Chapter 5 5

The little boy filled a new page in his notebook, and the man with the telescope called out the narrative and the order in which things happened.The sheriff arrives, Beanie comes back with the kid and a new guy, the kid runs into the barn, the sheriff leaves.Beanie and the New Kid went in, and then there was a long time of silence, and Beanie and the New Kid appeared on the porch, and they walked to the dormitory together, and she walked back by herself. who is he?the boy asked. How do we know?one of the men replied. Tall, very muscular, with untidy clothes, shirt and trousers, no age can be seen.The little boy wrote, and then added: I am not a horse herder, and the shoes are wrong, will it cause trouble?

The slope behind the dormitory goes down. The dormitory is a two-story building. There is a large sliding door on the lower floor. The door can be opened, but the sliding rail is broken and cannot be moved.Another truck was parked inside, as well as two green tractors.At the far end on the right was a wooden staircase, without handrails, that led to a rectangular hole in the ceiling.Li Qi spent a minute standing on the first floor looking at the vehicles. There was a gun mount on the rear window of the truck. The air was hot and heavy, and it smelled of gasoline and engine oil. Then he climbed the stairs to the second floor, where the woodwork was painted red, the walls, floors, ceilings, beams all the same.The air here is hotter than outside, and there is no ventilation, no cold air conditioning, poor circulation.There was an enclosed area at the other end of the room, which Reacher guessed was the bathroom.Apart from there, there was only a large space on the whole floor, and sixteen beds faced each other, eight on each side, with simple bed frames and thin striped mattresses, and there were small chests and drawers beside the beds.

The two beds closest to the bathroom were occupied, and on each lay a small but stocky man half clad, both in jeans and stylish embossed riding boots, and no shirt.Both put their hands under their heads.When Li Qi stepped onto the second floor, both heads turned to the stairs at the same time.They all put down the hand that was closer to Li Qi to have a better look. Li Qi studied at West Point Military Academy for four years, and stayed in the army for thirteen years, so he has accumulated a total of seventeen years of experience, which is to walk into a new dormitory and let everyone stare at you.He was completely numb to this feeling, and he had a special technique, a routine, for dealing with such situations.The way to do it is to walk in, choose a bed that no one sleeps in, and don't say a word.Let the other person speak first so you can figure out their intentions before you are forced to flip your cards.

He chose a bed, the second bed on the north wall from the landing.According to his judgment, it should be cooler here than in the south.In the army before, he would have a heavy canvas backpack that he could throw on the bed to declare his sovereignty, and the backpack would be printed with his name, rank, and reprinted as many times as his biography.A big bag can save a lot of trouble of explaining, but in this new environment, all he can do is take out a folded toothbrush from his pocket and put it on the small cabinet next to the bed.Using this instead of a bag doesn't really make a huge impact, but it means exactly the same thing, it says: I'm starting to live here now, just like you guys, any comments?

Both continued to look at him without saying a word.Because they were lying down, it was difficult to clearly judge their physiques, but what was certain was that neither of them was tall. One was about 5 feet 6 and the other was 5 feet 7, and they both weighed about 150 pounds.But the faces of the two are distorted and muscular, like middleweight boxers, and their skin color is like that of peasants. Their arms, face, and neck are dark brown, while the area covered by their T-shirts is white.There were scattered lumps and bumps on their ribs, arms, and collarbones. Reacher had seen scars like this before. Carmen had one, and he had one or two. This meant that the bone had been broken and then healed after being reattached. .

He passed the two of them and headed for the bathroom.There is a door in the bathroom, and the inside is a shared design. There are four sets of bathroom equipment, but there are no compartments. Four toilets, four washbasins, and four shower heads are all installed in a long and narrow space.It's generally clean, and it smells of hot water and cheap soap, as if those two guys just took a shower and are probably going out to enjoy their Friday night after get off work.There is a window at a high place, and the insect screen above it is blocked, and there is no glass installed.Standing he could look over the corner of the stall and see all the way to the house, half the porch and part of the front door.

He walks back to the dorm, and one of the guys sits up, turns his head, and looks at the bathroom door.His back was as pale as his chest, with more healing marks on his skin, ribs, right shoulder blade, and if this guy wasn't run over by trucks a lot, he used to be a super high-end showman. A storm is coming.said the guy. heard.Li Qi said. Will definitely come, such a hot day. Li Qi didn't speak. Did they hire you?the guy asked. I think so!Li Qi said. So you have to work for us. Li Qi didn't speak. I'm billy.said the guy. Another got up on his elbows and said: "Joshua.

