Chapter 23 Chapter Twenty-Three

Dave Williams has a plan for Saturday night.That night, the three girls in the class were going to the Speedway nightclub in Soho.Dave and the other two boys said casually that they might be able to meet them there.Linda Robertson was one of the three girls.Dave felt that Linda seemed to like him very much.Many people thought Dave was stupid because he always came last in the exams.But Linda was always clever enough to talk to him about politics.Dave comes from a political family, so he knows these kinds of issues well. Dave was going to wear an amazing new shirt with a long collar.He danced very well - even the male partners admitted that he was a good twister.He felt that he had a chance to fall in love with Linda.

Dave is fifteen years old.But he was a little annoyed that most girls his age were only interested in dating older boys.More than a year ago, he was attracted by Dudu Dua, and he wanted to give Dudu a cold kiss, only to find Dudu hugging eighteen-year-old Gaspar Murray affectionately, which still makes him I feel uneasy just thinking about it. On Saturday morning, the siblings went to their father's study to collect pocket money for the week.Seventeen-year-old Evie got a pound, Dave ten shillings.Like Victorian beggars who received alms, they listened to an admonition before taking their money.After taking the pocket money that day, Evie was sent away by his father, but Dave was left behind.As soon as the door closed, Dave's father, Lloyd, said, "You didn't do well on your test."

Dave is well aware of his grades.In the ten years since he went to school, he has not passed the exam once. "I'm sorry." He didn't want to quarrel with his father, he just wanted to take the money and leave quickly. Dad was wearing his usual Saturday morning striped shirt and cardigan. "But you're not stupid," he said. "The teachers think I'm stupid," Dave said. "I don't think so. You're not stupid, you're just lazy." "I'm not lazy." "Then what's the matter with you?" Dave couldn't answer that question.He reads very slowly.But what was worse, as soon as he closed the book, he forgot all he had just read.He was not good at writing either, often writing letters in the wrong order, and making mistakes such as writing bread as a mustache.His spelling is terrible too. "My spoken French and German are at the top of the class," he said.

"It just goes to show that if you try, you can do it." Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you can't get good grades, but Dave doesn't know how to explain it to his father. "I've been thinking long and hard about what to do with you, and your mom and I have had endless discussions about it," Lloyd said. Dave didn't quite get it.What is dad trying to say? "Your age is not suitable for corporal punishment, and your mother and I do not approve of corporal punishment." This is true.Most kids get spanked when they do something wrong.But Dave's mom hasn't hit him in years.Dad never did.What overwhelmed Dave was the word "punishment."Obviously he was going to be punished.

"The only way I can think of to get you to study hard is to cancel your pocket money." Dave couldn't believe his father would say such a thing. "What does cancel mean?" "If you don't improve your academic performance significantly, you won't get pocket money anymore." Dave didn't expect this to happen. "But how am I going to get around London?" And the cost of cigarettes and going to the Speedway, he thought horribly. "You walk to school anyway. If you want to go anywhere else, you have to do better academically." "I can't live without pocket money."

"You can stretch out your clothes and open your mouth when you have food. We will never be short of you. Remember it for me. If you don't study hard, you will have no money to go around." Dave was very angry.Plans for tonight fell through.He felt as helpless as a baby. "Only this?" "yes." "Then it's a waste of time to stay here." "I'm trying to teach you the right way." "It's all nonsense." After speaking, Dave stomped out of the study. He took his coat from the coat hanger in the hallway and left the house.It is a warm spring morning.What should he do?He had planned to meet up with friends in Piccadilly Circus, hang out along Denmark Street watching guitars be played, go to the pub for ale and then go home and change into the long pointed shirt.

He still had some change in his pocket - enough for a half pint of beer.But he didn't have the money to pay for tickets to the Speeding Nightclub.Maybe he could do odd jobs.But where to find odd jobs in such a short period of time?Some of his friends work Saturdays or Sundays at stores or restaurants that need extra staff.He wondered if he could find a restaurant to wash dishes.It's worth a try.After deciding, he turned and walked towards the West End. Then he had another idea. Some of his relatives might hire him.My father's younger sister, Millie, opened a fashion boutique in Harrow, Golders Green, and Hampstad, three affluent business districts in north London.Aunt Millie might be able to offer him a Saturday job, but he didn't know if he'd be up to the job of selling dresses to the ladies.Uncle Abby Avery was a fur wholesaler and it might be a good idea to work in his East End warehouse.But both Aunt Millie and Uncle Abbie would probably talk to their father first, who would then say that Dave's priority was school rather than work.But he could also try his luck with Aunt Millie and Uncle Abbie's son, Lenny, just over twenty-three, a businessman of no importance and a con man.On Saturdays Lenny would set up a stall in Aldgate, East End, selling Chanel No. 5 and other fine fragrances at unbelievably low prices.He would whisper to customers that the perfumes were stolen, but in reality Lenny was peddling cheap knockoffs in luxury bottles.

Lenny might be able to offer Dave a job for a day. Dave has just enough money to ride the subway.He walked to the nearest subway station and bought a ticket.If Lenny refuses, he really doesn't know how to go home.To get there, he might have to walk miles. The Underground took Dave from affluent West London to working-class East London.The market is full of treasure hunters looking for bargains at lower than usual prices.Dave thinks some of the items here may have been stolen: electric kettles, shavers, ironing boards and radios that flowed from the factory.Others are manufacturers' surplus: unwanted records, books that don't sell, ugly picture frames, shell-shaped ashtrays.But most of the merchandise here is defective: boxes of moldy chocolates, striped scarves with bad stitching, unevenly stained variegated leather boots, china plates half-painted with flowers.

