| "You should and I
welcome itNot that you'll find a lot to vet; the
standard Scoto first-artist contract is a page and
half longNannuzzi," I said, "I really don't know how
to thank you
"You already did," he said"I clutched my heart -
what's left of it - and fell downBefore you go,
there's one more matter He found a pad on his
desk, scribbled on it, then tore off the sheet and
handed it to me like a doctor handing a patient a
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prescriptionThe word written on it in large
slanting capitals even looked like a word you'd
see on a doctor's prescription: LIQUIN
"What's Liquin?" I askedI suggest you begin by putting it
on finished works with a paper towelLet it dry for twenty-four hours, then put
on a second coatThat will keep your sunsets
bright and fresh for centuries He looked at me
so chanel clutch solemnly I felt my stomach rise a little toward
my chest"I don't know if they're good enough to
deserve such longevity, but maybe they areWho
knows? Maybe they are
viii
We ate dinner at Zoria's, the restaurant Mary Ire
had mentioned, and I let Wireman buy me a bourbon
before the mealIt was the first truly stiff
drink I'd had since the accident, and it hit me in
a funny wayEverything seemed to grow sharper
until the world was drenched with light and color
The angles of things - doors, windows, even the
cocked elbows of the passing waiters - seemed
321
sharp enough to cut the air open and allow some
darker, thicker atmosphere to come flowing out
like syrupThe swordfish I ordered was delicious,
the green beans snapped between my teeth, and the
creme brul?e was almost too rich to finish (but
too replica watches rolex rich to leave)The conversation among the
three of us was cheerful; there was plenty of
laughterStill, I wanted the meal to be overMy
head still ached, although the throb had slid to
the back of my skull (like a weight in one of
those barroom bowling games), and the bumper-tobumper
traffic we could see on Main Street was
distractingEvery horn-honk sounded ill-tempered
and menacingI wanted the
blackness of the Gulf and the quiet conversation
of the shells below me as I lay in my bed with
Reba on the other pillow
And by the time the waiter came to ask if we
wanted more coffee, Jack was carrying the
conversation almost single-handedIn my state of
hyper-awareness I could see that I wasn't the only
one who needed a change of venueGiven the low
lighting in the restaurant and Wireman's speedy bag louis vuitton mahogany
tan, it was hard to tell just how much color he'd
322
lost, but I thought quite a bitAlso, that left
eye of his was weeping again
"Just the check," Wireman said, and then managed a
smile"Sorry to cut the celebration short, but I
want to get back to my ladyIf that's okay with
you guys
"Fine by me," Jack said"A free meal and home in
time to watch SportsCenter? Such a deal
Wireman and I waited outside the parking garage
while Jack went to get the rented vanHere the
light was brighter, but what it showed didn't make
me feel better about my new friend; in the glow
spilling out of the garage, his complexion looked
almost yellowI asked him if he was okay
"Wireman's as fine as paint," he said"Miss
Eastlake, on the other hand, has put in a few
restless, ****ty nightsCalling for her sisters,
calling rolex air king automatic watch for her Pa, calling for everything but her
pipe and bowl and fiddlers threeThere's
something to that full-moon ****It makes no
logical sense, but there it isDiana calls on a
wavelength to which only the tottering mind is
attunedNow that it's in its last quarter, she'll
323
start sleeping through againWhich means I can
start sleeping through again
"If I were you, Edgar, I'd sleep on this gallery
thing, and for more than one nightYou've been a busy bee, but I doubt if
you have enough pictures yet to-"
There was a tiled pillar behind himHe staggered
back against itIf it hadn't been there, I'm
pretty sure he would have gone downThe effects
of the bourbon were wearing off a little, but
there was enough of that hyper-reality left for me
to see what happened to his eyes when he lost chanel classic handbag his
equilibrium |