dohekitchen；insteadofcarryingittothestudioifshe
hadntgonebackthereforit；sheheroadtwo
nutessooner；andifshehaddohat；shehavebeenhit
soanthasfault
itfairshestudiedashardassheuldandstillgotbs
insteadofassheuldntplaytheflutelikelydiaorsinglike
shellyshehadbeenbestatgyastics；thenshehadgrownsonow
herlooksrength�ndgooddiditdorachelfoughther
ateverytutheolestkidshirdholesintheir
earsandgettingankletattoostheolestkidsascara
andtighttopstoschoollydia；butsheolpoor；
santhakne
shealsokneplans；jackwas
goingtolikethevenless
jackhahardonhedidntbothertothinkbackon
hedbeendreangnoneedrachelherowdy
billooppingthehevelourrobehookedonthe
door；thenubbyshaherockingchair；thedriedflowersin
avasethatp；green；and�ohelphiertile
sheheoverfloofclothesingtobehe
haphazardpileofbooksandgazinesthatsatonthefloorbesidea
hugehandssholdingbaseball
hatsandathaththebootsbelohechaoswas
vintagerachel；buthell；heuldkeephiseyesclosedandseeher
theseatedthesheets
throhephonelick
andnodialtone；hepressedthebuttonseveraltis；
elseuldpossiblyg
………………………………
第20节
oe
itinutebeforeheleaed；hrelief；thatrachelwas
stillalive；atose；andh
unexpectedpride；thatsanthahadhadthehaltocallthe
hospitalonherootionssoearlyin
theday；chlessthreesuchheftyonesatleasthiserectionwas
gonehedidnttohavetoanalyzethat
pushingtheversaside；hetothehe
fra；andpeeredoutingfogfilledthecanyon；butitwas
differentfrohefogthatfilledhisurtyardinthecitythisone
er；gentleritwasflannelgrayandfuzzygreen；andfora
nute；notunderstanding；hejuststoodthereand
ovednothingchangedhesaoss；and
foghiseyeslapsedintoasleepystare
”daddy”helookedoverhisshoulderatthedoorhopesfacewas
allthatshohroughanarroe
”idontfeelgood；daddystochhurts”justthatquickly；so
didjackshestraightened”hurts；asinpain”ifitwas
appendicitis；he
”nonotpain”
”ache””iguess”hetothedoorandtouchedhercheek”you
dontfeelfeverish
thinkitethingyouate””idontknoifigoto
schoolandstartfeelingsick；theyllhavetocallyou；andifyoure
intheaybeishouldjuststayinbed”she
didntlooksishedidntfeelsithefreckles
shehadinheritedfroayskin”dontyou
toseeyourther”hereyesoing；i
edgenuineenoughabout
that
soithadtobethecat”
thinkshefeelsgood；eitherifistayhere
hher；thetter”jackrubbedthebackofhis
necktosay”hatsoundsfine
exceptorroherorthe
dayafterthat”thecatgetbetterinaday
ortotherandguinevere；youuldsstherestof
thesyoudoing
that”
”butifigotosoguineverewillbehere
aloneforawhole；longday”
”didntsaayshedsleepstoftheti”aeknod
”icantleaveherall
alone
not
notnohroughhishair；butthe
gestureseedinadequateeventohisoheputanarroundher
shoulderstheyfeltsllandfrailunderatshirtthatreachedher
kneesandwasnearlyaswide
barebitsofskinnylegshohetshirtendedandher
sbegan”iknoriedtothinkof
asolutionifchildrenhe
backgroundheetoarchitecture；not
parenting”youllbehherallsay
anything；justlookedupathifearonherfaceandthebeginning
oftearsinhereyes；neitherofadehieelgreat
hehadathought”say”hopegavea
oneshoulderedshrug
”efrochool””nobutshedbehereto
checkonguinevere”andheithoutsayinghewas
droppingthegirlsatsel；headingnorthtontereyand
thehospital；drivingnorthagaintosanfrancis；backdooget
thegirlsatschool；uptothehospitalagainbigsuryfive
nutessouthofcarl
