首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)- 第10部分

By　a　malign　stroke　of　fate；　Krystal　had　been　in　the　same　class　as　Howard　and　Shirley’s　eldest　granddaughter；　Lexie。　Krystal　had　once　hit　Lexie　Mollison　so　hard　in　the　face　that　she　had　knocked　out　two　of　her　teeth。　That　they　had　already　been　wobbly　was　not　felt；　by　Lexie’s　parents　and　grandparents；　to　be　much　of　an　extenuation。

It　was　the　conviction　that　whole　classes　of　Krystals　would　be　waiting　for　their　daughters　at　Winterdown　prehensive　that　finally　decided　Miles　and　Samantha　Mollison　on　removing　both　their　daughters　to　St　Anne’s；　the　private　girls’　school　in　Yarvil；　where　they　had　bee　weekly　boarders。　The　fact　that　his　granddaughters　had　been　driven　out　of　their　rightful　places　by　Krystal　Weedon；　swiftly　became　one　of　Howard’s　favourite　conversational　examples　of　the　estate’s　nefarious　influence　on　Pagford　life。

V
The　first　effusion　of　Pagford’s　outrage　had　annealed　into　a　quieter；　but　no　less　powerful；　sense　of　grievance。　The　Fields　polluted　and　corrupted　a　place　of　peace　and　beauty；　and　the　smouldering　townsfolk　remained　determined　to　cut　the　estate　adrift。　Yet　boundary　reviews　had　e　and　gone；　and　reforms　in　local　government　had　swept　the　area　without　effecting　any　change：　the　Fields　remained　part　of　Pagford。　Newers　to　the　town　learned　quickly　that　abhorrence　of　the　estate　was　a　necessary　passport　to　the　goodwill　of　that　hard　core　of　Pagfordians　who　ran　everything。

But　now；　at　long　last　–　over　sixty　years　after　Old　Aubrey　Fawley　had　handed　Yarvil　that　fatal　parcel　of　land　–　after　decades　of　patient　work；　of　strategizing　and　petitioning；　of　collating　information　and　haranguing　sub…mittees　–　the　anti…Fielders　of　Pagford　found　themselves；　at　last；　on　the　trembling　threshold　of　victory。

The　recession　was　forcing　local　authorities　to　streamline；　cut　and　reorganize。　There　were　those　on　the　higher　body　of　Yarvil　District　Council　who　foresaw　an　advantage　to　their　electoral　fortunes　if　the　crumbling　little　estate；　likely　to　fare　poorly　under　the　austerity　measures　imposed　by　the　national　government；　were　to　be　scooped　up；　and　its　disgruntled　inhabitants　joined　to　their　own　voters。

Pagford　had　its　own　representative　in　Yarvil：　District　Councillor　Aubrey　Fawley。　This　was　not　the　man　who　had　enabled　the　construction　of　the　Fields；　but　his　son；　‘Young　Aubrey’；　who　had　inherited　Sweetlove　House　and　who　worked　through　the　week　as　a　merchant　banker　in　London。　There　was　a　whiff　of　penance　in　Aubrey’s　involvement　in　local　affairs；　a　sense　that　he　ought　to　make　right　the　wrong　that　his　father　had　so　carelessly　done　to　the　little　town。　He　and　his　wife　Julia　donated　and　gave　out　prizes　at　the　agricultural　show；　sat　on　any　number　of　local　mittees；　and　threw　an　annual　Christmas　party　to　which　invitations　were　much　coveted。

It　was　Howard’s　pride　and　delight　to　think　that　he　and　Aubrey　were　such　close　allies　in　the　continuing　quest　to　reassign　the　Fields　to　Yarvil；　because　Aubrey　moved　in　a　higher　sphere　of　merce　that　manded　Howard’s　fascinated　respect。　Every　evening；　after　the　delicatessen　closed；　Howard　removed　the　tray　of　his　old…fashioned　till；　and　counted　up　coins　and　dirty　notes　before　placing　them　in　a　safe。　Aubrey；　on　the　other　hand；　never　touched　money　during　his　office　hours；　and　yet　he　caused　it　to　move　in　unimaginable　quantities　across　continents。　He　managed　it　and　multiplied　it　and；　when　the　portents　were　less　propitious；　he　watched　magisterially　as　it　vanished。　To　Howard；　Aubrey　had　a　mystique　that　not　even　a　worldwide　financial　crash　could　dent；　the　delicatessen…owner　was　impatient　of　anyone　who　blamed　the　likes　of　Aubrey　for　the　mess　in　which　the　country　found　itself。　Nobody　had　plained　when　things　were　going　well；　was　Howard’s　oft…repeated　view；　and　he　accorded　Aubrey　the　respect　due　to　a　general　injured　in　an　unpopular　war。

