rr.thebrentfordtriangle-第5部分

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　Neville　ground　his　teeth；　loosening　yet　another　expensive　filling；　and　tore　his　eyes　away　from　the　loathsome　spectacle　and　towards　his　approaching　patrons。　'What　is　your　pleasure；　gentlemen？'　he　asked。
　Pooley　hoisted　himself　on　to　his　favourite　stool。　'Two　pints　of　your　very　best；　barlord；'　he　said。　'My　panion　is　in　the　chair。'
　Making　much　of　his　practised　wrist　action；　Neville　drew　off　two　pints　of　the　very　very　best。　He　eyed　Omally　with　only　the　merest　suspicion　as　the　Irishman　paid　up　without　a　fuss；　guessing　accurately　that　it　was　some　debt　of　honour。　His　eyebrows　were　raised　somewhat；　however；　to　the　shabby　and　mud…bespattered　appearance　of　the　two　drinkers。　He　thought　to　detect　something　slightly　amiss。　'I　think　to　detect　something　slightly　amiss；'　he　observed。
　John　drew　deeply　upon　his　pint。　'You　find　me　a　puzzled　man；'　said　he　with　some　sincerity。
　Pooley　nodded；　'I　also　am　puzzled；'　he　said　tapping　his　chest。
　The　part…time　barman　stood　silently　a　moment；　hoping　for　a　little　elaboration；　but　when　it　became　apparent　that　none　was　to　be　forthing　he　picked　up　a　pint　glass　and　began　to　polish　it。
　'You　have　had　no　luck　yet　with　the　disablement　of　that　horror？'　said　Omally；　gesturing　over　his　shoulder　towards　the　video　machine。
　Neville　accelerated　his　polishing。　'None　whatever；'　he　snarled。　'I　have　tried　the　hot　soup　through　the　vent；　the　bent　washer　in　the　slot；　assault　with　a　deadly　weapon。　I　have　tried　simply　to　cut　the　lead　but　the　thing　is　welded　into　the　wall。'
　'Why　not　pull　the　fuse　at　the　mains　box？'　Pooley　asked。
　Neville　laughed　hollowly。　'My　first　thought。　Our　friends　from　the　brewery　have　thought　of　that。　I　have　pulled　every　fuse　in　the　place；　but　it　still　runs。　It　works　off　some　separate　power　supply　which　doesn't　even　register　on　the　electric　meter。　It　cannot　be　switched　off。　Night　and　day　it　runs。　I　can　hear　it　in　my　room；　humming　and　humming。　I　swear　that　if　something　is　not　done　soon　I　will　tender　my　resignation；　if　only　to　save　my　sanity。'
　'Steady　on；'　said　Jim。
　'Look　at　it！'　Neville　manded。　'It　is　an　obscenity；　an　abomination；　an　insult！'　He　placed　one　hand　over　his　heart　and　the　other　palm　downward　upon　the　bar…top。　'Once；'　said　he；　'once；　if　you　will　recall；　one　could　sit　in　this　pub　enjoying　the　converse　of　good　friends　well　met。　Once；　hi　a　corner　booth；　meditate　upon　such　matters　as　took　your　fancy。　Little；　you　will　remember；　and　correct　me　if　I　am　wrong　or　sinking　into　melancholy；　little　broke　the　harmony　of　the　place　but　for　the　whisper　of　the　feathered　flight。　Once。。。　'
　'Enough；　enough；'　said　Jim。　'Hold　hard　now；　you　are　bringing　a　lump　to　my　throat　which　is　causing　some　interference　to　my　drinking。'
　'I　am　not　a　man　to　panic；'　said　Neville；　which　all　knew　to　be　a　blatant　lie。　'But　this　thing　is　wearing　down　my　resistance。　I　cannot　take　much　more；　I　can　tell　you。'
　Omally　noted　well　the　desperation　upon　the　barman's　face　and　felt　sure　that　there　was　the　definite　possibility　of　financial　advancement　in　it。　'You　need　to　play　a　shrewd　game　with　those　mechanical　lads；'　he　said；　when　he　thought　the　time　was　right。　'A　firm　hand　is　all　they　understand。'
