"I'll get it for you.""I'll get it," I suggested."No. Let me. Do let me. Uncle gave me the money." Hemarched off to the far <strong>en</strong>d of the counter and ordered acup of coffee and two rounds of smoked salmon sandwiches,and paid for them with a well crushed pound note."There," he said triumphantly. "How's that?""Fine," I said. "Terrific. Have a sandwich.""All right."We munched companionably. "I say," he said, "look atthat man over there, he looks like a ghost."I turned my head. Big blond man with very pale skin.Pair of clumsy crutches. Large plaster cast. Acey Jones.Not so noisy today. Drinking beer very quietly in a farcorner with a nondescript fri<strong>en</strong>d. "He fell down some stepsand broke his ankle and collected a thousand pounds froman insurance policy," I said."Golly," said the boy. "Almost worth it.""He thinks so, too.""Uncle has something to do with insurance. Don't knowwhat, though.""An underwriter?" I suggested."What's that?""Someone who invests money in insurance companies, ina special sort of way.""He talks about Lloyd's, sometimes. Is it something to dowith Lloyd's?""That's right." He nodded and looked wistfully at thesandwiches."Have another," I suggested."They're yours, really.""Go on. I'd like you to." He gave me a quick bright glanceand bit into number two."My name's Matthew," he said.I laughed. "So is mine.""Is it really? Do you really mean it?""Yes.""Wow."There was a step behind me and the deep Eton-soundingvoice said, "Is Matthew looking after you all fight?""Great sir, thank you," I said."His name is Matthew too," said the boy. The Dukelooked from one of us to the other."A couple of Matts, eh? Don't let too many people wipetheir feet on you."Matthew thought it a great joke but the touch of sadnessin the voice was revealing. He was dimly aware that despitehis ancestry and position, one or two sharper mindshad wiped their feet on him.I began to like the Duke."Well done with Rudim<strong>en</strong>ts, sir," I said.His face lit up. "Spl<strong>en</strong>did, wasn't it? Absolutely spl<strong>en</strong>did.Nothing on earth gives me more pleasure than seeing myhorses win."I w<strong>en</strong>t back to the Cherokee just before the last race andfound the chauffeur safe and sound and reading DoctorZhivago. He stretched, reported nothing doing, and ambledoff.All the same I checked the aircraft inch by inch insideand ev<strong>en</strong> unscrewed the panel to the aft baggage compartm<strong>en</strong>tso that I could see into the rear part of the fuselage,fight back to the tail Nothing there that shouldn't be.I screwed the panel on again. Outside the aircraft, Istarted in the same way.Started only because wh<strong>en</strong> I was examining every hingein the tail plane I heard a shout from the next aircraft.I looked round curiously but without much haste.Against that side of the Polyplane which faced away fromthe stands, two large m<strong>en</strong> were laying into K<strong>en</strong>ny Bayst."Já vám pro ni dojdu.""Může si dojít sám.""Ne prosím vás, já vám dojdu, dovolte mi to, strýček mina to dal p<strong>en</strong>íze." Odběhl k pultu, objednal kávu a dvěporce oblož<strong>en</strong>ých chlebíčků s uz<strong>en</strong>ým lososem. Platilzmačkanou jednolibrovou bankovkou. "Jak se vám tolíbí?" ptal se pyšně."Vypadá to ohromně. Vezmi si chlebíček.""Děkuji."Spokoj<strong>en</strong>ě jsme se dali do jídla. "Poslyšte, podívejte setamhle na toho pána, vypadá jako duch," ozval sechlapec.Ohlédl jsem se. Vysoký, bledý, plavovlasý muž s berlemia sádrou na noze. Acey Jones. T<strong>en</strong>tokrát tak bujař<strong>en</strong>ehlaholil. Tiše seděl v koutku a popíjel