Chapter 3 three

They sat round the fire, over which stood a pot of water for washing the dishes, boiling.Yan Dinger is a bit clumsy in doing things, but quite efficient.Set before them were string beans, a plate of finely chopped long strips of venison cooked with tomatoes, onions and peppercorns, cold corn tortillas, a thick sugar sauce and a thick gravy served in large earthenware cups. Tea. Banning.Clark, with a strong appetite, ate his plate like a cloud, and asked for another. Yan Dinger blinked. A few months ago, he said that he just fiddled with the food but just refused to eat it. Well, Clark replied, I had a bad heart at the time and it was getting worse.The doctor told me to take medicine and not to move around.Finally, they put me on the bed.Then Yan Dinger came and made his own prescription, and said I should go back out into the open air.But the doctor said that if I did that, my life would be gone.But Yan Dinger set up this camp in the cactus garden and moved me here.I've been eating and living outside, surviving on the food I'm familiar with, and every day I feel better than I did the day before.

Your heart is a muscle just like any other muscle, Yan Dinger said confidently, always living that lazy life, your muscles will atrophy.What is important to the body is fresh air and sunlight.But I say bluntly, the air here makes me a little unnerved, not like in the desert, where the air is really good. We'll be out of here soon, Clark assured, and Miss Streeter has a portable typewriter, Yan Dinger.Mason could dictate a joint stock agreement.We signed off on this so Mr. Mason didn't have to make another trip. That's fine. What about the fraud case?Mason asked. Clark said: I have to tell you a little more about my situation here, so you can understand.I have a nurse who lives in this house and she's always watching me, her name is Wilma.Staller.There was also an odd butler named Nell.Sims.She opened a restaurant in Mojave.Yan Dinger and I sometimes go to her restaurant to have something to eat when we are free.As soon as my wife died, she moved in!

I'm afraid there is some emotional issue here?asked Mason. Clark smiled and said: No, no.She is married and has a daughter in her twenties from her ex-husband.She is a weirdo, and her husband Pete.Sims is also a weirdo, but the way the two are weird is different.Pete is a master at disguising a bonanza, an expert at playing cards, and an alcoholic who hates his job.Hayward.Small, a mining broker and salesman who studied psychology and psychological suggestion, had spoken to Pete about a split personality about a year earlier.Since then, Pete has found his alter ego to be the scapegoat, which is ridiculous.

But he was so stubborn that he took it seriously.He claimed that Small had hypnotized him, and once he was in a hypnotic state, this second personality would appear in him.The most unreasonable thing is that Pete still doesn't know much about split personality, and he can't smooth out his story at all.He just kept drinking, cheating, and blaming it all on this alter ego he called this mysterious thing Bob. Now Pete could do what he did with peace of mind.Mason said. no. Does anyone believe him? Sometimes his wife believed him.You have no way of knowing what Nell believes and doesn't believe.She has her own eccentric philosophy, and likes to change proverbs beyond recognition.Her restaurant is full of people just to hear her reformed proverbs.She can be said to be self-taught in this regard.Of course, you will meet her.

They all live here? Yes. And Mrs. Bradison and Jim.Bradisson? That's right. Who else? Hayward I mentioned to you.small.He's a mine broker, and I think if we can figure out the true relationship between Small and Bradisson, we'll be rewarded. how do I say this? After I got sick, Bradisson became president of the company.The company spends money buying new minerals everywhere, and almost all of these transactions are Hayward.Small came to handle it.Of course all is well on the surface, but I think Bradisson took kickbacks from Small, but I have no proof. What about fraud? Clark giggled and said: Nell.Sims own some minerals as collateral for their shares.Everyone thinks that these minerals are worthless, and they are.And Pete.Sims sold the mines to a company called the Shooting Star Mine.The company claimed that Pitt had faked bonanzas and samples, so the value of the minerals was completely false.

Can they confirm this?Mason asked. I'm afraid it's not difficult at all.But I need you to go to court for Mrs. Sims, and I want everyone to know that I hired you to do it. You want me to lose this lawsuit? I'm sure you will lose.In the past, Pete rarely came back. Once he found out that Nell was in this big mansion, and there was an ignorant guy with money who could buy minerals, the temptation was too strong for Pete.He designed it to make Bradisson lose everything.Pete is an innocent-looking guy, but he has played tricks on a lot of people.He's a big liar, full of bad ideas.He never denied his deceit, he always used his second personality as an excuse, and often dragged Shameless Bob to take all the blame.

