Chapter 6 Chapter Six

There was no report from Sylvester on Wednesday, and Sam saw nothing in the papers.At nine-thirty on Thursday morning, he got a call from Dutton. "Mr. Bowden? I'm Captain Dutton. I have some news to tell you about the man you mentioned." "What's up?" "We have him arrested for disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest. He got into a fight in the yard behind his house on Jack Street about midnight last night, surrounded by three local hoodlums. beat him. At first they beat him badly, and then he fought back, and one ran away, and the other two went to the hospital. He threw one of them over the side of the shed next door, and hurt the man's back. , and several bruises; another had a cracked jaw, a broken wrist, and a few broken ribs from kicks in addition to a concussion. beat him around the eyes with a big iron pipe."

"Will he be put in jail?" "Absolutely, Mr. Bowden. I guess he was a little dazed, and it was dark in there, and he punched one of the patrol officers running towards the scene, knocking his nose out. Another The patrolman knocked him unconscious with his baton, took him to the hospital, had his face stitched up, and brought him back to the police station, where he's in jail. Judge Jamison has night court this week, and tonight we'll See if he can be charged with something. He's been clamoring for a lawyer, would you be interested in taking this case?" "Not interested, thank you."

"Judge Jamison isn't as cooperative as some other judges, but I think he'll get a sentence. Come by tonight around eight-thirty and you'll see how it turns out." "I'll be there. Team leader, if I ask you if there are any results found in Charleston, wouldn't it be too early?" "No. As I expected, the Charleston police contacted the woman at her home. She admitted that she had been married to Cardi before, but hadn't seen him since he was sentenced. She Told police that she had no idea he was released. I'm sorry." "Thank you for trying to look it up anyway."

"I'm sorry I found nothing, Mr. Bowden." Silves called at four o'clock and told Sam to meet at the usual place.Sam arrived first, bought the wine and waited in the same back compartment.After Silves arrived, he sat down opposite Sam and said, "You can ask for a refund." "what happened?" "They were too careless. I have already passed on the word that the big monkey is very fierce. They beat him a few times, which was not too serious. Seeing that he didn't fall down, they wanted to hit him a few more times. Suddenly , it was too late, he scared those boys out of their wits, the one who ran away was punched in the stomach first, I heard that he still can't breathe normally. The word has spread I'm afraid it's going to be hard to find someone to teach him a second lesson. I've heard one of them get thrown through a panel and it sounded like a bomb went off. Sorry for how poorly it was handled, ba Mr Deng."

"But he'll go to jail." "Then it will be released." "What should I do?" "I suppose you'll have to pay for another action. You'd better set aside a thousand dollars this time, and he won't have a second chance to catch him off guard." By the time Sam returned home, Caro had already learned most of the news from the evening papers.There was a short report on the social news board, which published the names of the two hospitalized wounded and the arrest of Kadi. "You going?" "I have no idea." "Please go find out what's going on, dear."

The night court was very crowded and Sam sat in the back.There were constant voices in the room, the sound of footsteps grinding on the ground, and the constant coming and going of people, so that he couldn't even hear a word clearly.The courtroom had a high ceiling, and the unshaded light bulbs cast their shadows clearly.Judge Jaminson had the most bored-looking face Sam had ever seen.The benches were narrow and hard, and the room smelled of cigars, dust, and disinfectant.Then he seized the opportunity and changed his seat to the third row from the front railing. Cady's case was arraigned at nine-fifteen.A district attorney, Cady, a young lawyer Sam had met at a bar association meeting but couldn't recall the name of, and two uniformed patrol officers lined up before the judge.

Sam pricked up his ears as much as he could, but he could catch a word or two now and then.Cady's defense attorney spoke in an earnest whisper, as if emphasizing that the attack took place at Cady's residence.The policeman with gauze on his nose testified in a monotonous voice.If the noise in the courtroom got to a certain level, the judge would idly tap the gavel a few times. The prosecutor and the defense lawyer chattered on and on, ignoring the judge for a moment, then they both nodded.The judge yawned, tapped the gavel again, and delivered the sentence which Sam hadn't heard clearly.Cuddy and his lawyer went up and paid a clerk sitting behind a small desk.A bailiff came and took him out through the side door, but Cady stopped and looked back, apparently wandering around the courtroom, a white diagonal cross was clearly pasted on his cheek by the bandage, and his eyebrows were swollen and swollen. Cyan purple.Sam huddled down on the bench and hid as much as he could, but Cady saw him, and raised a hand, smiled, and said in a distinct voice, "Hello, Lieutenant, everything's all right. ?"