Lenny, with his thick black hair and brown eyes, resembles his and Dave's late grandfather, Bernie Leikowitz.Lenny's hair was greasy, combed back like an Elvis Presley.He warmly greeted Lenny: "Little Dave, hello, do you want some perfume for your girlfriend? Try some Wildflower perfume." His French pronunciation is not very accurate, "Make sure to let her You take off your trousers. Only two shillings and sixpence." "Lenny, I'm looking for a job," Dave said, "Can I work with you?" "Are you still looking for a job? Isn't your mother a millionaire?" Lenny said narrowly.

"Dad cut off my pocket money." "Why did he do that?" "Because I didn't study well. Now I'm broke. I want to earn enough money to go out tonight." Lenny answered Dave's question with a question for the third time. "What do you think of me? A human agency?" "Give me a chance, I will be able to sell the perfume for you." Lenny turned to an approaching customer and said, "You have very good taste, ma'am. Yardley is the best-selling perfume on the market these days - and the bottle you have is only three shillings. I used two Bought it for shillings and sixpence, I mean the price it received."

The woman giggled and bought the bottle of perfume. "I can't pay you a salary," Lenny said to Dave, "but I can get you ten percent of the sale price of the merchandise you sell." "That's it." After speaking, Dave excitedly stood behind the booth. "Put all the money in your pocket, and we'll count it after you close the stall." After speaking, Lenny gave him change totaling one pound and asked him to use it in change. Dave picked up the bottle of Yardley, paused for a moment, smiled and said to a passing woman, "This is the most popular perfume on the market today." The woman smiled, but didn't stop. He imitated Lenny's gags as best he could, and in a short while sold a bottle of Patou's Delight for two shillings and sixpence.He quickly learned all of Lenny's advertising slogans: "Only a woman of your discernment would choose this perfume... If you want to make the man you love happy, buy this... Buy it now, The smell is so provocative that the government is going to ban the fragrance." People are in a good mood and ready to laugh.They dress up and go to the market: for these poor people, it is a public occasion that requires special treatment.Dave had learned a lot of money slang: a sixpence was a buggy, five shillings a dollar, a ten-shilling note half a pair of shorts. Time passed quickly, and a waitress from a nearby restaurant brought up two sandwiches with fried bacon and ketchup on white bread.Lenny gave her the money and handed one of them to Dave.Dave didn't expect that it would be time for lunch in the blink of an eye.Dave's cigarette pipe trouser pocket was full of coins, and he was very happy that ten per cent of the money was his own.At three or four o'clock he found that there was hardly a man in sight on the street, and Lenny said they were all at the ball game. Towards evening, business thinned out.Dave thought he had about five pounds in his pocket, which meant ten shillings, the pocket money his father usually gave him—and he could go to the Speedway. At five Lenny started packing the stall, and Dave helped him pack the unsold perfume into cardboard boxes, and they loaded everything into Lenny's yellow Momofuku van. After tidying up, the two counted the money in Dave's pocket, which was just over nine pounds.Lenny gave him more than ten per cent of a pound. "You helped me collect the stall, so I will give you a little more." Dave was very happy: today's labor income is equal to twice the pocket money that Dad should give in the morning.He is happy to come here every Saturday to sell perfume.This can not only increase income, but also avoid the endless discipline of his father. They went to the nearest pub and ordered a pint each. "You can play the guitar, can't you?" Lenny said as they sat at a table with an ashtray full of cigarette butts. "yes." "Which model is your guitar?" "I have a low-profile Gibson." "Is it an electric guitar?" "It's a half-hollow guitar." Lenny looked impatient: maybe he didn't know much about guitars. "What I want to ask is, can you play the guitar well?" "Of course I can play well—why ask?" "Because I need a guitarist who plays beats for the band." So exciting.Dave had never thought of joining a band, but was immediately drawn to the idea. "I didn't know you had a band," he