Li Qi nodded to the two of them.I'm Li Qi.He said.Nice to meet you two. You have to do chores for us.said the guy named Billy.Dig horse manure, move things. casual. Because you look nothing like riding a horse. not like it? Billy shook his head.Too high, too heavy, and the center of gravity is too high.No, I don't think you've ever ridden a horse. That Mexican woman brought you here?Joshua asked. Mrs Gurier.Li Qi said. Mrs. Gurier was Rusty.Billy said.She didn't bring you here. Carmen.Mrs Gurier.Li Qi said. Billy didn't say anything, the Joshua guy just laughed.

We're going out after dinner.Billy said.Go to the bar, two hours south.You can come together as a meeting to get to know each other. Li Qi shook his head.Next time!When I make some money, I want to pay for it myself on occasions like that. Billy thought about it, then nodded. That's a good attitude.He said.Maybe you will get used to it soon. The Joshua one just laughed. Li Qi walked back to his bed and lay down without moving, trying to fight against the heat.He looked at the red-painted ceiling for a minute, then closed his eyes. Forty minutes later the maid brought the dinner.It was a middle-aged white woman, probably a relative of Billy, and the two greeted each other familiarly.Maybe they are cousins, and they look alike and sound alike, as if they share a common gene.She greeted Joshua relaxedly, but she was indifferent to Li Qi.It was pork and beans for supper, and she took a ladle from the pocket of her apron, scooped the food into metal bowls, and divided the three of them with forks, spoons, and empty iron cups.

There was water from the bathroom tap.she said.This is for Li Qi. After the maid climbed down the stairs, Li Qi turned to look at the food.After a whole day, this was the first time he saw food. Li Qi sat on the bed with the bowl on his lap and ate with a spoon.The beans were boiled black and rotten, and there was a lot of syrup added.The pork is very tender, and the fat part is very crispy. It should be fried separately from the beans and then mixed together. Hey Leech.cried Billy.how do you feel? acceptable.He said. Shit.Joshua said.It's more than 100 degrees all day, but she warms it up for us to eat?I've taken a shower, and now I'm sweating like a pig.

Anyway, no money.Billy said. Shit, it's no wonder you don't need money.Joshua replied.It's all included in the salary. Li Qi ignored it.Complaining about the bad food was a part of dorm life, and the food was actually not bad, much better than some of the things he had eaten, especially the ones made in the army kitchen.He put the empty bowl down next to his toothbrush on the counter, and lay down, feeling the sugar and fat digesting in his stomach. Across the room, Billy and Joshua finished eating, wiped his mouth with his arm, took a clean shirt from the closet, put it on, buttoned it, and ran his fingers through his hair. See you tonight.cried Billy. They clattered down the stairs, and after a while, Li Qi heard the sound of a gasoline engine starting directly below.It was the truck, he thought.The car backed out from the door and drove away.Li Qi walked into the bathroom and saw the car turn a corner, go around the yard, staggered across the yard, and drove out from the front of the house. He walked back to the dorm and stacked the three used bowls, with the silver bowl on top.Li Qi put his fingers through the handles of the three cups, picked them up, and went down the stairs.The sun was almost down, but the heat showed no signs of abating.The air was terribly hot, almost suffocating, and smelled of damp.A faint breeze blew over from an unknown place, warm and humid.He walked past the corral, past the barn, across the yard, around the porch, looking for the kitchen door.He saw the door, knocked, and the maid opened it. I take these back.He said. Li Qi held up the bowl and cup. Oh, you are so careful.she says.I will collect it. It's a long way to go.He said.It was hot at night. She nodded.Thank you.she says.Is this enough? Enough is enough.He said.delicious. She shrugged, a little shyly.Just order something cowboy eats. She took the tableware from Li Qi and took it inside. Thanks.she cried. It sounded like he was being asked to leave, so Li Qi turned his head and walked back, the afterglow of the setting sun filling his face.He stopped before the wooden archway and looked out to the west. There was nothing but the mesas he had come by, empty and eroded.On the right, going north, is a sixty-mile road with some buildings at the end of the road.Fifteen miles away there was a next-door neighbor, and to the left, south, he had no idea.Billy said there was a pub two hours away, maybe a hundred miles away.Li Qi turned in a circle and faced east. The Guriel family's land was here, then