حرفت رو باور نمی‌کنم

CHAPTER NINE

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 information was dangerous for the company. Simon had written an article 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 government 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?’ Christine 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 softly.

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 sorry, 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 articles? 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.