Then he was taken out.Sam asked three people to figure out what was going on.Cuddy pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer. The other two charges were dismissed. He was fined $100 and served 30 days in the municipal jail. He took the news home and told Caro.They want to believe that this is good news, but it is not comforting.Their smiles are stiff and fade quickly.However, there are at least thirty days of good days, thirty days without fear, and thirty days of waiting for fear to strike again.Cady could not have planned better for a blow to their morale. School is out.The many restrictions on the children are lifted, and the golden summer vacation begins.Cardi's 30-day sentence officially began on June 19 and he will be released on Friday, July 19.

They had originally planned to have Nancy go to camp again, and she was delighted that they had promised to let her go for six weeks this year instead of the usual one month.This is her fourth year at Camp Minna Tara, and likely her last.The six weeks begin on July 1st.It was the second year for Jamie to attend the Ganatara Summer Camp, which was located three miles away from the girls' summer camp and belonged to the same management unit.Both camps were on a small lake in the southern part of the state, about 140 miles from the village of Harper.Plans to attend summer camp are usually decided at a family meeting in April before the registration deadline.After considering all factors, Nancy's request to stay at the summer camp for six weeks was granted.Then Jimmy vehemently protested that he was only there for a month, and it was pointed out that Nancy was only at camp for a month when she was his age.Finally a deal was made on the condition that he would stay for six weeks when he turned fourteen.Bucky, on the other hand, wasn't happy about it from start to finish, even telling him he could start going to summer camp in three years' time.Three years, half his present age, seemed like an eternity to him, the victim of cruel, needless discrimination, and all the fun.

After he finally resigned to his fate and agreed to stay at home for a summer vacation, he expressed a series of opinions and views on the summer camp.He said those places were terrible: you had to sleep in the rain, the horses kicked you, the boats leaked, and if you didn't shower six times a day, they beat you and beat you. When everything was arranged, Nancy began to slowly change her mind as the summer holidays approached. She grew from child to woman, physically and mentally, and it was evident from her attitude that she began to feel that summer camp was a The children went, and many of her group of friends would spend the summer in and around Harper's Village.She mentioned the names of many boys who would stay and work to build a freeway under construction that would meet Route 18 three miles north of Harper Village.She thought maybe she could get a job in the village.But Sam and Caro thought it best to extend her childhood for another summer vacation, so that she could spend swimming, riding horses, doing handicrafts, picnics, climbing mountains and singing around the campfire.