someone else's land, and after passing by another family's land.Potholes, saltpeter beds, dust, and probably nothing else the four hundred miles from here to Austin. The new guy came to the door and stared at us.The little boy wrote.Then look around, did he see us here?Is it troublesome? He closed the book again and lay down on the ground even harder. Li Qi.cried a voice. Li Qi looked to the right and found Bobby.Guriel stood in the shadow of the porch.He was sitting in a rocking chair, wearing the same denim pants, a dirty T-shirt, and the same hat backwards. come here.he cried. Reacher paused, then walked back past the kitchen and stopped before the porch steps. I want a horse.Barbie said.That big mare, saddle her up and bring it out. Li Qi paused again.You want it now? Otherwise, when do you think?I'm going to ride out in the evening. Li Qi didn't speak. And we need to demonstrate.Barbie said. Demonstrate what? If you want us to use you, you have to show some real skills. Li Qi paused again, longer this time. good.He said. five minutes.Barbie said. He got up and walked back into the house, closing the door.Li Qi stayed where he was for a while, letting the sun shine on his back, and then walked towards the barn.Look for the gate, the one with the smell coming out.demo?Big trouble now, he thought.And not just one. There was a light switch in the door, in an iron box on the wall panel.Li Qi turned on the light, and a faint yellow bulb illuminated the entire spacious space.The floor was trampled earth, and there were dirty straws, and the barn was divided into a series of back-to-back stables, surrounded by a walkway, and the inside of the outer wall was covered with bales of hay, stacked from floor to ceiling.As he walked around the stable, five fences were in use, and five horses were tied to the walls of the stalls, with intricate knots tied to their heads. Li Qi looked at each of them carefully, and one of them was very small, a pony, and it should belong to Ellie.All right!Eliminate one.There were four more, two of which were slightly larger, and he bent down to look up, one at a time.In theory he knew what a mare looked like, and it should be easy to see from below, but in reality he didn't.The stalls were dark, and the horse's tail hid the sex, so in the end he decided that the first horse wasn't a female, and probably wasn't a stallion either, because something was missing, and it was supposed to be a castrated stallion.Try another one, okay, this one is a female, it's fine.The next one was also a mare.The last horse is castrated. Li Qi stepped back so that he could see both mares at the same time.Two huge shiny brown monsters snorted, their bodies moved left and right, and the horses' feet stepped on the straw on the ground to make a muffled sound.No, it should be a horseshoe.Horseshoe?The horses' necks turned and each looked at him with one eye.Which one is bigger?Li Qi thought it was the horse on the left.Taller, fatter, and broad in the shoulders.Well, this is the big mare, so far so good. Okay, now get on the saddle.Inside each fence was a thick pole extending horizontally from the outer wall, just next to the door, on which hung a large amount of equipment.There's a saddle, of course, but there's also a very complicated mess of straps, covering blankets, and metal implements.Those straps, he guessed, must have been reins, and the metal ones must have been bridles, for putting in horses' mouths.Mahler between the teeth, right?He took the saddle off the pole, it was heavy.Li Qi balanced the saddle with his left arm, and it felt good.Now he's like a standard cowboy, Roy.Rogers (Note: A cowboy who is rebellious and resists evil forces. Roy Rogers is the classic image of a cowboy in western movies.) It's just mediocre. Li Qi stood in front of the barn door, the big mare looked at him with one eye, her lips curled back, like thick rubber, revealing neat teeth underneath, the big teeth were still yellow.Okay, let's start thinking, big principles.This kind of tooth doesn't look like a meat eater, and won't eat people.Of course, it may bite you a little bit, but after all, it is not a lion, tiger or something.It eats grass and is a herbivore, and herbivores are usually timid, just like the antelope and wildebeest on the broad savannah in Africa, so the defense mechanism of this animal is to escape, not to attack.If frightened, it will choose to run away, but it is also a pack animal, so it will accept human command and authority.So be majestic, but not intimidating. He opened the door and the horse started to move.Its ears recede, its head lifts up, then down again, bobbing up and down on the rope.It started to move its hind feet, trying to bring its huge butt towards Reeky. Hey.he shouted.Clear, loud, and