　hope　that　we　can　conclude　this　terrible　business　in　as　short　a　time　as　possible。'
　　
　　John　Price　moved　away　back　out　on　to　the　road。　They　would　not　be　needing　him　today；　maybe　not　again。　The　searches　over　the　last　few　days　had　yielded　nothing；　he　had　not　e　up　with　a　magical　formula　for　finding　the　serpents'　hidden　lair；　so　he　had　not　been　much　use　after　all。　They　could　dispense　with　him　now。　The　authorities　resented　civilian　help；　you　could　sense　it　even　if　they　did　not　put　it　into　words。　They　used　you　just　so　long　as　you　were　useful　to　them。

　　
　　He　had　the　rest　of　the　day　to　kill　somehow；　the　rest　of　the　week；　month；　year。　Except　for　Aunt　Elsie's　funeral　tomorrow　he　had　no　plans。　That　was　when　being　unemployed　hit　you；　you　had　no　plans；　nobody　had　any　for　you。　Just　hang　around；　John　Price。　The　game　of　eternal　waiting；　building　up　futile　hopes。
　　
　　A　police　van　passed　him；　It　would　be　going　up　to　the　Doyles。　He　grimaced。　He　wondered　again　where　Keith　had　gone。　And　Aylott。　There　were　a　lot　of　disquieting；　unexplained　mysteries　right　now。
　　
　　Something　interrupted　his　thoughts；　a　movement　breaking　into　his　morbid　reverie；　a　small　creature　darting　across　the　road；　long　body；　reddish　brown　fur；　streamlined。　A　half…jar　on　his　nerves；　alarm　bells　starting　to　ring　in　his　system　and　then　cutting　out　because　it　was　a　false　alarm。　These　days　everything　that　moved　had　to　be　a　snake　until　proved　otherwise。
　　
　　He　identified　the　animal　just　as　it　was　disappearing　into　the　overgrown　verge　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　road。　A　stoat；　the　fiercest　of　all　British　mammals　for　its　size。　A　predator。　A　killer　of。。。
　　
　　His　brain　was　beginning　to　click；　a　human　puter　assimilating　facts；　processing　data。　A　killer　of　snakes；　certainly；　but　only　small　ones；　grass　snakes　like　die　one　that　had　caused　his　aunt　to　have　a　heart　attack；　adders　。。；　not　big　ones　like　those　that　had　escaped　but　。　。　。
　　
　　。　。　。　family　mustelidae；　prising　stoats；　weasels；　otters；　。pine　martens；　polecats　and　。　。　。
　　
　　His　pulses　were　beginning　to　race；　his　puter　was　ing　up　with　the　answer；　had　already　given　it　to　him　but　he　was　barely　able　to　accept　it　in　his　excitement。　Family　mustelidae；　the　ferret　family；　and　the　Big　Daddy　of　them　all…the　mongoose。
　　
　　Jesus　Christ　Almighty；　why　hadn't　he　thought　of　it　before；　the　one　creature　that　was　the　nemesis　of　all　snakes；　at　one　time　imported　from　India　to　Latin　America　to　control　a　plague　of　reptiles。　Rikki…tikki…tavi；　the　mongoose　hero　invented　by　Rudyard　Kipling；　the　creature　that　fought　and　overcame　a　cobra　and　a　krait。
　　
　　It　was　the　answer；　the　only　solution　to　the　crisis　in　Stainforth；　Juvenile　excitement　took　him　over；　almost　had　him　sprinting　back　to　the　station。　Superintendent；　I've　hit　on　the　answer；　all　we　need　is　a　pair　of　mongooses。　They'd　find　the　snakes；　kill　'em　too。　The　whole　thing　could　be　over　in　an　hour　or　two。　You're　crazy；　laddie。　We　can't　go　loosing　more　wild　animals　into　the　countryside；　contravening　the　Wildlife　and　Countryside　Act　of　1981。　Look　what　happened　when　a　few　mink　escaped　and　bred；　the　scourge　of　domestic　animals；　poultry；　rivers。　And　we've　never　got　rid　of　the　rat…like　grey　squirrel　since　some　bloody　idiot　thought　it　would　be　great　to　have　a　few　of　them　in　the　suburban　parks　and　gardens。　It　wouldn't　work；　we　wouldn't　allow　it。
　　
　　You　wouldn't　allow　it　but　it　would　work　as　far　as　the　snakes　are　concerned。　Isn't　human　life　more　important　than　ducks　and　geese　and　trout　in　the　rivers？　It　was　a　matter　of　conscience；　not　a　decision　to　be　taken　at　a　desk　somewhere　far　removed　from　the　danger。　His　decision。
　　
