[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
butter to spend it on. My ma, she likes real butter. A tear slid down her face. Liked, I mean.
I wanted to surprise her.
He held her for a couple of blocks in silence.
She took a breath. I come home and all these Irish coppers was everwhere, yelling and
pushin people. I yelled at them some, and they handcuffed me to the light post. They told
me my ma had a heart attack, but they wouldn t let me see her. She bent forward over her
knees, her body curling up to hide itself in the poor shelter of the bus seat. Her words came
as a harsh whisper. They carried my ma out in a trash can!
He unbuttoned his jacket and opened it to her. She uncurled to burrow under it, and
sobbed against his chest.
She hadn t cried that night. Hadn t cried at the funeral. Hadn t really let loose and cried
until now. Like she had to be in her own house to cry, but their rooms in the house on Strega
Road had been scrubbed by strangers -- by the law -- and she hadn t been home anywhere
until Jack s arms framed a safe place for her. Jack s arms and Tommy s. But Jack had to turn
every touch into something more, while Tommy could just hold her.
He smoothed a handkerchief across her face, patting instead of wiping, as if to preserve
her makeup, and asked, Who was it suggested you could do something to avenge her?
She seized the hanky. Joey -- a cub reporter I met.
She d told Jack some of this, but she couldn t remember how much. He introduced me
to a real reporter, a fellow who knew some fellows. They wanted to prove it to the editor,
who could prove it to the law, so we could get soldiers on the streets to protect people. They
said we couldn t talk. They said if we talked without proof, everbody would call us screwy.
Lights Out! 81
Especially since some doctor said my ma had died of a heart attack. He said when I was told
about it, I went crazy and babbled all kinds of crazy nonsense.
She dabbed her running nose, wishing he wasn t there, so she could honk like a goose.
He lied, you know.
Of course.
I said we had to get proof, then, and tell everbody. They said no, a cause everbody
would light up the streets again to keep the monsters from being able to hide in the dark.
When lights are on, a city glows way far out to sea. U-boats watch the glow, and when a
Liberty ship passes between them and the city, the ship makes a silhouette, a perfect target.
An insane ditty skipped in her head: Silhouette-a, jaunty silhouette-a! Silhouette-a, U-
boat blew im away!
They said if I had the guts, I could lure the monsters, and the guys could kill them and
take pictures. Then we could get some soldiers assigned to the streets, clear the monsters out.
They said they had ways to find their hiding places.
What ways?
Am I supposed to know? I m just the bait, the girl. She hid behind his hanky. The
intensity of his interest would be hard to miss. But he d been out looking for the monsters.
He knew, probably better than Mr. Hillyer had, how to find them.
You re supposed to know because you aren t stupid.
Hate to disappoint you, but I really don t know.
He took the crumpled hanky and handed her a new one.
She unfolded the fresh square and pressed it against her face. No initials. Just plain,
starched linen. How did ya ll come to be monster hunters?
Somebody has to do it.
Why you? Why Jack?
You don t need to know.
The familiarity of the phrase shut her mouth.
His voice dropped again. Where did you get the bullets, Lorie?
You don t need to know!
Why not? You think Jack and I won t need guns?
Oh. A colored gunsmith, an old one. I didn t get his name or address or anything.
But you know he s colored and old, so you saw him, right? Did you go to him or did
he come to you?
We went to him.
What s the nearest cross street?
82 Amber Green
Nobody thought I needed to know. She shrugged. I told Jack what I remembered of
the place, and where it was. I don't think he got enough information to use."
"Probably not, since he didn t tell me about it. Can you sit up now? The driver s glaring
at us. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl karpacz24.htw.pl
butter to spend it on. My ma, she likes real butter. A tear slid down her face. Liked, I mean.
I wanted to surprise her.
He held her for a couple of blocks in silence.
She took a breath. I come home and all these Irish coppers was everwhere, yelling and
pushin people. I yelled at them some, and they handcuffed me to the light post. They told
me my ma had a heart attack, but they wouldn t let me see her. She bent forward over her
knees, her body curling up to hide itself in the poor shelter of the bus seat. Her words came
as a harsh whisper. They carried my ma out in a trash can!
He unbuttoned his jacket and opened it to her. She uncurled to burrow under it, and
sobbed against his chest.
She hadn t cried that night. Hadn t cried at the funeral. Hadn t really let loose and cried
until now. Like she had to be in her own house to cry, but their rooms in the house on Strega
Road had been scrubbed by strangers -- by the law -- and she hadn t been home anywhere
until Jack s arms framed a safe place for her. Jack s arms and Tommy s. But Jack had to turn
every touch into something more, while Tommy could just hold her.
He smoothed a handkerchief across her face, patting instead of wiping, as if to preserve
her makeup, and asked, Who was it suggested you could do something to avenge her?
She seized the hanky. Joey -- a cub reporter I met.
She d told Jack some of this, but she couldn t remember how much. He introduced me
to a real reporter, a fellow who knew some fellows. They wanted to prove it to the editor,
who could prove it to the law, so we could get soldiers on the streets to protect people. They
said we couldn t talk. They said if we talked without proof, everbody would call us screwy.
Lights Out! 81
Especially since some doctor said my ma had died of a heart attack. He said when I was told
about it, I went crazy and babbled all kinds of crazy nonsense.
She dabbed her running nose, wishing he wasn t there, so she could honk like a goose.
He lied, you know.
Of course.
I said we had to get proof, then, and tell everbody. They said no, a cause everbody
would light up the streets again to keep the monsters from being able to hide in the dark.
When lights are on, a city glows way far out to sea. U-boats watch the glow, and when a
Liberty ship passes between them and the city, the ship makes a silhouette, a perfect target.
An insane ditty skipped in her head: Silhouette-a, jaunty silhouette-a! Silhouette-a, U-
boat blew im away!
They said if I had the guts, I could lure the monsters, and the guys could kill them and
take pictures. Then we could get some soldiers assigned to the streets, clear the monsters out.
They said they had ways to find their hiding places.
What ways?
Am I supposed to know? I m just the bait, the girl. She hid behind his hanky. The
intensity of his interest would be hard to miss. But he d been out looking for the monsters.
He knew, probably better than Mr. Hillyer had, how to find them.
You re supposed to know because you aren t stupid.
Hate to disappoint you, but I really don t know.
He took the crumpled hanky and handed her a new one.
She unfolded the fresh square and pressed it against her face. No initials. Just plain,
starched linen. How did ya ll come to be monster hunters?
Somebody has to do it.
Why you? Why Jack?
You don t need to know.
The familiarity of the phrase shut her mouth.
His voice dropped again. Where did you get the bullets, Lorie?
You don t need to know!
Why not? You think Jack and I won t need guns?
Oh. A colored gunsmith, an old one. I didn t get his name or address or anything.
But you know he s colored and old, so you saw him, right? Did you go to him or did
he come to you?
We went to him.
What s the nearest cross street?
82 Amber Green
Nobody thought I needed to know. She shrugged. I told Jack what I remembered of
the place, and where it was. I don't think he got enough information to use."
"Probably not, since he didn t tell me about it. Can you sit up now? The driver s glaring
at us. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]