steady. But the ass of the horse kept moving over.Li Qi reached out to touch the side, and it continued to swing its butt.Don't get behind it, don't let it kick you.He also understands this.How do you say something?Like being kicked by a horse?It must not be nonsense. Stand still.He said. The horse was still coming towards him sideways, so Li Qi had no choice but to lean on his right shoulder and give it a firm push, as if knocking open a door.At last the horse calmed down and stood still, breathing lightly.Li Qi smiled.I'm the boss, understand?He raised the back of his right hand up close to the horse's nose. This action was learned from the movie, as if rubbing the horse's nose with the back of his hand, it will recognize you because of the smell and so on.The skin on its nose felt limp and dry, and its breath was strong and hot.Its lips rolled back again, and its tongue came out, big and wet. Very good, good girl.he said softly. Li Qi picked up the saddle with both hands, put it on her back, and then pushed and pulled the saddle to fix it.Not easy to handle.Is this the right direction?definitely is.The shape of this thing is a bit like a chair, with a clear head and tail, and there are large drawstrings hanging down on both sides, two long and two short, two with buttons and two with sockets.What is it for?It is probably used to fix the saddle, and the far side should be pulled over, buckled on the side, and passed the rider's thigh from bottom to top.Li Qi squatted down and wanted to pull the strap over there, and pass it under the horse's belly, but it was almost impossible.The animal was huge, no doubt about it.Li Qi stretched out his hand and barely hooked the tip of the strap with his fingertips, but the saddle slipped aside. hateful.he said softly. He straightened up, readjusted the saddle, bent down, and reached for the strap on the other side.At this time, the horse moved its body so that the belt was far away, so that Li Qi could not catch it. hateful.He said it again. He leaned in and squeezed the horse against the wall, but the horse didn't like it and put the weight on him.Li Qi weighed two hundred and fifty pounds, but the horse weighed nearly half a ton, and Li Qi was forced to back away, so the saddle slipped away again.Then the horse stopped and he adjusted the saddle again, holding it with his right hand and grasping the straps with his left. It's not like this.Suddenly a voice called from a high place above. Li Qi turned around and looked up. Ellie was lying on the haystack, very close to the ceiling.She rested her chin on the back of her hand and looked down at him. You have to put the blanket on first.she says. What blanket? Saddle cloth.she says. The horse started to move again, squeezing Li Qi hard.Li Qi pushed it back, the horse's head turned to look at him, Li Qi also looked back.It has big black eyes with long eyelashes, watching Li Qi stare at it.I'm not afraid of you, miss, just stand still, or I'll hit you again. Ellie, does anyone know you're here?he cried. She shook her head seriously.I'm playing hide and seek.she says.I'm good at hide and seek! Does no one really know you're hiding here? I think my mother should know sometimes, but none of the Guriel family know. Do you know how to handle these horse things? Of course I know, I can fix my ponies all by myself. can you help me thenCome help me with this. very simple.she says. Show it to me, will you? Ellie stayed where she was for a moment, spending as much time as usual making up her mind, then climbed off the haystack, jumped to the ground, and came over to help him in the fence. Pick up the saddle first.she says. She took a cloth from the gear pole, unrolled it and threw it up, covering the mare's back.Because she was so short, Ridge had to reach out with a hand to straighten the blanket. Now put the saddle on.she says. Reach put the saddle on and Ellie got under the horse's belly and pulled the straps over.With her height, she hardly had to bend down, and she grabbed the ends of the two straps together and pulled them over. You do it.she says.Because it's hard to pull. Li Qi grabbed the button and pulled it hard. Don't pull too tight.Allie said.It doesn't work now, we have to wait for it to become bigger. it will get bigger Ellie nodded cautiously.They don't like to wear saddles, so they will stretch their bellies so that you can't get on them.But they can't last forever, so they will still disappear. He looked at the horse's belly, which was already as big as an oil drum. At this time, the belly began to grow bigger and more swollen, trying to stretch the harness.Then the belly gradually became smaller again, and the horse nose kept exhaling air, appearing embarrassed, and finally gave up. Now tie it up a little tighter.Allie