| A lot of people don't know about the Sunshine
Walkway, and I'm positive Perse doesn't
"Why?"
"Because it was built in the fifties, you told me
that, and she was sleeping then
He considered this a moment, then said, "You think
she can be beaten, don't you?"
"Yes, I doNot killed, maybe, but put back to
sleep
"Do you know how?"
925
Find the leak in the table and fix it, I almost
saidbut that made no senseThere are more of Libbit's pictures at
the other houseThe one at the south end of the
keyThey'll tell us where Perse is and tell me
what to do
"How do you know there are more?"
Because there have to be, I would have said, but
just then the noon horn wentA quarter of a cartier tank louis mile
down the road, the drawbridge between Duma Key and
Casey Key - the only north link between us and the
coast - was going upI counted to twenty, putting
Mississippi between each number as I had when I
was a childThen I erased the biggest cog in my
drawingThere was a sensation when I did it - in
the missing arm, yes, but also centered between
and just above my eyes - of doing some lovely
piece of precision work
"Can we go now?" Wireman asked
"Not quite yet," I said
He glanced at the clock, then back at me"I
thought you were in a hurry, amigoAnd given what
926
we saw in here last night, I know that I amSo
what else?"
"I need to draw you both," I said
iv
"I'd love to have you miu miu bags in white do a picture of me, Edgar,"
Jack said, "and I'm sure my mom would be totally
blissed out - but I think Wireman's rightWe
ought to get going
"Have you ever been to the south end of the Key,
Jack?"
"Uh, no
Of that I'd been almost sureBut as I tore the
picture of the drawbridge machinery off the top of
my pad, I looked at WiremanIn spite of the lead
that now seemed to be lining my heart and emotions,
I found that this was something I really wanted to
know"What about you? Ever been down to the
original Heron's Roost for a little poke-and-pry?"
"Actually, no Wireman went to the window and
looked out"Drawbridge is still up - I can see
the western leaf against the sky from replica watches rolex here
927
I was not to be diverted so easily"Why not?"
"Miss Eastlake advised against it," he said, still
not turning from the window"She said the
environment was badGroundwater, flora, even the
airShe said the Army Air Corps did testing off
the south end of Duma during World War II and
managed to poison that end of the island, which is
probably why the foliage grows so rank in most
placesShe said the poison oak is maybe the worst
in America - worse than syphilis before penicillin
is how she put itTakes 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 tiffany and co earrings 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 fucking poisonedAre you satisfied?"
928
"Yes," I said"Did you tell her that story before
or after she told you about 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 chanel clutch bags saf |
| 