JR (58 page)

—Look I just told you I did this to earn some money so I can do my own work. I'm taking it down there now to get paid and I can settle things with you and get that check the school owes me and get out of

this mess that's all, now…

—No well, well okay. I mean go ahead I, see I just thought I was helping you out and I mean now you…

—All right look, look. I'll stop on my way out and see this Piscator for you and give him these papers and then whatever you…

—Okay wait a second … he got a leg down, digging in pockets —I mean where you only got like this ninety-four cents … he had out a glistening black wallet secured by a heavy elastic —wait you want this for your shoe hey? I mean where the bottom's coming off like you can put this rubber band around it.

—Yes well, if you don't need it yes I …

—Okay and look, I mean you might need some expenses see … he had a wad out of the wallet, tugged out the corner of a ten and thrust it back, untangled a single, another —And I mean we can just settle up when you get all these payments okay?

—Yes well I, as soon as …

—Okay look here's four dollars, okay? And see I was just thinking, I mean later if you got nothing to do if you want to take this here old Mister Wonder to dinner see it wouldn't cost you anything because I already got you this invitation to this here gala banquet which here's the delicious full course menu of it, see? And where it says you get to see this here movie Golden Evenings which will cast a haunting glow over this festive occasion, may we make reservations for yourself and your spouse see so I made these reservations where you can pretend he's this spouse because he's real old anyway and you and him can talk about this brewery deal which I wrote it all down while you're having this here festive occasion and wait, wait that real smooth quarter I just gave you it looks real old, hey? If it's nineteen sixteen it's worth like a hundred dollars … he called after Bast pursuing it now in a long curve brought up short against a fine blucher, where a length of tweed shook and the urinal flushed.

—My God Bast, you all right there? In here being sick, are you? Good thing I caught you before you got back to work though, forgot to mention these hippos. Same damned thing along the Nile River there, overgrazing, talk about killing six or seven thousand of them to preserve the habitat, but what about our own bayou country down here, eh? Great fellow the hippo, give you the chance to change pace a little, get in a little hippo music? Liven things up down here in the Everglades maybe, preserving that from him eh? And take care of yourself there Bast, came back over the mass of shoulder thrust against the door, —don't look well at all, no … he repeated as the door closed behind him, —didn't look well at all… up the marble toward the Sardis column where he was hit knee, waist and elbow. —Here here! What in

…

—Look out for the man hey!

—Children stop running! Now where are the, why Mister Crawley! what…

—What? What? Amy? What the devil are you doing here?

—We've just come in on a field trip.

—Oh. Thought you were still off teaching somewhere.

—Well yes I am, that's what these children…

—Oh I see, all these little ruffians yours, are they?

—No it's really an eighth grade trip, I'm just helping out. But I wouldn't have expected to see you here.

—Oh? Yes, well, little change of scene of course, he muttered looking down as from the height of a shoal at the heads bobbing past,

—came up for a chat with that young fellow you sent around to me in fact, young composer fellow…

—Not Edward, Bast? Here now? in the museum?

—A bit inaccessible right now I'm afraid yes, got him doing something for me you know.

—Edward? for you? But what in the world would he …

—Doing something in music for me yes, composing a little something you know.

—But I never would have, you don't mean you've commissioned him to compose something? I think that's simply marvelous of you Mister Crawley, I know he …

—Glad to help him along Amy, not every day there's the chance to patronize the arts this way is it. Help the starving young composer along in his garret? Looks the part too doesn't he, shame he can't stick to it.

—To music? But that's the only thing he really…

—Yes, problem is I try to talk to him about art and all he seems to talk about is money.

—But, Edward? Bast? I'd heard something yes, but…

—This business association he's tied himself up in yes, pretty shrewd outfit of course but it would be a damn shame to see him sit back and let this fine talent of his go to pot, eh? Anybody can be a millionaire but a young fellow with a talent like that owes the world something, don't you think? Ought to take better care of himself. Looking a little peaked yourself Amy.