Nancy wasn't unhappy, she wasn't one to complain.When it was clear to her that she must go, she put on what Sam called "the Duchess": pompous, haughty, and aloof, sighing or sniffling now and then.She seemed above them all, though of course condescending to their ideas, no matter how childish. But in the week following Cady's sentencing, there was a sudden and startling change in her attitude.Nancy became very enthusiastic and excited about the summer camp plan, and even walked lightly and happily. This change made Sam and Kailuo very interested. One night, Caro said to Sam: "Mystery solved, I pressed her today. She put the red dress in her luggage and was a little sneaky, so I told her it was worn when I was climbing a mountain." Easy to tear. She ended up telling me with pomp and arrogance that some nights the two camps would do some fellowship together. I said I was well aware that there was a fellowship, but I was also well aware of going to Camp Ghanatara The oldest of the boys was no more than fifteen, so wearing the red dress was like shooting crickets with a deer gun. She didn't want me to think she was too low-sighted, so she confessed that Tommy Kent was in Ganatara is the deputy director of the sports department." "drink!" "Yes, that's right. Drink! The management of the students in the summer camp is very strict, but the management of Minna Tara's female staff is not so strict. Her Tommy is likely to go with a staff member who is about 18 years old. Get too close and break our chick's heart." "The danger is quite possible, but I'm glad she's done with the Duchess. She'll be fifteen on the twentieth of next month. What day of the week is that?" "It happens to be Saturday this year, so we can drive over and bring her a present." She paused and gave him a surprised look. "I didn't even think of it before, that happened to be..." "I know." "What's going to happen to them over there? Will Jamie and Nancy be safe?" "I think he could find out where they were, and pretty much everyone in the village knew where they were going. I've thought about it. You know what it's like at summer camp, they're all in groups, a bunch of chattering kids, full of Masculine vigor, I'll give the boys some instructions first, and then talk to the people at the camp when I drive them there. But with Tommy there, it might be easier. I can talk to him , I like this kid very much, he looks very capable." "Then you have to hurry. They have an appointment tonight, and he leaves early tomorrow morning. He has to help prepare for the summer camp early. They are going to the charity ball hosted by the fire brigade tonight, and he will be at eight o'clock." Come pick her up." "I had no idea these things started so early on." "We girls of Indian blood are very precocious." Nancy's dinner was eaten quickly that night, and she was ready at a quarter to eight.Sam stopped her in the living room. "Very country," he said approvingly. "Do I look okay?" "What's this thing called?" "This? Ranch jeans for girls, cut a bit like men's." "It's a little bit. But even if it's to satisfy your old father's boring curiosity, how did you put it on?" "Oh, that's easy! See the side leg here? There's a hidden zipper from the knee to the ankle." "It looks great with this shirt, like a tablecloth in an Italian restaurant. Nancy, honey, I think you've probably mentioned our... troubles to Tommy." "Oh, I mentioned it." "When he comes later, can you pretend you're not dressed yet? That way I can talk to him first." "There's someone else in the car, Dad, what are you going to tell him? I mean, I don't want you to say—" "I'll take him away from the others, baby, and I won't let you lose face." When Tommy arrived at eight o'clock, the sun had not yet set, and the long summer twilight was beginning to cast blue shadows in the shade of the trees.Sam came down the porch and met Tommy who had walked down the driveway to the middle of the front yard. "I suppose you're wearing a farmer's suit," said Sam. Tommy wore baggy suspenders, a blue denim shirt, and a straw hat. "Very tacky attire, isn't it, uncle?" "It's an appropriate uniform for an occasion like this. Nancy will be dressed in a few minutes. I want to talk to you first, Tommy." He saw the worried look flash across Tommy's face, and for a moment he knew exactly what Tommy was thinking.The nasty thing is coming, the old father will say that his little girl is too young, don't let her stay out too late at night and so on. "What is it, uncle?" "Nancy said she already told you about the man who was bothering us?" "Yes, she told me, I can't remember his name, Brenandi?" "Cady, Max Cudd. He's in jail now, but he's coming out on the nineteenth of next month. You're old enough, so I'll tell you the truth. I think that man is dangerous, and I Know he's dangerous. He wants to hurt me by hurting my family, because that's the way he can hurt me the most. He might go to summer camp, I hope you can help me take an extra responsibility, I I hope you take care of Jimmy and never leave him alone. Please pass this sentence on to other staff members. I think if you tell them that someone is threatening kidnapping, the summer camp will be kept on the highest level of vigilance. My wife and I discussed it and we felt he would be safer there than here. Would you like to do it?" "Yes, uncle. But what about Nancy?" "You're only three miles away from the other camp, and we'll talk to the kids when we drive there. She's older than Jamie and less likely to forget to be careful, but I think...she's more likely To be targeted. When Cady gets out of prison, I plan to deal with that problem here, and if I can solve it, I will send you a message immediately, Tommy." "As far as I know, there aren't many men in the camp at Minna Tara," Tommy said suspiciously. "I know, I think you'll see Nancy from time to time, and please always remind her to be with everyone. She's seen Cady before, and that helps her a lot." He described the man's appearance to Tommy in detail, and said: "If something