　Neville's　eyes　strayed　towards　the　jukebox；　which　had　not　uttered　a　sound　these　ten　years；　since　Omally　had　applied　a　firm　hand　to　its　workings。　It　seemed　a　thing　of　little　menace　now　pared　with　the　video　machine；　but　Neville　could　vividly　recall　the　agonies　he　had　gone　through　at　the　time。　'You　feel　that　you　might　meet　with　such　a　challenge？'　he　asked　in　an　even　voice。
　'Child's　play；'　said　Omally；　which　made　Pooley　choke　upon　his　ale。
　'Good　show。'　Neville　smiled　bravely　and　pulled　two　more　pints。　These　are　on　the　house；'　he　said。
　Old　Pete；　whose　hearing　was　as　acute　as　his　right　arm　sound；　overheard　the　last　remark。　'Good　morning；　John；　Jim；'　he　said；　rising　upon　his　stick。　'A　fine　day　is　it　not？'
　'It　started　poorly；'　said　Omally；　'but　it　is　beginning　to　perk　up。　Cheers。'
　'Been　to　the　allotment　then？'　the　ancient　enquired；　placing　his　empty　glass　upon　the　counter　and　indicating　the　mud…bespattered　condition　of　the　two　secret　golfers。
　'Weeding；'　said　John；　making　motions　with　an　ethereal　shovel。　'Spring　up　overnight；　those　lads。'
　Old　Pete　nodded　sagely。　'It　is　strange；'　said　he；　'what　things　spring　up　upon　an　allotment　patch　overnight。　Take　my　humble　plot　for　instance。　You'll　never　guess　what　I　found　on　it　the　other　day。'
　Pooley；　who　had　a　kind　of　intuition　regarding　these　things；　kept　silent。
　'Golf　tee；'　said　Old　Pete　in　a　harsh　stage　whisper。
　'Large　rum　over　here；'　said　Omally；　rattling　Pete's　glass　upon　the　bar。
　'How　unexpected；'　said　the　wily　old　bastard。　'Bless　you　boys；　bless　you。'
　Omally　drank　a　moment　in　silence。　'Now　tell　me；　Pete；'　said　he；　when　the　ancient　had　taken　several　sips　upon　his　freeman's；　'how　spins　the　world　for　you　at　the　present　hour？'
　Old　Pete　grunted　nonmittally。　'It　is　a　case　of　mustn't　grumble；　I　suppose。'
　'No　news　then？　Nothing　out　of　the　ordinary　or　untoward　on　the　go？'
　'Not　that　I　can　think　of；　did　you　have　anything　in　mind？'
　'No；　nothing。'　Omally　made　a　breezy　gesture。　'It　is　just；　well；　to　be　frank；　Pete；　it　is　well　known　that　little；　if　anything；　going　on　in　the　Borough　ever　slips　by　you；　as　your　present　drink　will　bear　testimony　to。　I　just　thought　that　you　might　have　some　little　snippet　of　interest　up　your　four…buttoned　sleeve。'
　'You　couldn't　be　a　little　more　specific？'　said　Pete；　draining　his　glass。　'So　much　happens　hereabouts；　as　you　know；　to　keep　one's　finger　upon　the　pulse　is　a　thirsty　business。'
　Omally　looked　towards　Pooley；　who　shrugged。　'Same　again　please；　Neville；'　said　John　to　the　part…time　barman；　who　had　been　hovering　near　at　hand；　ears　waggling。
　'All　the　way　round？'
　'All　the　way。'
　The　honours　were　done　and　to　Neville's　disgust　Old　Pete　drew　his　benefactors　away　to　the　side…table；　beneath　which　his　dog　Chips　lay　feigning　slumber。　The　three　men　seated　themselves。　'Would　I　be　right　hi　assuming　that　you　have　something　on　your　mind；　Omally？'　the　ancient　asked。
　'It　is　but　a　trivial　matter；'　Omally　lied；　'hardly　worth　wasting　your　valuable　time　with；　but　I　must　confess　that　it　causes　me　some　perplexity。'
