vizitDz
bF GbrFan
GmMn
SI sY H mini-bus pys H kicin windO bifP pUliN up on H grAval
drFvwE At H sFd v H hQs. it lUkt lFk a trEdzman'z vAn wiH metal pAnalz wX H
windOz wUd nPmali bI, n lAdDz strApt t H rMf rAks. but HX woz nO kumpani nEm on
H sFd v H vAn, n SI felt hx stumak tFtan At H unfXnas v it. not agen; not sO
sMn!
H nokiN woz konfidant but not intimidEtiN. sivalFzd. SI
Opand H dP. HX wx TrI men stAndiN on H pPc. tM wx hevi set, HO wel prapPSand, n
wP klIn, nIt blM OvDYlz wiH afiSal insignia on H pokits. wun mAn kArid a wikD
byskit, H uHD a soft kAri-Yl. H Txd mAn, hM hAd nokt on H dP n woz HXfP klOsist
t hx, hAd a lFtD bild. hI wP a kansxvativ tM pIs sMt n woz aprOciN midal EJ,
wiH dRk hX HAt woz Just biginiN t Tin abuv H fPhed. hI rispondid t hx apCans At
H dP bF pysiN piNk fiNgDz TrM hiz hX in a JescD HAt saJestid tFdinas n
prisiZan. HX woz a prafeSanal, kompitant X abQt him. hI lUkt Turali
rispektabal.
"jes?" SI yskt.
"mPniN mAdam," hI riplFd Afabli, prafeSanali.
"His iz a robDi."
insFd H hQs, SI led Hem t H lQnJ.
HE folOd palFtli, konSas v HX mMvmants.
"wI hAd a tIm TrM Onli tM
wIks agO," SI kamplEnd.
"not wun v QDz, mAdam. F'm
afrEd wI kynt kOopDEt wiH uHD fxmz. kompatiSan, V nO." hI bruSt hiz hX.
"V kAn YlwEz pUt in a kamplEnt."
"wel, wX dM V wont t
stRt?"
"wI'd lFk t pUt V in H pikcD
fxst," riplFd H lIdD, tEkiN a smYl nOtbUk fron hiz sMt pokit. "wI lFk
QD kustamDz t nO HE R dIliN wiH prafeSanal pIpal, sO F'l Just run TrM H
bEsiks." hI flipt TrM H Alfabetikal tAbz on H sFd v H bUk, Opand t a pEJ
kuvDd in nIt, pensald nOts n dFagrAmz. hI red from it in a konfDmEtDi tOn,
pYziN nQ n Hen t cek HAt SI undDstUd H dItElz n woz hApi, "misiz Gmorisan,
42 GwentwDT..." SI nodid; hI went on. "nQ, wI'v diskanektid jP fOn At
H JuNkSan on H kPnD, n wI hAv a mAn in H strIt wiH a sekand vWkal Just t mEk
SUD wI wOnt bI sDprFzd bF eniTiN unikspektid." hI gEv a smYl, prQd smFl.
"wI diskanektid jP pQD on arFval, n v kPs wI'l pUt HAt bAk on Az sMn Az wI
lIv. wI nO hQ inkanvIniant it iz t hAv frIzDz dIfrost n sO on. H fOn, hQevD iz
jP risponsibiliti, Az YlwEz. wI nO HAt jP dYtD iz At wxk n wOnt bI bAk until fP
At H xliist. wI YlsO nO HAt SI VZUali telafOnz V At ilevan, sO HAt it wil
bI..." hI cekt hiz woc briskli, "...tM n a hyf QDz bifP SI nOtisiz H
diskanekSan. plenti v tFm. wI hAv, v kPs, cekt Qt jP dilivDiz, nun v wic R dV
His mPniN." hI pYzd bifP flipiN hiz nOtbUk Sut.
"jes," SI sed palFtli.
"V sIm veri Tura. V must hAv spent sum tFm cekiN."
"tM wIks iz QD nPmal tFm
frEm," hI sed, fFnali klOziN H pAd. "a bit unfPcUnat fP V rWli HAt wI
didnt sI H uHD fxm kum TrM. it must hAv bIn a lital OvD tM wIks agO HAt HE
kYld."
"jes."
H nekst woz yskt a lital ANkSasli,
Az HO H roN ynsD mFt intradVs a nOt v unplezantnas. "did HE lIv muc?"
"aa, nO. HE tUk H lot. but wI got H inSUDans pIpal hC rFt awE sO wI'v bIn
Ebal t riplEs mOst v it." H mAn woz klCli rilIvd. hI pDmitid himself anuHD
smFl n went on.
"O gUd. wI hEt hAviN t
ikstrAkt a fPfit."
"wot iz it At H mOmant?"
"windOz His munT," hI
riplFd, signaliN t wun v H uHD tM men, hM hAd bIn stAndiN pESantli bF H windO.
"siks bF fP P H ikwivalant. v kPs, wI brEk Hem from H insFd sO Az not t
get glys on H fxniSiNz. wI kAn rekamend a glEziD, tM - rWl kryftsman. F hAd him
dM mF On plEs AkcUali, yftD wI wx dun OvD a kupal v munTs bAk." hI woz
wPmiN t H topik but pUld up SPt. "not relavant hC, HO. nQ, dM V hAv eni
kwescanz?"