said. "It's called the Praetorian Guards. I play the piano and lead the vocals." "What type of music do you play?" "We just play rock 'n' roll." "You mean..." "Elvis, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash...all the best musicians." Dave can play these three-beat pieces. "Where's the Beatles?" The Beatles song was a little more complicated. Lenny asked, "Who are you talking about?" "A fantastic new band." "Never heard of this band." "Forget it, I can play old rock songs." Lenny didn't seem to believe Dave's words, but he said, "Then you want to try the Guards Band?" "Of course I want to!" Lenny looked at his watch. "How long will it take to get the guitar home?" "Go home in half an hour, come back in half an hour, a total of one hour." "Meet me at the Workingman's Nightclub in Aldgate at seven. The band's playing there. We'll let you try it out before the show. Do you have any speakers?" "There's a small speaker." "That's enough." Dave took the subway home.His success as a businessman and his fresh beer warmed his heart.He smoked a cigarette on the subway, feeling genuine joy over his father.He pictured himself casually saying to Linda Robertson, "I play guitar in a rock band." Linda would almost certainly be moved by it. He came home by the back door and slipped into his room, trying not to be seen by his parents.It only took him a few minutes to put the guitar in its case and bring his own little amp. Just as he was about to leave, his sister Evie walked into his room.Evie wore a short skirt and knee-high boots, her hair in a honeycomb comb, her eyeshadow in heavy eye shadow, and her Saturday-night social attire, which gave no sign of being a seventeen-year-old girl. "Where are you going?" David asked her. "At a party, rumor has it that Hank Remington will be there too." Hank Remington, frontman of Cold, agrees with some of Evie's politics, which Ive learned from interviews with him. "You made a lot of noise today," said Evie.She wasn't criticizing him: Evie was always on Dave's side in arguments with his parents, and so was Dave. "Why do you say that?" "Dad is really sorry for you." "Sad?" Dave didn't know what to make of the word.Dad can be angry, disappointed, harsh, authoritarian, and bossy, and he knows how to deal with those feelings in Dad.But being sad is something else entirely. "Why is he sad?" "I guess you had a fight with him." "Because I didn't do well in the exam, he refused to give me pocket money." "Did you do anything?" "I didn't do anything, I went out right away. Maybe slammed the door down." "Where have you been all day?" "I went to Lenny Avery's stall and made a pound there." "That's amazing! Where are you going with your guitar now?" "Lenny has a band. He wants me to play tuning guitar." That's a bit of an exaggeration—Dave hasn't actually gotten the job yet. "What luck!" "I thought you'd tell Mom and Dad where I was." "I'll tell you what you want me to say." "It's okay, just say what you want." After speaking, Dave walked towards the door of the room.When approaching the door, he stopped and asked Evie, "Is he sad?" "yes." Dave shrugged and walked away. He was not noticed by his parents and left the house without incident. Dave hopes to pass the audition.He often played and sang with his sister, but never played in a real band with drums.He wishes he was good enough—though playing a tuned guitar isn't too difficult. On the subway Dave kept thinking about Dad.He was a little surprised that he could make Dad sad.He'd always felt that being a father wasn't supposed to be vulnerable—but now he realized that this view was naive.He's a little annoyed at having to change his mind about Dad.Since no one was hurt, he couldn't feel resentful towards Dad.Dad hurt him, but he hurt Dad too, and both were responsible for it.Feeling responsible is much more uncomfortable than being angry on your own. After finding the Aldgate Workers' Nightclub, Dave walked in with a guitar and amp.It's a dreary place: a factory canteen reminiscent of Bakelite tables and rows of steel-steel folding chairs, lit by harsh neon lights.This doesn't feel like a place where you can play rock music. Members of the Praetorian Guards Band tune in on stage.Lenny played piano, Liu played drums, Boots played bass, and Joffrey played lead guitar.There is a microphone in front of Joffrey, presumably he will be singing part of the song.Liu, Boots, and Joffrey were all