pivo s nějakýmn<strong>en</strong>ápadným člověkem. "T<strong>en</strong> pán spadl ze schodů, zlomilsi kotník a dostal za to od pojišťovny tisíc liber.""Páni, to se mu tedy vyplatilo!""Však on si to taky libuje.""Strýc má taky něco společného s pojišťovnou, j<strong>en</strong>ž<strong>en</strong>evím co.""Možná že je ručitelem.""Co to je?""Ručitel je člověk, který určitým způsobem investuje dopojišťovací společnosti p<strong>en</strong>íze.""Strýček někdy mluví o Lloydech. Má to něco společnéhos Lloydy?""Ano má." Přikývl a zadíval se toužebně na zbývajícíchlebíčky."Vezmi si ještě jed<strong>en</strong>," pobídl jsem jej."Ty jsou pro vás.""Ale j<strong>en</strong> si vezmi." Vděčně se na mě podíval a zakousl sedo dalšího chlebíčku."Já se jm<strong>en</strong>uje Matthew," oznámil."Vidíš, já taky," zasmál jsem se."Ne! Namouduši, opravdu se jm<strong>en</strong>ujete Matthew?""Doopravdy.""Páni!"Za námi se ozval krok a důstojný hlas: "Stará se o vásMatthew jak se patří?""Děkuji, pane, stará se skvěle.""Představ si, on se taky jm<strong>en</strong>uje Matthew," hlásilnadš<strong>en</strong>ě chlapec."Tak vy jste oba Matti! Dejte si pozor, ať vám nikdo nedášach."Matt to pokládal za výborný žert, vévoda však mluvil smírnou trpkostí. Tušil, že navzdory jeho vzneš<strong>en</strong>émupůvodu a jeho důležitosti ho tu a tam někdo chytřejšísnadno vyšachuje.Vévoda se mi začínal líbit."Gratuluji k Rudim<strong>en</strong>tsovi, pane," řekl jsem.Rozzářil se. "To bylo ohromné, viďte, skutečně ohromné.Nic mě tak nepotěší, jako když vyhraje některý z mýchkoní. To je má největší radost."Vrátil jsem se ke svému cherokee před poslednímdostihem. Vévodův šofér klidně seděl, četl si knížku, akdyž mě uviděl, protáhl se, ohlásil, že se nic zvláštníhonedělo, a odešel.Prohlédl jsem letadlo uvnitř c<strong>en</strong>timetr po c<strong>en</strong>timetru,dokonce jsem i odšrouboval panel za zadnímzavazadlovým prostorem, takže jsem viděl do koncovéčásti trupu. Nikde nic. Panel jsem zase připevnil na místo.Pak jsem zahájil zevní kontrolu. Když jsem prohlíželzávěsy výškového kormidla, ozval se od vedlejšího letadlakřik.Ohlédl jsem se.Za letadlem firmy Polyplane, z dohledu tribun, mlátili dvacizí chlapi K<strong>en</strong>nyho Baysta.40
CHAPTER SIX 6The pilot of the Polyplane was standing aside and watching.I reached him in six strides.Pilot oranžově bílého letadla stál o kus dál a přihlížel.Doběhl jsem k němu."For God's sake," I said. "Come and help him.""Pojďte mu proboha pomoct!" křikl jsem na něho.He gave me a cold stolid stare.Chladně se na mě podíval."I've got my medical tomorrow. Do it yourself pounds." "Jděte sám, když myslíte, já jdu zítra k prohlídce."In three more steps I caught one of the m<strong>en</strong> by the fist Třemi skoky jsem byl u zápasící skupiny a zachytil jsemas he lifted it high to smash into the crumpling K<strong>en</strong>ny, zdviž<strong>en</strong>ou pěst jednoho z mužů, než dopadla nab<strong>en</strong>t his arm savagely backwards and kicked him hard inthe left hamstring. He fell over on his back with a shout ofmixed anger, surprise, and pain, closely echoed in bothemotion and volume by his colleague, who received thezhrouc<strong>en</strong>ého K<strong>en</strong>nyho. Zkroutil jsem mu ruku za záda akopl ho do slabin. Vykřikl bolestí a překvap<strong>en</strong>ím a svalilse. Vzápětí jako ozvěna zařval jeho společník, kteréhojsem vší silou kopl špičkou boty do kostrče.toe of my shoe very solidly at the base of his spine.Bashing people was their sort of business, not mine, andK<strong>en</strong>ny hadn't <strong>en</strong>ough str<strong>en</strong>gth left to stand up, let alonefight back, so