said. Li Qi pulled the strap tight with all his strength, and the horse writhed in place.Allie held the rein in her hand and shook it off. Take the rope away.she says.Just pull it down. Li Qi pulled the rope down, and the horse's ear folded forward, and the rope went down its ear, past its nose, and forward. Take this.She handed him a bundle of girdles.This is called a bridle. He flicked the thing back into shape, then slipped it over the horse's head and got it in place.He tried to put the metal part over the horse's mouth, rendezvous, but its mouth was closed tightly.Li Qi tried again, with the same result. Ellie, how do you do it?he asks. Put your thumb in it. thumb?where? Where there are no teeth.From the side, there is a hole. Li Qi's thumb moved sideways along the horse's lips, and the teeth moved under the belly of the thumb, one by one, as if counting.Then the teeth are gone, only the gums remain. Poke in.Allie said. with a thumb? She nodded, and Reacher pushed hard, causing the horse's lips to part, and then his thumb slid into a warm, sticky hole, and the horse opened its mouth. Come on, put Mahler in.Allie said. He tucked the metal in, and the mare used her huge tongue to adapt herself to the rein, as if helping Reacher too. Now pull the bridle up and buckle up. He slowly pulled these straps over the horse's ears to find the buckles.There are three, one along the plane of the horse's face, one around the nose, and a third hanging down the neck. Do not buckle too tightly.Allie said.To make it breathe. He saw signs of wear on the strap and guessed it was the usual length. Now put the rein over the pommel. There is a long rope at both ends of the bridle, which he thinks should be the rein, and the pommel should be a high raised thing in front of the saddle, like a handle, for people to grasp.Ellie was busy pulling the stirrups down into position, weaving back and forth under the horse's belly.pick me up.she says.I have to go over everything. Li Qi picked her up from her armpit and put her on the saddle.On the horse she looked very small, almost insignificant, and because the horse was so big, her feet were almost straight. Allie leaned forward and reached out, checking all the buckles.Some have been re-done, with the extra ends tucked away, and the mane pulled out from under the drawstring to make it tidy.She gripped the saddle with her feet and shook it from side to side vigorously to check whether it was loose. no problem.she says.You did a good job. She stretched out her hands to Li Qi, Li Qi hugged her down, her whole body was hot and wet. Just take it out now.she says.Grab the side of the mouth.If it won't go, give it a hard pull. Thank you so much, kid.He said.Go hide now, okay? She climbed up the haystack again, and Li Qi grabbed the strap of the iron ring around his mouth and pulled it forward, but the horse didn't move.He flicked his tongue, pulled it again, and the mare burst forward, and Reacher strode forward, and the mare began to follow rhythmically behind him.Step, step, step.He pulled it away from the stall, rounded the corner, and headed for the gate.Ma'er slowly walked side by side with Li Qi, and walked into the yard together.Its steps were easy, and Li Qi adjusted his steps to match it.Li Qi's elbow just formed a comfortable bend, the horse's head shook slightly up and down, and the shoulders of the man and the horse rubbed against each other lightly.Reacher walked across the yard with it as if he had done it every day of his life.Roy.Rogers, sure enough, he succeeded immediately. Barbie.Gurriel went back to the porch and waited.The mare came to a stop in front of him, and Reacher pulled the little strap for Bobby to check, in exactly the same way as Ellie.He nodded. Not too bad.He said. Li Qi didn't speak. But it took you longer than I expected. Li Qi shrugged.They are very strange to me. I always think that it is better to take it slowly for the first time and let them become familiar to you. Bobby nodded again.You surprised me, I thought the most you knew about horses was watching the Plicney races on TV. What horse racing? Pricney, the name of a type of Marseille. I know, I lied to you. That surprised me even more.Barbie said.Maybe this time my sister-in-law is really telling the truth. Li Qi looked at him.Why is she not telling the truth? I don't know, but she seldom tells the truth, you have to remember that. Li Qi didn't speak, and waited. You can leave now.Barbie said.I'll take it back when I'm done riding. Li Qi nodded, turned and left.Behind him he heard the pull of a belt, which he assumed to be Bobby climbing into the saddle.Without looking back, he walked directly across the yard, past the barn, around the corner of the corral and the dormitory, and walked to the bottom of