older than Dave, in their early twenties, and Dave felt they must play better than him.Suddenly, tuning your guitar isn't as simple as it seems. He tuned the guitar to the piano and plugged in the amp.Lenny asked, "Do you know "Dazzling Blues?" Dave knew, and he breathed a sigh of relief.This is a C-key rock music driven by melodious piano sound, and the guitar tuning is relatively simple.Dave has no trouble keeping up with the piano, finding a punch in his collaborations that he doesn't have when playing alone. Dave thought Lenny sang really well.Boots and Liu have a strong sense of rhythm, and the drums and bass are very smooth.Joffrey also has a deep knowledge of lead guitar.This is a great band combination, and it would be even better with a little imagination. At the end of the song, Lenny said to Dave, "Your chords work great with us, but can you sharpen the rhythm a little bit?" Dave was surprised to be criticized by Lenny.He thought he had played well enough. "No problem," he said to Lenny. The next track is "Let's Dance", a piano lead performed by Jerry Lee Lewis.The part of the song is sung by Joffrey and Lenny.Dave kept changing the chords in the pianist, and Lenny seemed a little more satisfied than before. Lenny announced that the next piece would be "Johnny B. Gould," and Dave, without asking a question, played the prelude to Chuck Berry's famous song with gusto.When it came to the fifth bar, he expected the rest of the band to join in as they did on the record, but the other Praetorians were silent.Dave stopped playing, and Lenny said: "I often play the intro of this song on the piano." "I'm sorry," Dave said.Lenny replayed the prelude to the piece on the piano. Dave was annoyed that he hadn't behaved so well. The next piece is "Little Susie, Wake Up".Dave was a bit surprised that Joffrey didn't join Lenny on the Avery Brothers song.After the first verse, Dave walked over to the microphone in front of Joffrey and sang with Lenny.A minute later, the two waitresses who had come to the table to clear the ashtrays stopped to listen to their singing.After the song was sung, the two girls applauded happily.Dave smiled happily.This is the first time he has received applause from outsiders. One of the girls asked Dave, "What's the name of your group?" Dave pointed to Lenny. "This is his combination, and the name of the combination is the Imperial Guard." "Oh." The girl looked slightly disappointed. Lenny's last song was "Take Care of My Children," and Dave performed a duet with Lenny again.Two waitresses danced to the music in the aisle between the tables. After playing, Lenny stood up from the piano bench. "You can't play the guitar well enough," he said to Dave, "but you can sing pretty well, and these two girls are obviously coming at you." "Then can I join or can't I join?" "Can you come to the show tonight?" "Tonight?" Dave was happy, but he didn't expect it to start so soon.He wanted to see Linda Robertson for a while! "Is there anything more you'd like to do?" Lenny seemed annoyed that Dave didn't immediately accept. "I'm going to meet a girl, but I can tell her to wait. How long will the show be?" "It's a workers' nightclub, and customers don't linger long here. Show closes at half-past ten." Could go to the nightclub at eleven, Dave thought. "That's all right," he said. "Very well," Lenny said, "welcome to our band." Gaspar Murray still can't afford to go to America.St. Julian's College in London has an organization called the North American Club, which often charters and sells cheap air tickets.One evening he went to the club's small office in the student union to inquire about fares on charter flights.The other party told him that it would cost ninety pounds to go to New York.The fare was too high, and he left the North American club office feeling disappointed. He saw Sam Kecklebride in the café.For days Gaspar had been looking for an opportunity to speak to Sam privately outside the offices of the St. Julian's Press.Sam was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, and Gaspar was the editor of the news category. Sam's sister Valerie is with Sam.Valerie wears a fedora hat and miniskirt and is also a student at St. Julian's College.She writes about fashion for the St. Julian's News.Valerie was beautiful—ordinarily, Gaspar would never have missed an opportunity to flirt with her, but today he had other things to do.He just wanted to