His dry stint1 on the word processor convinced him that it might be a good idea to drink dinner instead of eat it, and he was on his second bourbon and water when the telephone rang again. He approached it gingerly, suddenly wishing he had a phone answering machine after all. They did have at least one sterling2 quality: you could monitor incoming calls and separate friend from foe3.
He stood over it irresolutely4, thinking how much he disliked the sound modern telephones made. Once upon a time they had rung - jingled5 merrily, even. Now they made a shrill6 ululating noise that sounded like a migraine headache trying to happen.
Well, are you going to pick it up or just stand here listening to it do that?
I don't want to talk to him again. He scares me and he infuriates me, and I don't know which feeling I dislike more.
Maybe it's not him.
Maybe it is.
Listening to those two thoughts go around and around was even worse than listening to the warbling beep-yawp of the phone, so he picked it up and said hello gruffly and it was, after all, no one more dangerous than his caretaker, Greg Carstairs.
Greg asked the now-familiar questions about the house and Mort answered them all again, reflecting that explaining such an event was very similar to explaining a sudden death - if anything could get you over the shock, it was the constant repetition of the known facts.
'Listen, Mort, I finally caught up with Tom Greenleaf late this afternoon,' Greg said, and Mort thought Greg sounded a little funny - a little cautious7. 'He and Sonny Trotts were painting the Methodist Parish Hall.'
'Uh-huh? Did you speak to him about my buddy8?'
'Yeah, I did,' Greg said. He sounded more cautious than ever.
'Well?'
There was a short pause. Then Greg said, 'Tom thought you must have been mixed up on your days.'
'Mixed up on my ... what do you mean?'
'Well,' Greg said apologetically, 'he says he did swing down Lake Drive yesterday afternoon and he did see you; he said he waved to you and you waved back. But, Mort -'
'What?' But he was afraid he already knew what.
'Tom says you were alone,' Greg finished.
1 stint | |
v.节省,限制,停止;n.舍不得化,节约,限制;连续不断的一段时间从事某件事 | |
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2 sterling | |
adj.英币的(纯粹的,货真价实的);n.英国货币(英镑) | |
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3 foe | |
n.敌人,仇敌 | |
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4 irresolutely | |
adv.优柔寡断地 | |
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5 jingled | |
喝醉的 | |
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6 shrill | |
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫 | |
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7 cautious | |
adj.十分小心的,谨慎的 | |
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8 buddy | |
n.(美口)密友,伙伴 | |
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