Driving Force Part 32

'DidanyoneelseseeJogger'srabbit?'

Isimplycan'tremember.'Itwasclearfromherexpressionthatshecouldn'tseeanyimportanceiniteither.

'Oh,well.Thanksanyway,'Isaid.

Shesmiledwithoutguileandturnedbacktoherwork.

Nuns,Ithought.Rabbits.Nunsandmonks,nunsandsisters...nunsandhabits.

Jogger'swords.'Takeabutcher'satthemnuns.TherewasadeadoneinthepitlastAugust-anditwascrawling.'

TheonlyrabbitsthatIcouldthinkofthathemightmeanweretherabbitsbelongingtotheWatermeadchildren,butevenifoneofthoserabbitshadsomehowescapedandgotasfarastheinspectionpit,itwouldhardlyhavebeencrawlingwithmaggotsunless,ofcourse,ithadbeentheredeadfordayswhenJoggerfoundit.Itdidn'tseemtobeofanyimportance...b.u.t.toJoggerithadseemedimportantenoughforhimtotellmeabout.i.t-inhisownunintelligibleway-sevenmonthsaftertheevent.

Ilookedatmywatch.Approachingnineo'clock.WhatwasIsupposedtobedoingatnineo'clock?Thesleep-filleda.s.signationwithMarigoldEnglishswamtothesurface.

ItoldIsobelwhereIwasgoingandtoreachmebymobilephoneforawhileifsheneededme,anddrovetoMarigold'syard.

ShewasoutsideinherwoollyhatandcamehurryingtowardsmewhenIappeared,carryingwithherabowlofhorsenuts.

'Don'tgetout,'shecommanded.'DrivemetolookatPeterman.'

AccordinglyIfollowedherdirections,whichinvolvedb.u.mpingdownagra.s.sytracktoadistantpaddockbehindherhouse.Thepaddockslopeddowntoabrookandwasedgedwithtallwillowtreesthatwouldgivegreatshadeforoldhorseswhentheleavescameout.

Peterman,however,wasupnearthegateandlookedthoroughlymiserable.HeputhisnosedowntoMarigold'sofferedhorsenutsandthenmovedhisheadawayasifoffended.

'See?'shesaid.'Hewon'teat.'

'Whatarethenuts?'Iasked.

Shementionedastandardbrandmuchusedandwellrespected.'Allhorseslikethem,theyneverfail.'

IlookedatPeterman,puzzled.'What'sthematterwithhim,then?'

Marigoldhesitated.'IphonedmyoldvetonSalisburyPlaintoaskhim,buthesaidjusttogivetheoldchaptimetosettlein.ThenIcamedownhereagainyesterdayevening,andyouknowwhatanicesunnyeveningitwas?Thesunwa.s.shininglowandyellowontheoldhorse,andyoucouldseethem.'

'Seewhat?'

'Ticks.'

Istaredather.

'Tickbites,'shesaid.'Ithinkthat'swhat'swrongwithhim.IphonedJohnTigwoodnothalfanhouragototellhimtodosomethingabout.i.tandhesaiditwasrubbishandimpossible,andanywayyou,Freddie,hadgotthelocalvetroundonTuesdaywhenthehorsesgottoPixhill,andyou'dinsistedonanexamination,andthevethadpa.s.sedthehorsesfullyfitandhadsignedadoc.u.menttothateffectwhichhewouldshowmeifIliked,andreally,Ididn'tlikehistonemuchandInearlytoldhimtofetchthehorsebackagain,b.u.t.thenI'dalreadyaskedyoutocomeandlook,andknowingthatyouwantedthisoldthingwelllookedafter...well,Idecidedtowaituntilyoucameandtoaskyouwhatyouthought.'Shestopped,runningoutofbreath.'Whatdoyouthink?'

'Um...whereweretheticks?'

'Onhisneck.'

IpeeredatPeterman'sneck,butcouldseeonlyhisbaycoat,stillthickforthewinter.Comewarmerweatherhewouldshedalotofit,revealingtheshortcoolercoatofsummer.

'Whatweretheylike?'IaskedMarigold.

'Tinybrownthings.Thesamecolourashiscoat.Iwouldneverhaveseenthemexceptforthesun,andbecauseoneofthemmoved.'

'Howmany?'

'Idon'tknow...maybesevenoreight.Icouldn'tseethemveryclearly.'

'ButMarigold...'

'YouthinkI'mpotty?Whataboutthebees?'

'Er...'

Shesaidimpatiently,'Bees,Freddie.Bees.Varroajacobonsi.'

'Startatthebeginning,'Ibegged.