itdidntkesensetoaddniynutes；roundtrip；toallthat
otherdriving；justforthesakeofthecat
”icantleaveheralone；daddy；”hopebegged”notalldaynot
lyingthereallalone；all
daylong””ysdifferenttherearedoctorsandnurseshe
realizedhehadfallenintoatrapwhenshebegannodding
sighing；hegaveinbuthereallydidntissingschool
kay；largelybecausehereallydidnttohavetodrivedoo
getherddaytherehadtobeanotheraboutduncan”
ifthened；heulddothis”thinkhed
checkonher”hopelookedskeptical”hesgonealot；toobuthe
eshoforlunch”shebrightenedrginally”iuldask”
duncanhadaunterofferthathopelikedevenbetter；thoughjackhad
noideaunderstandter
offspendingthedayatduncansthanatherownhouse
”hehasfaith；”
push
hehadbeenhearingaboutduncansfaithforyearsthegirls
ntioneditinthesabreathansna；sooftenthatjack
hadactuallyaskedrachelherduncanbelongedtoacult
bigsurhaditsshareoffreespirits；aginghippies；sunworshipers；
heoldrachelhadlaughedroundly
soduncanatteredretojackhatin
therushtogetdressedandcarrythecat；litter；andfoodtothe
sllranchthreenutesuptheroad；hopeforgotabouther
stochache
jacke
out；hesaid；”thanksthisansalottoher”
”hoother
””thesaieadingtherenow”
”bettercallben”
”beforeduncanuldansaken
thebignshandandhreverence
itepictureeautifulhope；hsunnyblondhair；hazelgold
eyes；andnoatouchoflorunderherfreckles；and
duncan；elyhhisbigebeard；longears；and
leatheryhands
”illeforherlater；”hopewassaying
thebignnodded；gaveherhandasqueeze；andnudgedhertoward
jack
thehospital；rachelhe；lyingon
crispellingasantisepticasshehadthedaybefore
hehadbroughtatubeofandbeganrubbingit
ontothosestretchesofherskinthatwerebare
”better；”hesaid
flatteredidhavethoughtyouch”hetouchedlotionto
hercheeks；hebruise”blackandbluehere；
”hetoldher”iftheydidntknoter；theydbewonderingwho
hityou
goodthingithathehadeverraisedahand
torachelrtoeitherofthekidsfor；everotherfaultshehad；
thatoneasthesonofanaviddisciplinar》ugian；hehad
seenenoughraisedhandstolasthilifeti”illbetyouhavea
………………………………
第21节
headap；heraread
oventbehindthelids
hereonitorscreenherheartbeatwas
undulatingevenlysheelyalivehewonderedifshefound
hisusing
hetoldheraboutgettingthecattoduncans；aboutingten
nutesforsanthatofinishbloickstraight；about
droppingthegirlsatschoolinutestosparehetoldherhis
plansforthedayhetoldherthatsheessinguphislifeina
jor
inafitoffrustration
hefoundkarabatesinthehallthepearlearringshadbeenreplaced
byonyxsquares；poheiroonivorylobes；afoil
forblackhairknottedstylishlyinbackso；sheedtobetaken
seriouslyheuldgiveherthatchance
”shouldntraethingbynoanded
”itsbeenadayandahalf”karastuckathuoverhershoulder
”itsbeenanthandahalfforthefalyintherethesethings
taketi；gillyourgettingatsare
stabletheresbeennodropinoxygensaturation；noriseinarterial
pressureethatsothingsherightwayin
there”
”easyforyoutosay”
”no；”shesaidcrisply”noteasyatallitodo；notto
thisisnteasyforanyofus”
”ihaveaneurologistingfrohecityhesaidhedbeby
today”
shereachedbehindthedeskandproducedabusinesscard”hewas
alreadyherehesuggeststhatyoucallhiidafteoon”
”didheseeherfile
”herfile；her；everythinghesaysheagreeshourdiagnosishe
doesntfeelthatanythingelseshouldbedonerightnokrana
handthroughhishairanotherhopethakea
guessastodothat”ifsheedto
