[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Look here."He pointed to something in the ashes: two large batteries lying in aflesh-colored puddle the shape of a large banana."That's one of them plastic dicks.Just me thinking about that thing beingshoved up that old whore's hole makes me kinda woozy.There's some Elviscards, though.I kicked them aside to let them smoke out.""Beg pardon?" I said."Elvis cards." He walked over a ways and kicked at something.It was acharred deck of playing cards with Elvis's picture on the back.Page 29ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"The heat gets off of em, I'll probably keep those.""Why?" Leonard asked."Elvis is on them.""Ah," Leonard said."It ain't the kind of music you people listen to," Cantuck told him."Mywife, she thinks Elvis is God.She'll like them cards, burned or not.Nowwhat the fuck you want?""We're looking for a friend of ours," I said, "and we thoughtyou might know something about her.Her name is Florida Grange.""Colored gal?" Cantuck said."Could be her," Leonard said."Depends on what color she was.""You tryin' to be funny?" Cantuck said."I didn't say I was the Funniest Nigger in the World, I said I was theSmartest Nigger in the World.""You're about to be the Most Ass-Whupped Nigger in the World."Leonard got that look in his eye.The one he gets when he's burning the housenext door or administering a serious head beating to some fool who has pushedtoo far."Come on, Leonard," I said."Shut up, would you?"Leonard studied Cantuck for a moment, turned and walked back to his car andgot inside."He's just worried," I said."You see, she's his sister.""Yeah?" Cantuck said."Well, I'll tell you something.I don't give a flyingshit if she's his fucking Siamese twin and she left town with his left nut inher pocket.Ain't no nigger gonna be funny on me.And what the fuck youdoin' hangin' around with a coon like that? We don't cotton to that shit here.I got nigger friends, but I don't associate with 'em.""You certainly sound close, you and your nigger friends.Chief, anyone evertell you guys you might be a little out of step? Behind the times?""Yeah, and we don't give a flying shit.""You've heard of civil rights, of course?""Yeah, and I uphold them, they got to be upheld.That's what that gal washere about, some nigger's civil rights.Ain't my fault the stupid fuck hunghimself.""I don't care about any of that.I just want to know about Florida."Cantuck paused, gave me a look I couldn't quite decipher.He said, "Comelynigger.I've always said I'd fuck a nigger, but wouldn't tell anybody, butthat one I'd fuck and maybe brag on it a time or two.She had an ass on her."Deep breath, Hap.He's just a stereotypical ignorant redneck.You've knownthem before.Nothing you say will alter their thinking.Nothing short ofdeath will change them."You see," I said, "they work for me.Leonard and Florida.They're goodworkers, and now and then, well, me and her.Shit, Chief, after what you justsaid, you know what I mean."I grinned in what I hoped was a lecherous manner.Cantuck smiled."My daddy used to tell me a nigger gal wasn't good for butone thing, and they were damn good at that.He was Chief here way back, andhe dealt with a lot of niggers.Niger gals paid him a lot of fines in aspecial manner.If you know what I mean.I take after my old man in thatdepartment.I'll fuck anything that ain't nailed down and has a hole.Infact, when I was a boy, I tore the ass out of a few chickens putting the dickto 'em.Got so every time my mama found a dead chicken she'd take the belt tome, whether I did it or not.Pigs squealed at night, Mom came in my room andbeat me.""No wonder you got a strained nut.""Yeah.Well, maybe that's what happened.I do dearly love to fuck.My nut really look bad?""Well, I was you, I'd get a truss or something.Shit, man, don't that hurt?""Not if I turn kinda casual like.""Not to dismiss a man's nuts too lightly, Chief, but where is Florida?"Page 30ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Hell, boy, it's gettin' cold out here.Let's you and me go sit in the carand talk."I got in on the passenger side.There was a shotgun on a rack between myselfand Cantuck.He cranked the car and turned on the heater.On the dash, andstuck all about the car, there wasevery kind of charity sticker you could imagine.Muscular dystrophy.Diabetes.Cancer."You give to all those charities?" I asked."Or do you just collectstickers?""I give," he said."A dollar or two here and there.It ain't like I'm rakingin the big bucks here, so I don't give much, but I give.I think it'ssomething you ought to do.Christian charity.I had a son had MD.He diedof it just last year.Since then, and even before, I can't stand to seenobody crippled, not even a nagger."He sat quietly for a moment, staring at the MD sticker."That boy of mine,"he said."Jimmy.He got so bad, only way he could get around was me totin'him.He was eleven.My youngest.Damn good age for a boy, but for him itwas hell.Spittin' image of me.Good boy.Never did nothing but try and begood.Made good grades until he got so bad he just couldn't study.His bodyturned to jelly.Just goddamn jelly.""I'm sorry.""He was a good boy.He was a good boy right to the end, trying to cheer meup.Trying to smile.He died with me holding his hand.It was so little, Iclosed mine, you couldn't even see his.He hadn't had that shit, hell, he'dgone to college and made something of himself.God bless him.""I truly am sorry, Chief.""Well, don't whine about it.You didn't know him.Wasn't nothing to you.Ishouldn't even have said anything to you about it.now, this nigger gal.""Florida.""Yeah, Florida.She came to the jail, asked a few questions, left, and Ididn't see her again, 'cept around town.Over at the filling station gettingsome gas in that little car of hers.""A gray Toyota.""That's the one.Real sporty.""That's all you know about her?""That's it.I heard a few of the boys mention they'd seen her and that shedressed a little too rich, if you know what I mean, but had she been a coupleshades paler, they might have taken her to church, and to a little socialafter."I thought of Florida and her dresses.Mostly short.Mostly tight.I thoughtof the story Charlie told me.I had a sudden red-hot and angry vision of theChief with an upholstery needle threaded with wire."Let me ask a couple of questions that don't have to do with Florida," I said."This guy that hung himself in jail.Why?""Who's to know a nigger's mind? I wasn't even around.I was out of town.""Lot of hangings in your little jail?"Chief Cantuck studied me a moment."You a reporter? The colored gal said shewas doing some kind of article.Said she was a lawyer too, though I ain'tsure about that.""She was.""If she was, then you just shit on yourself, pilgrim.She was a lawyer, thenshe didn't work for you, did she?""Well, she did law work.""I think you're full of it, buddy."I had been feeling superior and condescending to the old man, and he'd beenbaiting me all along [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]