Chapter 2
chapter two of count down chapter two twenty four best came into ned's life again the next morning unexpectedly he was sitting quietly in his room reading when the phone rang and he heard his uncle owen's voice answering owen was one of those people who think that a telephone cannot carry the human voice unless the speaker shouts what's that men surveying my property no best no i don't know anybody named best you bet your sweet life i'll stop it the phone banged down and ned heard owen's voice rise in the shout hey debbie you hear that there's a gang of men surveying the grove i'm heading right down there best ned sat quietly remembering the huge machines on their fantastic rollers heading towards hillstown leaving that strange metal fence to mark their passing he remembered mike's words big trouble and the strange prophetic sound of it on an instinct he closed the book and stepped out through the french door of his room into the bright sunshine of the summer morning owen would drive to the grove but ned knew a short cut and could get there almost as soon as owen could in the car
there were four young men in bright green trousers and t-shirts of the same colour with best and white letters across their chests when ned had come within earshot owen was already there trespassing on my property he heard his uncle say quite loudly the young men were very polite they were one explained surveying to find precisely where the property line was the whole grove is mine owen said angrily patiently politely they explained that according to their documents best owned the land to the left of the line which ran along the foot of the hill right where they were standing that can't be i bought this whole tract from forrest kingsley five years ago i know exactly what i bought i'm afraid mr kingsley didn't own all this tract sir one of the young men obviously the leader of the party put in best purchased a clear title to this property six years ago it's all on the land office records and i'll be glad to go over there with you and show you he spoke to his companions knock off for a while boys there's no hurry the young man turned away courteously gestured for owen to precede him along the path through the trees and climbed into owen's car with him ned watched them roar away and knew that his uncle was furious he always gunned his motor that way when he was angry
the three young men sprawled lazily on the ground and lighted cigarettes one of them pulled off his green t-shirt and used it as a towel to wipe his face his skin was brown and smooth his shoulders and chest powerfully muscled lazily he leaned back against a tree and winked at ned hi kid he said his voice friendly you live around here that was my uncle owen bartley ned explained fire-eater isn't he the man smiled and his face was suddenly very young nice of him to give us a rest you mean he really doesn't own all the grove kid when best sends out a surveying team you can bet your back teeth your shoes and your mother-in-law's best china that they have a claim that'll stand at any court on earth what's best ned asked curiously you got a nice pair of shoulders kid a second man spoke before the question could be answered you play football no basketball ned said duke there used to play basketball in fact he was an all-american with san francisco aren't you duke the third man grinned lazily and nodded he had ruddish hair and his skin had the uncomfortable parboiled look of a man who doesn't burn and spends hours in the sun expertly he acted on the hint and in a pleasant unhurried baritone voice engaged ned in conversation about basketball
so agreeably and so easily that when one of the young men got to his feet and announced that they'd better head into town for something to eat ned had forgotten that his question about best had not been answered he remembered it only after they had driven off with their instruments in a green jeep and he was heading for home to have his lunch when ned arrived home owen was there furious he sputtered and his voice was a snarl as the invade against best forced sherlock kingsley and oddly enough walter drew's father emmett drew he snapped that white-liver yellow-bellied ingrate that stinking coward you know what he did he backed them up he said i had no more title to more than half of the grove after all i've done for him that sanctimonious hypocrite pretending to be my friend a traitor that's what he is a judas iscariot a benedict arnold don't ever speak to him or his kinsfolk again debbie you hear don't let the crippled brat of his into this house as long as you live i won't have you messing around with the likes of him ned gathered at best to make its claim good next morning moved by curiosity he visited the grove it was changed the end of owen's property was marked by a line of small red flags beyond it the trees had just appeared the hills looked raw and naked with the rough markings of caterpillar treads and gouging blades
ten yards beyond the row of little flags towered a steel-matched fence topped by a y-shaped web of barbed wire on the fence was a large green sign with white letters on it warning private property no trespassing b e s t keep out chapter two
