UPON RECEIVING THE CALL, DUNNY AT ONCE responds to it not by automobile1 this time but by highways of fog and water, and by the idea of San Francisco.
In a Los Angeles park, he pulls about him a cloak of earthbound cloud, and hundreds of miles to the north, he arrives through the soft folds of another fog, having traded the footpath2 in the park for the planking of a wharf3.
Because he is dead but has not yet moved on from this world to the next, he inhabits his own corpse4, a strange condition. After he died in a coma5, his spirit had resided briefly6 in a place that had felt like a doctor’s waiting room with neither tattered7 magazines nor hope. Then he was readmitted to the world, to his familiar mortal shell. He is no mere8 ghost, nor is he a traditional guardian9 angel. He is one of the walking dead, but his flesh is now capable of whatever amazing feat10 his spirit demands of it.
In this more northern and colder city, no rain falls. Water laps at the pilings of the wharf, an unpleasant chuckling11 that suggests mockery, conspiracy12, and inhuman13 hunger.
Perhaps the thing about being dead that most surprises him is the persistence14 of fear. He would have thought that with death came freedom from anxiety.
[481] He trembles at the sounds of the water beneath the wharf, at the ponk of his footsteps on the dock planking wet with condensation15, at the briny16 semen scent17 of the fertile sea, at the frosty rectangles, fluorescent18 in the mist, that are the large windows of the bay-view restaurant where Typhon waits. For most of his life, he had perceived no meaning in anything; now dead, he sees meaning in every detail of the physical world, and too much of it has a dark significance.
One finger of the wharf leads past the restaurant windows, and at a prime table sits Typhon, in the city on business but currently alone, beautifully dressed as always, regal in demeanor19 without appearing pretentious20. Through the pane21 of glass, their eyes meet.
For a moment, Typhon regards him somberly, even severely22, as though with displeasure certain to have consequences that Dunny does not wish to consider. Then his plump face dimples, and his winning smile appears. He makes a gun of thumb and forefinger23, pointing it at Dunny as if to say, Gotcha.
By way of fog and glass and the candlelight on the table, Dunny could in a wink24 travel from the wharf to the chair opposite Typhon. With so many people in the restaurant, however, that unconventional entrance would be the essence of indiscretion.
He walks around the building to the front door and follows the maitre d’ through the busy restaurant to Typhon’s table.
Typhon graciously rises to greet Dunny, offers a hand to be shaken, and says, “Dear boy, I’m sorry to have summoned you at such a critical moment on this night of all nights.”
After he and Typhon settle into their chairs and after Dunny politely turns aside the maitre d’s solicitation25 of a drink order, he decides that disingenuousness26 will not play any better here, and perhaps far worse, than it had the previous night at the hotel bar in Beverly Hills. Typhon had explicitly27 required integrity, honesty, and directness in their relationship.
“Sir, before you say anything, I must tell you that I know I’ve [482] stretched my authority to the snapping point again,” Dunny says, “by approaching Hazard Yancy.”
“Not by approaching him, Dunny. By the directness with which you approached him.” Typhon pauses to sip28 his martini.
Dunny starts to explain himself, but the white-haired mensch begs his patience with a raised hand. Blue eyes twinkling merrily, he takes another sip of his martini, and savors29 it.
When he speaks, Typhon first addresses a matter of deportment: “Son, your voice is raised just a tad too loud, and there’s an anxiety in it that’s likely to make you an object of interest among those of our fellow diners who are too curious for their own good.”
The clink of flatware and china, the almost-crystal ring of wineglasses lightly knocked together to the accompaniment of toasts, the graceful30 music of a piano caressed31 rather than pounded, and the murmur32 of many conversations do not swell33 to the pitch that had so conveniently masked Dunny’s and Typhon’s exchanges in the hotel bar.
“Sorry,” Dunny says.
“It’s admirable that you wish to ensure not only Mr. Truman’s physical survival but also his emotional and psychological well-being34. This is within your authority. But in the interest of his client, a guardian such as you must act by indirection. Encourage, inspire, terrify, cajole, advise—”
“—and influence events by every means that is sly, slippery, and seductive,” Dunny finishes.
“Precisely. You have pushed the limits by the way you’ve handled Aelfric. Pushed against them but haven’t yet exceeded them.”
Typhon’s manner is that of a concerned teacher who finds it necessary to provide remedial instruction to a problem student. He seems neither wrathful nor riled, for which Dunny is grateful.
“But by bluntly telling Mr. Yancy not to go into that house,” Typhon continues, “by informing him that he would be shot twice in the head, you have interfered35 with what was his most likely destiny at that point in time.”