talk to Sam alone.But after a second thought, he felt that Valerie's presence was not a big problem. He walked over to Sam's desk with his coffee. "I want your advice." What Gaspar really wanted was information, not advice.But people are often reluctant to share information and enjoy giving advice instead. Sam was wearing a tie, a herringbone jacket, and a pipe in his hand—maybe he was trying to look older. "Sit down." He said, folding up the newspaper he was reading. Gaspar sat down.His relationship with Sam was very tense.The two had been rivals for the editor-in-chief position, and Sam won, and when he became editor-in-chief, he appointed Gaspar as news editor.They are colleagues, but definitely not friends. "I want to be the editor-in-chief for next year," Gaspar said.He felt that Sam could help him, if not because he was the most suitable person, then because it would relieve Sam of his sense of indebtedness. "The editor-in-chief is up to Sir Jane." Sam shrugged.Sir Jane is Head of the College. "Sir Jane will ask your advice." "There are a lot of people in the nomination committee!" "But only if you tell the dean!" Sam didn't want to argue about that. "So what advice would you like?" "Who else is running for this position?" "It can only be Toby." "Really?" Toby Jenkins was a columnist for the newspaper, writing a series of insightful reports on the jobs of deans and cashiers for the dull faculty column. "He will apply." Sam got the editorial job partly because he had a powerful journalist father.Sir Jane valued the relationship.This made Gaspar angry, but Gaspar didn't bring it up in the conversation. "Toby was doing unimaginative work," Gaspar said. "Although he lacks a little imagination, his reports are accurate and informative." Gaspar thought the remark was Sam's sarcasm at him.Gaspar is completely different from Toby. Compared with accuracy, Gaspar values ​​emotional expression more than accuracy.In his reporting, frictions often turn into fights, plans into intrigue, and small misunderstandings into big lies.He knew that readers read newspapers for entertainment, not for truth. "He reported the rats in the cafeteria," Sam said. "Indeed." Gaspar forgot about it.Toby's article caused an uproar.There was also a lot of luck involved: Toby's father worked for the city council and knew that the pest control department was exterminating pests in the eighteenth-century basement of St. Julian's College.But the article secured Toby, who didn't write much, as editor of the column. "Looks like I need to find a scoop," Gaspar said thoughtfully. "Maybe." "For example, the dean used the school fund to gamble." "Sir Jane wouldn't gamble." Sam had no sense of humor. Gaspar thought of Lloyd Williams.Lloyd might be able to provide some tips.But unfortunately, Lloyd is a cautious man. Then he thought of Evie.Evie had enrolled in the Owen Drama School, which was affiliated with St. Julian's College, and the Academy newspaper could make her a special focus.Evie recently landed her first role in a film called Around Miranda, and she's still dating Hank Remington of The Cold.Maybe…… Gaspar stood up. "Sam, thank you for your help. I really appreciate it." "I'm happy to help you any time," said Sam. Gaspar took the subway home.The more he wanted to interview Ivan, the happier he was. Gaspar knew what was going on with Evie and Hank.They're not just dating, the two have become intimate.Evie's parents only knew that Evie went out with Hank two or three times a week, and didn't come home until midnight on Saturdays.But both Gaspar and Dave knew that Evie would go to Hank's apartment in Chelsea every day after school and have sex with Hank there.Hank even wrote a song dedicated to Evie: "Too Young to Smoke." Will Evie be interviewed? Back at home on Peter Street, Gaspar found Evie practicing his lines in the red-brick kitchen.Evie, with her hair tied up wildly and wearing a faded old shirt, looked unbelievably beautiful.Gaspar and her relationship is quite friendly.Despite his one-time crush on her, Gaspar was always friendly and never overreached.The reason for this caution was that Gaspar didn't want to create a rift between herself and her hospitable parents.Now he is even secretly happy that he has always maintained a friendly relationship with Ivan. "How's the practice going?" He asked, pointing to the script in Ivy's hand. Evie shrugged. "It's not difficult for the lines, but