The English Patient-第27章

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e　ambiguities。　

they　met　a　very　hearty　lord　suffolk　during　lunch；　who　poured　wine　for　anyone　who　wanted　it；　and　laughed　loudly　at　every　attempt　at　a　joke　by　the　recruits。　in　the　afternoon　they　were　all　given　a　strange　exam　in　which　a　piece　of　machinery　had　to　be　put　back　together　without　any　prior　information　of　what　it　was　used　for。　they　were　allowed　two　hours　but　could　leave　as　soon　as　the　problem　was　solved。　singh　finished　the　exam　quickly　and　spent　the　rest　of　the　time　inventing　other　objects　that　could　be　made　from　the　various　ponents。　he　sensed　he　would　be　admitted　easily　if　it　were　not　for　his　race。　he　had　e　from　a　country　where　mathematics　and　mechanics　were　natural　traits。　cars　were　never　destroyed。　parts　of　them　were　carried　across　a　village　and　readapted　into　a　sewing　machine　or　water　pump。　the　backseat　of　a　ford　was　reuphol…stered　and　became　a　sofa。　

most　people　in　his　village　were　more　likely　to　carry　a　spanner　or　screwdriver　than　a　pencil。　a　car’s　irrelevant　parts　thus　entered　a　grandfather　clock　or　irrigation　pulley　or　the　spinning　mechanism　of　an　office　chair。　antidotes　to　mechanized　disaster　were　easily　found。　one　cooled　an　overheating　car　engine　not　with　new　rubber　hoses　but　by　scooping　up　cow　shit　and　patting　it　around　the　condenser。　what　he　saw　in　england　was　a　surfeit　of　parts　that　would　keep　the　continent　of　india　going　for　two　hundred　years。　

he　was　one　of　three　applicants　selected　by　lord　suffolk。　this　man　who　had　not　even　spoken　to　him　（and　had　not　laughed　with　him；　simply　because　he　had　not　joked）　walked　across　the　room　and　put　his　arm　around　his　shoulder。　the　severe　secretary　turned　out　to　be　miss　morden；　and　she　bustled　in　with　a　tray　that　held　two　large　glasses　of　sherry；　handed　one　to　lord　suffolk　and；　saying；　“i　know　you　don’t　drink；”　took　the　other　one　for　herself　and　raised　her　glass　to　him。　“congratulations；　your　exam　was　splendid。　though　i　was　sure　you　would　be　chosen；　even　before　you　took　it。”　“miss　morden　is　a　splendid　judge　of　character。　she　has　a　nose　for　brilliance　and　character。”　“character；　sir？”　“yes。　it　is　not　really　necessary；　of　course；　but　we　are　going　to　be　working　together。　we　are　very　much　a　family　here。　even　before　lunch　miss　morden　had　selected　you。”　“i　found　it　quite　a　strain　being　unable　to　wink　at　you；　mr。　singh。”　lord　suffolk　had　his　arm　around　singh　again　and　was　walking　him　to　the　window。　

“i　thought；　as　we　do　not　have　to　begin　till　the　middle　of　next　week；　i’d　have　some　of　the　unit　e　down　to　home　farm。　we　can　pool　our　knowledge　in　devon　and　get　to　know　each　other。　you　can　drive　down　with　us　in　the　humber。”　　so　he　had　won　passage；　free　of　the　chaotic　machinery　of　the　war。　he　stepped　into　a　family；　after　a　year　abroad；　as　if　he　were　the　prodigal　returned；　offered　a　chair　at　the　table；　embraced　with　conversations。　

it　was　almost　dark　when　they　crossed　the　border　from　somerset　into　devon　on　the　coastal　road　overlooking　the　bristol　channel。　mr。　harts　turned　down　the　narrow　path　bordered　with　heather　and　rhododendrons；　a　dark　blood　colour　in　this　last　light。　the　driveway　was　three　miles　long。　

