Driving Force Part 34

'Yes.Yes.'His.e.xcitement,thoughinternalised,wascatching.'Yourealisethattheticksyou'vebroughtmehavenoname?Nooneha.s.sofaridentifiedthevectorofE.risticii.Doyourealisethatif...iftheseticksarethevector-avectorisacarrierofadisease-thenwe'reonthevergeofabreakthroughinidentifyingthepathofPotomochorsefever?'Hestopped,overcome.

'Practically,'Isaid.'Couldyouanswersomequestions?'

'Fireaway.'

'Well,whathappenstoahorseifitgetsPotomachorsefever?Doesitdie?'

'Notusually.Eightypercentlive.Mindyou,ifit'sathoroughbredracehorse,whichpresumablyyou'remostinterestedin,itwillprobablyneverwinanotherrace.WhatI'veseenofthedisease,it'sverydebilitating.'

'How,exactly?'

'It'sanentericinfection.That'stodowiththeintestines.Apartfromtheanorexiaandsoon,thereisusuallyfiercediarrhoeaandcolic.Thehorseismuchweakenedbythefever.'

'Howlongdoesthefeverlast?'

'Fourorfivedays.'

'Soshort?'

'ThehorsedevelopsantibodiessotheEhrlichiaedon'taffect.i.tanymore.Ifthevectorisatick,thetickwouldgorightonliving.Ticks,Imaysay,arethemselvesnotmuchunderstood.Forinstance,onlythematureonesarebrown.Yoursoapwascrowdedwithnymphets,youngticks,whicharealmosttransparent.'Hepausedverybriefly.'DoyoumindifIcometoseewhatyou'vegotthere,downinPixhill?CanIsee,forexample,yourrabbit?'

'I'mafraidIdeducedtherabbit.'

'Oh.'Helookeddisappointed.

'Butcome,'Iinvitedhim.'Stayinmyhouse.'

'Soon?Imean,Idon'twanttoupsetyou,butyousaidyourhorsewasold,andit'stypicallyoldretiredhorsesoutatpasturethatgetthisillness,andtheoldertheyare,themorelikelytodie.Sorry.Sorry.'

'Canyoungerhorsesbeaffected?'

'Ifit'sracehorsesinastablethatyoumean,thenyes,theycan,b.u.t.they'regroomed,aren'tthey?Thegroomingmightgetridofthetick.Yes,that'satheory.InAmericaitismostlyhorsesoutatpasturethatgetill.'

'Um,'Isaid,'isthereacureforit?'

'Tetracycline,'hesaidpromptly.I'llbringsomeforyouroldboy.Itmaybeintime.Itdepends.'

'And...er...'Isaid,'canhumanscatchthisdisease?'

Henodded.'Yes.Theycan.It'susuallynotproperlydiagnosedastherearesomanyconfusingsymptoms.ItgetsmistakenforRockyMountainspottedfever,but.i.t'sdifferent.It'srare.Andtetracyclinedoesthetrickthere,too.'

'Howcoulditbediagnosed?'

'Bloodtest,'hesaidpromptly.'Theamountyoubroughtwasn'treallyenough.'

CHAPTER12.

ItravelledbackonthelastEdinburghtoHeathrowflightoftheday,againsurroundedbyshoalsofred-and-whitescarvesbeltingoutbawdier-than-eververses.Ba.s.sandbaritonevoices,tuneful,reverberating.Theredandwhitescarves,itwasclear,hadwontheInternationalatMurrayfield.BeerdisappearedataJogger-likepace.Anakedflamewouldhaveexplodedthealcoholfumesinthecabin.Theflightattendantsgottheirbottomspinched.Theecstasylevelrose,ifanything,duringthehourintheair.

Isatwithmyheadwhirlingfromdifferentstimuli,hearinginflashbacksthefactsthathadpouredoutofGuggenheim.

Themanhimselfwa.s.somewhereamongthescarves,sittingseparatelybecausetherehadn'tbeentwoseatsavailabletogether.Hehadbroughtwithhimminimalovernightnecessities,ahugeamountofhopeandalargebagofscientificfieldinstruments.NothingwouldhavestoppedhiminhisquestfortheunnamedvectorofE.risticii.Hequiveredwithhunger.Hereachedoutwithpercipientfingertips,likeHandeltoHallelujah,likeNewtontocalculus,likeEhrlich,nodoubt,toa.r.s.enicforsyphilis.Reachedoutwithgeniustowardsrecognition.