acting is a big challenge for me." "Maybe I should interview you." She looked troubled. "I can only accept interviews arranged by the studio." Gaspar felt slightly panicked.What kind of reporter is he if he can't interview Ivey who lives in the same room as him? "Just an interview with the student newspaper," he said. "I don't think the interview with the student newspaper is considered official." Gaspart raised hope. "I'm sure it doesn't. Plus, it'll help you get into Irvine Drama School." She put down the script. "Okay. What do you want to know?" Gaspar suppressed the joy of success.He asked calmly, "How did you get the part in Around Miranda?" "I got an interview." "Tell me in detail." Gaspar took out his notebook and began to record. Gaspar deliberately didn't mention Evie's nude scene in "Hamlet," fearing that Evie would tell him not to mention it.Fortunately, he has observed "Hamlet" with his own eyes, so there is no need to ask this question.He asked about the stars of the movie and other famous people Evie met during filming, and gradually the conversation turned to Hank Remington. At the mention of Hank, Evie's eyes showed strong emotion. “Hank is the most courageous and committed person I know,” she said. “I have a lot of respect for him.” "Your feelings for him are not just admiration." "I admire him a lot." "You're still dating, aren't you?" "Yeah, but I don't really feel like bringing that up." "Of course. No problem." She said yes, and that was enough. Dave came back from school and made instant coffee with hot milk. "I thought you couldn't accept interviews at will," he said to Evie. Gaspar thought: Shut your mouth, you self-righteous little bastard. Evie answers Dave's question: "Just the St. Julian's News interview." Gaspar wrote this interview that night. After typing up the interview, Gaspar realized that it would be a bit overkill if it was only published in the student newspaper.Hank was a star, Evie was a minor actor, but Evie's father was a member of the House of Commons—this must be big news, he thought excitedly.If this exclusive interview can be published in national newspapers, his career will definitely be improved by leaps and bounds. But at the same time, he will also have friction with the Williams family. The next day, he gave the interview to Sam Kecklebride. Then with trepidation he called the national tabloid, the Echo. He told the operator to speak to the news editor, but the operator did not forward the call to the news editor, but to a reporter named Berry Pugh. "I'm a student reporter, and I have a report for you," he said. "Fine, go ahead," Pugh said. Gaspar just hesitated for a moment.He knew he was betraying Evie and the entire Williams family, but he continued on. "A story about a congressman's daughter sleeping with a pop star." "Very well," said Pugh, "can you tell me who they are?" "Can we meet?" "Do you want to change some money?" "Yes, but that's not all." "What else do you want?" "I want to see my name in the article when it hits the paper." "We have to see the article before we can think about it." Pugh wants to coax Gasper into the same persuasive tactics Gasper used to Evie. "Well," Gaspar said firmly, "if you don't like the story, you don't have to be in the paper. If you like it, my name must appear." "No problem," Pugh said, "when do we meet?" Over breakfast at the Peter Avenue house two days later, Gaspar read the news in the Guardian: Martin Luther King Jr. planning a massive nonviolent non-disobedience demonstration in Washington in support of a civil rights bill .King expects more than 100,000 people to be present. "I wanted to see it with my own eyes," Gaspar said. Evie said, "Me too." The parade will take place during the school holidays in August, when Gaspar happens to be free.But he didn't have ninety pounds for a plane ticket to America. Daisy opened a letter and said, "My God, Lloyd, this is a letter from your cousin Rebecca in Germany." Dave, the youngest in the family, swallowed a mouthful of puffs and asked, "Who is this Rebecca?" Lloyd was flipping through the papers in the way politicians focus.He looked up at Daisy and said, "Not really a cousin, Rebecca was just a girl who was adopted by some distant relative of mine after her parents died." "I forgot we had relatives in Germany," he added in German, "God!" Gaspar noticed that Lloyd seemed suspiciously cold when dealing with the relationship.The