章节目录 20

(88106 www.88106.info)    ThomasofferedtheDeadFatheradocumentboundinbluepaper.

    Whatisit?

    Readit,Thomassaid.

    Itwasawill.

    Itisawill,theDeadFathersaid,whose?

    Wethoughtitbestthatyoutaketheprecaution,Thomassaid.Manypeopleareinadequatelyprepared.

    Idontwanttomakeawill,saidtheDeadFather.

    Noonewantstomakeawill,saidThomas.Stillitisaprudentstepthatwethoughtyououghttotake,inyourwisdom.

    Mywisdom,saidtheDeadFather.Infinite.Unmatched.Still,Idontwanttomakeawill.

    Prudenceandwisdombeingtwoofyourstrongestsuits,Thomassaid.

    Dashmywig!saidtheDeadFather,Illnotdoit.Imtooyoung.

    Thomaslookedupintothesky.

    Ofcourseitsentirelyuptoyou,hesaid.Ifyouwishtoleaveyouraffairsinrottenmishmashycluttersomedisarray

    Imtooyoung!theDeadFathersaid.

    Ofcourseyouare,saidThomas,soareweall.Yetthereisaveininyouthatmaypopatanytime.Ihaveidentifiedit.Runsuptherightlegandwhoknows,whoknowswhereitwandersafteritleavestheleg.Lurkingpotentialembolismsmenaceit.Idontwanttofrightenyou,butyougetthepicture.

    BytheHolyGoat,theDeadFathersaid,Iwillnot.

    Thomaswavedhishandsintheairsuggestingexhaustedpatienceanddisinterestedpursuitofwhat-is-right.

    WhoshallIleaveitto?theDeadFatherasked.Whoisworthy?

    Ishouldsay,noone.Perhapsthenation.Thefirststepistheinventory.Canyougivemesomeideaofwhattheestateconsistsof?

    Vast,saidtheDeadFather.Ihavenoidea.Consultmysteward.

    Yourstewardhasbeenletgo,saidThomas.

    Luke?Lukegone?Onwhoseauthority?

    Itwasthoughtbest,Thomassaid.

    Thenwhoislookingafterthings?

    IbelievehisnameisWilfred,Thomassaid.

    ButWilfredisnotLuke,theDeadFathersaid.

    Bestwecouldmanage,saidThomas.Youhavenoideaatallastothesizeofyourholdings?

    OhIhavesomeidea,saidtheDeadFather.Heproducedasmallblackpocketnotebook.

    Youretakingthisdown?

    Thomasnodded.

    TheDeadFatherclearedhisthroat.

    VariouslandsinSaxony,hereadaloud.

    Thatsrathervague,Thomassaid.

    Um,saidtheDeadFatherunperturbed,soitis.Letmecontinue.Certificatesofdeposittotaling——

    Totalingwhat?askedThomas.

    Theyareallseparateanddistinctfigureswithnototallisted,saidtheDeadFather.Thesumwouldappeartobequitelarge,couldoneaddit.

    Heturnedapage.

    Anut-brownmaid,heread.Regina.Thestereo.Apairofchatterpies.Myravens.Aparcelofrentalproperties.Elevenrogueelephants.Onealbino.Mycellar.Twelvethousandbottlesmoreorless.Lithographstobeswallowedforsickness.Twohundredexamples.Myprintcollection,nhousanditems.Mysword.

    Yourswordisgone,Thomasnoted.

    Myswordisgone,saidtheDeadFather,butIhaveasparesword,backinthecity.Mysecond-bestsword.Jeweledhiltandallthat.

    AfieldofflowersoutsideDarmstadt.Wrinkleflowers.Mygreenhousesandpottingsheds.Wilfredwillknow.PortraitbustsofmyselfbyHoudon,Minque,Planck,andBowdoin.Mynapkinrings.Fourthousandvolumesofcabalisticliterature.Cycladicfigurestothenumberofonehundredeighteen.Mygouges:Thestraightgouge,shortbentgouge,longbentgouge,Vgouge,Ugouge,5/32"gouge,3/8"gouge.Fourskewchisels.Myboxattheopera.MyBennieMotenrecords.MyThrockingchair.Theregiment.

    Towhomwillyouleavetheregiment?

    Doyouwantit?

    WhatwouldIdowiththeregiment?Thomasasked.

    Paradeit.Haveregimentaldinners.Foldandunfoldthecolors.Defendfrontiers.PushintothePunjab.

    Letustablethequestion,forthetimebeing,saidThomas.Istheremore?

    Much,much,more,saidtheDeadFather,butletuslumpittogetherunder"incidentals."DoyouwantRegina?

    Neverhavingmetthelady,Thomassaid,Iwouldsaynot.AlsoIamawitnessandawitnesscannotbeabeneficiary.Idonotwishtoprofitfromthistransactioninanyway.Ionlywishtohaveeverythingtidy.

