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"Andtoyou,"Ianswered."You'rethebest."
TonystartedthecarandwavedtoEaglerasheclosedthereardoor,andwithout morefusswewereawayandontheroad,takingadirectionoppositetothe kidnappers'house,setfairforsafety.
"Wow,"Tonysaid,relaxingfivemileson."Notabadbitofliberating,thoughI sayitmyself."
"Fantastic,"Isaid,"andifyougoroundanymorecornersatthatspeedDominic willfallofftheseat."
TonyglancedbacktowhereIwasawkwardlyjammedsidewaystoletDominiclie stretchedout,anddecidedtostopthecarforrearrangements,whichincluded removingmorethoroughlytheblackfromourfacesandstowingTony'sgeartidily inthetrunk.Whenwesetoff.a.gainIhadDominiconmylapwithhishead cradledagainstmyshoulder,andhewashalfgraspingthecuddlyteddywhichI'd takenfromhissuitcase.
Hiseyesopenedandfellshutoccasionally,butevenwhenitwascleartheether hadwornoff,hedidn'twake.Iwonderedforawhileifhe'dbeengivensleeping pillslikeAlessia,butlaterconcludeditwasonlythemiddle-of-the-night effectontheextremelyyoung,becausetowardstheendofthejourneyIsuddenly foundhiseyeswideopen,staringupatmyface.
"h.e.l.lo,Dominic,"Isaid.
Tonylookedoverbriefly."He'sawake?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Iinterpretedthe"good"tobesatisfactionthatthepatienthadsurvivedthe anesthetic.Dominic'seyesslidslowlyinTony'sdirectionandthencamebackto watchmine.
"We'retakingyoutoyourmother,"Isaid.
"Trymummy,"Tonysaiddryly.
"We'retakingyoutoyourmummy,"Isaid.
Dominic'seyeswatchedmyface,unblinking.
"We'retakingyouhome,"Isaid."Here'syourteddy.You'lls...o...b..backwith yourmummy."
Dominicshowednoreaction.Thebigeyeswentonwatching.
"You'resafe,"Isaid."Noonewillhurtyou.We'retakingyouhometoyour mummy."
Dominicwatched.
"Talkativekid,"Tonysaid.
"Frightenedoutofhiswits."
"Yeah,poorlittleb.u.g.g.e.r."
Dominicwa.s.stillwearingtheredswimmingtrunksinwhichhe'dbeenstolen away.Thekidnappershadaddedabluejersey,considerablytoolarge,butno socksorshoes.HehadbeencoldtothetouchwhenI'dtakenhimoutofthe holdall,buthislittlebodyhadwarmedintherugtothepointwhereIcould feelhisheatcomingthrough.
"We'retakingyouhome,"Isaidagain.
Hemadenoreplybutafteraboutfiveminutessatuprightonmylapandlooked outofthecarwindow.Thenhiseyescameroundagaintolookatmine,andhe slowlyrelaxedbackintohisformerpositioninmyarms.
"Nearlythere,"Tonysaid."What'llwedo?It'sonlyfour.She'llpa.s.seffing outifwegiveherashockatthistimeofnight."
"Shemightbeawake,"Isaid.
"Yeah,"hesaid."Worryingaboutthekid.Isupposeshemight.Hereweare,just downthisroad."
HeturnedinthroughtheNerritygates,thewheelscrunchingonthegravel: stoppedrightbesidethefrontdoor,andgotoutandrangthebell.
Alightwentonupstairsandafteraconsiderablewaitthefrontdooropened fourinchesonachain.
"Whoisit?"JohnNerrity'svoicesaid."Whatonearthdoyouwantatthis hour?"
Tonysteppedcloserintothelightcomingthroughthecrack.
"TonyVine..."
"Goaway."Nerritywasangry."I'vetoldyou..."
"Webroughtyourkidback,"Tonysaidflatly."Doyouwanthim?"
"What?"
"Dominic,"Tonysaidwithmockpatience."Yourson."
"I..."Hefloundered.
"TellMrs.Nerrity,"Tonysaid.
