cwilleford.theburntorangeheresy-第24部分

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eturned　to　the　studio。
　　I　ran　into　trouble　with　the　fire。　Turpentine　is　flammable；　highly　flammable；　but　I　had　difficulty　in　getting　it　lighted　and　in　keeping　it　burning　once　it　was　lit。　I　finally　had　to　take　the　remains　of　the　Miami　Herald；　crumple　each　separate　page　into　a　ball；　and　partially　soak　each　sheet　with　turpentine　before　I　could　get　a　roaring　fire　started　beneath　the　Early　American　Harvest　table。
　　Once　it　got　started；　however；　the　fire　burned　beautifully。　I　poured　most　of　the　last　can　on　the　studio　door；　and　dribbled　the　rest　to　the　blaze　beneath　the　table。　I　then　tossed　the　new　canvases　into　the　fire；　and　backed　out　of　the　room。　Because　the　fire　would　need　a　draft；　I　left　the　studio　door　and　the　front　door　standing　open。　Whether　the　house　burned　down　or　not　was　unimportant。　The　important　thing　was　a　charred　and　well…gutted　studio。　I　wanted　no　evidence　of　any　paintings　left　behind；　and　the　crackling　prepared　canvases；　sized　with　white　lead；　burned　rapidly。
　　Satisfied；　I　turned　out　the　living　room　and　kitchen　lights　and　got　into　the　car。　When　I　reached　the　highway　and　stopped；　Berenice　was　gone。　I　shouted　her　name　twice　and　panicked　momentarily。　Had　she　hitchhiked　a　ride　back　to　Palm　Beach？　If　she　stuck　out　her　thumb；　any　truck　driver　who　saw　it　would　stop　and　pick　her　up。　But　I　calmed　down　by　puffing　myself　in　her　place；　turned　toward　the　drive…in　theater　instead　of　turning　left　for　Palm　Beach；　and　found　her　waiting　for　me　in　the　gravel　road　of　the　driveway；　standing　near　the　well…lighted　marquee。
　　〃What　took　you　so　long？〃　Her　voice　wasn't　angry。　She　was　too　relieved　to　see　me；　happy　to　be　in　the　car　again。　〃I　thought　you　were　never　ing　back。〃
　　〃I'm　sorry。　It　took　longer　than　I　expected。〃
　　〃Did　you　stea…　take　a　picture？〃
　　〃Yeah。〃
　　〃What　were　they　like？　The　pictures？〃
　　〃I'll　turn　over　here　U。S。　One。　There're　too　many　trucks　on　Seven。〃
　　〃How　long　do　you　think　it'll　be；　before　he　misses　the　picture？〃
　　〃I've　got　to　go　back　to　New　York；　Berenice。　Tonight。　So　as　soon　as　we　get　back　to　the　apartment　I'll　pack…　you're　still　packed；　practically…　and　then　I　can　drop　you　off　at　the　airport。　Or；　if　you'd　rather；　you　can　stay　on　for　a　few　more　days。　The　rent's　paid　till　the　end　of　the　month；　so　。　。　。〃
　　〃If　you're　going　to　New　York；　so　am　I！〃
　　〃But　what's　the　point？　You've　got　your　school　year　contract；　and　you　have　to　go　back　to　work；　don't　you？　Besides；　I'm　going　to　be　busy。　I　won't　have　any　time　for　you　at　all。　First；　there's　the　Debierue　article　to　write；　and　the　deadline　is　tighter　than　hell　now。　I'll　have　to　find　a　place　to　crash。　The　man　in　my　pad　has　still　got　another　month　on　the　sublease；　you　see。　I'm　almost　broke；　and　I'll　have　to　borrow　some　money；　and…〃
　　〃Money　isn't　a　problem；　James。　I've　got　almost　five　hundred　dollars　in　traveler's　checks；　and　more　than　five　thousand　in　savings　in　the　credit　union。　I'm　going　to　New　York　with　you。
　　〃Okay；〃　I　said　bitterly；　〃but　you'll　have　to　help　me　drive。〃