that I got knocked about a bit here andthere. But I imagined that they hadn't expected any seriousopposition, and it must have be<strong>en</strong> clear to them fromthe beginning that I didn't play their rules.They had big fists all threat<strong>en</strong>ingly bunched and the hardround sort of toecaps which cowards hide behind. I kickedtheir knees with vigour, stuck my fingers out straight andhard towards their eyes, and chopped the sides of mypalms at their throats.I'd had <strong>en</strong>ough of it before they had. Still, I outlastedthem for determination, because I really did not want tofall down and have their boots bust my kidneys. They gottired in the <strong>en</strong>d and limped away quite sudd<strong>en</strong>ly, as ifcalled off by a whistle. They took with them some damagedknee cartilage, aching larynxes, and one badlyscratched eye and they left behind a stinging head and aset of sore fibs.I leaned against the aeroplane getting my breath backand looking down at K<strong>en</strong>ny where he sat on the grass.There was a good deal of blood on his face. His nose wasbleeding, and he had tried to wipe it with the back of hishand.I b<strong>en</strong>t down pres<strong>en</strong>tly and helped him up. He came to hisfeet without any of the terrible slowness of the severelyinjured and there was nothing wrong with his voice."Thanks, sport." He squinted at me. "Those sods saidthey were going to fix me so my riding days were over…God… I feel crook… here, have you got any whisky… aah…Jesus…"He b<strong>en</strong>t double and vomited rakingly on to the turf.Straight<strong>en</strong>ing up afterwards he dragged a large handkerchiefout of his pocket and wiped his mouth, looking indismay at the resulting red stains. "I'm bleeding…""It's your nose, that's all.""Oh…" He coughed weakly. "Look, sport, thanks. I guessthanks isn't <strong>en</strong>ough…" His gaze sharp<strong>en</strong>ed on the Polyplanepilot still standing aloof a little way of. "That bastarddidn't lift a finger… they'd have crippled me and hewouldn't come… I shouted.""He's got his medical tomorrow," I said."Sod his bloody medical…""If you don't pass your medical every six months, youget grounded. If you get grounded for long in the taxibusiness you lose either your whole job or at least halfyour income…""Yeah," he said. "And your own medical, wh<strong>en</strong> does thatcome up?""Not for two months."He laughed a hollow, sick sounding laugh. Swallowed.Swayed. Looked sudd<strong>en</strong>ly very small and vulnerable."You'd better go over and see the doctor," I suggested."Maybe… but I've got the ride on Volume T<strong>en</strong> on Monday…big race… opportunity if I do well of a better jobthan I've had with Annie Villars… don't want to miss it…"He smiled twistedly. "Doesn't do jockeys any good to beByli to profesionální rváči, já ne, a K<strong>en</strong>ny byl knepotřebě, nemohl se ani postavit na nohy. Byl jsem bit.Ti chlapi ale vůbec neočekávali, že by se jim mohl někdopostavit na odpor, a taky brzy zjistili, že nedodržujipravidla hry.Měli výhrůžně zaťaté pěsti a na nohách měli boty stvrdými kulatými špičkami, jakých rádi používají zbabělci.Kopal jsem je do kol<strong>en</strong>, mířil jsem jim prsty do očí a sekalje hranou ruky po krku.Schytal jsem určitě víc ran než oni, ale byl jsemvytrvalejší, protože jsem neměl nejm<strong>en</strong>ší chuť se složit,aby mně pak mohli nakopat do ledvin. Nakonec je topřestalo bavit, zčistajasna se sebrali a odkulhali, jako napovel. Odnesli si pochroumaná kol<strong>en</strong>a, bolavé ohryzky ajedno poškrábané oko. Mně zůstala třeštící hlava azhmožděná žebra.Opřel jsem se o