"nO. it's stil ryHD freS in
mF mFnd," SI riplFd wiH ristrEnd FDani.
"wel Hen! wI'd betD get t
wxk."
"SAl F SO V TrM?"
"nO, nO. V stE rFt HX. wI'l
tEk kX v it Yl."
H mAn wiH H byskit, t hMm H lIdD
hAd JescDd, mMvd t H kori tEbal n bigAn setiN H kontents v hiz hAmpD ontM H
poliSt wUd sxfis. kup, sYsD, Txmos, nApkinz, smYl glys JRz v SUgD n milk; n a
plEt v rEzan skonz. hI mMvd lFk a butlD; prisFs, defDenSal.
"kodi P tI?"
sitiN wiH hx fIt up, hot tI in wun
hAnd n a butDd skon in H uHD, SI hxd Hem mMviN dilibDatli, maTodikali TrM H
rMmz v H hQs. H soft klikiN v lAciz puNkcUEtid HX pAsiJ from rMm t rMm. apRt
from HAt HX woz hRdli eni nqz. HE spOk Onli brIfli, n SI kUdant hC wot woz sed.
wen SI hxd Hem mMviN up H stXz t H sekand stPi SI pPd hxself anuHD kup.
grAJUali HE wxkt HX wE TrM H sekand flP, n SI mRkt HX prOgres wiH mQTfUlz v
skon n hot tI.
prezantli Yl TrI men ritxnd t H
lQnJ rMm. disrigRdiN hx fP H mOmant, H lIdD spOk t hiz men.
"briN H stuf in hC n wI'l mEk
up H inventDi Az wI lOd it intM H vAn. it'l bI mP ifiSant HAt wE."
H tM akumplisiz nodid n set t wxk.
H lIdD sAt himself dQn bisFd H wUman, rIct fP a kup n helpt himself t a skon.
"livd in H Xia loN?"
wiH H kumiN n gOiN v H men in
OvDYlz, a smYl pFl v gUdz bigAn t bild nC H entrans hYl. telaviZan set, vidiO
rikPdD; kicin aplFansiz; sum JMlDi. it didnt tEk loN. yftD hyf an QD H lIdD
unsItid himself n asest H hYl.
"HX, HAt woznt sO bAd,"
hI sed rWSUDiNli. "nuTiN brOkan F hOp?" H tM uHDz SUk HX hedz. hI
txnd t H wUman. "wil V akumpani mI on H inspekSan? wI wOnt entDtEn klEmz
unles HE R nOtifFd imIdiatli." riluktantli SI folOd him from rMm t rMm,
kystiN a sAd glyns At H stAk v aplFansiz on H flP. SI hAd t admit it woz a veri
prafeSanal Job. HX wx nun v H grubi hAndprints SI'd fQnd on prIvias akEZanz; nP
wx HX eni SM mRks on H wYlz. iksept fP H gUdz HE hAd tEkan, evriTiN woz in its
plEs. dispFt hxself, SI hAd t rimRk on H fAkt.
"wel, wI dM hAv stAndDdz t
mEntEn," sed H mAn. "pIpal stil rimembD H Old dEz - a brik TrM H
windO, kontents strMn abQt. mEnli it woz kidz bAk Hen, AmatDz. pIpal felt lFk
HX hOmz hAd bIn vFalEtid, lFk HE wxnt sEf enimP. gEv H prafeSan a bAd nEm. but
TiNz hAv cEnJd sO muc sins H nV leJislESan. wI hAv t bI akreditid, Yditid. it
pUts H opDESan on a hOl nV leval."
"Ivan sO," SI riplFd.
"F TiNk wI'd bI betD of wiHQt..."
impDseptibli, hI sImd t stifan, n
SI trFd t sofan it a bit. "lUk, V'v dun a veri gUd Job, n V'v a rFt t bI
prQd v it. F'm not atAkiN V, but F Just dOnt sI HAt it's rWli nesaseri."
SI hAd let hx anqans SO, but hI sImd not t tEk it pxsanali.
"V'D tYkiN abQt pIpal'z Jobz,
mAdam, pIpal'z lFvlihUd. H kuntri kUdnt hAndal H unimplqmant. nASanalFziN robDi
woz H best TiN H guvDmant kUd dM in H sxkamstAnsiz. HIz TiNz R komplikEtid - V
kynt pin jP hOps on simpal salMSanz."
"F sapOz sO," SI riplFd,
not intFDli kanvinsiNli. HE went bAk dQn stXz in sFlans.
it tUk Onli a fV minits fP Hem t
trAnsfx H hYl t H vAn, FtamFziN Ic pIs Az HE lOdid it. HE left hx wiH a kopi v
H list fP inSUDans pxpasiz. SI woz Onli hyf wE TrM cekiN it wen H kR flASt pyst
H windO n skidid t a holt on H grAval. an xli modal pAnal vAn, its dPz fel
Opan, disgPJiN a motli kalekSan v juN men. HX wx fP v Hem, dxti, unkempt, n
hRdli intM HX tInz. HE pQndid up H steps t H pPc n hAmDd At H dP, rAtaliN H
frostid glys.
hx hRt pQndiN ikspektantli, SI
Opand H dP. H eldist v H fP lCd At hx, grind n anQnst himself.
"palIs, misiz Gmorisan.
undDstAnd V'v bIn robd..."