Part 21 (2/2)
”I'd like to go now,” I said.
Lloyd's eyes took in the room. ”Marcella wouldn't come back. She and the kids are waiting at the cafe.”
”I like it here,” Shane repeated. ”These people recognize my worth.”
The door burst open and Owsley did a headlong into the room, followed by Freedom holding the boy's art pad.
”You're going to school!” Freedom shouted.
Owsley crouched on the floor, eyes jumping like a beautiful coyote. ”School sucks. The kids make fun of my hair.”
Freedom tried to rip the pad asunder, but it was too thick so he went to tearing out a page at a time. When the destruction wasn't fast enough he threw what was left out the door. His voice was Moses, p.i.s.sed off. ”I won't have you bringing heat on this house. One more truant officer shows up here...”
He left the threat unfinished, but from what I'd seen punishment would not be ”You're grounded.”
Owsley was brave though. He barked, ”Ha! There's more cops in those woods than squirrels. I couldn't possibly bring more heat than you do.”
”I won't go back to prison because of you.”
”I won't go back to school.”
Freedom doubled his fists and advanced on Owsley. Shane cut his chair between the two. ”Let us meditate on peace,” Shane said.
”Get your a.s.s out of my way.”
”Fat chance.” Shane set his hand brake.
Freedom hesitated, then came around my side of the chair. Owsley darted low around the other side and took off out the door. Freedom made a two-step run after him, then gave up. He turned on Shane.
”Don't meddle in my affairs, cripple.”
”I can take you, s.h.i.+t-for-brains.”
Something in Shane's demeanor gave Freedom a flash of insecurity. His slit eyes did a room scan, searching for support among the followers, but they returned only blank stares, although whether they sided with Shane or were too stoned to process the action is a toss-up.
Freedom came back to Shane, whose face gave an involuntary tic. As they sank into the macho male stare-down thing, I looked around for a weapon. A coffee cup isn't worth much when you're used to a bottle.
The upright man blinked first. ”Jesus,” he said.
Shane answered, ”Yes.”
Freedom stomped off down the back hall, making as much racket as you can in wimpy sandals. I heard him fling open a door, and his voice: ”How long does it take to suck off an a.s.shole?” The door slammed, more stomping, then the back door of the house crashed open and shut.
Shane reached down to cut off the stereo. You never realize how quiet a room full of people can be until you contrast it suddenly with a room full of noise. He pivoted his chair to face the tanned mother.
”That man has more problems than any of you. Don't follow him,” Shane said.
”But Freedom takes care of us,” the woman said.
”You may now take care of yourselves. Arise, gather your child, and leave this house tonight.” Shane swiveled slowly, making eye contact with each member of the group. ”Getting high is okay, making love is okay, but that man's hatred will destroy everything near him.”
He didn't know the half of it; he hadn't seen the battery-acid-powder and blow-jobs-for-drugs tricks.
Shane's voice thundered. ”Arise and flee!”
They didn't flee, but they dispersed. I'd been so proud of the one kid I saved in the kitchen, but Shane was set on converting the lot. The grandstander.
”You want some coffee?” I asked Lloyd.
”Yeah, that would be nice. I got the straw bales. You can't see Coors from anywhere.”
Some gathered clothes from what I'd earlier thought were trash heaps. Others wandered away, shoeless, s.h.i.+rtless, clueless. From outside came the knock of a Volkswagen engine kicking in, then another.
”What's going on?” Critter stood in the doorway. The tapestry skirt had been replaced by a pair of cutoffs.
”The cripple told them to leave,” Arlo said. ”They were all on mescaline, so they did.”
Arlo was like the old Indians Hank Elkrunner told me about who could shut down their auras or charisma or something so as to make themselves functionally invisible. The guy was missing a self.
”They'll be back tomorrow,” he said. ”How did the slurp job compare to others you've given? I'll front you three Quaaludes to do me.”
Critter didn't even look at him. ”Get lost, Arlo.”
”If you don't take them, Freedom will.”
I crossed the room to stand in front of her. ”When will you escape?” I asked.
”When it's time.”
”Don't wait too long, you'll lose your innocence and end up like me.”
Her glazey eyes came to rest on my face. ”You're not so bad, Maurey, you just think you are.”
I hugged her. Never, in my whole life, have I initiated a hug with a woman.
She spoke over my shoulder. ”I'll be okay.”
”Leave the b.a.s.t.a.r.d,” I said.
”Someday, not today.”
Behind me, Shane celebrated the ma.s.s exodus. ”Banzai, motherf.u.c.ker.”
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