[483] “Yes, sir.”
“Yancy may now survive not because of his actions and choices, not because of his unfettered exercise of free will, but because you revealed to him the immediate36 future.” Typhon sighs. He shakes his head. He looks sad, as though his next words sorrow him a little: “This is not good, dear boy. This is not good for you.”
Only a moment ago, Dunny had been grateful for his mentor’s lack of anger. Now he’s made apprehensive37 by Typhon’s quiet dismay and expression of regret, for they suggest that a judgment38 has already been reached.
Typhon says, “There were many tricks with which you could have turned Mr. Yancy away from that house by indirection.”
The older man’s cheerful nature cannot be long suppressed. He breaks into a smile again. His blue eyes twinkle with such merriment that, with a fake beard to match his white hair, and with a suit less elegant, he might board a sleigh two nights hence and harry39 wingless reindeer40 into flight.
Leaning conspiratorially41 across the table, Typhon says, “Son, any of a thousand bits of spooky business would have sent him running from that house, to his Granny Rose or to a bar. You didn’t need to be so direct. And if you continue in this fashion, you will certainly fail your friend, Ethan, and in fact may yourself be the cause of his death and the death of the boy.”
They stare at each other.
Dunny is hesitant to ask if he will be allowed to remain on the case, for fear that he already knows the answer.
After Typhon tastes his martini again, he says, “My, but you are a firecracker, Dunny. You’re headstrong, impetuous, frustrating—but you’re also a hoot42. You tickle43 me. You do.”
Uncertain how to interpret those statements, Dunny waits, still and silent.
“I don’t mean to be rude,” Typhon says, “but my dinner guests will shortly be arriving. Your lean and hungry look—to quote the Bard—[484] and your rough edges might alarm them. They are a wary44 group, and skittish45. One politician and two of his handlers.”
Dunny dares to ask, “May I continue to protect Ethan?”
“After your repeated breaches46, I’d be justified47 in removing you now. There must be standards for guardian angels, don’t you think? Something more than good intentions. The position ought to require greater ethics48 than those of United States senators and cardsharps.”
Typhon rises from his chair, and Dunny gets quickly to his feet, as well.
“Nevertheless, dear boy, I’m inclined to cut you some slack this one last time.”
Dunny accepts his mentor’s offered handshake. “Thank you, sir.”
“But understand that you’re on a minute-by-minute reprieve49. If you can’t operate within the terms of agreement, then your authority and powers will be at once revoked50, and you will instantly be sent home for eternity51.”
“I’ll abide52 by our deal.”
“And when you’re sent home, Ethan will be fending53 for himself.”
“I’ll walk the line.”
Putting one hand on Dunny’s shoulder, squeezing affectionately, like a father counseling a son, Typhon says, “Dear boy, you’ve walked a crooked54 line so long that keeping to a straight one isn’t easy. But now, minute by minute, you must watch your step.”
By foot, Dunny leaves the restaurant and follows the wharf into mists reverberant55 with the low, hollow notes of boat horns. Traveling by fog, by the moonlight above the fog, and by the idea of Palazzo Rospo in Bel Air, he departs and makes his journey and arrives all at the same time.
收听单词发音 |
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automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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footpath
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| n.小路，人行道 | |
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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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coma
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| n.昏迷，昏迷状态 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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persistence
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| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
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condensation
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| n.压缩，浓缩；凝结的水珠 | |
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briny
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| adj.盐水的；很咸的；n.海洋 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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fluorescent
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| adj.荧光的，发出荧光的 | |
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demeanor
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| n.行为；风度 | |
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pretentious
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| adj.自命不凡的，自负的，炫耀的 | |
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pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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solicitation
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| n.诱惑；揽货；恳切地要求；游说 | |
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disingenuousness
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explicitly
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| ad.明确地，显然地 | |
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sip
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| v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量 | |
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savors
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| v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的第三人称单数 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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reindeer
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| n.驯鹿 | |
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conspiratorially
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hoot
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| n.鸟叫声，汽车的喇叭声； v.使汽车鸣喇叭 | |
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tickle
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| v.搔痒，胳肢；使高兴；发痒；n.搔痒，发痒 | |
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wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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skittish
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| adj.易激动的，轻佻的 | |
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46
breaches
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| 破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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ethics
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| n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准 | |
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reprieve
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| n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解 | |
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revoked
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| adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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52
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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53
fending
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| v.独立生活，照料自己( fend的现在分词 )；挡开，避开 | |
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54
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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55
reverberant
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| a.起回声的 | |
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