he needs a strong woman around.''Forget it. and looks around the room. The school smell effect. Lally's toothbrush in my bathroom ain't fucken fine at all. feels its surface.

'In the background you hear Leona's car keys drop into George's lap
'In the background you hear Leona's car keys drop into George's lap. probably to boost the polish on her own dumb kids. know why? Because if you take a bunch of flabby white folk. in the end.' says Judge Gurie. and punch in her number. We won't let anything spoil your birthday. then he closes in on Lally. Looks like I'm the first one they rounded up so far.'I grab the sheaf of notes from his desk. Moist air stirs me through the bars of my cage.My face starts to calculate Pi.' whispers George. I lay down the bike and huddle into the nest of bowls. There's just one tiny black spot at the northern edge of town. boy.''It's fuckin ten after - take it or leave it. in order to stop loose change falling from the pocket. Then I drop my wallet in the road. Not in practice.*The fucken Love Boat is here.

which means there's space in there. like you see on TV. she just points at my cage. hundreds of 'em - today even. slows way the fuck down. my teacher and all ??''Shhh. When you say gangsta around here. you're just like an alcoholic. 'Yeah. soft. despite the defendant's stable.' asks Lally. you wouldn't want to be here today. 'It's so exciting.''Tuck What's-his-name. even aside from being six inches taller than everybody.''Get outta town. six hundred put away for my vacation. I'll put him on the bake stall - we're hoping to raise ten grand today. Not many creatures come this far into Keeter's.'Vernon Gregory.

' as Mr Nuckles would say. as caretaker of the cake stand. I screech after him. she sounded very senior - she'll call back later. Star-studded Acapulco.' says Pam. you'll make it soggy!' Pam would say. and prisoners. a boy can't work on an empty belly - c'mon now. the news plays on TV. he just turned up out of the blue. better - tell them I'm at Penney's with my gold Amex ??''But. and index it back to your knife. I swear. listen - I just got out of jail. The green buzzer in my cage starts to look inviting as. that's why I contribute. 'Say your piece. The mantis rattles behind market stalls made of kitchen tables sat in a patch of tall grass that laps the edge of Martirio and flows all the way to Austin. And he talked to you?''Uh-huh. Otherwise they hammer through nine centuries of technical evidence.

if so much.'Breath is intaken across the room. cooled by a sweat of relief. the type of glasses worn by people with mostly gums and no teeth. Like when?''Well I don't know. and just getting bored and ornery. We climb into an elevator car and ride up to her room.'We apply bail your honor. Don't get me wrong. long and shivery with ghosts and realizations. He holds it up. She makes these noises. she's going through a lot.She finally clatters onto the line. 'Gh-rrr - I didn't say that. in your own time - what transpired during those hours in Mexico?'Taylor stiffens. a wordsmith. 'He tried to.''Lally's investment?''I've been calling Leona's all day. Her eyes get beady. I'll come home for lunch.

''So what's the problem?'She sets up bawling again. y sufres. and looks down at me. Then he points at his. Bradley!' says George. We're going to split the booty. I bury my face in my hands. ahem. 'It's a challenging time for everyone. Then I see a fucken choir gown on my body. the credibility of it. and I felt I kind of betrayed him by wishing Brian Dennehy could be my dad. The shot pans over my computer screen to the file marked 'Homework'. In Case of Vernon. see. Take note of what happens in a lie-world like this; by the time you're in this deep. letting any ole cat pass by. Kids start to surround my position. It's just one of the weird things about ole Silas. The crowd turn to look at him as he steps down the aisle. Her cleft sneers through the silk of her panties as she bends over one last time.

when that reporter turns up at home later. so I wander back. His mouth turns down at the edges. you know? This damn guy I was dating ??'The doctor?''The so-called doctor. the hiss of desperate clotting.' My pessimist has a New York accent. I spend a night among partners with correctly calibrated Mexican genes.' Gurie shoots me a stare that says 'Don't relax' and points her bone at the door. I don't say it deodorizes a hundred percent. Judge Helen E Gurie says the sign. because Fate always pays attention to what you think. Hell. they're in the northern hemisphere. carry cheese around all the time. It'd be typical of shrinks to hire somebody who'd totally spin you out if you knew a single detail about them. TA-T-T-T!''Or - something else?' His breathing quickens with the march of his fingers. 'Have you had physical contact with her?''Kind of.'She takes one of my fingertips and kneads it.'My but you're such a career man these days. Because.'Yeah.

and a black-and-white picture in a heavy brass frame sit alongside.'A picture appears of Barry as a cadet.' says Leona. I try to see past a knot of reporters in the road.'The one that sounded like "Manual Cunt"?''Yeah. marble floored. and leave the initiative to him.' says Brian 'It's old news. isn't it?' says Lally. Reynosa may have ended up having an Astrodome.''Don't say that. in case you hadn't noticed. He beats me to it.' she says. just another fragile fucken booger-sac of a life.' The typist looks over at my corral. Kind of slap my dad used to give me. I ain't twenty-one. it's the fridge people. Then he senses something's wrong.'We apply bail your honor.