Why would you let anyone know that you hired me to fight this fraud case?Mason asked. Well, Clark replied, I don't want to tell you why yet.Oh, here comes Miss Staller. Mason turned around, and saw a woman walking gracefully along the sandy path. Mason speculated that she was only in her early thirties. Her slender hair shone golden in the sun, and her blue-gray eyes showed a hint of attachment. , with a smile on the corner of his mouth. Clark whispered hastily: My doctor says she's too empathetic to be a regular class.He likes to send her to take care of chronic patients must check me up?Come meet my guest.

Clark made an introduction.Wilma."Remember, after dinner you should lie down and rest for half an hour, lie down there in the shade and relax," said Staller. She turned to Mason and smiled: He is a very naughty patient, with Yan Dinger to help, I can let go and teach him to behave. Clark said: "Some serious business today, Wilma, we can finish talking in half an hour, and then I'll rest." She frowned slightly and said: I promised Dr. Kenward that I would urge you to rest every day. After a pause, she continued, Nell.Sims asks if you would like to eat some civilized food?

Food for civilized people!Yan Dinger said angrily, isn't it just a pile of lettuce leaves and green vegetables with spices.He's not used to eating that stuff, he's used to eating bland food, that's why he ran out. Wilma's easy and natural smile infected others too.Mason found that Clark also seemed to be affected by Wilma's relaxed and friendly attitude, and his nervousness gradually melted away when he talked about business troubles. The problem, she says, is that you spend too much time together.Mr. Clark thought that whatever Yan Dinger cooked was delicious.It's like Nell.What Sims said: If you want to cure the disease of a man's loss of appetite, you must use medicine with your heart.

Mason smiled and said: Oh, that's a novelty. When you see Nell.Sims you will know.She said that her mind was full of these things.Oh, I'm going back, it's been a pleasure meeting you, and I hope you'll get this over with so Mr Clarke won't have to worry.She glanced at Mason meaningfully. We will work hard.the lawyer said confidently. Della.Streeter said: "I'm going to get the portable typewriter out of the car and then I'll get it, Yan Ding'er said, I know where it is, I saw you put it in. Wilma.Staller said: "Okay, I'm going.I oh oh Nell.Sims brought your juice.

