# ■ 3 Rich man

John Duncan started work on Monday，and Mary Carter showed him round the factory．The most important thing that the company produced was a new paint for cars．It was a very strong，hard paint，which nothing could damage．Mary and her chemists had developed it，and they had tested it all over the world．Neither acid nor salt water could damage it，and cars came back from both the Arctic and the Sahara looking like new．

The company was beginning to make a lot of money from this paint，and it had brought four hundred new jobs to the town．

One day，when he was working with the paint，John spilt some of the waste products on his leg．He cleaned it off quickly，but it left a red，painful place on his skin，which would not go away．It kept him awake at night．He told his doctor what he had spilt on it，and the doctor looked at him strangely．

So these chemicals had something to do with the new paint，did they？'the doctor asked carefully．

Yes，I told you．It was a bottle of the waste products．I was looking at them in my office．'

I see．'the doctor looked out of the window thoughtfully．His fingers moved quietly on his desk．'And your company is producing a lot of these waste products now，I suppose．'

Yes，of course．'John was in a hurry． He had to meet someone important in ten minutes．'Look，can you give me something to put on it，or not？'

Oh yes．'the doctor began to write something on a piece of paper．'Put this on night and morning，and the pain will go in a day or two．But I'm afraid the skin there will stay red for a year or two．They're nasty chemicals，Mr Duncan，you know．'

Yes，I know．'John smiled at him．'But don't worry，Doctor，we're very careful with them in the factory．No one can go near them without special safe clothing．You can come and see if you like．'

I'm very pleased to hear it，'said the doctor．He gave the piece of paper to John．

Thank you，'said John．He went towards the door．

Mr Duncan？'

Yes？'John looked back，surprised．

Where do these waste products go，when the factory has finished with them？Into the river？'

Well，yes，of course，'said John．'But it's all right，you know，'he added quickly．'It's very carefully checked，all the time．It's a big river，and we only produce a few hundred litres of the waste products a day．And we're only two kilo-metres from the sea，after all．'

Good，'said the doctor．'I wouldn't want anyone to drink those waste products，that's all．'

They won't，doctor，'said John．'All the drinking water comes out of the river five kilometres upstream，you know that．Who's going to drink salt water from the river mouth，for heaven's sake？Chemists from London have checked it，too，you know，and our company lawyers know all about it．So it's not dangerous and we're not doing anything wrong．Don't worry about it．'

He went out of the door， and after half an hour he had for-gotten the conversation．

He was a very busy man now．All day he had to test differ-ent types of paints，and make sure they were safe．He was also busy buying a big， comfortable house for his family， with a large field beside it，where Christine could keep a horse．The house was half a kilometre from the sea，and its gardens went down to the river．There was an empty boathouse there．

Can we have a boat， Dad？'Andrew asked．'I mean，not now，of course，but one day—when you've finished paying for the house， perhaps？'

John laughed．His children had been poor for so long．But now he could buy them anything they wanted．

You can have a boat now，if you want，my son，'he said happily．'If I can afford a big house like this，I can certainly afford a small boat．We'll go fishing every week，shall we？And I'll teach you both to sail in the evenings．I've always wanted to do that，you know．'

He could not believe how lucky he was．He had a good job at last，a fine home， and his children had everything they wanted．He only wished his wife，Rachel，was alive to enjoy it with him．There was only one thing that he could not give his children now．He could not give them back their mother．

■ 3 富人

約翰·鄧肯星期一開始工作，瑪麗·卡特帶他參觀了工廠。公司最重要的產品是一種新的汽車油漆，它是一種附著力很強的堅固油漆，任何東西都不易損壞它。瑪麗和她的化學師們研製出它，並在全世界測試。它抗含酸或含鹽的水，上過這種油漆的汽車從北極和撒哈拉沙漠回來如同新車一樣。

公司開始從這種油漆上賺很多錢，同時也給小鎮帶來400個新的就業機會。

一天，當約翰正在使用油漆時，一些油漆廢料濺在他腿上。他很快把它擦拭掉，但漆料在他皮膚上留下了一塊紅色、發疼的地方，總不消退。這使他夜間睡不了覺。他告訴他的醫生他灑在腿上的是什麼，醫生很奇怪地看著他。

醫生小心地問：“這麼說，這些化學制品與新研製的油漆有關，對吧？”

“是的，我說過，那是一瓶產品廢料。當時我在辦公室正觀察著它們。”

“我明白了。”醫生望著窗外沉思著。他的手指輕輕地在桌上移動著。“我想，你們公司現在正在生產大量的這種廢料。”

“是的，當然。”約翰有急事。他要在10分鐘後見一個重要人物。“我說，你能否給我一些塗抹的藥？”

“噢，可以。”醫生開始在一張紙上寫著什麼。“早晚上藥，疼痛一兩天就會消失。但是那塊皮膚上的紅腫恐怕要持續一兩年。它們是討厭的化學制品，這你是知道的，鄧肯先生。”

“是的，我知道。”約翰對他笑笑。“別擔心，醫生，我們在工廠裡會非常小心地處理它們。不穿特別安全服，任何人也不能靠近它們。如果你願意，可以來看看。”

醫生說：“你這麼說我非常高興。”他把紙遞給約翰。

“謝謝，”約翰說道。他向門口走去。

“鄧肯先生？”

“啊？”約翰吃驚地回頭望去。

“工廠用完這些廢料，往哪裡傾倒？是往河裡倒嗎？”

“那當然，”約翰說。“但沒關係，你知道，”他很快接著說，“廢料隨時都經過認真檢驗。河大得很，而我們每天只生產出幾百公升廢料。再說，我們畢竟離大海只有兩公里。”

“這就好，我只不過不想讓任何人喝帶有廢料的水，”醫生說。

“他們不會的，醫生，”約翰說，“所有飲用水來自5公里以外的上游，這你是知道的。天啊，誰又會去喝河口處的鹹水？倫敦的化學家們也檢測過水質，你知道，我們公司的律師知道這一切。所以這並不危險，我們也沒做什麼錯事，你不用為此擔心。”

他走出門，半小時後他忘卻了這段談話。

他現在是一個大忙人。整天他都要測試不同類型的油漆，以確保它們的安全性。他還正忙著為他的家庭購置一所寬敞舒適的房子，在它旁邊有一片寬闊的田野，在那裡克里斯汀可以養一匹馬。房子距離大海半公里遠，它的花園延伸至小河。那裡有一間空船屋。

“爸爸，我們能有一艘小船嗎？”安德魯問，“我的意思當然不是指現在，而是將來某一天——也許是你支付完購買房子的錢後？”

約翰笑了。他的孩子們受了這麼長時間的窮。但是現在他可以滿足他們了。

“如果你想要，現在就可以買一艘，兒子，”他高興地說。“我既然能買得起這麼大一所房子，我當然也買得起一艘小船。我們將每星期都去釣魚，怎麼樣？晚上我教你們倆駕船。你們知道我一直都想這樣做。”

他簡直不敢相信他有多麼幸運。他終於有了一份好工作，一個像樣的家，他的孩子想要什麼就有什麼。他真希望他的妻子雷切爾還活著與他共享這一切。現在只有一樣他給不了他的孩子們。他不能把他們的母親還給他們。