apart　from　the　trinity　of　suffolk；　morden　and　harts；　there　were　siappers　who　made　up　the　unit。　they　walked　the　moors　around　the　stone　cottage　over　the　weekend。　miss　morden　and　lord　suffolk　and　his　wife　were　joined　by　the　aviatrix　for　the　saturday…night　dinner。　miss　swift　told　singh　she　had　always　wished　to　fly　overland　to　india。　removed　from　his　barracks；　singh　had　no　idea　of　his　location。　there　was　a　map　on　a　roller　high　up　on　the　ceiling。　alone　one　morning　he　pulled　the　roller　down　until　it　touched　the　floor。　countisbury　and　area。　mapped　by　r。　fones。　drawn　by　desire　of　mr。　james　halliday。　

“drawn　by　desire

。。”　he　was　beginning　to　love　the　english。　

he　is　with　hana　in　the　night　tent　when　he　tells　her　about　the　explosion　in　erith。　a　…kilogram　bomb　erupting　as　lord　suffolk　attempted　to　dismantle　it。　it　also　killed　mr。　fred　harts　and　miss　morden　and　four　sappers　lord　suffolk　was　training。　

may

singh　had　been　with　suffolk’s　unit　for　a　year。　he　was　working　in　london　that　day　with　lieutenant　blackler；　clearing　the　elephant　and　castle　area　of　a　satan　bomb。　they　had　worked　together　at　defusing　the　；ooo…pound　bomb　and　were　exhausted。　he　remembered　halfway　through　he　looked　up　and　saw　a　couple　of　bomb　disposal　officers　pointing　in　his　direction　and　wondered　what　that　was　about。　it　probably　meant　they　had　found　another　bomb。　it　was　after　ten　at　night　and　he　was　dangerously　tired。　there　was　another　one　waiting　for　him。　he　turned　back　to　work。　

when　they　had　finished　with　the　satan　he　decided　to　save　time　and　walked　over　to　one　of　the　officers；　who　had　at　first　half　turned　away　as　if　wanting　to　leave。　

“yes。　where　is　it？”　the　man　took　his　right　hand；　and　he　knew　something　was　wrong。　lieutenant　blackler　was　behind　him　and　the　officer　told　them　what　had　happened；　and　lieutenant　blackler　put　his　hands　on　singh’s　shoulders　and　gripped　him。　

he　drove　to　erith。　he　had　guessed　what　the　officer　was　hesitating　about　asking　him。　he　knew　the　man　would　not　have　e　there　just　to　tell　him　of　the　deaths。　they　were　in　a　war；　after　all。　it　meant　there　was　a　second　bomb　somewhere　in　the　vicinity；　probably　the　same　design；　and　this　was　the　only　chance　to　find　out　what　had　gone　wrong。　

he　wanted　to　do　this　alone。　lieutenant　blackler　would　stay　in　london。　they　were　the　last　two　left　of　the　unit；　and　it　would　have　been　foolish　to　risk　both。　if　lord　suffolk　had　failed；　it　meant　there　was　something　new。　he　wanted　to　do　this　alone；　in　any　case。　when　two　men　worked　together　there　had　to　be　a　base　of　logic。　you　had　to　share　and　promise　decisions。　

he　kept　everything　back　from　the　surface　of　his　emotions　during　the　night　drive。　to　keep　his　mind　clear；　they　still　had　to　be　alive。　miss　morden　drinking　one　large　and　stiff　whisky　before　she　got　to　the　sherry。　in　this　way　she　would　be　able　to　drink　more　slowly；　appear　more　ladylike　for　the　rest　of　the　evening。　“you　don’t　drink；　mr。　singh；　but　if　you　did；　you’d　do　what　i　do。　