    Tidy,saidtheDeadFather,whatawayofputtingit.

    JuliewillbeawitnessandEmmawillbeawitnessandoneofthemenis,Ihavelearned,anotary.

    Ishallplacetheregimentintrustforitself,saidtheDeadFather.Thatshouldtakecareofit.Haveyoutheform?

    Yes,Thomassaid.ShallIreadit?

    Readit.

    "ThisTrustiscreatedupontheexpressunderstandingthattheissuer,custodian,ortransferagentofanysharesheldhereundershallbeundernoliabilitywhatsoevertoseetoitsproperadministration"

    Thatsthewayitbegins?

    No,itbeginswitha"Whereas."Imreadingyouthepartthatdoesntsoundright.

    Readon.

    "andthatuponthetransferoftheright,title,interestinandtosuchsharesbyanytrusteehereunder,saidissuer,custodian,ortransferagentshallconclusivelytreatthetransfereeasthesoleownerofsuchshares.Intheeventthatanyshares,cashorotherproperty——"

    Theregiment,forexample,saidtheDeadFather.

    "shallbedistributableatanytimeunderthetermsofsaidshares,thesaidissuer,custodian,ortransferagentisfullyauthorizedtopay,deliver,anddistributethesametowhosoevershallthenbethetrusteehereunder,andshallbeundernoliabilitytoseetotheproperapplicationthereof."

    Hepaused.

    Gooddealofhandwashingthere,saidtheDeadFather.Whatparagraphisthat?

    Paragraph4,saidThomas,perhapsyouwilllikeParagraph5better."Iherebyreserveuntomyselfthepowerandright——"

    Yes,saidtheDeadFather,Ilikethatbetter.

    "Duringmylifetime——"

    No,saidtheDeadFather,Idontlikeitbetter.

    Lifetimesanddeathtimes,saidThomas,arewhatwillsareabout.

    Yes,saidtheDeadFather,thatswhatIdontlike,beingreminded.

    Youneednotbotherwiththedetails,Thomassaid,youarefullyprotected,Iassureyou.Thethingtodoissignit.

    Imtooyoung.Andwhowillbeneficiate?

    Icarenotawhit,saidThomas,picksomeone.Orsomething.

    Edmund,saidtheDeadFather.

    Edmund?

    Heisthelast,saidtheDeadFather,andthelastshallbefirst.

    Edmund?

    Ihavemadeupmymind,saidtheDeadFather.

    Asyouwish,saidThomas,weshallhavetotellhimaboutitveryslowly,otherwiseitwillkillhim.

    Parcelthenewsoutbitbybit,saidtheDeadFather.Beginwiththenapkinrings.

    Thomasassemblingthewitnessesfortheceremony.

    Thenotarysaid:DoyouidentifythisdocumentasyourLastWillandTestament,doyouwi**tobesoregarded,andhaveyousigneditofyourownfreewill?

    Yes,saidtheDeadFather.Sortof.

    Whatwasthat?askedthenotary.

    Moreorlessyes,saidtheDeadFather.

    Wellwasityesorwasitnotyes?

    Itwasyes,Iguess.

    ThenotarylookedatThomas.

    Iheard"yes,"saidThomas.

    Thenotarysaid:AndhaveyourequestedthatthesepersonswitnessyoursignatureandmakeanaffidavitconcerningyourexecutionofthisWill?

    Ihave,saidtheDeadFather.

    Thewitnesseswillpleaseraisetheirrighthands.DoeachofyouindividuallydeclareunderoaththattheDeadFatherhasidentifiedthisdocumentashisLastWillandTestamentandstatedthathewishedittobesoregarded?

    Hehas,saidThomas,Julie,andEmma.

    Hashesigneditinyourpresenceanddidheatthattimeappeartobeofsoundmindandlegalageandfreeofundueinfluence?

    Washeeverofsoundmind?Juliewonderedaloud.AsyouandIwoulddefineit?Strictlyspeaking?

    Amindofhisown,Thomassaid,thatmuchisclear.

    Ialwayslikedhim,saidEmma.

    Willthewitnessesrespondtothequestion?

    Yes,saidthewitnesses,hehasanddid.

    Haveyouinhispresenceandinthepresenceofeachother,affixedyoursignatures?

    Wehave.

    Thethingisdone,saidthenotary,whereisthebrandy?

    Thomaspouredbrandyforallhands.

    Thisshouldmakeyoufeelgood,thenotarysaidtotheDeadFather.Aprudentstep.Prudent,prudent.

    RageoftheDeadFather.

    Prudentis**!

    如果觉得《The Dead Father》好看，请把本站网址推荐给您的朋友吧！88106 http://www.88106.com/88106 www.88106.info