late Bernie Lakewitz was Lloyd's stepfather, but his biological father was never mentioned.Gaspar was convinced Lloyd was supposed to be an illegitimate child.It wasn't headline-grabbing news: unlike before, having a child out of wedlock wasn't something dishonorable.At the same time, he did not get details from Lloyd about his parentage. Lloyd said: "The last time I saw Rebecca was in 1948, when she was about seventeen, and she was adopted by my distant relative Carla Frank and lived in the Mitte district of Berlin. So their home must have been in Berlin On the other side of the wall. How is she now?" Daisy replied: "She seems to have escaped from East Germany somehow and moved to Hamburg... God, her husband was injured during the escape and is now in a wheelchair." "Why did she write to us?" "She wants to find Hannah Lotman," Daisy turned her gaze to Gaspar, "Hannah Lol is your grandmother, and your grandmother apparently treated Rebecca well after her parents were killed. " Gaspar never met his mother's family. "We don't know what happened to my grandparents in Germany, my mother is sure they are all dead," he said. Daisy said, "I will give this letter to your mother, and she will write to Rebecca." Lloyd opened the Echo and said, "What the hell is this?" Gaspar had been waiting for this moment.He put his hands together on his knees to stop the shaking of his knees. Lloyd spread the newspaper flat on the table.On page three of the paper, which featured a photo of Evie and Hank Remington walking out of a nightclub, the headline read: "I didn't write it." Gaspar lied.This roar seemed a bit far-fetched to his own ears.What he really felt was the excitement of having his name printed in a national newspaper.Others at the table didn't seem to notice his complex emotions. Lloyd read aloud: "Pop star Hank Remington's new love is the seventeen-year-old daughter of Hoxton Labor MP Lloyd Williams. Up-and-coming film star Evie Williams Appearing nude on stage at Lambeth Secondary School caused a sensation." Daisy said, "My dear, it's so embarrassing." Lloyd read on: "Evie said: 'Hank is the most courageous and committed man I know.' Both Evie and Hank supported the The Disarmament Campaign." At this point, Lloyd gave Evie a stern look. "You know a lot of men who have put in the guts, from your mother who drove an ambulance during the bombings to Uncle Billy Williams who fought at the Battle of the Somme. Hans must have been quite the man to beat them." Amazing people." "That's not the point," Daisy said, "Evie, isn't it true that you can't be interviewed without the consent of the film company?" "Jesus, it's my fault," Gaspar said, and all eyes turned to Gaspar.Gaspar had long anticipated this situation and was prepared for it.He effortlessly puts on a distraught look: as if repenting for it. “我为学生报采访伊维。《回声报》一定是转载了我的专访——并在专访的基础上改写以制造轰动效应。”他事先已经准备好了这套托词。 “踏上社会你首先要知道，”劳埃德说，“记者是最最危险的人。” 我就是最危险的人物，加斯帕心想。不过威廉姆斯家的人却似乎接受了他没让《回声报》转载这篇报道的说法。 伊维快要落泪了。“我也许会失去这个角色的。” 黛西说：“我觉得这对电影造不成任何坏影响——而只会有好处。” “希望你是对的。”伊维说。 “伊维，真是太对不起了，”加斯帕假装真诚地说，“我觉得我让你失望了。” “你又不是故意的。”伊维说。 加斯帕顺利地闯过了这道难关。桌子旁没有人用谴责的目光看他。他们把《回声报》上的报道看成是一个无心之错。他唯一不确定的是微微皱眉，避开他目光的黛西。但黛西出于喜欢加斯帕母亲，绝对不会批评加斯帕的表里不一。 加斯帕站起身。“我这就去《回声报》的办公室，”他说，“我想见见皮尤那个浑蛋，看他有什么话要说。” 加斯帕很高兴能离开屋子。他成功地度过了一个危险关头，一下子的放松给了他极大的喜悦。 一小时以后他到了《回声报》的新闻编辑室。他对能立身于此感到非常兴奋。他希望来的就是这种地方：采编桌、打字机、应接不暇的电话、在办公室里传送稿件的气压输送管，还有愉悦的气氛。 巴里·皮尤大约二十五岁，他穿着件皱巴巴的大衣和一双山羊皮皮鞋，是个眼睛有点斜视的矮个子男人。“你干得很不错。”皮尤说。 “伊维不知道稿子是我给的。” 皮尤没时间考虑加斯帕的顾忌。“如果每次还要征得当事人的同意，就没有多少报道能登上报纸了。” “伊维本应拒绝所有电影厂宣传官安排的报道。” “宣传官是我们的敌人，为你斗过了其中一个而感到骄傲吧！” “我的确为之而感到骄傲。” 皮尤递给他一个信封。加斯帕拆开信封，发现里面放着张支票。“你的报酬，”他说，“这是你的报道登上第三版头条的收入。” 加斯帕点了点钱，正好是九十英镑。 他想起了华盛顿的示威游行。九十英镑是飞去美国的机票钱。有了这九十英镑，他就可以去美国了。 他的心气一下子提上来了。 他把支票放进兜里。“非常感谢。”他说。 巴里点点头说：“有类似的报道再来找我。” 戴夫·威廉姆斯对在飞驰夜总会表演感到紧张不安。这里离牛津街不远，是伦敦市中心一个非常引人注目的地方。这里产生过几个新星，还发掘过不少现在登上新歌排行榜的乐队。著名音乐人经常来这里聆听新冒出来的歌手和乐队的演唱。 但夜总会看上去却很普通。夜总会的一头是吧台，另一头是个小舞台，吧台和舞台中间是可以供几百个人同时跳扭臀舞的空间。地板上都是烟灰。唯一的装饰品是几张过去曾经在这儿表演过的成名歌手的破烂海报——厕所的墙上涂满了戴夫从没见过的各种下流淫秽的涂鸦。 在莱尼的帮助下，戴夫和禁卫军乐队的配合有了很大的改善。莱尼知道戴夫的短处在哪儿，虽然只比戴夫大了八岁，莱尼却像个叔叔一样谆谆教导着戴夫。“仔细听鼓点，”他说，“然后你就能跟上节奏了。”另外一次他对戴夫说：“学会不看吉他进行演奏，这样你就能看着观众们的眼睛了。”戴夫很感谢莱尼教他的点点滴滴，但知道自己和专业水平还有那么一点距离。但不管怎样，只要一登台他就会觉得非常畅快。在舞台上，他不再是个劣等生。事实上，他很有能力，而且还在变得越来越好。他幻想着成为一个不用反复学习的音乐家，但他也很清楚，成为音乐家的几率非常小。 他们的组合每天都在进步。当戴夫和莱尼一起唱歌时，他们的歌声和披头士乐队一样现代。戴夫劝莱尼尝试一下诸如芝加哥蓝调以及底特律灵魂爵士等年轻一代喜闻乐见的音乐形式。结果他们得到了更多的邀约，从以前的每两周一次到现在的周五、周六都有演出。 但戴夫如此急切还有另一个原因。他想让伊维的男朋友汉克·雷明顿帮忙推荐他们的乐队。但雷明顿却很不满意乐队的名字。“和四分卫、约旦人乐队一样，禁卫军乐队的名字太过时了。”他说。 “我们也许会改掉乐队的名字。”