da.solongandthanksforallthefish-第20部分

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　fashionable　silly　theory　is　true。　For　people　who　question　the　validity　of　these　visions　he　will　triumphantly　produce　the　clogs　in　question；　and　that's　as　far　as　you　get。
　　…　I　didn't　realize　it　was　that　bad；　…　said　Fenchurch　quietly。　She　fiddled　listlessly　with　the　tickets。
　　…　I　phoned　Mrs。　Watson　again；　…　said　Arthur。　…　Her　name；　by　the　way；　and　you　may　wish　to　know　this；　is　Arcane　Jill。
　　…　I　see。
　　…　I'm　glad　you　see。　I　thought　you　mightn't　believe　any　of　this；　so　when　I　called　her　this　time　I　used　the　telephone　answering　machine　to　record　the　call。
　　He　went　across　to　the　telephone　machine　and　fiddled　and　fumed　with　all　its　buttons　for　a　while；　because　it　was　the　one　which　was　particularly　remended　by　Which？　magazine　and　is　almost　impossible　to　use　without　going　mad。
　　…　Here　it　is；　…　he　said　at　last；　wiping　the　sweat　from　his　brow。
　　The　voice　was　thin　and　crackly　with　its　journey　to　a　geostationary　satellite　and　back；　but　it　was　also　hauntingly　calm。
　　…　Perhaps　I　should　explain；　…　Arcane　Jill　Watson's　voice　said；　…　that　the　phone　is　in　fact　in　a　room　that　he　never　es　into。　It's　in　the　Asylum　you　see。　Wonko　the　Sane　does　not　like　to　enter　the　Asylum　and　so　he　does　not。　I　feel　you　should　know　this　because　it　may　save　you　phoning。　If　you　would　like　to　meet　him；　this　is　very　easily　arranged。　All　you　have　to　do　is　walk　in。　He　will　only　meet　people　outside　the　Asylum。
　　Arthur's　voice；　at　its　most　mystified：
　　…　I'm　sorry；　I　don't　understand。　Where　is　the　asylum？
　　…　Where　is　the　Asylum？　…　Arcane　Jill　Watson　again。　…　Have　you　ever　read　the　instructions　on　a　packet　of　toothpicks？
　　On　the　tape；　Arthur's　voice　had　to　admit　that　he　had　not。
　　…　You　may　want　to　do　that。　You　may　find　that　it　clarifies　things　for　you　a　little。　You　may　find　that　it　indicates　to　you　where　the　Asylum　is。　Thank　you。
　　The　sound　of　the　phone　line　went　dead。　Arthur　turned　the　machine　off。
　　…　Well；　I　suppose　we　can　regard　that　as　an　invitation；　…　he　said　with　a　shrug。　…　I　actually　managed　to　get　the　address　from　the　guy　on　the　science　magazine。
　　Fenchurch　looked　up　at　him　again　with　a　thoughtful　frown；　and　looked　at　the　tickets　again。
　　…　Do　you　think　it's　worth　it？　…　she　said。
　　…　Well；　…　said　Arthur；　…　the　one　thing　that　everyone　I　spoke　to　agrees　on；　apart　from　the　fact　that　they　all　thought　he　was　barking　mad；　is　that　he　does　know　more　than　any　man　living　about　dolphins。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　29
　　
　　…　This　is　an　important　announcement。　This　is　flight　121　to　Los　Angeles。　If　your　travel　plans　today　do　not　include　Los　Angeles；　now　would　be　the　perfect　time　to　disembark。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　30
　　
　　They　rented　a　car　in　Los　Angeles　from　one　of　the　places　that　rents　out　cars　that　other　people　have　thrown　away。
　　…　Getting　it　to　go　round　corners　is　a　bit　of　a　problem；　…　said　the　guy　behind　the　sunglasses　as　he　handed　them　the　keys；　…　sometimes　it's　simpler　just　to　get　out　and　find　a　car　that's　going　in　that　direction。
　　They　stayed　for　one　night　in　a　hotel　on　Sunset　Boulevard　which　someone　had　told　them　they　would　enjoy　being　puzzled　by。
　　…　Everyone　there　is　either　English　or　odd　or　both。　They've　got　a　swimming　pool　where　you　can　go　and　watch　English　rock　stars　reading　Language；　Truth　and　Logic　for　the　photographers。
