Part 18 (1/2)
I dumped it into the pot of boiling water.
”A real butch would have picked up the crab herself,” I said to Danny.
For a reply, she handed me the crab tongs. I put them down on the counter, reached into the washtub with my hand, grabbed a crab, and dropped it into the pot.
* 126 *
”You are insane, Mick,” Danny said, shaking her head at my impudence. ”I'll have Elly standing by with the first aid kit.”
I grabbed another crab bare-handed and dumped it into the pot.
Still shaking her head, Danny went back into the living room. Elly popped in and asked if I was doing okay. I said sure and waved her back out to her guests. I continued dumping crabs into the pot. I was down to my last crab, a big old one, with a barnacle growing on his sh.e.l.l. He was putting up a fight, waving and snipping his claws. I was trying to distract him with one hand so I could get the other hand behind him.
”Why don't you use the tongs?” Cordelia said. I hadn't even noticed her. I wondered how long she had been standing there watching me.
To prove her wrong I grabbed at him. Mr. Crab lunged up, narrowly missing my fingers with his pincers.
”See,” she said.
I grabbed again before Mr. Crab could lunge again. I got him and dumped him into the pot.
”It's not fair if you don't give the crabs at least some chance for revenge,” I answered.
”How much revenge did they get?” She took my hand and examined it.
”None, this time,” I replied. Satisfied, she let go of my hand.
”How is the rest of you? You should have those st.i.tches taken out.”
”I already took them out.”
”By yourself?” she asked.
”Yeah, I don't charge much.”
”Neither would I.”
”But there's always bus fare to where you are. I, on the other hand, am always where I am.”
”Do you ever stop pretending to be a tough guy?” she asked.
”Who says it's pretense?” I countered.
”I guess not,” she sighed. ”How are your ribs?”
”Fine,” I answered. The truth being fair to middling, but this was a party and as far as I was concerned, Dr. James was not on duty.
I got the tongs and started pulling crabs out and putting them in a colander. Faster than boiling water I'm not.
* 127 *
I heard Th.o.r.eau misnaming another piece of music. Maybe I should put on some Gregorian chants. That might stop him.
”Pachelbel's Canon for Three Trumpets and Strings,” I corrected out loud.
”A tough guy who knows a lot about cla.s.sical music? I can't figure you out,” Cordelia said.
”Maybe you should stop trying,” I replied as I pulled the last of the cooked crabs out of the boiling water. Then I walked around her to hold the crab-filled colander under cold running water. When I guessed they had been rinsed and cooled enough, I arranged them on the big platter that Danny had left for that purpose.
”But isn't that half the fun of being a complicated person? Making other people work to figure you out?”
”Is it? I'd never given it much thought.”
Cordelia started to reply, but Elly came into the kitchen.
”Those crabs smell wonderful. I'm going to put the bread in to warm up and then we'll be ready to eat,” Elly said.
I picked up the heavy platter and carried it out to the table.
”I've never had to clean crabs before,” Th.o.r.eau commented as I set the platter down.
Undoubtedly because someone always did it for him while he was learning all he could about music, I noted in my usual charitable fas.h.i.+on.
We started arranging ourselves at the table. Danny and Elly sat at the head and foot as the hosts. I sat in the chair to Danny's left, on the side with three chairs. Ranson sat next to me. Good, that meant that I was surrounded by my allies. Or at least as close as I was going to get.
Th.o.r.eau sat on the far side, the chair next to Elly. Then Alex sat down beside Ranson, leaving the chair opposite me empty.
Elly entered, bringing the warm bread. Cordelia followed her and sat down across from me.
I hoped the oysters and pecan pie were very good.
Danny opened another bottle of champagne and pa.s.sed it around.
”Champagne and cracking crabs?” I protested. ”It's gauche not to drink beer.”
”Help yourself, we've got plenty in the 'fridge,” Elly said.
”I'm trying to impart a little cla.s.s to the occasion,” Danny said.
I stood up, shaking my head.
* 128 *
”To everything there is a season, dear Danno, and the season for champagne and crabs is rare indeed,” I said, starting for the kitchen.
”Anyone else?”
”Yes, one for me,” Cordelia said.
I went into the kitchen and got two beers and two mugs, so we wouldn't have to be totally uncouth and drink it out of the bottle. I put one mug in front of Cordelia then expertly opened and poured a beer into the mug. My bartending experience comes in handy.