JR (73 page)

—It's, I think it's Rhoda I just put that up there to, be careful!

—Rhoda, Rhoda with the burning bush ought to get one Bast… he caught a book in the abrupt cascade, —Traité de mécanique, God damned French not fair wait… he was down flapping pages, —Bess the landlord's daughter, plaiting a dark red loveknot into her long black

hair try that.

—Yes I, I just wondered Mister Gibbs have you seen Mrs Joubert?

—Unbelievable Bast, black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast unbelievable wait, here's one nice short one…

—But she, did she come with you up to the back apar…

—Twelve, thirteen fourteen…

—Jack? He's here, will you come out and…

—Twenty-three, four, bring him in seven, eight, thirty-one…

—He's waiting for us, damn it Jack will you…

—Nine, sixty, sixty-one…

—Mister Gibbs I think Mister Eig…

—Bring him in Tom, count deep-brow'd one word? Eighty-eight, - nine…

—Jack get up damn it, he's out there waiting for us.

—Hundred twelve words On First Looking into Chapman's Homer, three thousand a minute ought to make it in two point o two seconds ready? Muchhaveltravelldin…

—Jack!

—God damn it I'm coming … he got past 200 2-Ply, —just thought he'd like to hear…

—Mister Beamish, this is Mister Gibbs the other executor, I'm afraid he…

—Glad you got here Mister Beamish settle a dispute, call that arbitrage Tom, buy low sell high…

—Jack just wait there till I get in and get the light…

—Mister Beamish is an attorney Tom, settle this dispute about the confluence of Mister Beamish what's the confluence of the Mongahela and what form the mighty Ohio in whose bosom, sorry I spill that on you?

—Jack this door's already open, it's not locked what…

—Got one question at a time, got Mister Beamish catching them faster than he can string them…

—Yes I, I believe it's the Allegheny Mister Gibbs but I'm not absolutely…

—Allegheny Tom hear that?

—Right in here Mister Beamish it's, I'm afraid it's not exactly what you…

—No that's quite all right…

—Don't need to apologize Tom he's not moving in, not moving in are you Beamish? Ceiling's ready to come down.

—Oh no, no I …

—Sit down Mister Beamish, nice bed over there sit down watch the ceiling.

—Well thank you I don't think I, I don't think this will take very long, there doesn't seem to be anything here of ah, of any great value and I don't think we …

—Good let's get started, Mister Beamish as the kindly Schramm

family lawyer how do we price this shoe? May even be another one somewhere…

—Jack damn it get up off the floor, you're the one who insisted Mister Beamish meet us here instead of his office what in hell are you trying to do.

—Trying to help the kindly fam schrammly lawyer evaluate the God damned estate, legal obligation as executors right Mister Beamish? Get a little percentage too right Beamish?

—Well yes Mister Gibbs but ah, I don't think we need include such personal effects as ah, shoes, and I …

—Looks like a damned fine shoe to me sir, late King George V, Bootmakers, Peal and Company Limited can't get the damned thing on though…

—And I should add Mister Gibbs I'm not really the Schramm family's lawyer. I have handled occasional personal matters for them but my work is generally confined to the company and since the bulk of the ah, of your friend Mister Schramm's estate appears to consist of his holdings in Triangle Products we face the problem of …

—Problem is Beamish … he was getting to his feet again, —problem isn't anything here of any great value…

—Jack never mind it look, just sit down again and…

—Got to understand my co-executor Mister Beamish, problem is he wrote a very important novel a few years ago just won a modest award, comes out in paperback gets letters from college girls and little magazines ask him something for nothing but he hasn't got anything to…

—Jack shut up.

—Problem was Beamish we all knew each other too long, whole God damned problem Schramm thought the very important novel was about Schramm…

—Jack God damn it listen…

—Please Mister Eigen I think, Mister Gibbs I don't think you need go into…

—Ought to know what did Schramm in though Beamish, problem was the self who could do more problem was somebody ran off with it, read all about it in Mister Eigen's very important…

—Jack! God, God damn you shut up!

