I about wet my pants when I heard
“We don’t know if she lost or regained consciousness either. I about wet my pants when I heard.”
“A lot of times they die without regaining consciousness,” Chester said.
“I wonder if she was burned beyond recognition,” Flanders said. “That usually happens in that kind of crash.”
John Jessup appeared in the doorway.
“What kind of news you got for us?” Jeff said.
“Shitnews.”
“Can you give us any details?”
“Chudko has the details. Chudko has all the particulars. I just know it’s shitnews. Anybody wants details, go hunt up Chudko.”
“Whose dress is that?” Butler said. “That must be Alia Joy Burney’s dress. Hey, move over, Bobby. Plenty of room.”
“I get first crack at that dress,” Deering said. “There’s a waiting line for that dress. My head goes under first.”
“I don’t know how people can chew just one stick of gum,” George Dole said. “I chew all five.”
Billy Mast rethreaded the needle, somewhat theatrically. Spurgeon Cole, Jerry Fallon and Dickie Kidd walked in. It was getting dark outside. I heard the wind rip around the building, actually turning corners, sounding wild enough to unpile stone. John Butler and Bobby Hopper started fighting for some reason. Several good punches were thrown. Then Randy King came in, swinging between a pair of crutches. He was wearing his team jersey, number 51.
Chapter 26
in the darkness I listened to Bloomberg tapping the wall next to his bed. I turned the other way, toward my own wall, and tried to fall asleep. I reviewed the entire day. I reviewed the week just past. I tried to remember the precise meaning of a certain phrase: interval recognition bombing. Nothing helped. I remained wide awake. Seven feet away the tapping continued, the thin steady click of fingernails, of penitentiary teaspoons. In time he switched to knuckles.
“Anatole.”
“What is it?”
“This isn’t Devil’s Island. If you want to communicate with the people next door, you’re free to walk right in.”
“What do you mean?”
“You were tapping,” I said.
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