わからない個所を教えてください。
There is a sharp silence. At last he says, ‘Alex, how long are you talking about? The weekend?’
‘Maybe,’ I say. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Well, that’s all right – just. But let’s not cut things too close here. This is the big one, remember?’
‘Sure,’ I say. （前回の終わりの部分です）
Suddenly he laughs. ‘You really hate all of this, don’t you?’ he says. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if the house was perfect and you were inventing rising damp so you can sit in the sun and keep out of my way.’
‘Actually, it’s been raining,’ I tell him.
‘Whatever. Look, enjoy yourself, all right? Have some beers in between fixing up builders and all that. When things are sorted out, give me a call. I suppose we’ll all survive without you for a few more days.’
‘OK,’ I say.
‘And don’t forget to think over those ideas Julia came up with. They’ve got to go to press by the fourteenth at the latest, and she’ll need some time before that to put it all together.’
‘I will. I’ll call you, Max.’
‘Bye, Alex,’ he says, still sounding amused, and the line goes dead.
******************************************
「The Dandelion clock」からの英文です。
：主人公のAlexと知人と思われるMaxが電話で話している場面です。
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if the house was perfect and you were inventing rising damp so you can sit in the sun and keep out of my way.’ がどういうことを言っているのかわかりません。Alexは自分の家を修理しなければならない状態でいたのですが、the houseというのはAlexの家のことを言っているのか。。。
you were inventing rising damp so you can sit in the sun and keep out of my way.の部分が意味不明です。rising damp＝上昇水分？？（湿気？） keep out of my way=?
Whatever. Look, enjoy yourself, all right? のWhateverは何かの略なのでしょうか？それとも単独で何か意味があるのでしょうか？
They've got to go to press by the fourteenth at the latest, and she'll need some time before that to put it all together.' のThey've got to go to press はto不定詞が2つつながっているのでしょうか？
the fourteenthは１４日？
she'll need some time before that to put it all together.のthat とitは何を指しているのでしょうか？（thatはto put～以下、itはthose ideasですか？）
‘Bye, Alex,’ he says, still sounding amused, and the line goes dead.のsounding amusedの表現がどういう感じなのか掴めません。おかしそうに鳴り響いている？
the line goes deadは、電話線が意に反して切れてしまった、ということなのでしょうか？
＊（ここでAlexとMaxの電話は終わります）
ほとんど読めていなのですが、教えてください。お願いします。
お礼
今YouTubeで聴いてみました！ ミドルテンポでイイ曲ですね(^∀^)ノ TLCはWaterfalls、No Scrubsしか知らなかったので嬉しいです！ ありがとうございましたm(_ _)m X-ZIBITのHeart of Man Naughty by～のJamboree とかも好きです(*^o^*)