sk.thetalisman-第16部分

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e　eyes　stabbed　into　his　own。
　　'Speedy'll　help　you　when　he　can。'
　　Jack　nodded；　blinked；　and　raised　the　neck　of　the　bottle　to　his　mouth。　The　sweetly　rotten　odor　which　leaped　out　of　the　bottle　nearly　made　his　throat　close　itself　in　an　involuntary　spasm。　He　tipped　the　bottle　up　and　the　taste　of　the　odor　invaded　his　mouth。　His　stomach　clenched。　He　swallowed；　and　rough；　burning　liquid　spilled　down　his　throat。
　　Long　seconds　before　Jack　opened　his　eyes；　he　knew　from　the　richness　and　clarity　of　the　smells　about　him　that　he　had　flipped　into　the　Territories。　Horses；　grass；　a　dizzying　scent　of　raw　meat；　dust；　the　clear　air　itself。
　　
　　　INTERLUDE
　　
　　Sloat　in　This　World　（I）
　　
　　'I　know　I　work　too　hard；'　Morgan　Sloat　told　his　son　Richard　that　evening。　They　were　speaking　on　the　telephone；　Richard　standing　at　the　munal　telephone　in　the　downstairs　corridor　of　his　dormitory；　his　father　sitting　at　his　desk　on　the　top　floor　of　one　of　Sawyer　&　Sloat's　first　and　sweetest　real…estate　deals　in　Beverly　Hills。　'But　I　tell　you　kid；　there　are　a　lot　of　times　when　you　have　to　do　something　yourself　to　get　it　done　right。　Especially　when　my　late　partner's　family　is　involved。　It's　just　a　short　trip；　I　hope。　Probably　I'll　get　everything　nailed　down　out　there　in　goddam　New　Hampshire　in　less　than　a　week。　I'll　give　you　another　call　when　it's　all　over。　Maybe　we'll　go　railroading　in　California；　just　like　the　old　days。　There'll　be　justice　yet。　Trust　your　old　man。'
　　The　deal　for　the　building　had　been　particularly　sweet　because　of　Sloat's　willingness　to　do　things　himself。　After　he　and　Sawyer　had　negotiated　the　purchase　of　a　short…term　lease；　then　（after　a　gunfire　of　lawsuits）　a　long…term　lease；　they　had　fixed　their　rental　rates　at　so　much　per　square　foot；　done　the　necessary　alterations；　and　advertised　for　new　tenants。　The　only　holdover　tenant　was　the　Chinese　restaurant　on　the　ground　floor；　dribbling　in　rent　at　about　a　third　of　what　the　space　was　worth。　Sloat　had　tried　reasonable　discussions　with　the　Chinese；　but　when　they　saw　that　he　was　trying　to　talk　them　into　paying　more　rent；　they　suddenly　lost　the　ability　to　speak　or　understand　English。　Sloat's　attempts　at　negotiation　limped　along　for　a　few　days；　and　then　he　happened　to　see　one　of　the　kitchen　help　carrying　a　bucket　of　grease　out　through　the　back　door　of　the　kitchen。　Feeling　better　already；　Sloat　followed　the　man　into　a　dark；　narrow　cul…de…sac　and　watched　him　tip　the　grease　into　a　garbage　can。　He　needed　no　more　than　that。　A　day　later；　a　chain…link　fence　separated　the　cul…de…sac　from　the　restaurant；　yet　another　day　later；　a　Health　Department　inspector　served　the　Chinese　with　a　plaint　and　a　summons。　Now　the　kitchen　help　had　to　take　all　their　refuse；　grease　included；　out　through　the　dining　area　and　down　a　chain…link　dog　run　Sloat　had　constructed　alongside　the　restaurant。　Business　fell　off：　the　customers　caught　odd；　unpleasant　odors　from　the　nearby　garbage。　The　owners　rediscovered　the　English　language；　and　volunteered　to　double　their　monthly　payment。　Sloat　responded　with　a　grateful…sounding　speech　that　said　nothing。　And　that　night；　having　primed　himself　with　three　large　martinis；　Sloat　drove　from　his　house　to　the　restaurant　and　took　a　baseball　bat　from　the　trunk　of　his　car　and　smashed　in　the　long　window　which　had　once　given　a　pleasant　view　of　the　street　but　now　looked　out　at　a　corridor　of　fencing　which　ended　in　a　huddle　of　metal　bins。
