經典科幻文學:《 再見 多謝你們的魚》第12章5

In the Left Luggage Office? hooted Arthur.
No, of course not. Don’t be silly. What would my parents be doing in the Left Luggage Office? she said, rather taken aback by the suggestion.
Well, I don’t know, spluttered Arthur, or rather…
It was in the ticket queue.
The…
The ticket queue. Or so they claim. They refuse to elaborate. They only say you wouldn’t believe how bored it is possible to get in the ticket queue at Fenchurch Street Station.
She sipped demurely at her tomato juice and looked at her watch.
Arthur continued to gurgle for a moment or two.
I’m going to have to go in a minute or two, said Fenchurch, and you haven’t begun to tell me whatever this terrifically extraordinary thing is that you were so keen to get off your chest.
Why don’t you let me drive you to London? said Arthur. It’s Saturday, I’ve got nothing particular to do, I’d…
No, said Fenchurch, thank you, it’s sweet of you, but no. I need to be by myself for a couple of days. She smiled and shrugged.
But…
You can tell me another time. I’ll give you my number.
Arthur’s heart went boom boom churn churn as she scribbled seven figures in pencil on a scrap of paper and handed it to him.
A box, said a trailing voice, of cherry liqueurs, and also, and I know you’ll like this, a gramophone record of Scottish bagpipe music…
Yes thank you, very nice, insisted Arthur.
I just thought I’d let you have a look at them, said the permed woman, as you’re down from London…
She was holding them out proudly for Arthur too see. He could see that they were indeed a box of cherry brandy liqueurs and a record of bagpipe music. That was what they were.
I’ll let you have your drink in peace now, she said, patting Arthur lightly on his seething shoulder, but I knew you’d like to see.
Arthur re-engaged his eyes with Fenchurch’s once again, and suddenly was at a loss for something to say. A moment had come and gone between the two of them, but the whole rhythm of it had been wrecked by that stupid, blasted woman.
Don’t worry, said Fenchurch, looking at him steadily from over the top of her glass, we will talk again. She took a sip.
Perhaps, she added, it wouldn’t have gone so well if it wasn’t for her. She gave a wry little smile and dropped her hair forward over her face again.
It was perfectly true.
He had to admit it was perfectly true.

“在失物招領處？”阿瑟尖號着。
“不，當然不是了。別傻了。我父母能在失物招領處幹什麼呢？”她有些詫異地說。
“好吧，我不清楚，”阿瑟結結巴巴地說，“或者......”
“是在排隊買票的時候。”
“排......”
“排隊買票的時候。或者至少他們是那麼說的。他們拒絕進一步的說明。他們只是說你根本不能相信在芬琪詩街車站裏排隊買票會有多無聊。”
她故作嚴肅地抿了一口番茄汁，然後瞅了一眼表。
阿瑟繼續咯咯笑了一會。
“再過一兩分鐘我就得走了，”芬琪詩說，“而你到現在都沒開始講，你那麼想告訴我的那個極端非同尋常的事到底是什麼。”
“你爲什麼不讓我開車送你去倫敦？”阿瑟說。“今天是星期六，我沒什麼事可做，我可以......”
“不了，”芬琪詩說，“謝謝你，你人真好，但算了。我需要靠自己一個人過幾天。”她微笑着聳了聳肩。
“但是......”
“你可以改天再找我聊。我給你我的電話號碼。”
當她在一小片紙上草草寫下七個數字並遞給阿瑟時，他的心如打鼓一般怦怦直跳。
“一箱子的，”一個拉長的聲音說道，“櫻桃利口酒，而且還有，我知道您會喜歡這個的，一張蘇格蘭風笛的留聲唱片......”
“好的謝謝你，非常好，”阿瑟不住地說。
“我剛想到我應該讓您瞧一眼它們，”捲髮女人說，“因爲您是來自倫敦的......”
她自豪地把那堆東西展示給阿瑟看。他可以看到那堆東西確實就是一箱子利口酒和一張蘇格蘭風笛留聲唱片。就是這些。
“我現在該讓您安靜地享用飲料了，”她輕輕地拍着阿瑟怒火中燒的肩膀，“但我知道您想要瞧一眼。”
阿瑟重新把目光聚焦在芬琪詩身上，突然間忘了自己要說什麼。那一美妙時刻曾經在兩人之間徘徊，但整個基調卻被那個該死的蠢女人給毀了。
“別擔心，”芬琪詩說着，從眼鏡片的上方直直地看着阿瑟，“我們還會再見面的。”她抿了一口番茄汁。
“也許，”她又加了一句，“如果沒有那個女人，事情可能不會發展的那麼好。”她苦笑了一下，再次將頭髮垂到面頰前。
這真是太對了。
他不得不承認這真是太對了。