'Theyaremites,'shesaid.'Theyliveonbees.Theydon'tkillthem,theyjustsucktheirblooduntilthebeescan'tfly.'

'Ididn'tknowbeeshadblood.'

Shegavemeawitheringlook.'Mybrotherpanicsaboutvarroa,'shesaid.'He'safruitfarmerandhalfhistreesdon'tbearfruitbecausethebeesaretooweaktopollinate.'

'Oh.Yes,Isee.'

'Sohesmokesapipeatthem.'

'ForG.o.d'ssake...'

'Pipetobaccosmokeisabouttheonlythingthatknocksoutvarroamites.Ifyoublowpipetobaccosmokeintoabeehiveallthemitesfalldowndead.'

'Um,'Isaid.'It'sfascinating,butwhathasitgottodowithPeterman?'

'Don'tbesoslow,'shecommanded.'Tickscarryillnesses,don'tthey?Ican'trisktheticksonPetermanhoppingontomytwo-year-olds,nowcanI?'

'No,'Isaidslowly,'youcan't.'

'SoregardlessofwhatJohnTigwoodsays,I'mnotgoingtokeepthisoldhorsehere.I'mverysorry,Freddie,butyou'llhavetofindhimanotherhome.'

'Yes,'Isaid.'Iwill.'

'When?'

Ithoughtofherstar-studdedstableandofmyownstrongdesiretotransportthemforevertothewinners'enclosures.

Isaid,I'llwalkhimdowntomyhouse.There'sapatchofgardenhecanstayintemporarily.ThenI'llwalkbackformycar.Wouldthatdo?'

Shenoddedwithapproval.'You'reagoodlad,Freddie.'

'I'msorrytohavegivenyouthistrouble.'

'Ijusthopeyouunderstand.'

Ia.s.suredherIdid.Idrovebackalongthegra.s.sytracktoherstableyard,whereshelentmealeading-reinforPetermanandthenledmebythearmtopeeroverahalf-dooratherabsoluteprideandjoy,thethree-year-oldcoltthat,ifallwentwell,wouldbecontestingthe2,000GuineasandtheDerbyagainstMichaelWatermead'ssensation,IrkabAlhawa.Inher,asinMichael,thefledglingexcitementshimmeredintheeyes,thewildhopegrowing.

'Youdosee,'shereiterated,'aboutPeterman.'

'Ofcourse,'Isaid.Ikissedhercheek.Shenodded.IcouldslaughterJohnTigwood,Ithought,forputtingmeinsuchanawkwardposition,eventhough,Ithoughtmorefairly,itwasn'tactuallyhisfault,asIhadmyselfaskedMarigoldtotakespecificallyPeterman.

SighingatmyfollyIreturnedtothepaddock,putontheleading-reinandledmyoldfriendoutofhisidyllicpastureandalongtheroadtotheverymuchsmallerpatchofs.h.a.ggylawninthewalledgardenbehindmyhouse.

'Don'teattheb.l.o.o.d.ydaffodils,'Itoldhim.

Helookedatmebalefully.AsItookofftheleading-reintowalkaway,Inoticedhewasn'teveninterestedinthegra.s.s.

IcollectedmyFourtrakfromMarigold'syardandwenthomeagain.PetermanstoodmoreorlesswhereI'dlefthim,lookingmiserable,thedaffodilsintact.Ifithadn'tbeenforthefallacyofendowinganimalswithhumanfeelings,I'dhavesaidtheoldhorsewasdepressed.Igavehimabucketofwater,buthedidn'tdrink.

Variousthoughtshadbeenpoppingintomymind,almostasifacoupleofsleepingcylindershadresumedfiring.Isatdownatthecomputerinmybatteredroomandlookeduptheinstructionmanualsagainforarenewedexpeditionthroughtheoldinformationonthehealthydisks.

Insurveyingthedrivers'journeysIhadnot,I'dremembered,pulledoutJogger'sown.EvenwhenIdid,Ilearnedlittle,ashe'ddrivenveryseldom;barelyhalfadozentimesthepreviousyearandnearlyallonBankHolidayMondays,thedayswhenwithalltheholidayracemeetingscountrywide,wewerealwayssc.r.a.pingthebarrelforchauffeurs.

Irubbedmynose,thoughtabitmore,andbegantobringtothescreenthehorseboxesthemselves,onebyone,identifyingthembyregistrationnumber.

Thecolumnsonthescreencameuplookingcompletelydifferent:thesameinformationasbeforebutilluminatedfromtheside,likeMarigold'sviewofotherwiseinvisibleticks.