She turned to Perry jokingly.Mason said: It's like there are three diet experts working on this job at the same time.Dr. Kenward wanted to arrange a balanced diet, but Nell.Sims thinks he needs more fruit and salad, and Yan Dinger.Powers felt that Clark needed what he called light food. A woman stopped suddenly after skirting a field of cactus with a plate containing a large glass of tomato juice. It's all right, Nell, Benning.Clark said that this was Miss Streeter and Mr. Mason's well-known lawyer Perry.Mr. Mason.Let him be the agent in that fraud case. Oh, he is, is that him? Yes. Who will pay him? I'll give it. How much? Leave it alone. She to Della.Streeter and Perry.The two of Mason said: Hello.Then immediately said, I will not pay you, my husband sold the mine, but I did not. Nell.Sims was a stocky woman in her fifties, a little hunched from long work.She was broad-boned and seemed capable of all kinds of work, and she never stopped working in her life.A pair of dark and mysterious eyes are hidden under the thick black eyebrows, and the drooping bags under the eyes can't stop her from looking at the world.In all of this, she is most impressive because of her strong physique. Nell decided I wasn't getting enough vitamins from meals at camp, Clark explained, and she always followed me around with juice. A man's juice from nature is better than a bill from a doctor, said Nell, and I kept telling him that it was worth a pound of treatment to be careful.I have a great lunch in the house if you all want to try it. Thanks, we just ate.Mason said. Nell.Sims looked carefully at the empty plates piled in the sand, and said contemptuously: "That salt will kill you, she told Banning.Clark said that when he was cooking at the Mesa Mine in the desert, they all called him stew.I have known him for thirty-five years.he never Yan Dinger held Della in her hand.Streeter's portable typewriter and briefcase came round the large cactus bushes.He said: What are you talking about me? Nasty cactus, Nell yelled annoyed, the guy was always blocking the view.God, it's impossible to talk about someone behind their back without them overhearing.Oh, Yan Dinger.That phrase applies to you, Bowers.It is said that an eavesdropper hears nothing useful. Yan Dinger smiled kindly at Perry.Mason explained: This is called professional bias. Not prejudice at all, Nell said, you could kill a horse with a ragout. I have always thrived on eating this. is that true?Back in the day you used to sneak into my restaurant for a nice home-cooked meal.Salt Dinger.Bowers, your problem is that you don't know science, you don't know anything about vitamins, and your dishes are greasy.Eating your food is literally eating poison. Yan Dinger smiled and ignored it. Nell was getting a little pissed and incoherent, Clarke explained, but she likes salt, don't you, Nell? Almost swooning over him, she said sarcastically, he had no equal in his line of business. He was as rough and durable as sandpaper.I am a cook, but I think he is the best donkey man.All right, give me the empty glass and I'm out of here.I'll take the dishes upstairs and wash them well, okay? Salty took a briar pipe from his pocket, stuffed some tobacco into it, smiled at Nell, then shook his head and said: You'll make them creamy. Do you know what he does with these plates?Nell to Della.Spread them out on the ground, sand them until dry, and scald them with a cup of water, says Streeter. This is the only way to wash the dishes, said Yan Dinger, smoking a cigarette leisurely, you have to wash the dishes like this in the desert, because you don't have so much water, just use sand, you can wash them clean.Grab some clean sand and use it to wipe the dishes, then rinse the sand with water and it will be clean. clean?Nell said angrily. I mean very clean. It's just poison, Nell said stubbornly. I really don't know what evil force drove you to poison Banning.You'd better go upstairs and cook for his brother-in-law, a little poison will choke him. Yan Dinger grinned and blew out smoke rings, he asked: Nell, why don't you go and poison him? Suddenly, Nell's face froze, expressionless, and she took the empty glass from Banning to go back into the building.At this time, she turned around again, and said to Yan Ding'er resentfully: "You always play the piano to a cow when you tell a joke."After she finished speaking, she left without looking back. Mason smiled and opened the cigarette case, took out a cigarette and gave it to Banning.Clark, then handed the cigarette case to Della.street. What I'm saying is, said Mason, she's a real freak.Where did she get so many reformed proverbs? No one knows, Clarke said, and sometimes I thought she was unintentional, but then again, maybe she did it on purpose to change the proverbs to fit her own philosophy.Anyway, she really has the ability.The boys from the Mojave used to come to her restaurant to listen to her and eat there, of course.Can you just work out the agreement here? Della.Streeter opened the portable typewriter, laying it flat on his lap, opened the briefcase, and loaded the typewriter with paper and ribbon.I've never worked like this before, at St.Roberto City, play a partnership agreement in a simulated desert of a millionaire's luxury home.But I could try it, and it might not come out pretty, she said. We don't care if it's pretty or not, Benning.Clark said, as long as the agreement has the force of law. Mason nodded, asked a few questions, and then started asking Della.Streeter dictated the details of the agreement.After typing, he handed one to Clark and the other to Yan Dinger.powers.Clark pored over the deal, and Powers simply dismissed the offer. You have to read it.Mason said to him. Why? You have to read it to have legal effect. Bowers just picked up his agreement, and laboriously read it word by word with his lips moving. is that OK?asked Mason. Banning.Clark took out the ballpoint pen without hesitation, signed the agreement, and handed the pen to Yan Dinger.powers. Bowers signed both agreements and solemnly returned the pen to Banning.Clark, picked up his pipe again, was about to put it to his mouth, but put it down again.He stares at his partner and says: She will lie to you. what do you mean?Clark said.He was a little irritable and a little embarrassed. You get what I'm saying.Yan Ding'er said, then lit a match with a pipe in his mouth.Just as he was about to light his pipe, he turned to look at Banning.Clark. She will definitely persevere to the end.After he finished speaking, he brought the fire close to the pipe, took a puff, and lit the cigarette.