—Yes I, I think if we can get on to more relevant matters Mister Gibbs…

—Well God damn it can't you see that's what I'm trying to do? Problem where's that cup, problem isn't anything here of any great value God damn it what do you think this is!

—I, I'm sorry Mister Gibbs I don't follow your point, an old typewriter scarcely…

—No he means the papers Mister Beamish but it's just something Schramm, the manuscript of a book Schramm was…

—I see yes of, of course but establishing a monetary value for the

manuscript of a published work is still a gray area and in this case would merely complicate…

—Point is Beamish God damn it Tom explain it to him will you Tom? Point is it isn't published Beamish, point is it isn't even finished, point what the hell do you think the point was Schramm comes back here one eyed comes back to tell us all comes back and takes one look see that God damned pipe up there Beamish… ?

—Yes but, that isn't what I meant…

—Jack just sit down and, here damn it give me that cup.

—Empty Tom, have to go next door and get Old Struggler.

—Give it to me I'll go next door and…

—No no hurry Tom have to tell Beamish…

—Well I want another one myself damn it …

—Have to explain to Beamish Tom, you go next door and fill it while I explain something to Beamish Tom…

—But Mister Eigen…

—I'll be right back Mister Beamish and we'll clear this right up.

—Point is Beamish you have to know the facts, I can't read this manuscript to you till you know the facts, see that in his will about Arlington but you have to know the facts, point is the war was the only time Schramm was ever really Schramm, that right Tom? Where the

hell did he go. Little town called Beamish Mister, Saint Fiacre Mister Beamish, Belgian town snuggled up against the Ardennes where they broke through in that last big offensive and there's Schramm out there with a few tanks holding the point. God damned general pulling his armor back as fast as he can there's Schramm out there holding the point of the whole God damned defense perimeter with a few tanks against a whole God damned Panzer army coming down out of the Ardennes. Second night Schramm's out there holding the point gets ready to fall back to his own lines there aren't any God damned lines, general's got himself and his whole God damned division what's left of it pulled back twenty miles says later he radioed Schramm to pull back the end of the first day was a God damned lie, whole God damned Panzer army coming down on them finally knock out Schramm's tank he damned near froze, hit in the leg and they take him prisoner damned near froze, ever see his limp? So God damned ashamed being taken prisoner he always tried to hide it, walked without showing it except when he was tired always drag a foot when he was tired, God damned general shelling his own front lines while he's pulling out recommends Schramm for a medal for calling in shells on his own position holding that point God damned general still going around calling this the classic use of armor in defense, tells the history books how he stalled Blaufinger's whole God damned Panzer army at Saint Fiacre long enough to break the back of the whole God damned Ardennes offensive there's Schramm out there waiting for orders that never, Tom? Just filling Mister Beamish in on, thanks … wanted to know why in hell Schramm wants to be buried at Arlington out there

holding the point waiting for orders while General Box wins the war, didn't offer Mister Beamish any Tom. Here you go Mister Beamish…

—Oh no, no thank you…

—Sorry any of that get on you?

—It's quite all right but, perhaps now we could…

—Trying to hurry Beamish… the cup came up for a long pull and he reached for the papers, —point is Schramm wasn't just trying to write another God damned war book, whole God damned point in Faust the Lord has everything laid out for Faust to win but he won't tell Faust, what the hell do you expect Faust to do? Lord staying above the God damned battle letting him break his God damned neck fighting for what was planned for him all the time what the hell do you…

—Jack shut up! We've got to …

—Look how the hell do you expect me to read this whole God damned thing to Mister Beamish without filling him in on the facts, ever see Schramm's Western Beamish? Wrote a movie Western didn't even have his name on it, point is he's out there hanging on waiting for orders to fall back that never came from the Lord and this God damned general radioed him was a God damned lie, comes out saying he won the bet and … wait what the hell are you doing, expect me to read this whole thing to Mister…

—I don't Jack! Damn it I don't expect you to read anything to anybody now put… put it, down… !

