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'Tree？' Nell said； smiling。
He looked at her unprehendingly。 Sheridan wasn't a great one for jokes。 I fetched a bag of ice and a bowl from the kitchen； swayed back to the bar and in due course took the bowl of ice （on a tray） to the saloon。
The four of them were sitting in armchairs； Bambi talking to Daffodil； Mercer to Filmer。
Mercer said to me； 'You'll find glasses and cognac in the cupboard in the dining room。 And Benedictine。 Bring them along here； will you？'
'Yes； sir。'
Filmer paid me no attention。 In the neat dining room； the cupboards had glass fronts with pale green curtains inside them。 In one I found the bottles and glasses as described； and took them aft。
Filmer was saying； 'Will Voting Right go on to the Breeders' Cup if he wins at Winnipeg？'
'He's not running at Winnipeg；' Mercer said。 'He runs at Vancouver。'
'Yes； I meant Vancouver。'
Daffodil with enthusiasm was telling a cool Bambi that she should try some face cream or other that helped with wrinkles。
'Just leave everything；' Mercer said to me。 'We'll pour。'
'Yes； sir；' I said； and retreated as he began the ultimate heresy of sloshing Remy Martin's finest on to rocks。
Mercer would know me everywhere on the train； I thought； but none of the other three would。 I hadn't met Filmer's eyes all day； had been careful not to； and it seemed to me that his attention had been exclusively focused upon what he had now achieved； a visiting…terms acquaintanceship with Mercer Lorrimore。
There was now loud music in the lounge； with two couples trying to dance and falling over with giggles from the perpetual motion of the dance…floor。 Up in the dome； aurora borealis was doing its flickering fiery best on the horizon； and in the bar there was a group playing poker in serious silent concentration。 Playing for thousands； the barman said。Between the bar and the dining room there were three bedrooms； and in one of those； with the door open； was a sleeping…car attendant； dressed exactly like myself。
'Hello；' he said； as I paused in the doorway。 'e to help？'
'Sure；' I said。 'What do I do？'
'You're the actor； aren't you？' he asked。
'It's hush hush。'
He nodded。 'I won't say a word。'
He was of about my own age； perhaps a bit older； pleasant looking and cheerful。 He showed me how to fold up the ingenious mechanism of the daytime armchairs and slide them under a bed which pulled out from the wall。 A top bunk was then pulled down from the ceiling； plete with ladder。 He straightened the bedclothes and laid a wrapped chocolate truffle on each pillow； a goodnight blessing。
'Neat； 'I said。
He had only one more room to do； he said； and he should have finished long before this but he'd been badly delayed in the car on the other side of the dining car； which he had in his care also。
I nodded…and several thoughts arrived simultaneously in a rush on my mental doorstep。 They were that Filmer's bedroom was in that car。 Filmer was at that moment with the Lorrimores。 The only locks on the bedroom doors were inside； in the form of bolts to ensure privacy。 There was no way of preventing anyone from walking in if a room were empty。
I went along to the sleeping car on the far side of the kitchen and opened the door of the abode of Julius Apollo。
Chapter Nine
By virtue of having paid double and possibly treble； Filmer had a double bedroom all to himself。 Only the lower bunk had been prepared for the night： the upper was still in the ceiling。
For all that he could be expected to stay in the Lorrimores' car for at least fifteen more minutes I felt decidedly jittery； and I left the door open so that if he did e back unexpectedly I could say I was merely checking that everything was in order。 My uniform had multiple advantages。
The bedrooms were small； as one would expect； though in the daytime； with the beds folded away； there was fortable space。 There was a washbasin in full view； with the rest of the plumbing in a discreet little closet。 For hanging clothes there was a slot behind the bedheads of about eight inches wide； enough in Filmer's case for two suits。 Another two jackets hung on hangers on pegs on the wall。
I searched quickly through all the pockets； but they were mostly empty。 There was only； in one inner pocket； a receipt for a watch repair which I replaced where I found it。
There were no drawers： more or less everything else had to be in his suitcase which stood against the wall。 With an eye on the corridor outside； I tried one of the latches and wasn't surprised to find it locked。
That left only a tiny cupboard above the hanging space； in which Julius Apollo had stored a black leather toilet bag and his brushes。
On the floor below his suits； pushed to the back of the hanging space； I found his briefcase。
I put my head out of the door which was directly beside the hanging space； and looked up and down the corridor。
No one in sight。
I went down on hands and knees； half in and half out of the doorway； with an excuse ready of looking for a coin I'd dropped。 I put a hand into the hanging space and drew the briefcase to the front； and it was of black crocodile skin with gold clasps； as I'd seen at Nottingham races。
The fact of its presence was all I was going to learn however； as it had revolving bination locks which were easy enough to undo； but only if one had two hours to spend on each lock； which I hadn't。 Whether or not the briefcase still contained whatever Horfitz had given Filmer at Nottingham was anyone's guess； and dearly though I would have liked to look at the contents； I didn't want to risk any more at that point。 I pushed the black case deep into the hanging space again； stood up outside the door； closed it and went back to the scenes of jollity to the rear。