playinthejors；shehadtodobetter”try”shesilyshookher
head”idliketogiveyouhope；butijustdontnowhead
injuriesarelikethatthebesticandoistosaythatrachelisa
goodcandidateforrevery”thatofjacked
tohear
heshouldhavefeltbetterdrivingnorthtohis
ewas；wherehisbusiness
was
hehadseenrerkablesuccesshere；hadfelttheheadinessoflanding
pluobsandthesatisfactionofseeinghisdesignsbuilthewas
knoedherehehadapotentialsignificantother
here
buthisddlegreighterthecloserhegotandwasjoinedbyanodd
grogginessitindhathadfallenasleep
tinglydense
hestoppedathishousefirst；hopingtogethisbearingsthere；but
theplacefeltldfrequenttravelerthatheossedaduffel
onthebed；quicklyfilledithclothes；packeduprazor；shaving
creahairbrusheeinglittleofit；barelythinkinginthestudio；
hestuffedabriefcasethefax；aportfoliohplans
invaryingstagesofpletionhedidntbothertolookoutatthe
urtyardnothingtoseetatotaloften
sendsflippingthroughyesterdaysilbeforetossingitaside；then
startedoutthedoor；stoppedshort；andretuedstandinginthe
fronthall；edacharalgraythathe
hadthoughthandsoattheti；hecalledjill
”hogo”heaskedassoonasshesaidhello
”jackinthesilequestioninvited
re
”pla
eadedbaupatschoolrachelis
stillatosehonight””itcessful”
”iknehingslikethatsowell”shewasa
；generoushostess；e；atarestaurant；
orinaballrootheyhadtasfelloeoneelses
partytdiatelyiressedshewas
poisedandintelligent；kneoaskquestions；ulddiscuss
politics；butortant；hereo
”houchdidyouraise””illtallyingthelastofthe
rafflereceipts；butitlookslikeillion”
”thatsgreat；jillgoodforyouyoustbethrilled”hewas
pleasedforher；evenifhisvoicedidntshoheinflectionshehad
s
”issedyou；”shesaid
issedyou；too；heshouldhavebeenabletosaybutheoo
preoccupieduchaboutjill
”youdeservebetterthanaguyinute；even
thoughhisreasonsaregoodveryaing
hertoyellathiallthe
”noyouiwasrunningaroundyoudhavebeen
stranded
e；jill”
”notevenforanutejustaquickruninontheothe
office
””icant”
”questionoften
duringthepasttravelednstantly
anyanhedatedknehatjillhefirstedit
graciously
andshehadheroauses；herownfriends；
andature；givingindividualhelovedthosethingsabout
her
heespeadehieeledhewould
alhatbutshedidntnagndshenaggingnow；
thoughthequestionsoundeddifferentthistiheuldhaveswo
hesensedfearitefearthathehadsensedatiortwo
before；oafuturetogether
usuallyheskirtedtheissuebyblanghisto
betiedtoanrriedtoeaseorhewouldsay；
”letgetthroughthispatch；andy
lifeisntoanybigprojectsgoingon”
thistihesilysaid；”illbebackassoonasicanprayfor
rachel”knohat；blessher；shethat；he
drovetotheoffice；butthenutehepulledintothespacethathe
paiddearlyforeachnth；hehadtheurgetobackrightoutand
leavethereshere；toonytolabeloruntoodo
icsurvival；thoughthate
fearingretodohefeltnfusedthegrogginessin
hisheadbecaabuzz
heedtorun；escape；flee
butthisasanapartner；hehadaresponsibilityto
theteoddpeoplethatheanddavideloyed
takingthestairste；hecrossedthroughthebrickwalled
………………………………
第22节
foyerhonlyapassingnodatthereceptionisthestrodedohe
hall；lookingatnoneoftheopencubicleslesthiseyebecaught；and
didntstopuntilhereachedtinaciannisglassenclosedoffice
shehephoneeyeshinsends
”onterey”
recautiously；shesaid；”hostill
atose
”tinareleasedabreath”healivepartisgoodhohe
girls””hangingintherea
toknohana
a””davidichael