Part 20 (1/2)

Behine him there's the street, buildins jumpin on either side. End of street, where it hit Howard, is-nothin. Not black. Not white. Not fog. Not light.

Nothin.

”Face of Granny Time,” say Mouse, an take his elbow, easin him down the street.

There people on the street. Cops an drug kings, wh.o.r.es an queens. Some dress in satin, some dress in silk. Some dress in khaki, homespun. Rags. They smile when they see Mouse. They raise their hands. Mouse smile back. Wave. His people go on down the sidewalk, go in them buildins an out.

White boy look at Mouse.

”They dance with Granny Time, too? These folks here?”

”They do,” say Mouse.

White boy take a breath, watchin the people flow past him-minidresses an zoot suits. Ayrab cotton an hoop skirts.

”I gonna dance, too, Mister Mouse?”

Mouse he laugh, soft like, reach out an ruffle the hair of a pickeninny in homespun.

”No, boy. These folk here ain't got no 'counts. Their ledger sheet gone missin. Or their sum be in dispute. You, now you got 'count. You be added, subtract-ed, noted down an a.n.a.lyzed. We know just what to do with you, m'man. We seen your kind before.”

White boy swallow an try to think of another question. Fore he do, Mouse stop, fingers diggin white boy's elbow.

”In here.”

This buildin don't boogie. White boy find that-ominous. This buildin got no window. Got no door.

”In?” he say to Mouse. ”How the h.e.l.l I'm s'pose-”

Mouse step forward, draggin white boy with him. He walk through that wall, white boy half a step behind.

Everything go way for a minute into cold nasty. Then everything come back an they in a round room all s.h.i.+ny black marble. White boy's stomach turn over. He gag. Mouse pull him close inside, stand him in the center of the room an step back. That big diamond on his finger be black by now. Black like the s.h.i.+ny black walls.

”All right, William,” he say, pullin the papers from his pocket. ”Now's time to pay up.” He unfold his papers an look down.

”You holdin three grand cash,” he say, for all the world like he readin it off a list. ”You holdin one pound crack. They forfeit.” He look up an point at the floor by his shoes. ”Toss 'em out here.”

White boy's feelin foggy hisself. Feelin-less then together. He reach in his pocket. He toss the stuff. Minute later, he toss the cash.

”Right,” say Mouse. ”Now you book.” He fold the papers, start to slide them in his pocket ”Wait!' scream white boy. ”Wait. I-I change m'mind. I stay here. Talk with Jax. Make it right...”

Mouse shake his head, put his papers away. ”Too late, William. You walk the street, you pay the price.”

White boy break, then. He fling hisself at Mouse, hands out like he gonna latch roun m'man's throat an- He bounce, half a foot out from his standin place. Bounce an fall. He's up quick and jumps again. Bounce an fall. This time he get up slow, wipe blood off his nose.

”At least tell me where I'm goin,” he say then.

Mouse sigh. ”Up to Granny Time, boy. Can't say where for sure. This street-what they call a vortex, see? Sometime it here, sometime it not. I don't know all the places you might go. I can tell you what kind of places, if you wanna know. Might be better, not to know.”

”I'm gonna know in a minute, anyhow,” white boy say an Mouse bow his head.

”That's so.” He pull his papers out an stand holdin them in his hand. ”Way it works, you got a debt to Granny Time. Debt ain't balanced by cash an' stuff-not near balanced. So Granny take the rest outta your hide, just like your old man useta.” He sigh.

”Places like maybe you go: Ancient Egypt, totin stone. Old Turkey, c.o.c.k shaved an servin the harem. Wh.o.r.e boy in Victorian England. Other places-I can't say'em all, boy. Granny Time span planets, some of 'em worse then here.”

White boy slide down to sit on the s.h.i.+ny black floor. Tears mix up with the sweat on his face.

”I ain't goin,” he say an dig real sudden in his pocket. Pulls out his piece. Mouse shake his head.

White boy set the barrel in his mouth, close his eyes, pull the trigger.

Nothin happen. Course not.

White boy scream, then, jump up an throw the piece. It hit the floor tween Mouse's shoes.

”You kill me, then!” he yell.

Mouse shake his head an step back, tucking his papers away.

”Can't do that, boy,” he say, soft like. ”Granny Time got her hook in me, just like she got it in you.”

White boy got time for one more scream, while his standin place fills up with fog, swirlin, glitterin. The fog spin an Mouse watch, like he have to watch, everytime this go down. Then the fog fade away an Mouse look down at his hand. That big diamond's clear now. Clear, just like tears.

Jax boys climb that long black stair, come out into Shantelle an stop. Grooj come forward by hisself, nod to Widda, there hind her counter.

”Lookin f'Mouse Mojo.”

Widda point an Grooj go back to that certain table. The man sittin there look up from his papers an fold his hands, the big diamond on his least finger blazin white.

”Mornin, Mister Mojo.”

”Mornin, Mister Robinson.”

Grooj he ain't been Robinson for thirty year, but he know better then to ask.

”Lookin for a friend,” he say instead. ”Mister Jag Saratoga. Thought maybe you seen him.”

”I seen him,” say Mouse.

Grooj sigh. ”I need somethin to tell Jax, Mister Mojo. You unnerstan.”

”I do.” Mouse take a minute, look down at-into-his diamond.

”Tell Jax Mister Saratoga he gone,” he say, an look up at Grooj. ”Tell Jax woman he got everything he ask for.”