| Takes years to get rid of, if
you rub up against itLooks like it's gone, then
it comes back
This was mildly interesting, but Wireman still
hadn't actually answered my question
"She also claimed there are snakes," he said,
finally turning around"I have a horror of snakes
Have ever since I was a little boy and woke up one
morning on a camping trip with my folks to
discover I was sharing my sleeping bag with a
milkieIt had actually worked its way into my
undershirtIt sprayed me with muskI thought I
was ****ing poisonedAre you satisfied?"
928
"Yes," I said"Did you tell her that story before
or after she told you about louis vuitton bags the snake infestation
on the south end?"
Stiffly, he said: "I don't rememberI see what you're saying
- she wanted to keep me away
I didn't say it, you did, I thoughtWhat I said
was, "It's mostly Jack I'm worried aboutBut it's
better to be safe
"Me?" Jack looked startled"I don't have anything
against snakesAnd I know what poison oak and
poison ivy look like
"Trust me on this," I said, and began to sketch
himI worked quickly, resisting the urge to go
into detailas part of me seemed to want to do
While I was working, the first angry car horn
began to honk on the coast side of the drawbridge
"Sounds to me like the omega de ville watches drawbridge is stuck again,"
Jack said
"Yes," I agreed, not looking up from my drawing
v
929
I sped along even more quickly with Wireman's
sketch, but I again found myself having to fight
the urge to fall into the workbecause when I
was in the work, the pain and grief were at bay
The work was like a drugBut there would be only
so much daylight, and I didn't want to meet Emery
again any more than Wireman didWhat I wanted was
for this to be over and for the three of us to be
off-island - far off-island - by the time those
sunset colors started to rise out of the GulfI had done Jack in blue and
Wireman in blaze orangeNeither was replica gucci canvas bag perfect, but
I thought both sketches caught the essentials
"There's just one more thing"Edgar!"
"Nothing I need to draw," I said, and flipped the
cover of the pad closed on the two sketches"Just
smile for the artist, WiremanBut before you do,
think of something that makes you feel
particularly good
"Are you serious?"
"As a heart attack
930
His brow furrowed
As always, it lit up his whole face and made him a
new man
And because I really did feel that he was the more
important of the two, I watched him very closely
when he did
vi
We didn't have a four-wheel drive, but Elizabeth's
old Mercedes sedan seemed a reasonable cambon chanel handbag substitute;
it was built like a tankWe drove to El Palacio
in Jack's car, and parked just inside the gate
Jack and I switched our supplies over to the SEL
500Wireman's job was the picnic basket
"A few other things while you're in there, if you
can," I said"Bug-spray, and a really good
flashlightHave you got one of those?"
He nodded"There's an eight-cell job in the
gardening shedAnd Wireman?"
931
He gave me a what now look - the exasperated kind
you do mostly with your eyebrows - but said
nothing
"The spear-pistol?"
He actually grinned
While he was gone, I stood leaning against the
Mercedes, looking at the tennis chanel purse white court |