happens, don't be impulsive or heroic. Although you are strong and athletic, you are still no match for that man. His Big, fast, and ruthless in his shots, like a bear, you can't stop him even if you have a wrench in your hand." "I see." "And you know, I'm not exaggerating." "I know, Uncle. I know about the dog, too. I've never heard of it. I'll take care of the two of them, Mr. Borden, and I'll never screw it up." "I know you won't. Here comes our farm lady." He watched them walk to the parked car outside, and whistles rose and fell as Nancy approached the car.After they had waved and yelled away, Sam returned to the porch. Caro came out and unexpectedly presented him with a large glass of gin and soda as a reward."I'm thinking about the pendulum theory," he said. She sat on the rail beside him. "That's the beginning of the Bowden Lecture." "You know it when you hear it, don't you?" "Of course, your voice will be a little deeper and more refined. Go ahead." "If I could just rehearse it first, I'd say it better. I think we're nearing the end of the glory days of teenage misbehavior, and I think there's a new generation of kids that's unusual, and they're all good kids, just weird. They I can't stand the idleness and waste and the Brutalist philosophy of the previous generation. They don't want to use the shadow of military service as an old-fashioned excuse for rioting and disorder. These are a group of very moral children, very sophisticated, but Their gentleness is very selective. They seem to have a sense of morality and act with noble purpose. God knows, both are true, but they shock me a little bit, they make me feel like Seems decayed. Tommy's a good boy. The pendulum has swung back." She carefully placed the wine glass in her hand on the railing, and clapped her hands solemnly. "Good! Well said!" "Don't listen to me now, let's sit in such a beautiful night and listen to the bugs." "To countless insects." "Hot and cold can be predicted by the sound of crickets." "You've told me a hundred times." "One more symptom of old age, cliché, repetition, and great forgetfulness, because I can never remember your formula for calculating temperature with the sound of crickets." "Let's put it this way, when crickets are chirping outside, it means it's warm enough." "very good." They sat in silence as night fell.Jamie and some of his friends are playing in the barn.Their shrill voices mingled with the buzzing of insects, and Sam wanted to lose himself in the subtle rhythms of the summer night, but he couldn't stop the ticking of the clock in his head, each second bringing them closer The danger of coming back.He knew Caro could hear the clock ticking too.He thought, like a fatal terminal disease, which made the beauty before him brighter and the pleasure all the more intense, but at the same time added a sad pungent taste to both the beauty and the pleasure. The phone rang, and Caro went in to answer it, then walked out and said, "It's time to disband, my dear, go and interrupt the work of the atomic energy team." "atomic energy?" "Don't you know? They're building an atomic sports car." He disbanded that small group of people.The bicycle lights are on the road, and everyone clamors about tomorrow's plans.This is the wonderful world of childhood summers, and the TV, a source of anxiety a while ago, is once again under control.Summer is the time to make good use of your muscles and physical strength, and it is the time to run and scream.In the summer, a big red dog should run after them, bumping into their tanned legs, tripping over them, enduring the bumps of an atomic sports car, and barking angrily at not being able to climb a tree with them .At night, he lay loose in a corner, and fell asleep, his legs still twitching, because he dreamed that he was chasing the ghosts and ghosts which he had frightened and fled. On Monday, July 1, they left for summer camp early.Most of the parents would drop off their children on Saturday, and they had planned to do so, but after a family discussion, Sam decided to take Monday off so that the family could go to the island for a picnic on Sunday.They had a perfect day on the island.On the way home, a strong wind blew up, and for the last half hour of the return trip, Butch, who had taken his seasickness pills too late, was sprawled on the railing, furious with his stomach and feeling betrayed. Early in the morning, the excitement made Jimmy's stomach feel like a knot, and he couldn't eat.The items on the list were checked, and Mike Turner came to say his pathetic goodbye.The luggage was loaded into the station wagon, the house was locked, and they drove off.Butch shares the excitement of the others, too, but he's sure to be sullen on the return trip until, inevitably, he falls asleep in the backseat. They arrived at eleven o'clock, first at Minna Tara Girls' Summer Camp, where Jamie's loud and angry protests were flatly suppressed.The morning activities are frantically underway.The friends Nancy had made over previous summers waved to her; after Sam and Jamie took Nancy's luggage to the cabin where she lived, he drove to the executive cabin to talk to the camp director.The director was a newcomer, much younger than the original director, and their conversation was less than satisfactory.The man's name was Taylor, the type of man Sam recognized immediately.Taylor was a lot like the social worker in the public sector who thinks the rules and forms are far more important than the humans they deal with.His demeanor is airy, and it's clear he thinks he's dealing with an overprotective parent. "Nancy's record at Minnatara is very good, Mr. Bowden, we are very happy to have her come to our summer camp again, and I am sure she will have a happy and rewarding summer vacation." "I think she can, Mr. Taylor, but that's not the point." Sam said patiently. "What I'm worried about is her personal safety." "All our cadets are looked after with great care, Mr. Bowden. They are busy every minute of the day, lights-out times are strictly enforced, and