<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">4</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">霍伊特<font face="times new roman">·</font><font face="宋体">路易斯，佐治亚州电力公司的读表员，他把卡车停在胡同日的一棵大树底下，然后拿出午餐饭盒，坐舒服了准备吃饭。www.xiashucom.com因为是自己装的午餐，打开饭盒再也没有惊喜了。里面不再有小纸条，不再有意外的鱼排了。</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">他的三明治正吃到一半时，耳边有个人的大声说话吓了他一跳。</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我想我这个月又用了一千块钱的电，是吧？</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">路易斯转过头，看见车窗边帕森那张红红的脸。帕森穿着百慕大短裤，拿着一把大扫帚。</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我不明白你在说什么。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我知道你会说我这个月用了一千块钱的电。你这回听清了吗？</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我不知道你用了多少电，因为我还没查你的表，帕森先生。我读完你家的表，就会把数字记在这张表的这个地方。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">帕森一直对他的电费账单数额之大耿耿于怀。他找过电力公司，投诉有人不查电表谎报数字。</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我用了多少我自己都有记录。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">帕森说。</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">我会带着记录去公共服务委员会的。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">你想和我一起读读你家的电表吗？咱们现在就去</font><font face="times new roman">——”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我自己会看电表。我想要不是你嫌麻烦的话，你也能读准的。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">安静一会儿，帕森。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">路易斯从卡车上下来。</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">你安静一会儿，真见鬼。去年你在电表上放了一块磁铁。你妻子说你住院了，所以我只不过把磁铁拿下来，什么也没说。去年冬天你在电表里面泼了糖浆，所以我才向公司汇报了。我们收赔偿金的时候你也全额付清了。</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">你的电费是在你三番五次瞎鼓弄以后变高的。直到你把我的脸打青了以前，我一直告诉你：你的房子里有个东西在吃电。你请电工帮你查了吗？你没有。相反你跑到公司没完没了地抱怨我。我简直就是上了你的圈套。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">路易斯的脸因为愤怒而变得苍白。</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我会把这事搞个水落石出的。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">帕森边说边沿着胡同朝着他自家的院子走去。</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">他们已经在监察你了，路易斯先生。我看见有人在你之前来这里查表了。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">他隔着栅栏门对路易斯说。</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">很快你就得像其他人一样老老实实地干活了。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">路易斯气冲冲地一个急倒车把车沿着胡同往前开。他得另找个地方吃完午饭了。他觉得可惜。那棵有很大阴凉的大树下曾经是他几年来很好的用餐之地。</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">那棵树就在查尔斯<font face="times new roman">·</font><font face="宋体">利兹家的正后面。</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">下午五点半霍伊特<font face="times new roman">·</font><font face="宋体">路易斯开着自己的车来到九云酒吧，找他的几个锅炉制造工朋友消遣解闷。</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">当他给前妻打电话时他能想到的惟一一句话就是：<font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">要是你还在给我做午饭该多好。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">你早该想到这一点，</font><font face="times new roman">‘</font><font face="宋体">机灵</font><font face="times new roman">’</font><font face="宋体">先生。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">说完她挂了电话。</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">路易斯与同公司的几个电话修理工和交通调度员玩了一把沉闷的沙狐球。他看了看周围的人群。见鬼，机场的职员开始到九云来了，他们全都留着小胡子，而且都在小拇指上戴戒指。过不了多久他们就会让那些英国人迷恋上该死的标枪板。这年头你什么都不能指望。</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">嘿，霍伊特，来一瓶啤酒吧。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">说话的人是他的上司，比利</font><font face="times new roman">·</font><font face="宋体">米克斯。</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">是你啊，比利。我正想找你谈谈。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">出什么事了？</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">你记得那个经常来捣乱的混账东西帕森吗？</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>