—Well I'm just, just waiting until things are…

—Always said I admired your spirit a good deal more than your judgment you know, think you'd have proved whatever it is you want to prove by this time.

—There's nothing I can do until all this with Lucien is settled and I can…

—This Joubert you mean, yes. Shouldn't be long though, get that Nobili business straightened out and you're rid of him, better get back to your charges though hadn't you, don't think they should be sailing cups in the fountain there…

—Boys! Come away from there… !

—Nice to see you Amy, I'll give Beaton a call and try to move things along.

—If you could, I know Mister Beaton means well but all he seems to do is complicate things…

—Can't blame him, just doing what he's told you know and of course he's had to stall things a little hasn't he, give your Uncle John a chance to pick up enough of the stock to give this Joubert of yours a run for his money.

—What? What stock.

—What? This Nobili of course, takes time to pick it up a bit here, bit there without running the price up, even with the bank in there doing all the …

—But I thought they were buying it from Lucien, I thought the whole point was simply that he wanted the money and they wanted his controlling stock interest, Mister Beaton said…

—Was until he tried to hold them up, yes, little bit of an opportunist isn't he, this Joubert of yours.

—He's, and please don't keep saying of mine he's, if he already has the controlling interest what good is Uncle John running around buying it up in bits and pieces if he can never…

—No no, just until he has enough to start dumping it and drive down the price you know, thought Beaton had probably tried to explain it to you.

—But even if the price goes down and Lucien still won't sell I don't see what good…

—Won't have much choice of course though will he, looks like he's borrowed against it all over the lot and when the price drops and he runs out of collateral the banks will sell it for him, all a damn nuisance for your Uncle John of course but…

—But what will happen to …

—This Joubert of, Joubert? Might ruin him of course but I wouldn't…

—No to Francis, to Francis.

—Who?

—Francis! My little boy Francis, they said Lucien would try to use him as a weapon, that he …

—Wouldn't get mixed up in this Amy, too many compli…

—Mixed up in it! But I am mixed up in it, he's my son! Francis is my son! If Lucien took him to Geneva I don't know what I… boys! I'm sorry, I'd better go after them…

—Yes take care of yourself Amy, wouldn't get mixed up in all this right now you know. Take care of yourself.

—But, goodbye then, I hope… boys! Here, give me these cups. Where's everyone else?

—They went all over, could we just go back and look at the…

—Well where's Mister Vogel?

—He went to the toilet Mrs Joubert, could we just…

—No here he comes, I think we're leaving, Mister Vogel? We're over here. But where did you…

—Found one of the lost tribes camped out in the gents'.

—But where did you come from? she said bent down to the figure being weighed toward her by his shifting armload and the hand heavy on each shoulder.

—Me?

—Yes what on earth are you doing here?

—I'm on this here field trip.

—But you're, this is an eighth grade trip and you're not even … she straightened away from the trespass in the gaze fixed fallen over the boy's head. —You've been with us all this time?

—Sure I was in the back of the bus, didn't you see me? See I got this here special permission off Mrs diCephalis when I first heard about it, you know?

—No I don't, what did you…

—See because like I'm real interested in art and all.

—You?

—Well like in all that Egyptian stuff and, you know, like these here broken statues and all. You know?

—I certainly didn't, but I'm glad to hear it. And please find a handkerchief. Mister Vogel I'm awfully sorry but I have to leave, I really hadn't counted on doing this today and something's just come up …

—No I didn't either, I thought I was taking them to the basketball game.

—Yes I'm afraid some of them did too but these mixups happen, and I'm sure no one will blame you, now how many were we. Three, four, boys over this way… They surged for the doors, —I'll help you get them down to the bus and then if I can find a telephone, it's a sort of family problem that I simply must, seven, eight, let's all use the same door so we can keep, eleven, twelve, try to keep a line going down the steps, there's a wind isn't there… she excused the hand brushed behind her, and stepped away from it, —I hope you understand Mister Vogel and I'm sure you can explain things… She stepped away again but now it followed, lingered down the crevice. —I, I'm sure you can explain …

she said, half a turn to him.