—Mister Eigen perhaps we should wait and meet at my…

—Tom you're spilling everything all over the God damned wait, wait that red book… and he was down among papers and dried teabags, dried squares of bandage —lent it to him five years ago never knew what happened to it wait, just read you this part Beamish give you a real insight into…

—Jack that's enough God damn it! Here, give me…

—Wait you're ripping it, what do you…

—Well then put it down damn it and … he caught a picture falling from its pages —who the, look at this, who's this.

—Never saw Schramm's mother Tom?

—Schramm's, her? No, but who…

—Ask fam's schrammly lawyer Tom, that Mrs Schramm Beamish?

—Yes I, I believe it is but not Mister Schramm's ah, mother of course, his father's second wife yes, I believe she married him just a few years before he died…

—Real number Tom, really see how she made the old man's mickey stand for him can't you Beamish…

—Well she, she was a good many years his junior yes, even younger than your friend Mister Schramm himself but…

—See why Schramm felt like Hippolytus turned backwards can't you, get a hand on that raw lung see how Schramm felt can't you.

—Yes I, I understand their relations were never entirely cordial but at this stage of course matters involving his estate will make it necessary

to, I have some papers right here for her to sign in fact, I'd expected to drop them off but I'll be out of town for a few days and…

—Where is she.

—Right there in the east Sixties somewhere but it's getting rather late and I …

—Here I'll take them, I can drop them off.

—Be very helpful if you would Mister Eigen, the address is right on it and it might help expedite matters, I know she is anxious to see things settled…

—Don't blame her, get her hands on all that God damned money see how long she's been waiting for it there where her crupper's beginning to sag can't you, hand that cup down will you? Probably more God damned surprised than anybody the way Schramm pulled out and left the whole God damned thing in her lap.

—Well she, of course she was shocked at the manner in which he met his death Mister Gibbs but ah, after all she's quite comfortably off even without this trust portion in the estate reverting to her and I hardly think…

—She's the one in such a God damned hurry to convert everything into cash isn't she?

—I wouldn't really put it that way Mister Gibbs no, in fact if a sale can be arranged I'm the one who suggested it as the most expedient way of settling the estate. There are a number of modest bequests to

be taken care of like these to your and Mister Eigen's children but quite aside from that the company's profit picture has been steadily on the loss side and I wouldn't say Mrs Schramm really had a, has a head for business she's not really…

—Tell you what she's got a head for Tom, where's that picture.

—Shut up Jack, while we're on it Mister Beamish these bequests, if they're made directly to the children how do we …

—Yes unfortunately Mister Eigen, Mister Schramm drew up his will without the help of an attorney and since the children are minors the bequests can't go to them directly without…

—Point is Beamish… came from the floor now near a battered chest of drawers, —three shirts here never been worn, point is Mister Eigen's afraid his wife will step in to help and the boy will never see a nickel, what's your neck size?

—Yes unfortunately if Mister Schramm had simply left the bequests to you in trust to be spent at your discretion on the children's education it wouldn't be necessary to …

—Point is I'm afraid of the same God damned thing, says it's to be used for the kid's education she'd buy a swimming pool and say it's to teach swimming…

—No I don't think you need fear…

—Buy a fur coat say the kid's learning to be a trapper…

—Jack shut up, what…

—Yes well since the shares in question would probably not qualify

under the prudent man rule, once you've obtained letters of guardianship and been bonded in order to take possession and furnished the judicial accounting required to sell them, the proceeds…

—But wait how long does, how do you furnish a judicial accounting if you don't even…

—Get a lawyer Tom, right Beamish? Always find a lawyer glad to oblige for a small consideration, only talking about a couple of thousand dollars for each kid anyway aren't we Beamish?

—Yes I, I believe it's something in that neighborhood…

—Neighborhood everybody lives there's lawyers right Beamish? Go to court with your judicial accounting, get your letters, get bonded, finally aren't any God damned proceeds point the whole God damned problem's the decline from status to contract right Beamish? Whole God damned problem right?

—Well there are ah, of course certain legal expenses are involved but ah, once you and Mister Eigen have yourselves declared your children's legal guardians and the proceeds are deposited in a court approved bank account administered jointly by yourselves and the Surrogate…