Part 12 (1/2)
The girl looked them up and down. Then she called over her shoulder, ”It's n.o.body, just somebody cras.h.i.+ng with his little brother.”
”Can we come in?” asked Eric.
She gave him a look of such compa.s.sionate scorn that Danny blushed for him.
”I think that's a yes,” said Danny.
”Are girls all born with the ability to rip your b.a.l.l.s off with a look?” murmured Eric. Then he led the way inside.
Ced was walking into the messy living room, looking p.i.s.sed off. ”I told you to just walk in, morons. Anybody rings the bell, we a.s.sume it's the law. I was this this close to flus.h.i.+ng my stash.” close to flus.h.i.+ng my stash.”
”I thought we weren't supposed to stop up the toilets,” said Eric.
”Oh, you're funny,” muttered Ced.
”Are you going to introduce your little friends?” asked the girl.
”They stopped being my friends when they rang the doorbell.”
Danny stuck out his hand. ”I'm Danny.”
”How old are you?” asked the girl. ”Twelve?”
”Thirteen,” said Danny.
”Ma-CHEWER,” she said. ”Got any hair on your chest?”
Danny wasn't even sure what she was asking. ”I don't think so,” he said.
”Or anywhere anywhere?” she insisted.
”Lighten up,” said Eric. ”He's a kid.”
”Said the old man. Who are you?” she asked.
”I'm Eric. Do you have a name?”
”What's today?” she asked.
”Thursday,” answered Ced from the floor, where he was rolling a cigarette. Danny had a pretty good guess what kind of cigarette.
”Then my name is Lana,” said the girl.
”And if today had been Wednesday?” asked Eric.
”I would have unzipped your pants instead of talking,” she said. ”On Wednesdays I'm such a s.l.u.t. s.l.u.t.”
”I'm glad we caught you on Nun Thursday,” said Eric.
”That's your best shot?” Lana asked, again with the look of scorn.
”I have snappier comebacks, but I don't just give those away,” said Eric.
”Yeah? You have to grind them up and mix them with applesauce before anybody will swallow them?”
”Look,” said Eric to Ced. ”We don't just need a place to crash, we need some advice. Is Mr. Stone in?”
Lana gave one whoop, which apparently pa.s.sed for a complete laugh.
”Not Mister Mister Stone,” said Ced. ”Just Stone. It's his first name. Maybe his only name.” Stone,” said Ced. ”Just Stone. It's his first name. Maybe his only name.”
”It's a translation,” said Lana. ”Of the unp.r.o.nounceable name his parents gave him in their native language.”
At the mention of languages, Danny perked up. ”What language?” he asked.
”Amazian,” she said. ”Amazon? No, that's the online bookstore. Umbilical?”
”She doesn't know.” Ced handed the joint to her.
”Not now,” said Lana.
Ced shrugged and kept the joint, though he didn't light it.
”Why do you want Stone's advice?” asked Lana.
”I figured he's lived in DC for a while, he could steer us to a neighborhood where we're likely to find small expensive things lying around where guys like me and Danny here can find them.”
”You don't have to ask Stone,” said Lana. ”Where are you from from? Everybody knows you're looking for Georgetown.”
”I thought that was a college,” said Eric.
”University,” said Lana. ”It's also a ritzy neighborhood. Or you could go out to Chevy Chase, Maryland. Basically, go west, and the incomes go up. I a.s.sume you expect to find these expensive things lying around inside inside people's houses?” people's houses?”
”I think we'd have better luck there,” said Eric.
Danny was appalled that Eric was just telling their business to strangers. How did he know that none of these people would tell the cops?
”Your little friend thinks you shouldn't be talking about your criminal conspiracies,” said Lana.
Eric looked at Danny. ”He's still not completely into it,” he said. ”But he can't help it-he's so good at it that he just can't stop. Talent is destiny.”
”Good at what, exactly?” asked Lana.
”Getting into locked places,” said Eric.
”How does he do it?” she asked.
”I make a wish,” said Danny. He knelt on the floor and started looking through magazines on the coffee table. Anything to distract Eric. It didn't work, though.
”It's magic, all right,” said Eric. ”He doesn't touch the doors or windows. He doesn't leave footprints or fingerprints. He just appears appears inside the house.” inside the house.”