Part 43 (1/2)
”The trick was performed with success by Theo Hardeen in 1921, from the Pont Alexandre III,” Joe said ”The elastic band was specially prepared in that case, but I studied, and the conclusion was that er and more elastic”
”Only it snapped,” snapped,” Sa”
Rosa laughed
”I don't say I wasn't wrong, I' to die at all”
”Did you think there was any chance they were going to lock you up on Rikers Island?” Saot arrested?” said Rosa ”What for? 'Creating a public nuisance'?”
Joe made a face, at once embarrassed and annoyed Then he helped himself to another shovelful of casserole
”It was for squatting,” Sa” Joe looked up from his plate ”I have been in a jail before”
Sas like that”
”Man of ”
”Did you make bail?” said Rosa
”Your father helped me”
”My father? He was helpful?” helpful?”
”Apparently the elder Mrs Wagner oo Magrittes,” Saes were dropped”
”Two late late Magrittes,” said Joe Magrittes,” said Joe
The telephone rang
”I'll get it,” Sammy said He went to the phone ”hello Uh-huh Which paper? I see No, he won't talk to you Because he would not be caught dead talking to a Hearst paper No No No, that isn't true at all” Apparently, Sareater than his disdain for the New York Journal-American Journal-A roo cord put on so that it could reach the dining table Sammy used as a desk whenever he worked at ho roo cord put on so that it could reach the dining table Sammy used as a desk whenever he worked at houe the reporter from the Journal-American, Journal-American, Joe put down his fork Joe put down his fork
”Very good,” he said ”I haven't eaten anything like this in so long I can't reh?”
”No”
She served him another chunk from the dish
”He missed you theroo the reporter from the Journal-American Journal-American how he and Joe had first coht a h theof Jerry Glovsky's bedroo, at her feet ”He hired private detectives to try to find you” how he and Joe had first coht a h theof Jerry Glovsky's bedroo, at her feet ”He hired private detectives to try to find you”
”One of them did find me,” Joe said ”I paid him off” He took a bite, then another, then a third ”I missed hiine that he was happy When I would be sitting there at night so about him I would read his comic books-I could alwavs tell which ones were his-and then I would think, well, Saht there He must be happy” He washed down the last bite of his third helping with a s of seltzer water ”It's a very disappointment to me to find out that he is not” too,” he said finally ”But I used to always iht so about him I would read his comic books-I could alwavs tell which ones were his-and then I would think, well, Saht there He must be happy” He washed down the last bite of his third helping with a s of seltzer water ”It's a very disappointment to me to find out that he is not”
”Isn't he?” Rosa said, not sopower of what a later generation would have terht, he really isn't”
”What about the book, the Disillusioned Aht of it, too, froht of it, too, frolish, she saw, had deteriorated during his years in the bush, or wherever he'd been
”Well,” Rosa said, ”he finished it a couple of years ago For the fifth fifth time, actually, I think it was And we sent it out There were some nice responses, but” time, actually, I think it was And we sent it out There were some nice responses, but”
”I see”
”Joe,” she said ”What as the idea?” the idea?”
”What was the idea of what? My jump?”
”Okay, let's start with that”
”I don't know When I saw the letter in the newspaper, you know, I knew that Tommy wrote it Who else could it be? And I just felt, well, since I am the one to mention to him about it I wanted I just wanted to have it betrue true for hi to accomplish? accomplish? Was the idea to Was the idea to sha you twoyou two uess that was ever the idea”
She waited He pushed his plate back and picked up her cigarettes He lit two at once, then passed one to her, just the way he used to do, long, long ago
”He doesn't know,” he said after aa rationale for his leap froh she didn't grasp it at once, for so in her chest Was she keeping so e from the men in her life?
”Who doesn't knohat?” she said She reached, as if casually, to take an ashtray from the kitchen counter just behind Joe's head
”Tommy He doesn't knowwhat I know About old, staold script-fell to the kitchen floor and shattered into a dozen pieces
”shi+t!”
”It's all right, Rosa”
”No, it isn't! I dropped my El Morocco ashtray, God damn it” They met on their knees, in the middle of the kitchen floor, with the pieces of the broken dish between the the shards together with the flat of his hand ”You know”