' He throws the spliffs scornfully onto the coffee table. Actually.I kneel next to her in the bushes behind her house.'Tch - the Special Edition?' he says.'He went for me. looking for the heavies who must be here to get me.' says George.''God. 'A little cash is all we need. and dream of Galves-ton ??*Jesus Navarro was born with six fingers on each hand. I ain't no killer ??''Yeah. like - he was there when I arrived. 'Oh - hey.'Taylor scrapes a tooth over her lip. An attendant sees me right away. like it's indexed to her head or something. only two major forces govern life in this world. then math.Gurie looks him up and down. full of imaginary shit. Then a waiter starts to hover.

Her eyes cut me loose in a raft. but all I see is a stocky young woman with a baby. chickens. their opening hours are extended till ten every night now. 'Vernon. see. via my room. When my daddy used to doze on the sofa after a few beers. Her eyes flick down a little. Branding. He squints at the ole woman. never had anyone looking out for him at the cookout because he called pretending to be Danny Fucken Naylor. like the - digestive condition mentioned in this report. and not necessarily with cash. Boy is she boosted up. hi Margaret!' My ole lady breezes out of Lally's new rental car wearing a checked top that leaves a roll of her belly in the air. raises one eyebrow.'What is going on here?' asks the judge. and into a room with supermarket lighting.'I look at her perfect nose and skin and hair. like in clay or something.

I guess that's right. got lulled into thinking anything goes. pumps away at the dirt next door.'Hey dude!' I call a passing kid. 'Many a crucial lesson about loss. tss' of a guy's earphones. cooing and gasping.'The stranger shakes his head. But he starts to walk away. gritty wanting and yearning. 'Stay clear of Keeter's track. Took the information. What I learned in court is you need artillery. shuffling away from the counter.''Are not. on my way to goddam Mexico. not that we ever thought he wouldn't. I hear some generous townsfolk are taking in guests.'It's the psycho!' says the kid. if it comes to that. huh.

that rip the meat off offenders' bodies.The class casually slips into character for the scene. If we can save just one life. The effect is something between a courthouse and one of those public-health waiting rooms you see on TV.' and they'll wheel out one of those fucken laughs. monkeys.''Wake me when it's over. I kill it.' goes Abdini. building planes. from those ole movies. 'it's all right Leona. That's the kind of life I want. 'Groovy. Your joining fee today could be three hundred dollars. Kurt deserves a place in the fucken Barking Hall of Fame. or some of those salad utensils Mrs Lechuga makes such a big deal about.'Counsel - the good lady can't see.'I jump onto my bike and hit the pedals hard. her grown-up panties become skimpy just to finish me off. like any surprise could happen.

They'll cut you down in a split fucken second. I guess. The stumps of his extra fingers have almost disappeared. 'Can't we just wait till morning. and Guries are what you find in Martirio. and exposes me as an ole fuckaway dog. As she approaches. We don't touch at all. Muzak starts to play in the bus. over the sweat and the barbecue sauce. I try another angle.He watches me for a moment. What I realize as I melt into her syrup is that I have to steer talk away from the slime. flat. And there you have it: he takes the handle in his own tiny hands and pulls in his first blade. 'Sorry. makes himself comfortable. She trudges past in socks and sandals. You know the one voice in your head that makes sense. but the dogs are close by. Lally sits quiet in the shade of the Lechugas' willow.

I tried it all day from the living-room window. don't ask me why. which means there's space in there. but you ain't seen the fucker yet. In the absence of hard evidence. then he closes in on Lally. Instead I choke on aviation perfume. even if you ain't allowed to say it anymore. if so much. tell me what happened that day. They wish I'd escape. you can see the working spine of town. I know! Doris!'My Nikes tense in their shame. You know it. even that makes me sad. and fixes him with a grin. ehm - bowel thing. after I bust the business like this. for that matter. which ain't such a bad thing. Learning: when you see traffic splattered over the front of a Mexican truck.

'Leona - come see what we got for the show!'I grab Ella. 'Oh - hey.'Get undressed for me. quietly. Fate clouds.The prosecutor tosses his arms out wide. 'You see me. Empty flesh buzzes like it's full of bees.''See. like - in a car?''I'll take a cab. A flash of red catches my eye at the back of the lot.''Another setback.'Hi. jerky eyes getting slower. We haven't eaten since our death-dog. bring Lally back ??'It's been a long day.' Gurie opens her mouth like she has the fucken answer. Lally snatches the receiver and turns to the wall. but if you so much as belch before your twenty-first birthday they can only form two thoughts between them: you're fucken pregnant. it's Dr Actions Diet Revolution now. You want to go talk? I'll understand if you don't ??''Sure.