the stairs.He wanted to go straight upstairs and take a good shower to wash off the lingering animal smell, but when he got to the second floor, he found Carmen sitting on his bed with a stack of folded sheets on his lap.She was still wearing the cotton dress, and the sheets looked white against the skin of her exposed thighs.I got these for you from the bathroom cabinet, she said, you're going to need them.I don't know if you know where to put things. Li Qi stopped at the stairs, with one foot in the room and the other on the last step of the stairs. Carmen, this is outrageous.He said.You should get out of here immediately, they'll find out I'm a fake, I might not make it through the day, I might not even be here on Monday. Over dinner, she said, I've been thinking about it. What are you thinking? Miss Al.Eugene.Could he have something to do with the man Shlope was going to inform?Could it be that they decided to take action?Could it be that they captured Al to stop the deal? Impossible, they don't have to wait so long, if they want to do it, they should have done it a month ago. That's right, but what if everyone thinks that's the case? Li Qi walked into the room. I don't understand.He said.But in fact he understood very well. Say you made Sloop disappear.she says.Exactly the same way someone made Al disappear, then they'd think the two cases must be connected, they wouldn't suspect you, and you'd be completely out of it. He shook his head.We've discussed this, and I'm not a killer. She didn't speak, but looked down at the sheets on her legs, and began to pull at the seams repeatedly.These quilts are worn out and old, and should not be used by the big house.Li Qi thought to himself.Maybe Rusty slept with her dead husband, maybe Bobby slept with it, maybe Shlope slept with him, maybe Shlope slept with Carmen. You should leave now, leave now.He said it again. I can not. You should find a place to hide in Texas, temporarily, and fight for it legally.In your case, you would get custody. I have no money with me, and it may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Carmen, you gotta do something. She nodded.I know what to do.she says.Monday night, I'll give him a spanking, and then Tuesday morning I'll come to you wherever you are, and then you'll know, and maybe you'll change your mind. Li Qi didn't speak.She looked up to the sunset light from the windows above, her hair thrown back over her shoulders. look carefully.she says.get closer. Li Qi walked forward. I'd have bruises everywhere, she said, maybe a broken nose, maybe a cracked lip, maybe a few teeth. He didn't speak. touch my skin.she says.Touch and see. Li Qi put the back of his index finger on her face, her skin was soft and smooth, like warm silk, and then slid down the outside of her cheek. Remember this feeling.she says.Then compare it to what you felt on Tuesday morning, and maybe you'll change your mind. He takes his fingers away.Maybe this will change his mind.This is what she can rely on now, and it is also what Li Qi is afraid of.The difference between cold-blooded and hot-blooded will be a big difference, and for him, it will be a key difference. hug me.she says.I no longer remember what it was like to be held. He sat down beside Carmen and took her in his arms.Carmen put her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. I'm scared.she says. They sat like this for twenty minutes, maybe thirty minutes!Li Qi couldn't figure it out either.Her body was soft and fragrant, breathing slowly, and then she pulled away and stood up with a gloomy expression. I have to find Ellie, she said, she should go to bed. She's in the barn, and she's the one who showed me how to handle the birds on the horses. She nodded.She is a well-behaved child. That's right.He said.She saved my life. Carmen handed him the sheet. Are you coming for a ride tomorrow?she asked. I won't. I teach you. It may be a long time. No, we have to go up to the terrace. Why? She turned her head away.You have to teach me how to use it.she says.In case you don't change your mind by Tuesday, I need to know what to do with my gun. He didn't speak. You cannot take away my right to defend myself.she says. He didn't speak, and Carmen quietly went down the stairs, leaving Li Qi sitting on the bed alone with a folded sheet on his lap, exactly the same posture as Carmen just now. He spread the sheets.The sheets were thin and old, but he figured they'd be fine, at least in the circumstances.The temperature is probably still in the nineties, and it may drop to eighty-five degrees by midnight, so it can't be that cold. He descended the stairs to the outside and looked east, a dark horizon.Li Qi walked around the corner of the dormitory, looking at the sunset in the west, the red light and the