Identifiedbyregistrationnumber,eachbox'shistorynowgavemedates,journeys,purposeofjourney,drivers,enginehourslogged,odometerreadings,maintenanceschedules,repairs,licensing,roadworthycertificates,unladenweights,fuelcapacity,fuelactuallyuseddaybyday.

Aftersometaxingcerebration,muchconsultationwiththemanualsandafewfalsestarts,IcameupnextwithdetailsofallmaintenanceworkperformedbyJoggerthepreviousAugust.ThistimeI'dsortedtheworkbychronology,andhadprovidedmyselfmoresimplywiththedate,thehorseboxregistrationnumberandtheworkdone.

DaybysummerdayIlookedbackthroughthatonemonthinJogger'slife,andthereIfoundher,thedeadnun.

Augustloth.TheregistrationnumberofthehorseboxregularlydrivenbyPhil.Oilchangeovertheinspectionpit.Tanksofairfortheairbrakesdrained.Airbrakecompressorchecked.Allgreasenipplesfilled.Attheend,anoteenteredonthedaybyIsobelandforgotten:'Joggersaysadeadrabbitfelloutofthehorseboxintothepit.Crawlingwithticks,hesaid.Disposedofinskip.'

Isatlookingvaguelyintos.p.a.ce.

AfterawhileIwentbacktothebeginningandcalledPhil'srecordstothescreen,tofindoutwherehe'dbeenonAugust10thor9thor8th.

Phil,myfaithfulaidtoldme,hadnotbeendrivingthatparticularhorseboxonanyofthosedays.He'dbeendrivinganotherbox,anolderone,whichIhad,Iremembered,subsequentlysold.

Backtothedrawingboard:backtoregistrationnumbers,thesidewaysillumination.

OnAugust7ththehorseboxPhilnowadaysdrovehadgonetoFrancewithtworunners...o...b..njyUsher.Theyhadrunonthe8thatCagnes-sur-Mer,downontheMediterranean,andreturnedtoPixhillonthe9th.

Thathorsebox,onthatjourney,hadbeendrivenbyLewis.

Lewishadactuallydriventhatparticularboxmostofthepreviousyear,asIknewperfectlywellonceI'dthoughtabout.i.t.I'dtransferredLewistothesparklingnewsuper-sixI'dboughtintheautumntoreplacetheoldone;transferredhimsothattheUsherandWatermeadhorsesshouldgoinmybeststyletotheirdestinies.LewishaddrivenoneofMichael'shorsestoDoncasterinSeptemberinthenewsuper-sixtowinthelastCla.s.sicraceoftheyear,theStLeger.

Ataboutten-fifteenItelephonedEdinburgh.

'Quipphere,'apleasantvoicesaid.English,notaScot.

'Um...excusemephoningyou,'Isaid,'butdoyouhappentoknowwhereIcouldfindmysister,Lizzie?'

Afterthebriefestofpauseshesaid,'Whichareyou,RobinorFreddie?'

'Freddie.'

'Holdon.'

Iheld,andheardhisvoiceyelling,'Liz,yourbrotherFred...'andthenshewas,moderatelystartled,saying,'Isityourhead?'

'What?No.Except.i.t'sbeenslowandstupid.Look,um...Lizzie,doyouknowanyonewhoknowsanythingaboutticks?'

'Ticks?'

'Yeah.Littlebiters.''ForG.o.d'ssake...'ShetoldProfessorQuippwhatIwantedandhecamebackontheline.

'Whatsortofticks?'heasked.

'That'swhatIwanttofindout.Thesortthatliveonhorsesand...er...rabbits.'

'Doyouhaveanyspecimens?'

'I'vegotahorseinthegardenwhichprobablyha.s.some.'

AfterasilenceLizziecameback.'I'vetriedtoexplaintoQuippthatyou'reconcussed.'

'Farfromit,atlast.'

'Whathorseinthegarden?'

Peterman.OneofthegeriatricsfromlastTuesday.Seriously,Lizzie,askyourprofessorhowIgetinformationaboutticks.Therearetoomanymulti-millionanimalsinPixhillformessingaboutiftickscouldmakethemill.'

'YeG.o.ds.

Ilistenedtothreefullminutesofsilence,thenProfessorQuippsaid,'Areyoustillthere?'

'Yes.'

'I'veafriendwho'satickexpert.Hesayscanyoubringhimsomespecimens?'

'Doyoumean...putthehorseinahorseboxanddriveittoEdinburgh?'

'That'soneway,Isuppose.'

'Thehorseisterriblyoldandshaky.Lizzieknows,shesawhim.Hemightnotlastthejourney.'

'I'llphoneyouback,'hesaid.