Iimaginedhemusthaveseenherbehindherhusband,becauseverysoftlythe frontdooropenedwideandMirandastoodthereinanightgown,lookinggaunt.
Foramomentshehoveredasifterrified,notdaringtobelieveit,andI climbedoutofthecarwithDominichangingontight.
"Hereheis,"Isaid."Safeandsound."
ShestretchedoutherarmsandDominicslidfrommyembracetohers,therug droppingaway.Hewrappedhislittlearmsroundherneckandclungwithhislegs likealimpet,anditwasasiftwoincompletebodieshadfusedintoonewhole.
Neitherofthemspokeaword.ItwasNerritywhodidallthetalking.
"You'dbettercomein,then,"hesaid.
Tonygavemeasardoniclookandwesteppedthroughintothehall.
"Wheredidyoufindhim?"Nerritydemanded."Ihaven'tpaidtheransom..."
"Thepolicefoundhim,"Tonysaid."InSuss.e.x."
"Oh."
"InconjunctionwithLibertyMarket,"Iaddedsmoothly.
"Oh."Hewasnonplussed,notknowinghowtobegratefulorhowtoapologizeor howtosayhemighthavebeenwrongingivingusthesack.Neitherofushelped him.TonysaidtoMiranda,"Yourcar'sstillatthehotel,butwebroughtall yourgear..yourclothes,chair,andsoon...backwithus."
Shelookedathimvaguely,herwholeconsciousnessattunedtothelimpet.
"TellSuperintendentRightsworththeboy'sback,"IsaidtoNerrity.
"Oh...Yes."
Dominic,seenbyelectriclight,wasanice-lookingchildwithawell-shaped headonaslenderstalkofaneck.HehadseemedlightinmyarmsbutMiranda leanedawayfromhisweightashesatonherhip,thetwoofthemstillentwined asifwithglue.
"Goodluck,"Isaidtoher."He'sagreatkid."
Shelookedatmespeechlessly,likeherson.
TonyandIunloadedtheirseasidestuffintothehallandsaidwewould telephoneinthemorningtocheckifeverythingwasallright;butlater,when Nerrityhadfinallycomeupwithastrangledthankyouandshuthisdooronus, Tonysaid,"Whatdoyouthinkwe'dbetterdonow?"
"Stayhere,"Isaiddecisively."Roughlyonguard.There'sstillTerryandPeter unaccountedfor,andmaybeothers.We'dlookrightidiotsiftheywalked straightinandtookthewholefamilyhostage."
Tonynodded."Neverthinktheenemyhaveceasedhostilities,eventhoughthey've effingsurrendered.Vigilanceisthebestdefenseagainstattack."Hegrinned.
"I'llmakeasoldierofyouyet."
Chapterfourteen.
FORONEDAYtherewaspeaceandquiet.TonyandIwenttotheofficeforafew hoursandwroteajointreport,whichwehopedwouldbeacceptabletothe a.s.sembledpartnersonthefollowingmorning.Apartfrombeingmisleadingabout theorderinwhichDominic'sescapeandtheentryofthegladiatorshad occurred,westuckfairlycloselytothetruth:asalwaysitwasinthewording itselfthatthelessorthodoxactivitieswereglossedover.
"Wededucedthatthechildwasbeingheldintheupperstory,"hewrote,without sayinghowthedeductionhadbeenmade."Afterthechildhadbeenfreed, SuperintendentEaglerwasoftheopinionthathe(thechild)shouldbereunited withhisparentsa.s.soonaspossible,andconsequentlyweperformedthe service."
OnthetelephoneEaglerhadallayedourslightlyanxiousinquiries.
"Don'tyoufret.Wetookthemwithoutafight.Theywerecoughingandcryingall overtheplace."Hisvoicesmiled."Therewerethreeofthem.Twowereonthe topstoryrunningabout,absolutelyfrantic,lookingforthekidandnotbeing abletoseefortears.Theykeptsayinghe'dfallendownthechute."
"Didyoufindthechute?"Iaskedcuriously.
"Yes.Itwasacircularcanvasthingliketheyhaveforescapesfromaircraft.