　　〃Watch　out！〃　she　shrilled。　〃That　car's　only　got　one　headlight！〃
　　〃I　don't　mean　that　way。　I　mean　to　spell　me　at　the　wheel　on　the　way　up；　so　we　can　make　better　time。〃
　　〃I　know　what　you　meant；　but　you　might　have　thought　it　was　a　motorcycle。　We　can　trade　off　every　two　hours。〃
　　〃No。　When　I　get　tired；　we'll　trade。〃
　　〃All　right。　How're　you　going　to　get　your　twenty　dollars　back？〃
　　〃What　twenty　dollars？〃
　　〃The　deposit　at　the　electric　pany。　If　we　leave　tonight；　you　won't　be　able　to　have　them　cut　off　the　electricity　or　get　your　deposit　back。〃
　　〃Jesus；　I　don't　know。　I　can　let　the　landlady　handle　it　and　send　me　the　money　later。　They'll　subtract　what　I　owe　anyway。　Please；　Berenice；　I'm　trying　to　think。　I've　got　so　much　on　my　mind　I　don't　want　to　hear　any　more　domestic　crap；　and　those　damned　non　sequiturs　of　yours　drive　me　up　the　goddamned　tree。〃
　　〃I'm　sorry。〃
　　〃So　am　I。　We're　both　sorry；　but　just　be　quiet。〃
　　〃I　will。　I　won't　say　anything　else。〃
　　〃Nothing　else！　Please！〃
　　Berenice　gulped；　closed　her　generous　mouth；　and　puckered　her　lips　into　a　prim　pout。　She　looked　straight　ahead　through　the　windshield　and　twisted　her　gloves；　which　she　had　removed；　in　her　lap。　I　had　shouted　at　her；　but　in　my　agitation；　somehow；　had　consented　to　take　her　with　me　to　New　York。　This　was　the　last　thing　I　wanted　to　do。　It　would　take　two　days；　perhaps　three；　to　write　the　article　on　Debierue…and　I　had　to　do　something　about　the　painting　for　Mr。　Cassidy。　It　wasn't　a　task　I　could　have　done　for　me；　although　I　knew　a　dozen　painters　in　New　York　who　could　have　produced　anything　on　canvas　I　asked　them　to　put　there；　and　the　product　would　have　been　a　professional　job。
　　But　no　one　could　be　trusted。　It　was　something　I　had　to　do　myself；　to　fit　Debierue's　〃American　Period〃…at　that　moment　I　coined　the　title　for　my　article：　〃Debierue：　The　American　Harvest　Period。〃　It　was　a　major　improvement　over　my　previous　title；　and　〃American　Harvest〃…the　idea　must　have　e　to　me　from　the　worktable　in　his　studio…　would　provide　me　with　a　springboard　for　generating　associative　ideas。
　　But　there　was　still　Berenice；　and　the　problem　of　what　to　do　with　her…but　wasn't　it　better　to　have　her　with　me　than　to　simply　turn　her　loose　where　she　could　learn　about　the　fire　by　reading　about　it　in　a　newspaper；　or　by　hearing　a　newscast？　How　soon　would　the　report　go　out？　Would　Debierue　telephone　Mr。　Cassidy　and　tell　him　about　it？　That　depended　upon　the　extent　of　the　fire；　probably；　but　Cassidy　would　be　the　only　person　Debierue　knew　to　contact；　and　I　could　certainly　trust　Cassidy　to　make　the　correct　decision。　He　might　inform　the　news　media；　and　again　he　might　not。　Before　doing　anything；　he　would　want　to　know　whether　I　got　a　picture　for　him　before　the　fire　started。　And　although　Cassidy　might　suspect　me　of　setting　the　fire；　he　wouldn't　know　for　sure；　and　he　wouldn't　give　a　damn　about　the　other　〃paintings〃　destroyed　in　the　fire　so　long　as　he　got　his。
　　I　still　had　about　three　hours；　or　perhaps　closer　to　four；　to　contact　Cassidy　before　Debierue　learned　about　the　fire　and　managed　to　telephone　him。
