Driving Force Part 41

'Isuppose,'Isaid,'that.i.twasTigwoodwithallhismedicaljournalswhounderstoodaboutticks?AndwhoknewwhatyouneededforbringingthevirusfromYorks.h.i.+reforTessaWatermeadtoinfectJerichoRich'shorses?Youcouldn'tgivetheJerichoRichhorsestickfever,becausebythenyouhadn'tbeenovertocollectthisyear'sticks.'

Hewasagainspeechless.Iglancedathim.

Isaid,'Youhaven'tmuchchanceifyou'renotwillingtobeawitness.Tessatoldmeandherfatherwhatyoudid.'

IphonedSandySmith'snumberand,findinghimathome,invitedhimtodrivealongtoCentaurCare.'Bringyourhandcuffs,'Isaid.

IttookLewisaslowpainfulmiletomakeuphismind,butasIturnedthroughthegatesofthecrumblingheadquartersofadisgracedcharity,hesaid,mumbling,'Allright.Awitness.'

Thedecrepitplacewasalivewithpeople.

LornaLipton'sRangeRoverstoodinthedriveway.LornawastalkingtoTigwoodandtherewerechildren-children-runningabout.Maudie'stwoyoungestchildren...andCinders.

AzizwasoutoftheFourtrak,alsoNina,alsoGuggenheim.Theystoodindeterminately,notknowingwhattoexpect.

JohnTigwoodlookedbewildered.

Istoppedthehorseboxandjumpedtotheground.SandySmithjoinedthecrowd,lightsflas.h.i.+ng,uniformb.u.t.toned,nosiren.

'What'sgoingon?'Tigwoodasked.

Iwasn'tsurehowhewouldreact.Thetrailhe'dleftwithhisaxeonmypropertyurgedanydefenceIcouldthinkof.Keepingthechildrensafewasafirstpriority.

IsaidtoMaudie'syoungones,'TakeCindersandwriggleunderthehorseboxandplaybeinginapirate'scavethere,orsomething.'

Theygiggled.

'Goon,'Isaid,urgingthem.'Crawlinthere.'

Theydid,allthreeofthem.Lorna,watching,saidmerely,'Won'ttheygetdirty?'

They'llclean.'

Tigwoodsaid,'Whyareyouhere?'

Iansweredhim.'Webroughtbackyourrabbit.'

'What?'

'LewisandI,'Isaid,'havebroughtbacktherabbit-withticks.'

Tigwoodstrodetothepa.s.sengerseatsideandyankedopenthedoor.

'Lewis!'heyelled.Itcameoutasascreech,allfruitinessgone.

Lewisshrankawayfromhim.'Heknowsitall,'hesaiddesperately.'Freddieknowseverything.'

TigwoodstretchedanarmintothecabandpulledLewisout.Tigwood'sweedy-lookingappearancewasmisleading.Everyonecouldseethestringypowerthattweakedthebiggermanoutontothegroundwithacrash.Lewis'sshoulderslandedfirst,thenhishead,thenhislegs.

Lewis,rollinginpain,tookaroughswingatTigwood.Tigwoodkickedhiminthefaceandturnedhisattentiontome.

'Youb.a.s.t.a.r.d,'hesaid,white-faced,intent.'I'llkillyou.'

Hemeant.i.t.Hetried.Herushedme,smas.h.i.+ngmebysheerspeedagainstthesideofthehorsebox.

Hehadn'tanaxe,however,oratyrelever,butonlyhishands;andthey,hadwebeenalone,mighthaveindeedbeenenough.

Azizcameupbehindhimandhauledhimoff.Azizdisplayedatimelyandusefulskillintwistingaman'sarmupbehindhisbackuntilitreachedthepointofcracking.

Tigwoodscreamed.SandyproducedhishandcuffsportentouslyandwithhelpfromAzizlockedTigwood'swriststogetherbehindhisback.

Sandysaidtomeoutofthesideofhismouth,'What'sgoingon?'

'Ithinkyou'llfindthatJohnTigwoodaxedmyhouse.'

'b.a.s.t.a.r.d,'Tigwoodsaid,hisvoiceasnarl.

IaskedSandy,'Idon'tsupposeyouhaveasearchwarranthandy?'

Heshookhisheadbemusedly.

'Idon'tneedone,'Azizsaid.'WhatamIlookingfor?'

'Anaxe.Arustytyrelever.Athingforslidingunderlorries.Abunchoftoolsinaredplasticcrate.Andperhapsagreymetalcashboxwitharoundbrightpatchamidthedirt.Theymightbeinhiscar.Ifyoufindthem,don'ttouchthem.'

Hissmileshoneout,bright,whiteandhappy.'Gotyou,'hesaid.HeleftTigwoodtoSandyandbouncedawayoutofsight.

Lornableatedinbafflement,'John?Idon'tunderstand...'

'Shutup,'hesaidfuriously.

'What'veyoudone'?'Lornawailed.

Noonetoldher.

Tigwoodstaredatmewithunnervingnakedhatredandinatautwhiteragecalledmeab.a.s.t.a.r.dagain,amongotherthings,repeatingwhatLewishadtoldme.I'dneverimaginedtheoverpoweringstrengthofhismurderouscorrosiveloathing,notevenwithhisaxe'shandiworkallaroundme.Ifeltshrivelledbyit,andweak.Sandy,whohadseensomanydreadfulthings,lookeddeeplyshocked.