—I could feel its whiteness.

—I, pardon?

—I could feel its whiteness, underneath. I hoped you wouldn't mind.

—Well I, I have to hurry, I …

—But just, Niadu Airgetlam Mrs Joubert, have you heard of him? Niadu of the Silver Hand?

—No I'm afraid I …

—Or Nodens, under the name Nodens?

—No I'm afraid not I …

—Or of the Fisher King? the Fisher King?

—No I can't say that I, I think you'd better see to the children…

—It's not that they don't notice, at first they stare and then it's just another fact, disfigurement is just a fact in the wasteland kids live in.

—Yes well I, I must hurry, I …

—Let me once, just, let me reach…

—Mister… Vogel please I …

—Just once…

—Mister… Vogel please you, you must see to the children… she got a step back toward the doors straightening her collar, —they're waiting down there for you…

Down there the bus roared.

—Come on quit pushing…

—Hey Mister Vogel… ?

—I know you can explain things to Mrs diCephalis when you get back out there, do be careful… It roared. The door clattered. —She may everr have enjoyed the basketball…

And the cargo heaved, shifted, through lights, blocking intersections,

—I'm sure no one will blame you… The bus wallowed through traffic, seethed through the tunnel where light caught his lips moving in the glass, —I know you can explain things… Lights passing in both directions, —She may even have enjoyed the basketball… He licked his lips. —Just once … the seats bounced, lights from both directions, — you can explain things … Lights, minutes, the hand on the illuminated dial pointing 50, 40, 55, the hand —She may even have enjoyed the basketball… the hand retreating at last, dropped to 20, 5, the cargo shifted, heaved, cheered from behind, —just another fact… mounted a curb crushing leaves, candy wrappers, —they're waiting for you down there… And the lights came on, caught his lips again, the door clattered, —down there waiting for you … and he came through the still clash of headlights. —Just get back? crushing leaves, —enjoy the basketball?

—Enjoy the basketball! Are you…

—No way of knowing one bus from the other was there.

—Enjoy the basketball, my God! What are you talking about, one bus from the other.

—Never mind. I was afraid you'd understand.

—Afraid I'd, Vogel you're crazy you know that? You're crazy.

—Daisies won't tell.

—Vogel you … wait, you're not going to leave me to sort these kids out, come back here! I'm the one that's leaving. All of you give your permission slips to Mister Vogel, she got back over a shoulder and then, past post and rail treated to appear old and frilled ironwork made of aluminum to appear new, wagon wheels at threatening angles and post lights bright in bilious greeting, —Daisies won't tell, my God … up past the cast iron stove still stranded short of the door, —enjoy the basketball! and the door closed like a shot.

Foyer, hall, bathroom, foyer, snap, snap, snap, she started the round of turning on lights. —Nora? Donny? My God it's like a morgue in here… and she rounded the corner where light now alerted the residents of the room divider in erect silhouette against the flaccid shadows beyond. —My God. What are you doing home.

—I thought you knew they were going to release me from the hospital today, I looked for you there and then I remembered…

—Released you, they thought you were a lion? So where did you think I was, dancing on the Starlight Roof?

—No I remembered this was the day you planned the trip to the Metropolitan Art…

—So you thought I was finally getting a chance to commute with the arts, do you think they didn't sabotage that too? I spend a month planning something cultural and you think they didn't grab it? Miss Moneybags and that crazy Vogel pretending he didn't know one bus from the other, you think he went there for the art? The way she waves them in his face looking down her front like all the rest of you, with that face he's got like Custer's Last Stand you think he wasn't grabbing one in the back of the bus while I'm watching a lot of smelly men play basketball?

—Basketball?

—That's right you start it too, ask me did I enjoy the basketball. Daisies won't tell, my God you're all crazy. How long are you going around in that getup?

—The doctor thinks I should keep this arm in a sling until he thinks I'm strong enough to …

—The day he thinks you're strong enough to remind me I'm still a woman tell him to send me a telegram, what about your friend.