　　And　Berenice？　It　would　be　best　to　keep　her　with　me。　At　least　for　now。　Once　we　reached　New　York；　I　could　settle　her　in　a　hotel　for　a　few　days　until　I　finished　doing　the　things　I　had　to　do；　and　then　we　could　work　out　a　promise　of　some　kind。　The　best　promise；　and　I　could　work　out　the　details　later；　would　be　for　her　to　return　to　Duluth　and　teach　until　the　summer　vacation。　In　this　way；　〃we　could　reflect　upon　how　we　really　felt　about　each　other…at　a　sane　distance；　without　passion　interfering…and；　if　we　both　felt　as　if　we　still　loved　each　other；　in　truth；　and　our　affair　was　not　just　a　physical　thing；　well；　we　could　then　work　out　some　kind　of　life　arrangement　together　when　we　met　in　New　York…or　somewhere…during　her　two…month　summer　vacation。〃
　　This　was　an　idea　I　could　sell；　I　decided；　but　until　I　had　time　for　it；　she　could　stay　with　me　for　the　ride。　It　would　take　hours　of　argument　to　get　rid　of　her　now；　and　I　simply　couldn't　spare　the　time　on　polemics　when　I　had　to　concentrate　every　faculty　I　possessed　on　Debierue；　his　〃American　Harvest〃　period；　his　painting；　and　what　I　was　going　to　write。
　　I　took　the　Lake　Worth　bridge　to　pick　up　A1A；　to　enter　Palm　Beach　from　the　southern　end　of　the　island；　and　Berenice　shifted　suddenly　in　her　seat。
　　〃Do　you　know　that　we've　driven　for　more　than　forty…five　minutes；　and　you　haven't　said　a　single　word？〃
　　〃Crack　your　wind…wing　a　little；　Honey；〃　I　said；　〃and　we'll　get　some　more　air。〃
　　〃Oh！〃　She　cracked　the　window。　〃You're　the　most　exasperating　man　I've　ever　met　in　my　life；　and　if　I　didn't　love　you　so　much　I'd　tell　you　so！〃
　　By　leaving　the　food　in　the　refrigerator；　and　the　canned　food　and　staples　on　the　shelves；　it　didn't　take　us　long　to　pack。　I　put　my　clean　clothes　in　my　small　suitcase；　and　the　dirty　clothes；　which　made　up　the　bulk　of　my　belongings；　all　went　into　the　big　valopack　with　my　suits；　slacks；　and　jackets。　While　Berenice　looked　around　to　see　if　we　had　forgotten　anything；　I　took　my　bags　and　typewriter　to　the　car　and　tossed　them　into　the　back　seat。
　　On　my　way　back　for　Berenice's　luggage　I　stopped　at　the　landlady's　apartment；　gave　her　the　receipt　for　the　power　pany's　twenty…dollar　deposit；　and　told　her　to　take　the　money　that　remained　to　pay　someone　to　clean　the　apartment。　When　she　began　to　protest　that　this　small　sum　wouldn't　be　enough　to　pay　a　cleaning　woman；　I　told　her　to　add　the　balance　of　the　rent　money　I　had　paid　her　in　advance　instead　of　returning　it　to　me　and　she　said：　〃I　hope　you　have　a　pleasant　trip　back　to　New　York；　Mr。　Figueras；　and　perhaps　you'll　drop　me　a　card　some　time　from　Spanish　Harlem。〃
　　She　was　a　real　bitch；　but　I　shrugged　off　her　parting　remark　and　returned　to　the　apartment　for　Berenice　and　her　things。
　　I　stopped　at　the　Western　Union　office　in　Riviera　Beach　and　sent　two　telegrams。　The　first　one；　to　my　managing　editor　in　New　York；　was　easy：
　　
　　HOLD　MY　SPACE　5000　WORDS　PERSONAL　ARTICLE　ON　DEBIERUE
　　DRIVING　WITH　IT　NOW　TO　NY　FIGUERAS
　　
　　
　　This　telegram　would　put　Tom　Russell　into　a　frenzy；　but　he　would　hold　the　space；　or　rip　out　something　else　already　set　for　a　piece　on　Debierue。　But　he　would　be　so　astonished　about　m