Lornaswungroundatmewithloathingofherown.'Whatdidyoudotohim?'sheaccusedme.

'Nothing.'

Shedidn'tbelieveme,andneverwould.

Azizreappearedfromthedirectionoftheramshacklestables.

'Everything'sthere,'hereported,beaming.'They'reinoneofthestalls,underahorserug.'

Sandysmiledatmebriefly,pus.h.i.+ngTigwoodhardagainstthehorsebox.'Reckonit'stimetocallmycolleagues.'

'Reckonitis,'Iagreed.'Theycantakeitfromhereon.'

'AndtheJockeyClubcantakeonBenjyUsher,'saidAziz.

Anothercarjoinedthemelee.Notthecolleaguesyet,butSusanandHugoPalmerstone,withMaudie.MichaelhadtoldthemthatthechildrenwereherewithLorna,theysaid.They'dcometotakethemhome.

Tigwoodinhandcuffsappalledthem.Lornatoldthemitwasallmyfault.Hugobelievedhereasily.

'Wherearethechildren?'Susanasked.'Where'sCinders?'

'They'resafe.'Ibentdownandlookedunderthehorsebox.'Youcancomeoutnow,'Isaid.

GuggenheimtouchedmyarmasIstraightened.'Didyou...Imean...'hesaid.'Istherabbitthere?'

'Ithinkso.'

He,atleast,lookedhappy.Hewascarryingawhiteplasticsmall-animalcarrierandwearingprotectivegloves.

Maudie'stwochildrenwriggledoutontheirbacksandstoodup,brus.h.i.+ngoffdirt.Oneofthemsaidtome,inaquietlittlevoice,'Cindersdoesn'tlikeitunderthere.She'scrying.'

'Isshe?'Iwentdownonmykneesandlookedunderneath.Shewaslyingflatonherstomach,herfacepressedtotheground,herwholebodyquivering.'Comeonout,'Isaid.

Shedidn'tmove.

Ilaydownonthegroundonmybackandputmyheadunderthesideofthehorsebox.Ishuffledbackwardsonheels,hipsandshoulders,untilIreachedher.IfoundtherewerethingsIwouldgoundertonsofsteelforwithoutasecondthought.

'Comeon,'Isaid.'We'llgoouttogether.'

Shesaid,s.h.i.+vering,'I'mfrightened.'

'Mm.b.u.t.there'snothingtobeafraidof.'Ilookedupatthesteelofthecha.s.sisnotfarabovemyface.'Turnontoyourback,'Isaid.'Holdmyhandandwe'llwriggleouttogether.'

'It'llfallonme.'

'No...itwon't.'Iswallowed.'Turnover,Cinders.It'seasieronyourback.'

'Ican't.'

'Yourmotherandfatherarehere.'

'There'samanshouting...'

'He'sstoppednow,'Isaid.'Comeon,darling,everything'sfine.Holdmyhand.'

Itouchedherhandwithmineandshegrabbedittightly.

'Turnover,'Isaid.

Sheturnedslowlyontoherbackandlookedupwardstothesteelstruts.

'It'sprettydirtyunderhere,'Isaidprosaically.'Keepyourheaddownoryou'llmakeyourhairfilthy.Now,ourtoesarepointingtowhereyourparentsare,sojustshuntalongbesidemeandwe'llbeoutinnotime.'

Ibegantowriggleout,andshewriggled,sobbing,besideme.

Itwasafterallonlyafewfeet.Itcan'thaveseemedmuchtothepeopleoutside.

WhenwewereoutIkneltbesideher,brus.h.i.+ngdirtfromherclothesandherhair.Sheclungtome.Herlittleface,closetomine,wa.s.solikethepicturesofmyselfatherage.ThetendernessIfeltforherwasdevastating.

Hergazeslidbeyondmetowhereherparentsstood.Sheletgoofmeandrantothem.RantoHugo.

'Daddy!'shesaid,hugginghim.

Heputprotectivearmsaroundherandglaredatmewiththegreeneyes.

Isaidnothing.Istoodup:brushedsomegritoffmyself;waited.

SusanputonearmroundHugo'swaistandwiththeotherenclosedCinders;thethreeofthemafamily.

Hugobrusquelyturnedthemawaywithhimtowardstheircar,lookingfiercelyoverhisshoulder.Heshouldn'tfearme,Ithought.Perhapsintimehewouldn't.Iwouldneverupsetthatchild.

IwasawarethatGuggenheimandAzizwereslitheringunderthehorsebox.Guggenheimscrambledoutwithvisionsofimmortalityinhiseyes,cuddlingthewhiteplasticcarrierasifitcontainedtheHolyGrail.

'Therabbit'shere,'hesaidjoyfully,'andit'sgotticks!'

'Great.'

Ninacametostandbesideme.Iputmyarmroundhershoulders.Itfeltrightthere.Eightandahalfyearsdidn'tmatter.

'AreyouOK?'sheasked.

'Mm.'

WewatchedthePalmerstones'cardriveaway.

'Freddie...?'Ninamurmuredtentatively,'thatlittlegirl...whenyourheadsweretogether,shelooked...almost...'

'Don'tsayit,'Isaid.