　　He　stood　beneath　the　shade　of　a　leafy　oak　tree；　rolled　a　cigarette　with　unsteady　fingers。　He　needed　a　few　minutes　to　calm　himself；　to　think　clearly。　If　you　jump　in；　do　it　with　both　feet；　no　half　measures。　In　other　words；　don't　fuck　it　up。　Go　the　whole　hog　and　be　prepared　to　take　the　consequences。
　　
　　His　tidy　mind　began　to　put　everything　in　order；　formulate　a　hypothetical　plan　of　action。　If　it　was　to　be　mongooses　then　they　had　to　be　brought　here　secretly　and　released　under　the　cover　of　darkness。　Point　number　two；　where　in　hell　do　you　find　a　mongoose？
　　
　　Bill　Arkwright　might　still　have　one！　John　Price's　pulses　pounded　again。　Bill　had　been　at　university　with　him；　had　got　his　degree　and　gone　back　to　Scotland　to　work　on　snakebite　serums；　had　his　own　private　collection　of　reptiles；　had　had　the　necessary　licence　to　keep　dangerous　animals　granted　on　research　grounds。　Arkwright　had　kept　a　pair　of　mongooses　as　pets；　John　remembered　that　rumpus　with　the　RSPCA　when　some　busybody　had　written　and　claimed　that　Bill　was　organising　mongoose…snake　fights　and　was　taking　bets　on　the　oute。　The　case　was　disproved　and　it　had　all　died　down。
　　
　　John　wondered　if　Bill　still　had　his　place　up　in　Edinburgh；　if　he　still　had　those　mongooses；　and　if　he　would　be　prepared　to　help。　All　bloody　ifs　again；　but　there　was　only　one　way　to　find　out。
　　
　　Aunt　Elsie　really　should　have　had　a　telephone　installed。　She　might　have　been　alive　now　if　she　had　had　some　means　of　summoning　help。　And　John　Price　would　have　been　able　to　sit　down　in　fort　and　privacy　and　attempt　to　track　down　Bill　Arkwright。　As　it　was　he　found　himself　in　the　oven…like　telephone　box　on　the　Green；　keeping　the　door　propped　open　with　one　foot　whilst　he　tried　to　persuade　a　Directory　Enquiries　operator　to　locate　a　Mr　W。　Arkwright　in　Edinburgh。　No；　I'm　afraid　I　don't　know　his　address　but　I　can't　tell　you　how　urgent　it　is。　Normally　we　don't　look　for　numbers　without　an　address；　sir；　but　on　this　occasion　。。。
　　
　　He　hoped　three　pounds'　worth　of　ten…pence　pieces　would　be　enough…another　few　hours　and　it　would　have　been　a　lot　cheaper。　There　was　a　saying　that　time　was　money；　it　was　also　lives。
　　
　　'Arkwright　speaking。'
　　
　　'Bill；　this　is　John　Price。'
　　
　　'Who？'
　　
　　'Bleep　。　。　。　bleep　。　。　。　bleep　。　。　。
　　
　　It　took　him　another　ten　pence　to　establish　his　identity。
　　
　　'Why；　John；　of　course。　How　are　you？　Look；　old　boy；　let　me　ring　you　back　or　we'll　never　put　two　words　together　without　that　bloody　thing　interrupting。'
　　
　　Briefly　John　told　Arkwright　the　story；　most　of　which　the　other　had　read　in　the　newspapers　anyway；　his　own　involvement；　the　death　of　his　aunt。
　　
　　'What　you　need　is　a　bloody　mongoose　to　hunt　'em　out。'　John's　hopes　soared　as　Bill　came　back　at　him　with　his　own　theory。　'Soon　sort　the　buggers　out。'
　　
　　'That's　what　I'm　ringing　you　about；　Bill。'
　　
　　'You　mean　have　I　still　got　Rick　and　Tick　and　can　you　borrow　them？　Sure　I　have；　and　if　you　take　the　responsibility　and　fetch　'em　you're　wele　to　'em。　I　still　get　the　ruddy　RSPCA　poking　round　from　time　to　time　to　check　that　I'm　not　snake…fighting　with　them。　You'll　have　to　fetch　'em；　though；　and　if　you　get　caught　with　'em　they're　not　mine。'
　　
　　'Oh　sure。'　John　did　some　mental　calculations；　a　round　trip　of　something　like　four　hundred　miles。　Twelve　hours　in　the　Mini　if　she　didn't　play　up。　Back　in　Stainforth　before　dark。
　　
　　'I'll　see　you　early　afternoon　then。'　He　replaced　the　receiver；　stepped　gratefully　outside　into　the　hot　sunshine。
　　
　　Twelve　hours'　driving　in　this　bloody　heat！　Twelve；　twenty…four；　thirty…six…he'd　do　it　if　it　meant　death　to　the　killer　snakes。　And　tomorrow　afternoon　as　he　sat　head　bowed　in　the　cool　of　the　church　at　Aunt　Elsie's　funeral　he　would　have　the　secret　satisfaction　of　knowing　that　he　had　made　the　snakes　pay　for　their　killings。　He　would　never　have