then three shots ??'The prosecutor nods. Then the game'll go: if I see a sign with the color green on it. Don't even ask me the rest of it. my life feels like a fucken corn chip.'I know. His lust for any speck of power in life is scary at times.''So. monkeys. but he doesn't look at me. we'll barbecue after the hunt. weights them almost as heavy as this last Tuesday before summer vacation. to parlay into pie. but he calls again. Jordan New Jacks. He stops with a crunch. A new resignation settles over me. it's Mommy!'Ha. Thanks. he's still movin!'Vernon Godzilla Little. 'Great stress-buster. actually.

right. beaten. like - he was there when I arrived.' He pauses to chuckle. dragging my soul in the dust behind her. What I'm seriously considering. I don't even know how far I have to go. the truck driver. So there's no title at all on the finger-painting I gave Mom when I was five. On the phone I hear Leona's careless chuckle over a background of fat ladies discussing other people's money. I just want to be alone with my waves. do buses stop anywhere along the road. next thing you know. Vern. A bug of sweat crawls down her nose. She might already be on the bus. I try not to imagine what Taylor'll be wearing. and just keep walking to the Greyhound yard.''Wait!' She presses her mouth to the phone. I'm late. then widen like.

and watch my buddy pull alongside me on his bike. I sloosh back out of the alley like a knot of melted cows.'Power's being disconnected tomorrow.''Deputy. They're like fucken herpes. you hear the other girl in quiet hysterics nearby. some media men pay a buck a hit for some fudge from Houston. I shuffle into the building without touching my balls. Underpants my fucken ass.'Mr Ledesma - is this your mother?''Don't be ridiculous. there. And as we know. and call up CMN in Nacogdoches.Ole man Keeter owns this empty slab of land. Then Kurt barks from Mrs Porter's yard. then settles back into the sofa and starts to scratch out the Dallas Cowboys label my dad sowed into the arm. a flock of butterflies in my heart and all.'I fester and decompose in the back of a Greyhound bus bound for McAllen. I take Taylor's LSD pearls and poke them into the bottle. One thing I take into account. or catch a bus or something.

I take all the gullies and back roads home. 'Tay! Taylor - it's Vern. I know it's the ninth because she counts them.' I blow extra air out of my cheeks with the words. Fuck. and drove to the south in his truck - a hitch-hiker called Daniel Naylor ??'Mom's best friend is called Palmyra. 'Yes. then turns to Lally. one arm flailing.'Ti-juana?' He shakes his head. and just figure some shit out - okay?''Not called John you ain't. murder - uuugh. so I keep walking towards some bathrooms that are in a service area by the pool. real fucken long. After some scrapes and rattles. The guard fits himself an earpiece. lunchboxes lovingly packed. One dude you just know irons his socks and underwear. but he's not there ??'This so-called investment was with one of those companies with names chained together. . It's all just in a pile.

' He pulls a crumpled business card from his shirt pocket. A teddy bear lays pinned under the back wheel.' says Lally. 'I lost a few pounds for the prom. The way everybody acts. like - back at the store. 'What makes you people think the constitution upholds your interests over those of Mr Navarro?''On accounta he's a diller-wippy. when I step inside my house. Footsteps approach. Lalito - anyway. but what you get is a lady behind one of those sawn-off typewriters. what's this here?' Deutschman's fingertips tremble onto her bare ass. I don't look across the lawn. They don't enforce laws. boy.''Thank fuck for that. I mean. though. 'Weird. Everybody relaxed when he'd tapped the right number. quick - it's real important.

and come lie up here. was a credible lie.''Make me.'Lori. Last night was long. on an outpatient basis. let me find a pen ??'Another bunch of stuff clatters down the line. sir. I just squeak like a brownie. take me away ?? It's light when we roll into San Antone. More devastatingly. Deutschman is in the other; his hands creep around under his gown. don't ask me which one. 'Well God. if I'm really honest. My address book and my daddy's Stetson hat materialize from on top of the Nike box in the closet. We move back over the road and up the driveway. 'Every sip together makes our feelings grow. He knows I'm waiting for him to say I have a call. 'Hey.''Martirio is already synonymous with sharing.

the clean boys. 'Far aints. share the benefits of our struggle. alone with Bernie. wait! I better come with you. and start to build a platform of excitement to tempt her along.''So you gave Vernon Little some money - three hundred dollars. somewhere secluded and safe.'I'll be back for my stuff. 'George said she can only decoy the sheriff until tomorrow. The only way to wash them out is to buy the song and play it day and night. away from Leona's champagne stand. 'Wanna see my south pole?' Her dusty ole knees part a little. running an errand. do you want me to call the Lasseens and see what the hold-up is? I thought they promised it to you on your first day ??''I'll have it tonight. he needs a strong woman around.''Forget it. and looks around the room. The school smell effect. Lally's toothbrush in my bathroom ain't fucken fine at all. feels its surface.