只要能让组合扬名，戴夫什么都愿意考虑。 “最近组合都喜欢用怀旧蓝调乐曲取名，比如说滚石乐队。” 戴夫想起前些日子听的一张布克·华盛顿和M布鲁斯乐队的唱片，那张唱片有个怪里怪气的名字。“叫桃色岁月怎么样？”他问汉克。 汉克很喜欢这个名字，告诉夜总会应该让一个名叫桃色岁月的组合来试试。汉克这等著名人物的建议相当于是在下命令，只要用上“桃色岁月”这个名字，组合就能获得在飞驰夜总会现场演出的机会。 但戴夫的提议被莱尼干脆地否决了。“我们是禁卫军，我们一直会用这个名字。”他固执地说，然后把话题扯到了其他方面。戴夫不敢告诉他，飞驰夜总会认为他们已经改用了桃色岁月这个名字。 现在危机就要来了。 试奏时他们演奏了《露西尔》。演奏完第一段以后，戴夫停下来看着主音吉他乔弗里。“你在他妈的弹什么？”他问。 "what do you mean?" “中间一部分你弹得非常怪。” 乔弗里会心一笑。“只是一个承转音而已。” “琴谱上没有这个承转音。” “怎么啦，你难道不会弹降C大调吗？” 戴夫知道这是怎么回事。乔弗里想让他看起来是只菜鸟。可戴夫的确掌握不好这种降调的音符。 莱尼说：“戴夫，酒吧钢琴师叫它'双降'。” 尽管不服气，但戴夫还是对乔弗里说：“弹给我听听。” 乔弗里揉揉眼皮，叹了一口气，但还是给戴夫演示了一遍。“这样弹，明白了吗？”他像对待业余演奏者一样没好气地说。 戴夫学着演奏了一遍。这个调子并不是很难。“下次这么弹的时候先他妈的跟我说一声。”他说。 之后一切都很顺利。飞驰夜总会的老板菲尔·伯利站在他们中间聆听。因为过早地谢顶，他又被称为“谢顶伯利”。一曲奏完，他频频点头，表示赞许。“谢谢你，桃色岁月。”他说。 莱尼不满地看着戴夫。“我们是禁卫军。”他坚定地说。 戴夫说：“我们讨论要改掉这个名字。” “是你说的，我又没有同意。” 谢顶伯利说：“伙计，禁卫军这个名字可不太好哦。” “我们就叫这个名字。” “听着，拜伦·切斯特菲尔德今晚要来这儿，”谢顶伯利带着丝绝望说，“他是英国最重要的经纪人——也许在整个欧洲范围都是。你们也许能从他那里得到工作的机会——但用禁卫军这个名字可不行。” “拜伦·切斯特菲尔德吗？”莱尼笑了，“我很小就认识他，他本名叫布莱恩·切斯诺维茨基。他哥哥在阿尔德盖特市场有个货摊。” 谢顶伯利说：“我担心的是你们这个组合的名字，而不是他叫什么名字。” “我们这个组合的名字非常好。” “让禁卫军组合上台的话，我这里会臭名昭著的，”谢顶伯利站起身，“伙计们，对不起，”他说，“收拾起你们的乐器给我走人吧。” 戴夫说：“伯利，别这样，你总不想开罪汉克·雷明顿吧。” “汉克是我的老伙计，”谢顶伯利说，“五十年代我和他一起在咖啡馆玩噪音爵士乐，但他推荐给我的组合是桃色岁月，而不是什么禁卫军。” 戴夫大受打击。“我所有的朋友都来了！”他说。其实他心里想是却只有琳达·罗伯特森。 谢顶伯利说：“没办法，只能说对不起了。” 戴夫转身对莱尼说：“理智点儿，何必在名字上较劲呢？” “这是我的组合，不是你的。”莱尼固执地说。 看出问题所在以后，戴夫对莱尼说：“这当然是你的组合，但你曾经告诉我，顾客总是对的。”他突然闪现出灵感，“喜欢的话，明天早晨你就能把名字改回禁卫军。” 莱尼说不行，但已经不像刚才那么果决了。 “总比不能上台要好，”戴夫继续向莱尼施压，“现在回去就什么都完了。” “该死，你是对的。”莱尼说。 让戴夫高兴的是，危机总算过去了。他大松了一口气。 第一个客人进门的时候，组合的成员正站在吧台前喝啤酒。戴夫秉持一个原则：只喝一品脱。喝到放松的程度就不喝了，绝对不影响演奏。莱尼喝了两杯啤酒，乔弗里喝了三杯。 戴夫高兴地看到了琳达·罗伯特森。琳达穿着粉红色短裙和白色的齐膝长靴，显得非常漂亮。琳达和戴夫的朋友们都没到喝酒的年龄，但他们看上去都足够老成，而法律规定的也没有那么严。 琳达对戴夫的态度完全变了。尽管年纪相同，但原来她却把戴夫看作要好的小弟弟。在飞驰夜总会玩吉他的事实让琳达对他另眼相看，戴夫终于升格成了一个老于世故的成年人。琳达叽叽喳喳地问他各种关于组合的问题。如果在莱尼的乐队里打杂都能有这种待遇，真正成为流行乐明星会怎样？戴夫心想。 他和组合的其他成员去化妆间换衣服。职业乐队的成员通常穿完全一样的衣服，但制作费用太贵了，莱尼只能规定所有成员都穿红衬衫。戴夫觉得都穿一样的衣服已经过时了：滚石乐队的成员就各穿各的。 桃色岁月是临时添加的乐队，被安排在第一个演出。莱尼作为队长介绍了他们要唱的歌曲。他坐在舞台边缘，因为钢琴树立角度的关系，看不到观众。戴夫站在舞台中间又跳又唱，大多数观众的视线都聚集在戴夫身上。现在他不用再担心乐队的名字了——至少暂时不用——可以放松下来尽情发挥。他在舞台中央尽情舞动，像抱着个舞伴一样摆弄着吉他。唱歌时，他想象着正和观众们说话，用不停变幻的面部表情和头部摆动来突出重点的歌词。和以往一样，姑娘们就吃这个，她们微笑着看着戴夫，合着节奏与戴夫一起舞动。 演出结束后，拜伦·切斯特菲尔德来到了化妆间。 拜伦大约四十来岁，穿着带背心的淡蓝色西服，领带上画着雏菊的图案，两侧的头发已经很稀了。他一进门，化妆间里就充斥着一股科隆香水味。 拜伦对戴夫说：“你的组合不坏。” 戴夫说：“谢谢，切斯特菲尔德先生，但这是莱尼的组合。” 莱尼说：“拜伦，你好，难道你不记得我了吗？” 拜伦犹豫了一阵，然后说：“老天，你是莱尼·埃弗里。”他的伦敦口音很重，“你不说我还真认不出，你的货摊怎么样？” “生意很好，但钱是赚不够的。” “莱尼，你这个组合很不错：贝斯和鼓的节奏很稳，吉他和钢琴也不错，我喜欢你们的合唱。”他对戴夫竖起大拇指，“姑娘们喜欢这小子，你们接了很多演出的活吗？” 戴夫很兴奋。拜伦·切斯特菲尔德喜欢这个组合！ 莱尼说：“我们每个周末都很忙。” “如果感兴趣的话，夏天我也许能为你们提供六周出去演出的机会，”拜伦说，“每周二到每周六，一周五个晚上。” “我不知道能不能去，”莱尼不动声色地说，“我不在时得让妹妹经营那个货摊。” “每周到手九十英镑，没有扣款。” 戴夫心算了一下，这比在其他地方驻唱的收入要高。运气好的话，还能赶上学校的假期呢！ 莱尼的迟疑不定让戴夫有些气恼。“旅费和住宿费怎么办？”莱尼问拜伦。戴夫意识到莱尼不是不感兴趣，而是想讨价还价。 “住宿夜总会会安排，但旅费得你们自己来。”拜伦说。 戴夫怀疑拜伦提供的可能是个海边度假地的季节性工作。 莱尼说：“拜伦，我不能为了这点钱而离开我的货摊。如果一百二十英镑一周，我会考虑考虑。” “夜总会可能看在我的面子上给到九十五英镑。” “一百一十英镑。” “我放弃提成，就给你一百英镑吧。” 莱尼看着组合的其他人。“伙计们，你们看行不行？” 组合的其他成员都不愿放弃如此机会。 “去哪里唱？”莱尼问。 “一个名叫俯冲的夜总会。” 莱尼摇摇头问：“没听说过，这家夜总会在哪儿？” “我刚才没提到吗？”拜伦·切斯特菲尔德说，“是家汉堡的夜总会。” 戴夫无法抑制自己的兴奋。在汉堡进行为期六个星期的演出！他已经到了可以不去上学的年纪。这会成为一个当上职业音乐人的机会吗？ 戴夫拿着吉他和音箱生气勃勃地和琳达·罗伯特森一起回到了在彼得大街的家，他想先把乐器放好，再步行把琳达送回她在切尔西的家。但戴夫的父母还没上床睡觉，黛西在玄关里拦住他。“今晚过得怎样？”黛西声音响亮地问。 “过得非常棒，”戴夫回答说，“我只是回来放吉他的，现在得把琳达送回家。” “琳达，你好，”黛西说，“很高兴又见到你。” “你好。”琳达装出一副女生该有的乖巧模样。但戴夫知道母亲已经把她的短裙和性感长靴都看在眼里了。 “夜总会会继续雇你吗？”黛西问。 “一个名叫拜伦·切斯特菲尔德的经纪人给了我们在另一家夜总会进行暑期工作的机会。因为正值暑假，所以不影响我上课。” 劳埃德穿着参加周六晚政治集会穿的那件西服走进客厅。“学校放假你要干什么去？” “我参加的组合有个六周的演出。” Lloyd frowned. “学校放假你应该复习功课才对。下学期就要进行重要的初级水平学业考试了。目前你的成绩还不足以让你整个假期在外面闲晃。” “我们的演出都放在晚上，白天我可以学点东西。” “看来你明显顾不上和我们去滕比过一年一度的假期了。” “我记得这事，”戴夫撒了个谎，“我喜欢滕比，但这对我是个不可多得的机会。” “你才十五岁，在我们去威尔士的这两个星期里，我不能把你一个人留在家。” “那家夜总会不在伦敦。”戴夫说。 "Where is that?" “汉堡。” 黛西问：“你说什么？” 劳埃德说：“别荒唐了。你觉得我们会让你一个人去汉堡吗？再说，十五岁就登台演出也肯定不符合德国的劳工法。” “不是所有法律都执行得那么有效，”戴夫争辩说，“我敢打赌，你十八岁以前一定在酒吧买过酒。” “我十八岁时去德国还是和你奶奶一起去的呢。我十五岁的时候从未在没人照看的情况下在国外生活过六个星期。” “有人照看我，莱尼堂兄也和我一起去。” “在我看来，他可不是个可靠的监护人。” “监护人？”戴夫愤愤地说，“你把我当成维多利亚时代的少女了吗？” “从法律上来讲，你还是个孩子。从现实上来看，你才刚刚迈入青春期。你还远不是一个成年人。” “你不是在汉堡有表亲嘛！”戴夫孤注一掷地说，“就是那个给你写信的丽贝卡，你可以托她照顾我。” “她只是个被收养的远亲，我已经十六年没见她了。我不可能把一个任性的孩子交给关系这么远的亲戚。说实话，即便是米莉，我也不大会把你扔给她。” 黛西操起了一种息事宁人的口吻。“劳埃德，从写的信来看，丽贝卡应该是个和善的人。她似乎没有自己的孩子，我想她应该不介意替我们照顾戴夫的。” 劳埃德看起来很生气。“你真想让戴夫去汉堡吗？” “不，当然不。如果由着我来的话，我会让他去滕比。但他已经长大了，我们也许不应该管得太紧。”她看了眼戴夫又说，“他也许会觉得工作很辛苦，没有想象中那么多乐趣，从中学到生活的真谛。” “不行，”劳埃德用不容再商量的口吻说，“如果他十八岁，我也许会同意。但他太小了，年龄还太小了。” 戴夫想大哭大闹一场，但大哭大闹就能帮他争取到去汉堡的机会吗？ “现在已经很晚了，”黛西说，“这事我们明早再商量。戴夫要在琳达的父母担心前把她送回家。” 戴夫有点犹豫，不愿在问题没解决之前离开。 劳埃德走到楼梯底下。“别抱任何希望，”他对戴夫说，“我是不会让你去的。” 戴夫打开门。如果他什么都不说就这样离开，父母会认为他让步了。戴夫要让他们知道他们无法轻易阻止他去汉堡。“你们听我说。”听到他的话，劳埃德一脸吃惊。戴夫下定了决心。“爸爸，这是我有生以来第一次在什么事上成功，”他说，“请理解我。如果你这个机会都不给我，那我就离开家，而且再也不会回来了。” 和琳达走出家门以后，戴夫重重地甩上了门。