　　He　had　done　those　things　。　。　。　but　he　hadn't　exactly　been　Sloat　when　he　did　them。
　　The　next　morning　the　Chinese　requested　another　meeting　and　this　time　offered　to　quadruple　their　payment。　'Now　you're　talking　like　men；'　Sloat　told　the　stony…faced　Chinese。　'And　I'll　tell　you　what！　Just　to　prove　we're　all　on　the　same　team；　we'll　pay　half　the　cost　of　replacing　your　window。'　
　　Within　nine　months　of　Sawyer　&　Sloat's　taking　possession　of　the　building；　all　the　rents　had　increased　significantly　and　the　initial　cost　and　profit　projections　had　begun　to　look　wildly　pessimistic。　By　now　this　building　was　one　of　Sawyer　&　Sloat's　more　modest　ventures；　but　Morgan　Sloat　was　as　proud　of　it　as　of　the　massive　new　structures　they　had　put　up　downtown。　Just　walking　past　the　place　where　he'd　put　up　the　fence　as　he　came　in　to　work　in　the　morning　reminded　him…daily…of　how　much　he　had　contributed　to　Sawyer　&　Sloat；　how　reasonable　were　his　claims！
　　This　sense　of　the　justice　of　his　ultimate　desires　kindled　within　him　as　he　spoke　to　Richard…after　all；　it　was　for　Richard　that　he　wanted　to　take　over　Phil　Sawyer's　share　of　the　pany。　Richard　was；　in　a　sense；　his　immortality。　His　son　would　be　able　to　go　to　the　best　business　schools　and　then　pick　up　a　law　degree　before　he　came　into　the　pany；　and　thus　fully　armed；　Richard　Sloat　would　carry　all　the　plex　and　delicate　machinery　of　Sawyer　&　Sloat　into　the　next　century。　The　boy's　ridiculous　ambition　to　bee　a　chemist　could　not　long　survive　his　father's　determination　to　murder　it…Richard　was　smart　enough　to　see　that　what　his　father　did　was　a　hell　of　a　lot　more　interesting；　not　to　mention　vastly　more　remunerative；　than　working　with　a　test　tube　over　a　Bunsen　burner。　That　'research　chemist'　stuff　would　fade　away　pretty　quickly；　once　the　boy　had　a　glimpse　of　the　real　world。　And　if　Richard　was　concerned　about　being　fair　to　Jack　Sawyer；　he　could　be　made　to　understand　that　fifty　thousand　a　year　and　a　guaranteed　college　education　was　not　only　fair　but　magnanimous。　Princely。　Who　could　say　that　Jack　wanted　any　part　of　the　business；　anyhow；　or　that　he　would　possess　any　talent　for　it？
　　Besides；　accidents　happened。　Who　could　even　say　that　Jack　Sawyer　would　live　to　see　twenty？
　　'Well；　it's　really　a　matter　of　getting　all　the　papers；　all　the　ownership　stuff；　finally　straight；'　Sloat　told　his　son。　'Lily's　been　hiding　out　from　me　for　too　long。　Her　brain　is　strictly　cottage　cheese　by　now；　take　my　word　for　it。　She　probably　has　less　than　a　year　to　live。　So　if　I　don't　hump　myself　off　to　see　her　now　that　I　have　her　pinned　down；　she　could　stall　long　enough　to　put　everything　into　probate…or　into　a　trust　fund；　and　I　don't　think　your　friend's　momma　would　let　me　administer　it。　Hey；　I　don't　want　to　bore　you　with　my　troubles。　I　just　wanted　to　tell　you　that　I　won't　be　home　for　a　few　days；　in　case　you　call。　Send　me　a　letter　or　something。　And　remember　about　the　train；　okay？　We　gotta　do　that　again。'　
　　The　boy　promised　to　write；　to　work　hard；　to　not　worry　about　his　father　or　Lily　Cavanaugh　or　Jack。
　　And　sometime　when　this　obedient　son　was；　say；　in　his　senior　year　at　Stanford　or　Yale；　Sloat　would　introduce　him　to　the　Territories。　Richard　would　be　six　or　seven　years　younger　than　he　had　been　himself　when　Phil　Sawyer；　cheerfully　crack…brained　on　grass　in　their　first　little　North　Hollywood　office；　had　first　puzzled；　then　infuriated　（because　Sloat　had　been　certain　Phil　was　laughing　at　him）；　then　intrigued　his　partner　（for　surely　Phil　was　too　stoned　to　have　invented　all　this　science…fiction　crapola　about　another　world）。　And　when　Richard　saw　the　Territories；　that　would　be　it…if　he　had　not　already　done　it　by　himself；　they'd　change　his　mind　for　him。　Even　a　small　peek　into　the　Territories　shook　your　confidence　in　the　omniscience　of　scientists。