Meanwhile；　as　a　district　councillor；　Aubrey　was　privy　to　all　kinds　of　interesting　statistics；　and　in　a　position　to　share　a　good　deal　of　information　with　Howard　about　Pagford’s　troublesome　satellite。　The　two　men　knew　exactly　how　much　of　the　district’s　resources　were　poured；　without　return　or　apparent　improvement；　into　the　Fields’　dilapidated　streets；　that　nobody　owned　their　own　house　in　the　Fields　（whereas　the　red…brick　houses　of　the　Cantermill　Estate　were　almost　all　in　private　hands　these　days；　they　had　been　prettified　almost　beyond　recognition；　with　window…boxes　and　porches　and　neat　front　lawns）；　that　nearly　two…thirds　of　Fields…dwellers　lived　entirely　off　the　state；　and　that　a　sizeable　proportion　passed　through　the　doors　of　the　Bellchapel　Addiction　Clinic。

VI
Howard　carried　the　mental　image　of　the　Fields　with　him　always；　like　a　memory　of　a　nightmare：　boarded　windows　daubed　with　obscenities；　smoking　teenagers　loitering　in　the　perennially　defaced　bus　shelters；　satellite　dishes　everywhere；　turned　to　the　skies　like　the　denuded　ovules　of　grim　metal　flowers。　He　often　asked　rhetorically　why　they　could　not　have　organized　and　made　the　place　over　–　what　was　stopping　the　residents　from　pooling　their　meagre　resources　and　buying　a　lawnmower　between　the　lot　of　them？　But　it　never　happened：　the　Fields　waited　for　the　councils；　District　and　Parish；　to　clean；　to　repair；　to　maintain；　to　give　and　give　and　give　again。

Howard　would　then　recall　the　Hope　Street　of　his　boyhood；　with　its　tiny　back　gardens；　each　hardly　more　than　tablecloth…sized　squares　of　earth；　but　most；　including　his　mother’s；　bristling　with　runner　beans　and　potatoes。　There　was　nothing；　as　far　as　Howard　could　see；　to　stop　the　Fielders　growing　fresh　vegetables；　nothing　to　stop　them　disciplining　their　sinister；　hooded；　spray…painting　offspring；　nothing　to　stop　them　pulling　themselves　together　as　a　munity　and　tackling　the　dirt　and　the　shabbiness；　nothing　to　stop　them　cleaning　themselves　up　and　taking　jobs；　nothing　at　all。　So　Howard　was　forced　to　draw　the　conclusion　that　they　were　choosing；　of　their　own　free　will；　to　live　the　way　they　lived；　and　that　the　estate’s　air　of　slightly　threatening　degradation　was　nothing　more　than　a　physical　manifestation　of　ignorance　and　indolence。

Pagford；　by　contrast；　shone　with　a　kind　of　moral　radiance　in　Howard’s　mind；　as　though　the　collective　soul　of　the　munity　was　made　manifest　in　its　cobbled　streets；　its　hills；　its　picturesque　houses。　To　Howard；　his　birthplace　was　much　more　than　a　collection　of　old　buildings；　and　a　fast…flowing；　tree…fringed　river；　the　majestic　silhouette　of　the　abbey　above　or　the　hanging　baskets　in　the　Square。　For　him；　the　town　was　an　ideal；　a　way　of　being；　a　micro…civilization　that　stood　firmly　against　a　national　decline。

‘I’m　a　Pagford　man；’　he　would　tell　summertime　tourists；　‘born　and　bred。’　In　so　saying；　he　was　giving　himself　a　profound　pliment　disguised　as　a　monplace。　He　had　been　born　in　Pagford　and　he　would　die　there；　and　he　had　never　dreamed　of　leaving；　nor　itched　for　more　change　of　scene　than　could　be　had　from　watching　the　seasons　transform　the　surrounding　woods　and　river；　from　watching　the　Square　blossom　in　spring　or　sparkle　at　Christmas。

