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.One of the Slow TalkingDinee.""My grandfather was Hosteen Klee, and nobody ever called him Horse Kicker butyou," Leaphorn said."And Mr.McGinnis, I want to say I'm glad they're wrongPage 21ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlabout you being dead.""If you thought I was dead, what the devil brought you way out here? What areyou after? You don't come here not wanting something."Before Leaphorn could answer, McGinnis was hobbling back through the storetoward the doorway that led to his living quarters."I'm going to make you some coffee," he said."Unless you broke that habit youhad of not drinking whiskey.""I'll take coffee," said Leaphorn, following McGinnis.But he grimaced as hesaid it.After all these years he could still remember the awful acidic flavorof the old man's brew.McGinnis lit the propane stove on what passed as his kitchen work space, tooka chipped cup and a Coca-Cola glass out of the cabinet above.He put hiscoffeepot over the burner and took a bottle of Jack Daniel's out of a drawer.He opened that and carefully poured until the glass was filled up to thebottom of the red trademark C."Have a seat," he said."I'll take a sip or two of this while your coffee getsmade and you can tell me what you want me to do for you.Tell me what sort offavor you're after this time.""Well, first I want to know how you're doing.Looks like you're still inbusiness.Still grouchy as ever."McGinnis snorted, sipped his bourbon, sipped again.He held the glass up closeto his eyes, studied it, picked up the bourbon bottle, and dribbled in enoughto restore the liquid level up to the bottom of the C."Business?" he said."Just barely.Customers all starved out, or they driveover to Page and do their buying there.Once in a while somebody comes in.Usually it's just to offer to trade me something.That's sort of what I'mdoing now.Just getting rid of what I've got left.The giant oil companyfolks, they already quit bringing the gasoline supply truck out here.Said Ididn't buy as much as they burned driving the delivery truck out."They talked awhile about that, about how Old Lady Nez came by with herdaughter every once in a while and baked him some bread and did some othercooking for him in exchange for some of the canned goods he still had on hisshelves."Except for that, I don't see many people anymore.And now we've got thatcovered, you're going to ask me what you want to know.""All right," Leaphorn said."I want to know about that robbery you had.""Wasn't a robbery.Robbery they point a gun at you and take your stuff.Coplike you ought to know the difference.This was a burglary.Broke in after Iwas sleeping, took a box of canned meat, sugar, stuff like that, and the moneyI had in my cash box.Mostly food, though.That what you want to know? I can'ttell you much.It didn't wake me up."He gave Leaphorn a slightly sheepish smile and held up the bourbon bottle."I'd been watching that damned TV set and sipping a little more than I should.Didn't even hear the son of a bitch.Didn't know he'd been there until Inoticed stuff gone from the grocery shelves."Page 22ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Just grocery? They take anything else?""Took the blanket I had hanging on a rack in there, and some ketchup, and." hefrowned, straining to remember."I believe I was missing a box ofthirty-thirty ammunition.But mostly food.""None of it ever recovered?"McGinnis laughed."'Course not," he said."If the burglar didn't eat it, youcops would have done that if you caught him.""You didn't mention a diamond.How about that?""Diamond?""Diamond worth about ten thousand dollars."McGinnis frowned.Took another tiny sip.Looked up at Leaphorn."Oh," McGinnis said."That diamond.""The one you mentioned on the insurance claim report.You listed it as aten-thousand-dollar diamond.""Oh, yeah," McGinnis said, and took another sip of his bourbon."Did you get it back?""No.""Did you get your insurance money for it?"McGinnis peered at Leaphorn, blinked his watery blue eyes, rubbed his handsacross them, put down his glass, and sighed."I remember that time, years ago, you came in here trying to find a shaman.Margaret Cigaret, I believe it was-a Listener, as I recall her.And I told youwho her clan was, and about a Kinaalda being held for one of the little girlsin her clan, and you was smart enough to know Old Woman Cigaret would likelybe out where they was holding that ceremonial and we sort of got acquainted."Having finished that statement to remind Leaphorn of his good deed, McGinnisnodded, signaling Leaphorn that he could comment on his helpfulness withoutviolating the polite Navajo ban against interrupting."I remember," Leaphorn said."You also told me you knew my grandfather.Youclaimed they used to call Hosteen Klee Horse Kicker.It made my mother mad atyou when I told her that.She said only a liar would say something like that.""Boys shouldn't tell their mothers such things.Insulting your grandfather,"McGinnis said, choosing to ignore the implication."Anyway, that day it got tobe more like two friends talking.You and me.Not like you was a lawman." Hepeered at Leaphorn, quizzically.Leaphorn nodded."You still thinking that way?"Leaphorn considered that."When Captain Pinto told me you died, that didn'tPage 23ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlseem right to me.I didn't want to believe it.Too many old friends are dying.I didn't really think I could learn anything about that diamond out here.Ijust wanted to see if I could bring back some old memories about when I wasreally a policeman.Maybe it would help me get into harmony with living withso many of my friends gone."McGinnis picked up his glass, made a sort of semi-toasting gesture with it andtook a sip, hoisted himself from the rocker, and shuffled off through thedoorway into his bedroom.Leaphorn sipped his coffee.His memory of the chemical taste proved accurate [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]