　'Ask　on　then；　John；　you　are　two　drinks　to　credit　and　I　am　by　no　means　a　hard　man　to　deal　with。'
　'Then　I　shall　get　straight　to　the　point。　Have　you　seen　a　suspicious…looking　character　skulking　around；　on；　or　near　the　sacred　soil　of　our　allotments？'
　Old　Pete　nodded。　'Of　course　I　have；'　he　answered；　'both　there　and　elsewhere。'
　'Wearing　a　grey　coverall　suit；　sallow　plexion；　high　cheek…bones？'
　'Looks　like　a　young　Jack　Palance？'
　'The　very　same。'
　'I　have　seen　several。'
　'Oh　dear；'　said　Pooley；　'more　than　one？'
　'At　least　four。　Take　my　warning；　they　have　the　mark　of　officialdom　upon　them。　I　saw　one　last　week　down　by　the　cut；　one　yesterday　on　the　corner　of　the　Baling　Road；　and　there　is　one　drinking　this　very　minute　in　the　far　corner　over　by　the　gents'　bog。'
　'What？'　Omally's　head　spun　hi　the　direction　of　the　gents'。　There　in　the　darkened　corner　stood　a　sinister　figure　in　a　grey　uniform。　His　features　were　blurry　in　the　dun　light；　but　it　was　almost　certainly　the　same　individual　that　he　and　Pooley　had　spied　out　on　the　allotment　not　half　an　hour　earlier。　As　Omally　watched；　the　figure　turned　his　back　upon　them　and　strode　through　the　door　into　the　gents'。
　'All　right；　Pete；'　said　Omally；　turning　to　the　ancient。　'Who　is　he？'
　Old　Pete　shrugged。　'There　you　have　me；　I'm　afraid。　When　first　I　saw　them　I　took　them　for　Council　workers。　They　had　some　kind　of　instruments　mounted　on　a　tripod　and　appeared　to　be　marking　the　ground。　But　I　never　got　close　enough　to　question　them。　They　slipped　away　into　side　roads　or　off　down　alleyways　upon　my　approach。　This　is　the　nearest　that　I　have　so　far　e　to　one　of　them。'
　'But　you　are　sure　that　there　are　more　than　one？'　Pooley　asked。
　'I　have　seen　as　many　as　three　of　them　together　at　one　time。　As　like　as　the　proverbial　peas　in　a　pod。　Suspicious；　I　call　it。'
　'I　shall　go　and　question　him。'　Omally　rose　from　his　chair。
　'Best　wait　till　he　es　out；'　Jim　suggested。　'It　is　hardly　sporting　to　corner　a　man　in　the　bog。'
　'Do　it　now　while　you　have　him　cornered；'　said　Old　Pete。　They　are　a　sly　crowd。　I　never　saw　that　fellow　enter　the　Swan　and　I　was　the　first　man　in。'
　'That　settles　it；'　said　John；　drawing　up　his　cuffs。　'I　shall　have　it　out　with　him。'　Without　further　word　he　crossed　the　bar　and　pushed　open　the　door　to　the　gents'。
　It　closed　gently　behind　him　and　a　long　minute　passed。　Pooley　looked　up　at　the　Guinness　clock　and　watched　the　second　hand　sweeping　the　dial。　'Do　you　think　he's　all　right？'　he　whispered。
　Old　Pete　nodded。　'Omally　knows　how　to　handle　himself；　it　is　well　known　that　he　is　a　Grand　Master　in　the　deadly　fighting　arts　of　Dimac。'
　'It　is　much　spoken　of；　certainly；'　said　Jim　with　some　deliberation。　As　the　second　hand　passed　the　twelve　for　the　third　time　Pooley　gripped　the　table　and　pulled　himself　to　his　feet。　'Something　is　wrong；'　he　said。
　'He　said　he　was　going　to　have　it　out　with　the　fellow；　don't　be　so　hasty；　give　him　another　minute。'
　'I　don't　know；　you　say　you　never　saw　him　e　in；　maybe　he　has　several　of　his　chums　in　there。　I　don't　like　the　feel　of　this。'