Itslantedfromtheholeinthefloorboardsintoasmallcupboardonthefloor below.Thedoorofthecupboardhadbeenbrickedupandwallpaperedandthere wasawardrobestandinginfrontofit.Allfreshlydone,thecementwasn't thoroughlydried.Anyway,theycouldhaveslidtheboydownthechuteand replacedthechunkoffloorboardsandputarugoverthetrapdoor,andno ordinarysearchwouldhavefoundhim."
"Wouldhehavesurvived?"Iasked.
"Ishouldthinkso,yes,aslongasthey'dtakenhimoutagain,b.u.t.todothat they'dhavetohaveunbrickedthedoorway."
"Allrathernasty,"Isaidsoberly.
"Yes,very."
TonyandIputEagler'saccountofthechuteintoourreportanddecidednotto tellMiranda.
Eagleralsosaidthatnoneofthekidnapperswastalking;thattheyweretough, sullen,andmurderouslyangry.Noneofthemwouldgivehisname,address,orany otherinformation.Noneofthemhadsaidasinglewordthatcouldwithpropriety betakendownandusedinevidence.Alltheirutteranceshadbeenofthe four-lettervariety,andtheyhadbeensparingevenwiththose.
"We'vesenttheirprintstothecentralregistry,ofcourse,butwithnoresults sofar."Hepaused."I'vebeenlisteningtoyourtapes.Red-hotstuff.I'llpry openthesefineoysterswithwhat'sonthem,neverfear."
"Hopetheyutterpearls,"Isaid.
"Theywill,laddie."
TowardsmiddayItelephonedtoAlessiatopostponethelunchinvitationandwas forgiveninstantly.
"Mirandatelephoned,"shesaid."ShetoldmeyoubroughtDominichome.Shecan't speakfortears,butatleastthistimethey'remostlyhappy."
"Mostly?"Isaid.
"Johnandthatpoliceman,SuperintendentRightsworth,bothinsistedonDominic beingexaminedbyadoctor,andofcourseMirandadidn'tdisagree,butshesays theyaretalkingnowoftreatmentforhim,notbecauseofhisphysicalstate, whichisn'tbad,butsimplybecausehewon'ttalk."
"Whatsortoftreatment?"
"Inhospital."
"Theycan'tbeserious!"Isaidwithalarm.
"TheysayMirandacangowithhim,butshedoesn'tlikeit.She'stryingto persuadeeveryonetoletDominicstayathomewithherinpeaceforafewdays.
Shesaysshe'ssurehe'lltalktoher,ifthey'realone."
Ireflectedthatoncethenewsofhiskidnapandreturnhitthepublic consciousnesstherewouldbelittleenoughpeaceforawhile,b.u.t.thatotherwise herinstinctswererightontheb.u.t.ton.
Isaid,"DoyouthinkyoucouldpersuadeJohnNerrity,referringtoyourown experiences,thattobecartedofftohospitalamongstrangerswouldbe desperatelydisturbingforDominicnow,evenifMirandawentwithhim,andcould makehimworse,notbetter."
Therewasasilence.Thenshesaidslowly,"IfPapahadsentmetoahospital,I wouldhavegonetrulymad."
"Peoplesometimesdoawfulthingswiththebestintentions."
"Yes,"shesaidfaintly."Areyouathome?"
"No.Intheoffice.And...aboutlunch...I'mverysorry..."
"Anotherdaywilldofine,"shesaidabsently."I'lltalktoJohnandringyou back."
ShetelephonedbackwhenTonyandIhadfinishedthereportandhe'dgonehome toawell-earnedsleep.
"Johnwasverysubdued,you'dbesurprised,"shesaid."Allthatself-importance wasinabeyance.Anyway,he'sagreedtogiveDominicmoretime,andI'veasked MirandaandDominicdowntoLambourntomorrow.Popsy'ssuchadarling.Shesays it'sopenhouseforkidnapvictims.Shealsosuggestedyoushouldcomeaswell, ifyoucould,andIthink...Idothinkitwouldbethebesteverthing...ifyou could."
"Yes,Icould,"Isaid."I'dliketo,verymuch."