letadlo, snažil se chytit dech a díval s<strong>en</strong>a K<strong>en</strong>nyho, který ležel přede mnou na trávě. Obličej mělzkrvav<strong>en</strong>ý a stíral si hřbetem ruky krev, která mu prýštilaz nosu.Konečně jsem se vzchopil a pomohl K<strong>en</strong>nymu vstát. Súlevou jsem pozoroval, že se postavil poměrně rychle,nezdálo se mi, že by byl těžce raněný, hlas měl takénormální."Děkuju, kamaráde." Zamžikal opuchlými víčky. "Tisyčáci říkali, že mě zříděj tak, že už si nadosmrti na koněnesednu. "Páni… mně je nanic… hele, nemáš něco k pití…páni…"Vzpřímil se, vytáhl z kapsy veliký kapesník, otřel si ústa azděš<strong>en</strong>ě se zadíval na červ<strong>en</strong>é skvrny, které se nakapesníku objevily. "Teče mi krev…""To je j<strong>en</strong>om z nosu.""Jo tak…" Pracně si odkašlal. "Poslyš, kamaráde, faktděkuju. Za to se ani dost poděkovat nedá…" Zadíval se napilota firmy Polyplane, který stál opodál. "Tamhle t<strong>en</strong> hajzlani nehnul prstem… byl by mě klidně nechal zmrzačit… anise nehnul… a já řval o pomoc.""Jde zítra k lékařské prohlídce.""Ať se jde vycpat s tou prohlídkou…""To n<strong>en</strong>í j<strong>en</strong> tak. Máme prohlídku jednou za půl roku, akdyž neprojdem, nesmíme lítat, a když nesmíme lítat,můžeme přijít o místo, nebo přinejm<strong>en</strong>ším dostáváme j<strong>en</strong>poloviční plat…""Jo tak. A kdy ty máš prohlídku?""Až za dva měsíce."Bolestivě, sípavě se zasmál, polkl a zakolísal. Najednouvypadal křehký a snadno zranitelný."Měl bys jít k doktorovi.""Možná… J<strong>en</strong>že já musím jet v pondělí Volume T<strong>en</strong>…bude to velkej dostih… jestli zajedu, dostanu možná lepšíflek než mám u Annie Villarsový… nechci to prošvihnout…"Usmál se. "Žokejům to taky nedělá moc dobře, když41
- Page 3: Rat RaceDick Francis3
- Page 6 and 7: "Your aeroplane is here, Major," I
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- Page 14: "Put that way," I agreed, "it's a l
- Page 17 and 18: a lot of tickets. Nancy looked as t
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- Page 25 and 26: "The pilot wants to land here and m
- Page 27 and 28: Yes."And no bomb?"No.Did I know tha
- Page 29 and 30: gross negligence, but they kept you
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- Page 47 and 48: oard before he decided not to come.
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- Page 53 and 54: "What is it?""The remains," he said
- Page 55 and 56: his career." He let half a minute s
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- Page 59 and 60: me fine.""Will you be all fight?""N
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whole, felt worse. Scrambled myself
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made the indicated journey. Stood u
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eally went into it we broadened it'
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trains are absolutely splendid…"H
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He seemed to think you were almost
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"Hello," said young Matthew, swingi
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"Were Kitch and the stable lads ins
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Claims pending' was fatter. There w
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Opened the cupboard door. It squeak
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accident. If he dumped me somewhere
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Nancy and Midge and the Duke and yo
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He said, "Nancy said you were hurt.