'It'searlyintheyearforPotomacfever,'hehadsaid.'It'sawarmweatherthing,usually...'

'ThetickscamefromdownsouthinFrance,'Itoldhim.'FromtheRhoneValley.'

'Ariver!ButusuallyMaythroughOctober.'

'WehadadeadrabbitcrawlingwithticksinAugustlastyear.'

'Yes.Yes.August.'

'WehadabuggoingroundlocallyinPixhilllastsummerthatputasmallnumberofhorsesoutofactionfortheseason.'

Hegroaned.Withpleasure,asfarasIcouldsee.

'Theyhadthesamesortofunspecifiedfeveris.h.i.+llnessalsoinplacesinFrance,'Isaid.'Ireaditagaininthenewspaperonlythisweek.'

'Findthenewspaper.'

'Yes,OK.'

'Noonewouldhavetestedforequineehrlichiosis...it'sstillalmostanunknowninfection.Rare.Sporadic.Notanepidemic.Hardtofind.Thisiswonderful.'

'Nottothehorseowners.'

'b.u.t.thisis.h.i.+story...'

Itwasahopelessdisaster,Ithought,ifIcouldn'tcleareverythingupquickly.'FreddieCroft'shorseboxesbroughtPotomachorsefevertoBritain.'Icouldjustseetheheadlines.'FreddieCroft'sdriversbroughtfevertoBritain.'PerhapsitwouldbesafernottoemployFreddieCroft'stransport?Sorryandallthat,FreddiebutIcan'ttaketherisk.'

Confidencewasfragile.Loyaltywasfickle.Rabbitsbringingticks?No,thanksverymuch.

FreddieCroftRacewaysoutofbusiness.

Isweated.

OneoftheWatermeadrabbitshadbeenmissing,onthepreviousSunday.Therewereonlyfourteen,notfifteen,thechildrenhadsaid.MaybeLewis,thetrustedrabbithandler,hadtakenthatonerabbitwithhimtoFrance.Takenitinahiddencompartment,outofsightabovethefueltanks.LastAugust.i.thadbeenLewiswhohadbroughtfromFrancethedeadrabbitcrawlingwithticks...Jogger'sdeadnun.

Ticks.Jogger'svoicecamedistinctlythroughtheroaringrugbysongs...'Polandhadthesamefive'...Achildhoodrhymepresenteditselfinsynchronisingtimewiththesinging.One,two,bucklemyshoe:three,four,knockatthedoor:five,six,pickupsticks...'Polandhadthesamefive,six'...six,sticks,ricks,mix,fix...Polandhadthesame...ticks.

Polandhadthesameticksonahorselastsummer,anditdied.

WhowasPoland?

OhG.o.d,Ithought.NotPolandandWaleska.NotPolandandcoalorPolandandDanzigorPolandandcorridororPolandandsolidarity.No...PolandandRussia.

Russia...Usher.

BenjyUsherhadthesameticks...

Dot'svoice,'Thoseoldwrecks.Theydied.Ihateit.Theywerealwaysoutsidethedrawing-roomwindow...'

Awell-pinchedflightattendantaskedifshecouldfetchmeanything,raisinghervoiceabovethejoyfulsurroundingdin.

'TrebleScotch...well,no,justone.Gottodrivehome.'

Picturescrowdedmyinnereye.BenjyUsher,trainingthroughhisupstairswindow.Benjynevertouchinghishorses.BenjygettingmetosaddlehisrunnersatSandown.

Benjycouldn'thaveknown,surely,thathisolddyinglodgersprobablycarriedEhrlichiae...Couldhe?Benjy...afraidthemicroscopicorganismswouldhopontohimself?

Butifhe'dfearedthat,whywasheproposingtotaketwomoreoldhorses?Didheknowthatthey,too,mightcarryticks?

Lewisdroveforhimoften.

Theflightattendantbroughtmydrink.

Benjyenteredhishorsesinsmall-fieldracesandhadhadtheluckofthedevilwithwalk-overs.

Ithadtobecoincidental.Benjywasrich.

Whatifwhathehankeredforwerewinners,notmoney?Harve'svoice,'MrUsher'sarottentrainer...'

Itwasnonsense.Ithadtobe.

Fromsomewhere,mingledwiththerugbysongs,asentenceI'dreadoncesurfacedintoconsciousness:'Itisn'tnecessarytospeculateaboutthedrivingforcewithinus,itleapsoutandrevealsitself.Underpressure,itcan'tbehidden.'

