larger agent, and the others turned to watch him. After a moment the big man prevailed and drew the Secretary out of the hatchway.
"I seen it," Scully told them all. "Kid just passed a remark. Crazy old fuck threw him over."
"We all saw it," the captain said, although he had not, really. "Kid just passed a remark."
When they tied up, the Secretary was free of restraint though closely observed by his guardians. The crewmen were telling the agent in charge that they had all seen it. Taylor had simply passed a remark. The agent in charge seemed to be writing it down. On the dock, people took pictures of the Secretary's triumphant turn around the top deck. He was smiling broadly. But suddenly his mood changed. He began to snarl and swear at the small crowd.
"Sir," one of the agents asked the cabinet officer, "would you like to come down and take it easy?"
"Like hell," said the Secretary. "Feeling fine. I'm not afraidâwe have to defend ourself from fanatics. Little bastard!" he screamed. "Scum of the earth! Ha ha!"
Officer Ussolini took Captain Negus's report over the satellite phone. He pulled up in his squad car, lights flashing. Negus went down to the pier to talk to him.
"What's the matter with him?" the island cop asked. "He go nuts or something?"
"Nuts? He thrown Taylor Shumway off the ferry."
Ussolini stared at him.
"So?" he asked after a minute. "Is there a complaint?"
"I got a complaint. I don't know about America in general."
"You mean he just tossed Taylor over? Without no provocation."
"Wasn't any. Old guy's bad-eyeing Taylor. Kept him from work. Interfered with him. You know Taylor. He passed a remark."
"Jeez."
"Next thing the guy puts Taylor in the drink. No provocation, not particularly, no. His own detail tried to stop him."
"This is a high-ranking individual," Ussolini said.
"Christ," the captain said, "that's the whole point, ain't it?"
While they talked, one of the agents walked over to the squad car.
"We'd appreciate it if this incident was kept confidential," the man told them.
"Yeah, what am I supposed to tell the company? What do I tell the Coasties?"
The agent was annoyed. "We'll take care of that, boss. Don't worry about it."
"Lot of people seen it," Negus said.
"Don't take it on yourselfâyou know what I'm saying?"
On the top deck of the ferry, the Secretary seemed to be in flight from his own security detail. The chief agent looked around uncomfortably. His eye fell on Eric, who looked disheveled and was walking up to the pier.
"Who's that guy? Didn't you have him in custody?"
"We're not holding him. He's just some writer," Ussolini said.
Approaching the gangplank now, the Secretary seemed to be edging away from his guards, who were moving subtly to block his path.
Negus and the officer watched Eric. He was looking for his glasses, which were hanging from his shirt collar.
"He's a freelance reporter. He's on assignment for
Roxy
magazine."
"
Roxy?
" Negus asked. "I thought they were a fuckbook."
"That's what I thought. But I talked to this woman editorâsounded educated. Like she had clothes on."
"What do you know!"
"I called Sheila, too, to come down." Sheila Toolin was the all-season doctor on the island. "And you know what? They said forget about it. They got their own doctor."
"Keepin' quiet about it, ain't they?"
"I hope someone told Annie."
"I told her," the cop said, shaking his head. "Bells of hell, Delbert, you didn't want to be there for that." Ussolini looked up the hill. "She'll be coming down with Sheila. They better get the old fucker off island. Anyway, I bet ya Annie gets it in the paper next week. Me, I gotta write a report. Them Secret Service, they'll be scattered to the winds of the world. I gotta live here."
"I wonder how much of a screwball old Eric over there is. Hey, Eric!" Negus beckoned Eric with the crook of a finger. "You do stuff off the record?"
"Of course," Eric said. "I never got anyone in trouble for talking to me." This
"I seen it," Scully told them all. "Kid just passed a remark. Crazy old fuck threw him over."
"We all saw it," the captain said, although he had not, really. "Kid just passed a remark."
When they tied up, the Secretary was free of restraint though closely observed by his guardians. The crewmen were telling the agent in charge that they had all seen it. Taylor had simply passed a remark. The agent in charge seemed to be writing it down. On the dock, people took pictures of the Secretary's triumphant turn around the top deck. He was smiling broadly. But suddenly his mood changed. He began to snarl and swear at the small crowd.
"Sir," one of the agents asked the cabinet officer, "would you like to come down and take it easy?"
"Like hell," said the Secretary. "Feeling fine. I'm not afraidâwe have to defend ourself from fanatics. Little bastard!" he screamed. "Scum of the earth! Ha ha!"
Officer Ussolini took Captain Negus's report over the satellite phone. He pulled up in his squad car, lights flashing. Negus went down to the pier to talk to him.
"What's the matter with him?" the island cop asked. "He go nuts or something?"
"Nuts? He thrown Taylor Shumway off the ferry."
Ussolini stared at him.
"So?" he asked after a minute. "Is there a complaint?"
"I got a complaint. I don't know about America in general."
"You mean he just tossed Taylor over? Without no provocation."
"Wasn't any. Old guy's bad-eyeing Taylor. Kept him from work. Interfered with him. You know Taylor. He passed a remark."
"Jeez."
"Next thing the guy puts Taylor in the drink. No provocation, not particularly, no. His own detail tried to stop him."
"This is a high-ranking individual," Ussolini said.
"Christ," the captain said, "that's the whole point, ain't it?"
While they talked, one of the agents walked over to the squad car.
"We'd appreciate it if this incident was kept confidential," the man told them.
"Yeah, what am I supposed to tell the company? What do I tell the Coasties?"
The agent was annoyed. "We'll take care of that, boss. Don't worry about it."
"Lot of people seen it," Negus said.
"Don't take it on yourselfâyou know what I'm saying?"
On the top deck of the ferry, the Secretary seemed to be in flight from his own security detail. The chief agent looked around uncomfortably. His eye fell on Eric, who looked disheveled and was walking up to the pier.
"Who's that guy? Didn't you have him in custody?"
"We're not holding him. He's just some writer," Ussolini said.
Approaching the gangplank now, the Secretary seemed to be edging away from his guards, who were moving subtly to block his path.
Negus and the officer watched Eric. He was looking for his glasses, which were hanging from his shirt collar.
"He's a freelance reporter. He's on assignment for
Roxy
magazine."
"
Roxy?
" Negus asked. "I thought they were a fuckbook."
"That's what I thought. But I talked to this woman editorâsounded educated. Like she had clothes on."
"What do you know!"
"I called Sheila, too, to come down." Sheila Toolin was the all-season doctor on the island. "And you know what? They said forget about it. They got their own doctor."
"Keepin' quiet about it, ain't they?"
"I hope someone told Annie."
"I told her," the cop said, shaking his head. "Bells of hell, Delbert, you didn't want to be there for that." Ussolini looked up the hill. "She'll be coming down with Sheila. They better get the old fucker off island. Anyway, I bet ya Annie gets it in the paper next week. Me, I gotta write a report. Them Secret Service, they'll be scattered to the winds of the world. I gotta live here."
"I wonder how much of a screwball old Eric over there is. Hey, Eric!" Negus beckoned Eric with the crook of a finger. "You do stuff off the record?"
"Of course," Eric said. "I never got anyone in trouble for talking to me." This
Similar Books