red building reflected each other.He just stood there watching the sun go down.In such a south, the sun sets quickly, and the huge red ball shines briefly on the edge of the mesa before disappearing below the horizon, and the sky above is a brilliant red. There was the sound of footsteps stepping on the dust ahead, so Li Qi looked into the afterglow of the sun and found Ellie walking towards him.Short steps, stiff arms, straw-stained blue spaghetti-strap dress.The sun hit her hair from behind, turning her hair reddish-gold, like an angel. I've come to say goodnight to you.she says. Li Qi remembered that when he was in the army, he had received hospitality from the military family members in the base. There was a depressing light-off signal from a distance, and the voice was weak and indistinct. A polite child would formally say good night to his father's army colleagues.The memory is very vivid, you have to hold their little hands, and then they will go to sleep, so Li Qi smiled at Ellie. Well, good night, Ellie.He said. I think you are a good person.she says. Oh, I think you too.He said. Do you feel warm? Passed out from the heat. There will be a storm soon. Everyone says so. I'm so glad you're my mom's friend. He didn't speak, just held out his hand, and she looked at Li Qi. You should give me a kiss.she says. is that so? certainly. All right!He said. Her face was barely up to Li Qi's thigh, so he began to bend over. No, you have to pick me up.she says. She raised her hands up, which were actually almost level.Li Qi was stunned for a moment, then picked her up, placed her on the elbow, and kissed her gently on the cheek. Good night.He said it again. carry me back.she says.I am very tired. Li Qi carried her through the corral, through the barn, across the yard and back to the front of the big house.Carmen waited, leaning against a post in front of the porch, watching the two approach. So you are here.she says. Mommy, I want Mr. Li Qi to come in and say goodnight.Allie said. Well, I don't know if he can do it! I came here to work, Li Qi said, not to live here. No one will ever know.Allie said.Come in from the kitchen, where only the maid is there, and she also works here, but she can come into the house. Carmen stood there hesitating. Mommy, please.Allie said. Maybe if the three of us go in together.Carmen said. Go in from the kitchen.Allie said.Then she turned her voice into an accented breathy voice, but it was probably louder than normal.We don't want the Guriel family to see it. Then she laughed happily, twisted in Li Qi's arms, and hid her face behind Li Qi's neck.Carmen glanced at Li Qi with an uncertain expression on his face.He shrugged, thinking it wouldn't matter anyway.He put Ellie on the floor, Ellie took her mother's hand, and the three of them walked to the kitchen door, and Carmen pushed the door open. The sun was setting.The little boy wrote while noting the time.Two men scrambled back from the edge of the hollow, got up on their knees and stretched.get off work.The little boy writes, then notes the time.The three moved on their knees, removed the stones around the canvas, took off the canvas that covered the car, folded it as much as possible without getting up, and put it on the back of the truck.The ice bucket was put away, the binoculars were put away, and the three of them climbed into the car one by one, drove out from the far side of the depression, crossed the hard crust towards the due west, and headed towards the red horizon. In the kitchen, the maid is putting the dishes into the large dishwasher. The machine is made of green enamel, and it was probably produced around the time when humans first walked on the moon.She raised her head without saying a word, and continued to stack the dishes. Li Qi saw that the three bowls he just brought over had been washed and ready to be put in. go this way.Ellie said softly. She led the two through a door leading to a small hall behind.There were no windows, the air was stuffy, and there was a plain red-painted wooden staircase, each with a crescent-shaped area where the red paint hadn't been worn down until the original color of the wood showed.Ellie led them up the stairs, the stairs creaking under Reacher's weight. After reaching the second floor, there was a small airtight room. Ellie pushed the door open, walked through a small hall, and then turned right into a narrow corridor.Everything in the house is woodwork, walls, floors, ceilings, and everything is painted red.Ellie's room was at the end of the hall, about twelve feet square, also red, and hot.The room faced south and must have been exposed to the sun all afternoon.The curtains were drawn, and Leech assumed they would remain so throughout the day, since they did little to keep out the