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..."