one　full　whisky　and　then　you　can　sip　away　like　a　good　courtier。”　this　was　followed　by　her　lazy；　gravelly　laugh。　she　was　the　only　woman　he　was　to　meet　in　his　life　who　carried　two　silver　flasks　with　her。　so　she　was　still　drinking；　and　lord　suffolk　was　still　nibbling　at　his　kipling　cakes。　

the　other　bomb　had　fallen　half　a　mile　away。　another　sc…okg。　it　looked　like　the　familiar　kind。　they　had　defused　hundreds　of　them；　most　by　rote。　this　was　the　way　the　war　progressed。　every　six　months　or　so　the　enemy　altered　something。　you　learned　the　trick；　the　whim；　the　little　descant；　and　taught　it　to　the　rest　of　the　units。　they　were　at　a　new　stage　now。　

he　took　no　one　with　him。　he　would　just　have　to　remember　each　step。　the　sergeant　who　drove　him　was　a　man　named　hardy；　and　he　was　to　remain　by　the　jeep。　it　was　suggested　he　wait　till　the　next　morning；　but　he　knew　they　would　prefer　him　to　do　it　now。　the　…kilogram　sc　was　too　mon。　if　there　was　an　alteration　they　had　to　know　quickly。　he　made　them　telephone　ahead　for　lights。　he　didn’t　mind　working　tired；　but　he　wanted　proper　lights；　not　just　the　beams　of　two　jeeps。　

when　he　arrived　in　erith　the　bomb　zone　was　already　lit。　in　daylight；　on　an　innocent　day；　it　would　have　been　a　field。　hedges；　perhaps　a　pond。　now　it　was　an　arena。　cold；　he　borrowed　hardy’s　sweater　and　put　it　on　top　of　his。　the　lights　would　keep　him　warm；　anyway。　when　he　walked　over　to　the　bomb　they　were　still　alive　in　his　mind。　exam。　

with　the　bright　light；　the　porousness　of　the　metal　jumped　into　precise　focus。　now　he　forgot　everything　except　distrust。　lord　suffolk　had　said　you　can　have　a　brilliant　chess　player　at　seventeen；　even　thirteen；　who　might　beat　a　grand　master。　but　you　can　never　have　a　brilliant　bridge　player　at　that　age。　bridge　depends　on　character。　your　character　and　the　character　of　your　opponents。　you　must　consider　the　character　of　your　enemy。　this　is　true　of　bomb　disposal。　it　is　two…handed　bridge。　you　have　one　enemy。　you　have　no　partner。　sometimes　for　my　exam　i　make　them　play　bridge。　people　think　a　bomb　is　a　mechanical　object；　a　mechanical　enemy。　but　you　have　to　consider　that　somebody　made　it。　

the　wall　of　the　bomb　had　been　torn　open　in　its　fall　to　earth；　and　singh　could　see　the　explosive　material　inside。　he　felt　he　was　being　watched；　and　refused　to　decide　whether　it　was　by　suffolk　or　the　inventor　of　this　contraption。　the　freshness　of　the　artificial　light　had　revived　him。　he　walked　around　the　bomb；　peering　at　it　from　every　angle。　to　remove　the　fuze；　he　would　have　to　open　the　main　chamber　and　get　past　the　explosive。　he　unbuttoned　his　satchel　and；　with　a　universal　key；　carefully　twisted　off　the　plate　at　the　back　of　the　bomb　case。　looking　inside　he　saw　that　the　fuze　pocket　had　been　knocked　free　of　the　case。　this　was　good　luck—or　bad　luck；　he　couldn’t　tell　yet。　the　problem　was　that　he　didn’t　know　if　the　mechanism　was　already　at　work；　if　it　had　already　been　triggered。　he　was　on　his　knees；　leaning　over　it；　glad　he　was　alone；　back　in　the　world　of　straightforward　choice。　turn　left　or　turn　right。　cut　this　or　cut　that。　but　he　was　tired；　and　there　was　still　anger　in　him。　

he　didn’t　know　how　long　he　had。　there　was　more　danger　in　waiti