　　It　was　true。　There　was　one　and　that　was　exactly　what　he　was　doing。
　　The　garage　attendant　didn't　think　much　of　their　car；　but　that　was　fine　because　they　didn't　either。
　　Late　in　the　evening　they　drove　through　the　Hollywood　hills　along　Mulholland　Drive　and　stopped　to　look　out　first　over　the　dazzling　sea　of　floating　light　that　is　Los　Angeles；　and　later　stopped　to　look　across　the　dazzling　sea　of　floating　light　that　is　the　San　Fernando　Valley。　They　agreed　that　the　sense　of　dazzle　stopped　immediately　at　the　back　of　their　eyes　and　didn't　touch　any　other　part　of　them　and　came　away　strangely　unsatisfied　by　the　spectacle。　As　dramatic　seas　of　light　went；　it　was　fine；　but　light　is　meant　to　illuminate　something；　and　having　driven　through　what　this　particularly　dramatic　sea　of　light　was　illuminating　they　didn't　think　much　of　it。
　　They　slept　late　and　restlessly　and　awoke　at　lunchtime　when　it　was　stupidly　hot。
　　They　drove　out　along　the　freeway　to　Santa　Monica　for　their　first　look　at　the　Pacific　Ocean；　the　ocean　which　Wonko　the　Sane　spent　all　his　days　and　a　good　deal　of　his　nights　looking　at。
　　…　Someone　told　me；　…　said　Fenchurch；　…　that　they　once　overheard　two　old　ladies　on　this　beach；　doing　what　we're　doing；　looking　at　the　Pacific　Ocean　for　the　first　time　in　their　lives。　And　apparently；　after　a　long　pause；　one　of　them　said　to　the　other；　〃You　know；　it's　not　as　big　as　I　expected。〃
　　Their　mood　lifted　further　as　the　sun　began　to　move　down　the　western　half　of　the　sky；　and　by　the　time　they　were　back　in　their　rattling　car　and　driving　towards　a　sunset　that　no　one　of　any　sensibility　would　dream　of　building　a　city　like　Los　Angeles　on　front　of；　they　were　suddenly　feeling　astonishingly　and　irrationally　happy　and　didn't　even　mind　that　the　terrible　old　car　radio　would　only　play　two　stations；　and　those　simultaneously。　So　what；　they　were　both　playing　good　rock　and　roll。
　　…　I　know　he　will　be　able　to　help　us；　…　said　Fenchurch　determinedly。　…　I　know　he　will。　What's　his　name　again；　that　he　likes　to　be　called？
　　…　Wonko　the　Sane。
　　…　I　know　that　he　will　be　able　to　help　us。
　　Arthur　wondered　if　he　would　and　hoped　that　he　would；　and　hoped　that　what　Fenchurch　had　lost　could　be　found　here；　on　this　Earth；　whatever　this　Earth　might　prove　to　be。
　　He　hoped；　as　he　had　hoped　continually　and　fervently　since　the　time　they　had　talked　together　on　the　banks　of　the　Serpentine；　that　he　would　not　be　called　upon　to　try　to　remember　something　that　he　had　very　firmly　and　deliberately　buried　in　the　furthest　recesses　of　his　memory；　where　he　hoped　it　would　cease　to　nag　at　him。
　　In　Santa　Barbara　they　stopped　at　a　fish　restaurant　in　what　seemed　to　be　a　converted　warehouse。
　　Fenchurch　had　red　mullet　and　said　it　was　delicious。
　　Arthur　had　a　swordfish　steak　and　said　it　made　him　angry。
　　He　grabbed　a　passing　waitress　by　the　arm　and　berated　her。
　　…　Why's　this　fish　so　bloody　good？　…　he　demanded；　angrily。
　　…　Please　excuse　my　friend；　…　said　Fenchurch　to　the　startled　waitress。　…　I　think　he's　having　a　nice　day　at　last。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　31
　　
　　If　you　took　a　couple　of　David　Bowies　and　stuck　one　of　the　David　Bowies　on　the　top　of　the　other　David　Bowie；　then　attached　another　David　Bowie　to　the　end　of　each　of　the　arms　of　the　upper　of　the　first　two　David　Bowies　and　wrapped　the　whole　business　up　in　a　dirty　beach　robe　you　would　then　have　something　which　didn't　exactly　look　like　John　Watson；　but　which　those　who　knew　him　would　find　hauntingly　familiar。
