# ■ 9 I don't believe you

It's not true，Christine．Simon's information is wrong．'

I don't believe you，Father．'

John and Christine stared at each other angrily．It was a miserable，frightening moment for them both．It was a night three months after the wedding，and Christine had come with some happy news．She had come to tell her father that she was going to have a baby—his first grandchild！For a while they had talked about that，but then Christine had begun to talk about Simon's new job．Simon had found some information about the waste products from the paint factory．His informa-tion was dangerous for the company．Simon had written an ar-ticle in the newspaper，saying that waste products from the paint factory could be killing the baby seals．David Wilson had written to the newspaper immediately，saying that Simon's article was completely untrue．

And so instead of talking happily about the baby，Christine and her father had argued all evening．John had known for a long time that they would have this argument．And next week in the town there would be a Public Enquiry，when govern-ment officials would try to discover the truth．Scientists and lawyers would speak on both sides of the argument．Everyone in the town was talking about the Enquiry—and about Simon's newspaper article．

Why did David Wilson write to the paper，Father？'Chris-tine asked．'He's not a scientist，he's just a businessman．Why didn't you write to the paper？'

I have written to the paper，'said John，sadly．'You'll probably read my letter tomorrow．'

Oh．What did you say？'Christine asked．

John felt sad．He hadn't wanted to write the letter．He and David Wilson had had a big argument about it．But in the end he had agreed．He had agreed to hide many bad things before，so one more didn't make any difference．

I said that our waste products don't make the river water dangerous．We've tested them very carefully for many years，and if they are diluted in water，they are not dangerous at all．There are usually only one and a half parts per million in the river water，that's all．And the seals aren't in the river．They're out at sea．I wrote that in my letter，and I'll say the same thing at the Enquiry next week．'

Christine was watching him carefully as he spoke．She saw how tired and sad his face was．He was looking at his hands most of the time，not at her．

Father，I want to believe you．But I can't，'she said soft-ly．

He looked up．'Don't then！'he said angrily．'You believe Simon，if you want to！He's a journalist，after all—I'm only a biologist，and your father．Why should you believe me？'He stood up angrily，walked to the door，and opened it．'I'm sor-ry，Christine．I've had a hard day，I'm tired，and I don't want to sit here listening to my daughter telling me I'm a liar．Go home to Simon．I'm going to bed！'

She got up slowly．'It's important，Father，'she said slowly．'It's important for everyone．'

I know it is，Christine．But the paint factory's important too．It's given a lot to you，and me，and to the people of this town．Try to remember that，and forget about the seals for a while，can't you？'

There are more important things than money，Father．'

Are there？You tell that to all the people who work in the company，and live in this town．What are they going to live on，when the factory's closed because of Simon's stupid arti-cles？Can they give their children photographs of baby seals to eat？'

Christine looked at him for a long moment before she went out of the door．'And what about children who play by the river，Father？What if they drink the river water？What then？'

Nobody drinks water from that part of the river，'he said．'And I've told you—it isn't dangerous to children．'

Christine closed the door quietly behind her．

■ 9 我不相信你

“這不是真的，克里斯汀，西蒙的消息是錯誤的。”

“我不相信你，爸爸。”

約翰和克里斯汀互相怒視著。這對他們倆都是一個痛苦恐怖的時刻。這事發生在婚禮後3個月的一個夜晚，克里斯汀帶回一些令人高興的消息，她回來告訴她父親她將要有小寶寶——他的第一個外孫或外孫女！他們就此談論了一會兒，但是過後克里斯汀開始談論西蒙的新工作。西蒙發現一些有關油漆廠廢料的消息。他的消息對公司有威脅。西蒙在報紙上寫了一篇文章，說來自油漆廠的廢料可能正在殺死幼豹。大衛·威爾遜馬上寫信給報紙，說西蒙的文章完全是不真實的。

所以，克里斯汀和父親並沒有高興地談論孩子，而是爭論了整個晚上。約翰早就知道他們會有這場爭論。下星期鎮上將舉行一個公眾聽證會，那時政府官員將努力發現事實真相。科學家和律師們將為雙方的爭議辯護。鎮上所有的人都在談論這次聽證會——也談論西蒙的報刊文章。

“為什麼大衛·威爾遜給報紙寫信，爸爸？”克里斯汀問道。“他不是一個科學家，他只是一個商人。為什麼你不給報紙寫信？”

“我已經給報紙寫過，”約翰痛心地說，“你明天也許會讀到我的信。”

“哦。你是怎麼說的？”克里斯汀問。

約翰感到痛苦。他原不想寫這封信。他和大衛·威爾遜為此大吵了一場。但最後他還是同意了。他以前曾同意隱瞞許多壞事，所以再多一次也無妨。

“我說我們的廢料沒有對河水造成危害。我們已經謹慎地測試了許多年。如果它們被水稀釋，它們根本沒有危險。在河水中廢料通常僅佔一百萬分之一點五，僅此而已。而海豹不在河裡。他們遠在海里。我在信中寫了這些，在下週的聽證會上我會說同樣的話。”

在他講話時克里斯汀認真地望著他。她看到他的臉是那樣疲倦和悲傷。他大部分時間一直看著他的手，而沒有看著她。

“爸爸，我想相信你。但我不能，”她輕聲地說。

他抬起頭。“那就別相信，”他氣憤地說，“如果你願意，你就相信西蒙好了！他畢竟是一個記者——我只是一個生物學家和你的父親。你為什麼要相信我呢？”他氣憤地站起來，朝房門走去，打開門說：“對不起，克里斯汀，我這一天太艱難了，我累了。我不想坐在這兒聽我女兒說我撒謊。回家找西蒙去吧，我要睡了。”

她慢慢站起來。“這很重要，爸爸，”她緩慢地說，“這對每個人都重要。”

“我知道它重要，克里斯汀。但是油漆廠也重要。它給了你很多，也給了我和這個城鎮的居民很多。難道你就不能試著記住這點，而暫時忘卻海豹嗎？”

“有比錢更重要的東西，爸爸。”

“有嗎？你把這話告訴所有在公司工作、住在鎮上的人。當工廠由於西蒙那些愚蠢的文章而關閉時，他們將靠什麼生存？他們能給孩子們幼豹的照片充飢嗎？”

克里斯汀望著他許久以後才走出門。“那麼在河邊玩的孩子們怎麼辦，爸爸？他們如果喝了河水怎麼辦？那時該怎麼辦？”

“沒人會喝那個地方的河水，”他說，“並且我已告訴過你，那對孩子們沒有危險。”

克里斯汀輕輕地將門在身後關上。