Barry　Fairbrother　had　known　all　this；　indeed；　he　had　said　it。　He　had　laughed　right　across　the　table　in　the　church　hall；　laughed　right　in　Howard’s　face。　‘You　know；　Howard；　you　are　Pagford　to　me。’　And　Howard；　not　disposed　in　the　slightest　（for　he　had　always　met　Barry　joke　for　joke）；　had　said；　‘I’ll　take　that　as　a　great　pliment；　Barry；　however　it　was　intended。’

He　could　afford　to　laugh。　The　one　remaining　ambition　of　Howard’s　life　was　within　touching　distance：　the　return　of　the　Fields　to　Yarvil　seemed　imminent　and　certain。

Then；　two　days　before　Barry　Fairbrother　had　dropped　dead　in　a　car　park；　Howard　had　learned　from　an　unimpeachable　source　that　his　opponent　had　broken　all　known　rules　of　engagement；　and　had　gone　to　the　local　paper　with　a　story　about　the　blessing　it　had　been　for　Krystal　Weedon　to　be　educated　at　St　Thomas’s。

The　idea　of　Krystal　Weedon　being　paraded　in　front　of　the　reading　public　as　an　example　of　the　successful　integration　of　the　Fields　and　Pagford　might　（so　Howard　said）　have　been　funny；　had　it　not　been　so　serious。　Doubtless　Fairbrother　would　have　coached　the　girl；　and　the　truth　about　her　foul　mouth；　the　endlessly　interrupted　classes；　the　other　children　in　tears；　the　constant　removals　and　reintegrations；　would　be　lost　in　lies。

Howard　trusted　the　good　sense　of　his　fellow　townsfolk；　but　he　feared　journalistic　spin　and　the　interference　of　ignorant　do…gooders。　His　objection　was　both　principled　and　personal：　he　had　not　yet　forgotten　how　his　granddaughter　had　sobbed　in　his　arms；　with　bloody　sockets　where　her　teeth　had　been；　while　he　tried　to　soothe　her　with　a　promise　of　triple　prizes　from　the　tooth　fairy。

Tuesday
I
Two　mornings　after　her　husband’s　death；　Mary　Fairbrother　woke　at　five　o’clock。　She　had　slept　in　the　marital　bed　with　her　twelve…year…old；　Declan；　who　had　crawled　in；　sobbing；　shortly　after　midnight。　He　was　sound　asleep　now；　so　Mary　crept　out　of　the　room　and　went　down　into　the　kitchen　to　cry　more　freely。　Every　hour　that　passed　added　to　her　grief；　because　it　bore　her　further　away　from　the　living　man；　and　because　it　was　a　tiny　foretaste　of　the　eternity　she　would　have　to　spend　without　him。　Again　and　again　she　found　herself　forgetting；　for　the　space　of　a　heartbeat；　that　he　was　gone　for　ever　and　that　she　could　not　turn　to　him　for　fort。

When　her　sister　and　brother…in…law　came　through　to　make　breakfast；　Mary　took　Barry’s　phone　and　withdrew　into　the　study；　where　she　started　looking　for　the　numbers　of　some　of　Barry’s　huge　acquaintance。　She　had　only　been　at　it　a　matter　of　minutes　when　the　mobile　in　her　hands　rang。

‘Yes？’　she　murmured。

‘Oh；　hello！　I’m　looking　for　Barry　Fairbrother。　Alison　Jenkins　from　the　Yarvil　and　District　Gazette。’

The　young　woman’s　jaunty　voice　was　as　loud　and　horrible　in　Mary’s　ear　as　a　triumphal　fanfare；　the　blast　of　it　obliterated　the　sense　of　the　words。

‘Sorry？’

‘Alison　Jenkins　from　the　Yarvil　and　District　Gazette。　I　want　to　speak　to　Barry　Fairbrother？　It’s　about　his　article　on　the　Fields。’

‘Oh？’　said　Mary。

‘Yes；　he　hasn’t　attached　details　of　this　girl　he　talks　about。　We’re　supposed　to　interview　her。　Krystal　Weedon？’

Each　word　felt　to　Mary　like　a　slap。　Perversely；　she　sat　still　and　silent　in　Barry’s　old　swivel　chair　and