　　He　was　tall　and　he　gangled。　When　he　sat　in　his　deckchair　gazing　at　the　Pacific；　not　so　much　with　any　kind　of　wild　surmise　any　longer　as　with　a　peaceful　deep　dejection；　it　was　a　little　difficult　to　tell　exactly　where　the　deckchair　ended　and　he　began；　and　you　would　hesitate　to　put　your　hand　on；　say；　his　forearm　in　case　the　whole　structure　suddenly　collapsed　with　a　snap　and　took　your　thumb　off。
　　But　his　smile　when　he　turned　it　on　you　was　quite　remarkable。　It　seemed　to　be　posed　of　all　the　worst　things　that　life　can　do　to　you；　but　which；　when　he　briefly　reassembled　them　in　that　particular　order　on　his　face；　made　you　suddenly　fee：
　　…　Oh。　Well　that's　all　right　then。
　　When　he　spoke；　you　were　glad　that　he　used　the　smile　that　made　you　feel　like　that　pretty　often。
　　…　Oh　yes；　…　he　said；　…　they　e　and　see　me。　They　sit　right　here。　They　sit　right　where　you're　sitting。
　　He　was　talking　of　the　angels　with　the　golden　beards　and　green　wings　and　Dr。　Scholl　sandals。
　　…　They　eat　nachos　which　they　say　they　can't　get　where　they　e　from。　They　do　a　lot　of　coke　and　are　very　wonderful　about　a　whole　range　of　things。
　　…　Do　they？　…　said　Arthur。　…　Are　they？　So；　er。。。　when　is　this　then？　When　do　they　e？
　　He　gazed　out　at　the　Pacific　as　well。　There　were　little　sandpipers　running　along　the　margin　of　the　shore　which　seemed　to　have　this　problem：　they　needed　to　find　their　food　in　the　sand　which　a　wave　had　just　washed　over；　but　they　couldn't　bear　to　get　their　feet　wet。　To　deal　with　this　problem　they　ran　with　an　odd　kind　of　movement　as　if　they'd　been　constructed　by　somebody　very　clever　in　Switzerland。
　　Fenchurch　was　sitting　on　the　sand；　idly　drawing　patterns　in　it　with　her　fingers。
　　…　Weekends；　mostly；　…　said　Wonko　the　Sane；　…　on　little　scooters。　They　are　great　machines。　…　He　smiled。
　　…　I　see；　…　said　Arthur。　…　I　see。
　　A　tiny　cough　from　Fenchurch　attracted　his　attention　and　he　looked　round　at　her。　She　had　scratched　a　little　stick　figure　drawing　in　the　sand　of　the　two　of　them　in　the　clouds。　For　a　moment　he　thought　she　was　trying　to　get　him　excited；　then　he　realized　that　she　was　rebuking　him。
　　…　Who　are　we；　…　she　was　saying；　…　to　say　he's　mad？
　　His　house　was　certainly　peculiar；　and　since　this　was　the　first　thing　that　Fenchurch　and　Arthur　had　encountered　it　would　help　to　know　what　it　was　like。
　　What　it　was　like　was　this：
　　It　was　inside　out。
　　Actually　inside　out；　to　the　extent　that　they　had　to　park　on　the　carpet。
　　All　along　what　one　would　normally　call　the　outer　wall；　which　was　decorated　in　a　tasteful　interior…designed　pink；　were　bookshelves；　also　a　couple　of　those　odd　three…legged　tables　with　semi…circular　tops　which　stand　in　such　a　way　as　to　suggest　that　someone　just　dropped　the　wall　straight　through　them；　and　pictures　which　were　clearly　designed　to　soothe。
　　Where　it　got　really　odd　was　the　roof。
　　It　folded　back　on　itself　like　something　that　Maurits　C。　Escher；　had　he　been　given　to　hard　nights　on　the　town；　which　is　no　part　of　this　narrative's　purpose　to　suggest　was　the　case；　though　it　is　sometimes　hard；　looking　at　his　pictures；　particularly　the　one　with　the　awkward　steps；　not　to　wonder；　might　have　dreamed　up　after　having　been　on　one；　for　the　little　chandeliers　which　should　have　been　hanging　inside　were　on　the　outside　pointing　up。
　　Confusing。
　　The　sign　above　the　front　door　said；　〃e　Outside〃；　and　so；　nervously；　they　had。
　　Inside；　of　course；　was　where　the　Outside　was。　Rough　brickwork；　ni