WhatifBenjyUsher'sdrivingforcewereahungerforwinners,ahungerhisownskillwasn'tenoughtoa.s.suage...?

No.Impossible.Yetwinnersgavehimo.r.g.a.s.micpleasure.

LewisoftendroveforBenjy.

Lewishadcutoffhisringletslastsummer.

HadLewisbeenafraidhewouldgetticksinhislonghair?

He'dtransportedthetick-infestednuninJogger'spit.

Jogger.

Benjyhadn'tkilledJogger.BenjyhadbeenplayingtennisontheWatermeads'courtataboutthetimeJoggerhaddied.

Lewishadn'tkilledJogger.He'dbeeninFrance.

Lewishadcomebacktothefarmyardlaterthanintended,attwointhemorningonMonday-to-Tuesdaynight.He'dstabledMichael'stwo-year-oldsinthefarmyardandleftmeanotetosayhehadflu.I'ddrivenhissuper-sixonTuesdaymorningwiththetwo-year-oldstoMichael'syard,andI'dhadbreakfastandwatchedIrkabAlhawagallop.Thenthesuper-sixhadgoneracingforthedaywithoneofthefleet'sotherdrivers.

WhatifLewishadinfacttakenthemissingrabbittoFrancetopickupitssick-makingcargo?Whatifithadstillbeenthere,nowtick-infested,inthehiddencontainer,whenI'ddriventhesuper-sixtoMichael'syard?Whatifithadstillbeenthereuntiltheboxreturnedfromtheracesintheevening?WhatifLewis,withonlyacoldafterall,hadgonelatetotheyardtoretrievetherabbit...andwhatifIhadwalkedintherewhilethisretrievalwasinprogress?

Diditmakesense?

Asmuchsenseasanythingelse.

WhathadJoggerwalkedinon,then?

WhathadoccurredonSundaymorninginthefarmyardthatJoggerhadseen,andwouldtellmeabout,that.i.twasn'tintendedthatheshouldsee?

WhathadhappenedinthefarmyardonthatSundaymorning?

Asktherightquestions,'Sandyhadsaid.

ThatSundaymorninghadbeenMarch6th,thedaytheofficecomputerhadbeenswitchedoninordertoactivatetheMichelangelovirus.Joggerwouldn'thaveunderstoodthecomputer.Itwasn'twhathe'dseeninthefarmyardofficethatmattered,butwho.

Therugbysongsswelledaroundme.Ihadanacutesenseofdanger.

OnthewayhomefromHeathrowIphonedIsobel,apologisingforthelatenessofthehour.

Thinknothingofit,shesaid.Thedayhadgonewell.HarvehadtakentwowinnerstoChepstow.AzizandDavehadreturnedallrightfromIrelandbutAzizhadsaidDavewasn'tingoodshape.Dave,Isobelthought,mightbedevelopingflu.

'b.u.g.g.e.r,'Isaid.

NinahadtakenawinnertoLingfield,andsohadNigel.LewishaddriventhreeofBenjyUsher'sjumperstoChepstow,andhadbeenremindedtobringhisovernightthingsonMondayforgoingtoItaly.PhilhadbeenphlegmaticallytoUttoxeter.MichaelWatermeadandMarigoldEnglishhadbothbookedtwoboxesforTuesdaytotakehorsestoDoncastersales.

'Great,'Isaidthankfully.MarigoldhaddisregardedPeterman'sproblem:sofar,atleast.

JerichoRichhadreportedlyfallenoutalreadywithhisnewtrainer,Isobelsaid.ShethoughtwemightbebringingthewholestringbacktoPixhillanydaysoon.

'Theman'smad,'Iremarked.

'Ihearyou'regoingtotheWatermeads'forlunchagaintomorrow,'Isobelsaid.'I'llgoondoingthebookings,shallI?'

'Yes,please,'Isaidgratefully.'Andwhotoldyou?'

'TessaWatermead.Shecameby.Itaughtherafewthings.That'sallright,isn't.i.t?'

'Yes,sure.'

'Goodnight,then.'

'Goodnight.'

Guggenheim,sittingbesidemeintheFourtrak,repudiatedmysuggestionthatwestopforsomethingtoeat.I'dhadnolunchandwashungry.Guggenheim'shungerfortruthwontheday.Besides,hesaid,rationalisingitandsilencingme,Petermanneededthetetracyclinea.s.soonaspossible.