we have a very capable night watchman who walks around the camp every night. Four times. The students who wear the merit badge can be allowed to go to the town of Snowdisai on Sunday afternoon. We have someone to take the younger students, but the senior girls can-" Sam pondered what to do with Tyler, then interrupted him, saying, "She's been here before, and this is her fourth year. I think I know almost as well as you about all the details, no matter what time of day it is." , Nanxi will not go to the town of Shedisai." Taylor had a painful expression on his face: "But it's too unfair to the child, Mr. Bowden. If she sees that everyone else is allowed--" "Nancy is willing to let go of that, she's...grown up to the fact that she could be hurt." Taylor blushed. "I don't know if it's wise to frighten children like that, Mr. Bowden." "I haven't done any special research on this myself. Have we reached an agreement? Don't let Nancy go to Shedsay?" "Well, Mr. Bowden, I'm sure if she needs anything, she can always find someone who will run her errands." "I'm sure she can find a lot of people willing to run errands for her, she's not an unwanted kid." "I'm sure she'll find it." The situation in Ganatara is much more reassuring.After Jamie put away his luggage and started activities according to the schedule, Sam found Mr. Manner.He recognized Sam from a meeting last year: "Hello, Mr. Bowden, glad Jamie is here again." "I wanted to talk to you about—" "Possible kidnapping? Tommy Kent mentioned it to me. I've informed all the staff and I've told them how to deal with it. We don't treat Jimmy the same way we treat anyone else. No. However, in less obvious situations, we will pay special attention to him, and we will also pay attention to who hangs around. We don't want you to worry about him, and there is no need to. I will talk to him and see how he is. cooperate with us." "I really appreciate it. At the girls' camp, Mr. Taylor made me feel like he thought I made the whole thing up." "Taylor is a newcomer, and he is a little too serious at the moment. He has managed playgrounds before. In fact, he gets along with the children much better than you can imagine. It doesn't take a week for these children to mess with him. Looks good. I'm going to talk to him every chance I get." "That's really grateful. This kind of thing... is really bad for a person's nerves." "A guy who thinks of harming other people's children really hits the nail on the head. God knows, there are enough things that may happen to children by accident. My most frequent nightmare is that children drown. I have the staff count heads at every swimming lesson." "Tommy Kent seems to be a very good boy." "I'll tell you in a month's time, we've had a lot of guys who start out great, act like horses, and when the novelty wears off, they're more trouble than work. If only Kent could hold it up If so, he is a rare talent." Manna winked at Sam. "I seem to feel that he has more than just general concern for your Miss Baoden's family?" "I think so." "Stay with us for lunch today?" "Thank you, but we have to hurry back, Mr. Manner. Anyway, we'll be back on the twelfth, and maybe on the thirteenth." On the way home, after Butch had fallen asleep, Caro said, "I know this is bound to happen, but I really don't like having fewer people in the house. It does make life a lot easier." But it’s also much more empty. I dread the day when they all leave the house, and sometimes I think about it several times a day, and the house seems to be twice as empty.” "You can put off the day, wife." "How to delay?" "With a bit of hard work and cooperation, I think I can manage... well... you're thirty-seven. Assuming the kid leaves home at eighteen. Nineteen plus thirty-seven, that's right, dear, This home won't be completely vacant until you're fifty-six, that is, if we can get down to the project right away..." "Old pervert! Beast!" "Did you just find out?" She sat closer to him, and after driving more than ten miles, she pondered: "We've been joking about having another XY·XY, making jokes about diaper changes and parent-teacher meetings, you You know, if this... this Cady thing doesn't come up, I'd like to have another one." "Are you serious?" "I think so. Even if it's walking around with a big belly, sterilizing everything, getting up in the middle of the night to nurse, and then having to watch him fall or something. Yes, I think I really want it. Because They're all so different, you imagine what the next kid will be like, and all three of our kids are -- I don't know what to say -- they're all human." "I know what you mean." "And 'being human' is something special, a responsibility that is both special and scary." "You said Butch was the last." "I know. I said that sentence for three years, and then I didn't say it again." "You're no longer a bride, my dear, though you usually look like one." "Several children are born very easily." "That's not what you said at the time." "Bah! It's easy for us Indians to have babies." "Twenty minutes after the birth, you can bead your moccasins." "Nancy would freak out. And our friends would laugh at each other and say we were careless." "But you're still going to see it through?" "Not now. These days...we don't know..." "I think it won't be long before we find out." "We'll talk about it again when it's over, darling?" "We'll discuss it again." "You should say something, it will trip you up too, it will change your life." "I'll make you stop when I can't remember all of their names." They got home around four o'clock.Butch groggily got up and staggered toward the house.It was dark and low, and the passing clouds seemed to cling to the tops of the elms, and the wind was blowing in gusts, and the air was so humid that it rattled the panes of the house, and there was a hollowness in the house. Feel.When the rain came down at six o'clock, Sam backed the station wagon out into the driveway and let the rain wash away the dust from the road. July came too fast for nineteen days to last long.