It was； by this time； nearly midnight。 The Youngs were standing up in the dining room； ready to go to bed。 Xanthe however； alarmed by the departure of her new…found friend； was practically clinging to Mrs Young and with an echo of the earlier hysteria was saying that she couldn't possibly sleep in the private car； she would have nightmares； she would to be too scared to stay； she was sure whoever had uncoupled the car before would do it again in the middle of the night； and they would all be killed when the Canadian crashed into them； because the Canadian was still there behind us； wasn't it； wasn't it？
Yes； it was。
Mrs Young did her best to soothe her； but it was impossible not to respect her fears。 She had undoubtedly nearly been killed。 Mrs Young told her that the madman who had mischievously unhitched the car was hours behind us in Carder； but Xanthe was beyond reassurance。
Mrs Young appealed to Nell； asking if there was anywhere else that Xanthe could sleep； and Nell； consulting the ever…present clipboard； shook her head doubtfully。
'There's an upper berth in a section；' she said slowly； 'but it only has a curtain； and no facilities except at the end of the car； and it's hardly what Xanthe's used to。。'
'I don't care；' Xanthe said passionately。 'I'll sleep on the floor or on the seats in the lounge； or anywhere。 I'll sleep in that upper berth。。。 please let me。'
'I don't see why not； then；' Nell said。 'What about night things？'
'I'm not going into our car to fetch them。 I'm not。'
'All right；' Nell said。 'I'll go and ask your mother。'
Mrs Young stayed with Xanthe； who was again faintly trembling； until at length Nell returned with both a small grip and Bambi。
Bambi tried to get her daughter to change her mind； but predictably without success。 I thought it unlikely that Xanthe would ever sleep in that car again； so strong was her present reaction。 She； Bambi； Nell and the Youngs made their way past me without looking at me and continued on along the corridor beside the kitchen； going to inspect the revised quarters which I knew were in the sleeping car forward of Filmer's。
After a while Bambi and Nell returned alone； and Bambi with an unexcited word of gratitude to Nell walked a few paces forward and stopped beside her son； who had done nothing to fort or help his sister and was now sitting alone。
'e along； Sheridan；' she said； her tone without peremptoriness but also without affection。 'Your father asks you to e。'
Sheridan gave her a look of hatred which seemed not in the least to bother her。 She stood patiently waiting until； with exceedingly bad grace； he got to his feet and followed her homewards。
Bambi； it seemed to me； had taught herself not to care for Sheridan so as not to be hurt by him。 She too； like Mercer； must have suffered for years from his boorish behaviour in public； and she had distanced herself from it。 She didn't try to buy the toleration of the victims of his rudeness； as Mercer did： she ignored the rudeness instead。
I wondered which had e first； the chill and disenchantment of her worldly sophistication； or the lack of warmth in her son： and perhaps there was ice in both of them； and the one had reinforced the other。 Bambi； I thought； was a highly inappropriate name for her； she was no innocent wide…eyed smooth…skinned fawn but an experienced； aloof； good…looking woman in the skin of minks。
Nell； watching them go； sighed and said； 'She didn't kiss Xanthe goodnight； you know； or give her even a hug to fort her。 Nothing。 And Mercer's so nice。'
'Forget them。'
'Yes。。。。 You do realize the press will be down on this train like a pack of hunting lions at the next stop。'
'Lionesses；' I said。
'What？'
'It's the females who hunt in a pack。 One male sits by； watching； and takes the lion's share of the kill。'
'I don't want to know that。'
'Our next stop；' I said； 'will be fifteen minutes at White River in the middle of the night。 After the delay； we'll aim to arrive at four…oh…five； depart four…twenty。'
'And after that？'
'Except for a three…minute pause in a back…of…beyond； we stop at Thunder Bay for twenty…five minutes at ten…fifty tomorrow morning。'
'Do you know the whole timetable by heart？'
'Emil told me to learn it。 He was right when he said the question I would have to answer most was 'When do we reach so and so'。。。 and if I were a regular waiter he said I would know the answers； even though we're thirty…five minutes earlier everywhere than the regular Canadian。'
'Emil is cute；' she said。
I looked at her in surprise。 I wouldn't have thought of Emil as cute。 Small； neat； bright and generous； yes。 'Cute？' I asked。
'I would hope；' she said； 'that you don't think so。'
'No。'
'Good。' She was relieved； I saw。
'Weren't you sure？' I asked curiously。 'Am I so。。。 ambivalent？'
'Well。。。' There was a touch of embarrassment。 'I didn't mean to get into this sort of conversation； really I didn't。 But if you want to know； there's something about you that's secret。。。 ultra…private。。。 as if you didn't want to be known too well。 So I just wondered。 I'm sorry。。。'
'I shall shower you with ravening kisses。'
She laughed。 'Not your style。'
'Wait and see。' And two people didn't； I thought； drift into talking like that after knowing each other for such a short while unless there was immediate trust and liking。
We were standing in the tiny lobby between the kitchen and the dining room； and she still has the clipboard clasped to her chest。 She would have to put it down； I thought fleetingly； before any serious ravening could take place。
'You always have jokes in your eyes；' she said。 'And you never tell them。'
'I was thinking about how you use your clipboard as chain mail。'
Her own eyes widened。 'A lousy man in the magazine office squeezed my breast。。。 Why am I telling you？ It was years ago。 Why should I care？ Anyway； where else would you carry a clipboard？'
She put it down； all the same； on the counter； but we didn't talk much longer as the revellers from the rear began ing through to go to the bedrooms。 I retreated into the kitchen and I could hear people asking Nell what time they could have breakfast。
'Between seven and nine…thirty；' she said。 'Sleep well； everybody。' She put her head into the kitchen。 'Same to you； sleep well。 I'm off to bed。'
'Goodn