Billingsgate Shoal (43 page)

"I'm told that can cause blindness," said
Janice.

"What happened?" asked Mary.

"When Joe went upstairs, and out, to clear his
dizzy head, I slipped one of the ingots out of the tunnel and placed
it in the cellar hallway right near the wall. When Joe came back
after I'd cranked the doorway shut, I insisted he search me to make
sure the treasure within was intact. But on the way back upstairs I
accidentally-on-purpose stumbled, fell in the darkness, and slipped
the piece of bullion into my coat. Limping on the way out helped
disguise the fact that it is pretty damn heavy."

"Why, since you made such a big stink about
being strictly legal?"

"Because I wanted to be legal. But just in case
some unforeseen event, like a bunch of Hare Krishnas buying the place
right out from under our noses, occurred, I would still have a piece
of it."

"Are we going to split this up?'? asked Joe,
rubbing his hands.

 
"No. A big portion of the proceeds is
going to Sarah Hart. We're all bitching and moaning because we're not
millionaires. Don't forget there's a very nice lady with her only
child killed."

Nobody said a word.

"And don't forget poor Katherine Murdock,"
said Joe softly.

"Uh huh. She's going to get a cut too, at least
enough to help pay off Danny's debts. I'm sorry I can't do the same
for the Heeney kid. I don't help killers."

"Don't we get anything?" demanded DeGroot.

"Yeah. I figure we all deserve to split the
remainder, whatever it is."

But Tom Costello begged off, saying he'd done nothing
to earn it.

"You lose any money by putting up your hunk?"

"Yeah some, but—"

"Whatever the loss was, we'll double it. . .fair
enough everybody?"

They all agreed.

"The problem now is that Mary and I have
prepared a victory banquet. To wit; roast rack of lamb, prawns in
lemon and butter, Caesar salad, asparagus in hollandaise—"

"And so on. Would you care to stay'?"

And so we feasted heartily. Then, during the very
middle of the meal, we all started laughing uncontrollably.

"Those goddamn shave heads," giggled
DeGroot, "sitting there in that mansion eating raw spinach and
chanting all day long . . . dead set against materialism. . . strong
vows of poverty. . . poverty. And right below them sits five million
bucks!"

He laughed the laugh of a hero in a Jean-Paul Sartre
book. ”

Tom Costello rose solemnly and raised his wineglass.

"We must all swear—on our lives—to keep mum.
Sooner or later those orange-robed crazies will want to move; . .
then we pounce and buy the place. . ."

"Hear, hear! Here's to the vow of silence, and
honor among thieves!"

"Hear, hear!"

In the center of the table sat the golden ingot and
the crank key. We were parting with neither.

After the guests all left, at l A.M., I cradled Mary
on my lap. We were watching the remains of a late movie. I kissed
her.

"How'd you like to slip into something more
comfortable?" I asked.

"Like a garter belt?"
 

CHAPTER THIRTY

I AWOKE AND looked out the window. It was gray and
cold out, and would probably rain soon. I heard the pneumatic
thump-thump of a basketball being dribbled. Jack and Tony were
shooting lay-ups in the turnaround.

"Is Tony clean yet?" I asked Mary, who'd
just awakened.

"Don't ask me, I haven't tried him."

"What's for dinner?"

"Don't you ever let up about dinner, Charlie?"

"I just wanna know."

"Tuna Surprise."

"Tuna Surprise? That had better be a joke. And
also, it's in extremely poor taste."

She flumped over and began to settle into sleep
again. I stroked her a bit.

"Maaaaaa-ry—"

"Oh c'mon, Charlie. I jus' wanna. . .zzzzz. . ."

I looked out at the two strapping lads playing ball.
They thumped it against the asphalt driveway, leapt and parried, shot
and blocked, spun and danced under the hoop.

I was happy.

I wanted to take the instant, the entire situation,
and
freeze it
. I
wanted to dip it in liquid nitrogen and put it in Plexiglas, and keep
it on my mantel. Only I, and everyone else in the scene, would be
inside it, frozen, and we'd never change.

The puppy jumped up at Tony, and he smacked her on
the snoot, then petted her. She bowed down in a half-crouch and let
out a shrill bark.

But of course you cannot. You cannot stop it. The
Great Going On continues, stops for no one. And the Great Going On is
what gives life all its terror and sadness, but also all its joy and
beauty. It's what makes us enjoy and appreciate now.

Mary stirred and nestled into the crook of my arm.

It began to rain. The boys whooped and ran inside.

And then it poured.