heat. Let's go take a shower first.Carmen said.Mr. Li Qi will wait here, okay? Allie kept watching Li Qi until she was sure that Li Qi agreed to stay.He sat down on the edge of the bed, reassuring Ellie and helping her make a quick decision.Ellie turned slowly and followed her mother to the bathroom. The bed was very small, only about thirty inches wide, and short enough for the child's height.The cotton sheets were printed with colorful animal prints, but it was impossible to tell what kind of animal it was.Next to the bed there is a small bedside table, a bookshelf, and a large wardrobe with carvings.The wardrobe looks like new, blond wood, bleached and hand painted with some nice patterns, looks nice, probably bought it at a nice little boutique, and shipped it from Austin .Li Qi thought to himself.Possibly Santa Fe, too.There were some books on the bookshelves, and a lot of stuffed dolls, all stuffed together, filling up the space outside the books. He could hear the sound of the old air conditioner, starting, vibrating, and stopping with regularity.It sounded louder here, and Li Qi guessed that the air conditioner must be installed in the attic.This kind of sound has a calming effect, but the effect of lowering the temperature is very limited. In this confined space on the second floor, it feels like the temperature should be 120 degrees. Soon, Ellie and Carmen returned to the room.Ellie was suddenly quiet and a little shy, maybe because of her pajamas.Her pajamas are plain cotton shorts and a T-shirt with little animals printed on them that look like rabbits.Her hair was wet, her skin was pink, and she was yawning over her mouth with the back of one hand.She climbed into bed and curled up next to the pillow, which took up about half the mattress.She was very close to Li Qi, but deliberately did not touch him. Well, good night, kid.He said.sleep well. kiss Me.she says. Li Qi paused, then bent down and kissed her forehead.Warm, wet, and smelling of soap.She tucked her feet up a little more and curled up comfortably on the pillow. Thank you for being our friend.she says. Li Qi got up and walked towards the door, and glanced at Carmen.You taught her those words?Or is that her truth? 你自己下樓沒問題吧？卡門問他。 He nodded. See you tomorrow.she says. 卡門留在愛莉的房裡，李奇則打算回到自己密閉的小房間。他走下樓梯，經過密閉小廳，穿過廚房，這時女傭已經不在了，只有那部老舊的洗碗機獨自發出嗡嗡聲。李奇走到外面，在黑暗寂靜的院子裡停了一會兒，沒想到現在溫度更高了。他走向大門，在他前方的夕陽已經消失，地平線是黑的。空氣中的壓力似乎變大了，西南方一百英里外，悶雷電光不斷閃動，微弱的乾燥電能隨機釋放，就像一部巨大的天空相機在拍照。他抬起頭來往上看，沒有下雨、沒有雲，李奇轉頭四處看看，發現右手邊出現白白的東西，那是一件T恤、一張臉，一個半圓形額頭從棒球帽後面露了出來。又是巴比．Gurriel. 巴比。He said.騎得怎麼樣？ 巴比不理會這個問題。I’m waiting for you. what? 確定你有出來。 為什麼我會不想出來？ What do you say?為什麼你會想進去？一開始的時候？三個人一起，就像個小家庭。 你有看到？ 巴比點點頭。我全都看到了。 all?李奇重複了一次。 我需要看的全部。 李奇聳聳肩。我親了小孩，跟她說晚安。He said.你對這件事有意見？ 巴比安靜了一下。 我陪你走回宿舍。He said.I have something to tell you. 經過院子時他不發一語，只是走著。李奇跟著，眼睛看著前面東方夜晚的天空，巨大、漆黑、滿是星星。除了古瑞爾家一些窗戶透出的昏暗燈光外，到處是一片漆黑。這樣的環境讓星星閃耀起來，非常微小但眾多的光點，散布在幾十億立方英里的空間中。李奇很喜歡看著宇宙、想著宇宙，它可以用來自我觀照，相形之下他只不過是個無足輕重的微小存在，在不知名的地方短暫地曇花一現。所以自己到底有什麼重要的？或許一點也不重要，那麼也許他該放手一搏，把史路普．古瑞爾的頭給扭下來，把問題徹底解決。What's wrong?如果放在整個宇宙中來看，扭斷跟不扭斷好像沒什麼差別。 我哥哥出了些問題。巴比有點不自在地說。我猜你應該知道。 聽說他逃漏稅。Li Qi said. 巴比在黑暗中點點頭。國稅局的間諜無所不在。 他們是這樣抓到他的嗎？派出間諜？ 當然，否則他們怎麼會知道？巴比問。 他沒再說話，往前走了幾步。 總之，史路普去坐牢了。He said. Li Qi nodded.星期一會出獄，我聽說了。 沒錯，所以要是他發現你在這裡親他的小孩、跟他老婆相好，他應該不會太高興。 李奇邊走邊聳聳肩。我只是來工作的。 沒錯，當牧馬人，不是當保姆。 我總有休息時間吧？ 可是你要慎選休息方式。 李奇開始微笑。你的意思是說我要知道自己的身分？ That's right.巴比說。以你的身分不該去跟他老婆混，或跟他女兒培養感情。 所以我不能選擇跟誰交朋友？ 史路普會很不爽，他回到家後會發現有個外來者選擇跟他太太、小孩做朋友。 李奇停下腳步，在黑暗中站著不動。這麼說好了，巴比，你哥爽不爽干我屁事？ 巴比也停下來。因為我們是個家族，有人會講閒話，你要搞清楚這點，要不然你在這裡待的時間就不會太久，可能會有人把你趕走。 you think so? yes!I think so. 李奇再度微笑。你要叫誰來處理？那個開二手車的警長？那傢伙可能還沒動手就突然心臟病發了。 巴比搖搖頭。在西德州，我們都是私下解決，一直都是這樣，沒什麼公權力能派上用場的時候，大家也都習慣了。 李奇往前跨出一步。所以你打算動手嗎？He said.你現在就要動手嗎？ 巴比沒說話，李奇點點頭。或許你會比較想派女傭來對付我吧？He said.她可能會拿個鍋子來追殺我。 約書亞跟比利會依照我們的吩咐行事。 那兩個小傢伙？派女傭可能好一點，連你都比他們像樣點。 約書亞跟比利鬥過一噸半的牛，他們不會把你放在眼裡。 李奇又開始向前走。隨你，巴比，我只是跟小孩說晚安，沒必要因為這樣就發動第三次世界大戰。她需要人陪，她媽媽也一樣，我能怎麼辦？ 你可以學聰明點，就這樣。巴比說。我跟你說過，她講的沒一句實話，所以不管她跟你說什麼天方夜譚，很可能都是狗屁。所以別讓你自己像個呆瓜一樣讓她給騙了，你已經不是第一個了。 他們走過轉角，經過畜欄，朝著宿舍的門走去。 What's the meaning?Li Qi asked. 你以為我笨到家了嗎？她一整個月幾乎每天都不在家，晚上也盡可能出去而把小孩丟給我們照顧。where did she go就是去佩科斯的汽車旅館，去找那些願意相信她編的故事的人，跟他們說她老公不了解她。這本來都是她的自由，不干我的事，不過如果她認為可以把外面的人帶回來那就變成我的事了。她老公回家前兩天？隨便胡謅說你是外地來找工作的？那是什麼鬼話？ 你說我不是第一個是什麼意思？ 就是字面上的意思。你問問約書亞跟比利，他們把他趕走了。 李奇沒說話，巴比對著他微笑。 別相信她。He said.有些話她沒跟你講，而她跟你說的絕大部分都是謊話。 她為什麼沒有門的鑰匙？ 她有，是她自己搞丟了，事實就是這樣。而且這個門從來也沒鎖過，鎖起來幹嘛？我們離最近的十字路口有六十英里遠。 那為什麼她要敲門？ 她根本不用敲門就可以直接進來，是她自己故意搞得好像我們都孤立她，其實都是狗屁。我們怎麼孤立她？史路普不是跟她結婚了嗎？ Li Qi didn't speak. 所以如果你願意，你可以繼續工作。巴比說。不過要離她跟小孩遠遠的，而且這是為你好，懂嗎？ Can I ask you a question?Li Qi said. what is the problem? 你知道你的帽子戴反了嗎？ my what? 你的帽子。Li Qi said.戴反了。我在想你到底知不知道，還是剛好它就不小心滑到後面去了。 巴比瞪著他。我就喜歡這樣戴。He said. 李奇再次點點頭。喔，我猜這樣大概可以讓陽光不會曬到脖子。He said.讓脖子不會繼續變紅。 小心你的嘴。巴比說。你離我哥的家人遠一點，而且小心你的鳥嘴。 然後他在黑暗中轉身，朝著屋子走回去，李奇則站在原地看著他離開。在遠方，閃電依舊在西南方的天空中跳躍，然後巴比消失在馬廄後方。李奇聽著他的馬靴在塵土中踩出聲響，逐漸遠去，直到寂靜無聲。