　　Sloat　ran　the　palm　of　his　hand　over　the　shiny　top　of　his　head；　then　luxuriantly　fingered　his　moustache。　The　sound　of　his　son's　voice　had　obscurely；　irrelevantly　forted　him：　as　long　as　there　was　Richard　politely　ing　along　behind　him；　all　was　well　and　all　was　well　and　all　manner　of　things　was　well。　It　was　night　already　in　Springfield；　Illinois；　and　in　Nelson　House；　Thayer　School；　Richard　Sloat　was　padding　down　a　green　corridor　back　to　his　desk；　perhaps　thinking　of　the　good　times　they'd　had；　and　would　have　again；　aboard　Morgan's　toy　train　line　in　coastal　California。　He'd　be　asleep　by　the　time　his　father's　jet　punished　the　resistant　air　far　above　and　some　hundred　miles　farther　north；　but　Morgan　Sloat　would　push　aside　the　panel　over　his　first…class　window　and　peer　down；　hoping　for　moonlight　and　a　parting　of　the　clouds。
　　
　　He　wanted　to　go　home　immediately…home　was　only　thirty　minutes　away　from　the　office…so　that　he　could　change　clothes　and　get　something　to　eat；　maybe　snort　a　little　coke；　before　he　had　to　get　to　the　airport。　But　instead　he　had　to　pound　out　along　the　freeway　to　the　Marina：　an　appointment　with　a　client　who　had　freaked　out　and　was　on　the　verge　of　being　dumped　from　a　picture；　then　a　meeting　with　a　crowd　of　spoilers　who　claimed　that　a　Sawyer　&　Sloat　project　just　up　from　Marina　del　Rey　was　polluting　the　beach…things　that　could　not　be　postponed。　Though　Sloat　promised　himself　that　as　soon　as　he　had　taken　care　of　Lily　Cavanaugh　and　her　boy　he　was　going　to　begin　dropping　clients　from　his　list…he　had　much　bigger　fish　to　fry　now。　Now　there　were　whole　worlds　to　broker；　and　his　piece　of　the　action　would　be　no　mere　ten　percent。　Looking　back　on　it；　Sloat　wasn't　sure　how　he　had　tolerated　Phil　Sawyer　for　as　long　as　he　had。　His　partner　had　never　played　to　win；　not　seriously；　he　had　been　encumbered　by　sentimental　notions　of　loyalty　and　honor；　corrupted　by　the　stuff　you　told　kids　to　get　them　halfway　civilized　before　you　finally　tore　the　blindfold　off　their　eyes。　Mundane　as　it　might　be　in　light　of　the　stakes　he　now　played　for；　he　could　not　forget　that　the　Sawyers　owed　him；　all　right…indigestion　flowered　in　his　chest　like　a　heart　attack　at　the　thought　of　how　much；　and　before　he　reached　his　car　in　the　still…sunny　lot　beside　the　building；　he　shoved　his　hand　into　his　jacket　pocket　and　fished　out　a　crumpled　package　of　Di…Gel。
　　Phil　Sawyer　had　underestimated　him；　and　that　still　rankled。　Because　Phil　had　thought　of　him　as　a　sort　of　trained　rattlesnake　to　be　let　out　of　his　cage　only　under　controlled　circumstances；　so　had　others。　The　lot　attendant；　a　hillbilly　in　a　broken　cowboy　hat；　eyed　him　as　he　marched　around　his　little　car；　looking　for　dents　and　dings。　The　Di…Gel　melted　most　of　the　fiery　ball　in　his　chest。　Sloat　felt　his　collar　growing　clammy　with　sweat。　The　attendant　knew　better　than　to　try　to　buddy　up：　Sloat　had　verbally　peeled　the　man's　hide　weeks　ago；　after　discovering　a　tiny　wrinkle　in　the　BMW's　door。　In　the　midst　of　his　rant；　he　had　seen　violence　begin　to　darken　in　the　hillbilly's　green　eyes；　and　a　sudden　upsurge　of　joy　had　made　h