— He’s had a busy day Mister Duncan, I don’t think he even…
— Bast? you awake? I thought you’d want to hear about our brave little fourth grader listen. A brief rockthrowing disturbance erupted here this morning when hot coffee, frankfurter and novelty vendors clashed with signcarrying members of the MAMA organization over their line of march past Cyclone Seven on the windswept Cultural Plaza where, for the eighth straight day, a haggard member of the local fire department stands with his torch ready to reach the brave little eighth straight day it can’t be, what day is it Waddles.
— I don’t know is it Wednesday? let’s move your feet…
— Where’s the rest of this paper wait, Bast? how do you like this one. An elderly drifter who has made his home with a local family in recent years was found in critical condition here today being nursed by two small children, who have been administering a mixture of maple syrup and plaster of Paris to him following what appears to have been a fall some days ago. In the unexplained absence of both parents, stories pieced together from neighbors and authorities at the nearby school where both had taught until recently indicate that each of them believed their elderly guest to be the other’s father, and during recent…
— Mister Duncan why don’t you just rest now let me turn off the light, I think Mister Bast’s already…
— He’s a good listener aren’t you Bast, that’s the whole secret of making people like you be an American you want everybody to like you. I took a Dale Carnegie course once learned you can’t trust anybody you can’t even trust yourself how do you like that, son of a bitches blow off their hands and feet wreck the whole economy just wanted everybody to like him, you wouldn’t believe I started out a Roman would you? Anything serious for confession sneak down to the slums and confess to the Franciscans they’d heard everything rape, incest, steal the household money that night you told me you’d had your chance and made a mess of it? Steal from the dime store the kind of things I did they’d hand out five hail Marys that story I told you about my boy, you didn’t believe it did you? Something I read in the paper once that’s why I told it to you Bast just get a good opinion of yourself that’s all you need, reach the end of the line waiting for God to drop the other shoe that’s all you’ve got…
— Let’s just put your light out and settle down now Mister Duncan, I think you need…
— Get fixed up and get back to Zanesville…
— Don’t worry we’ll fix you up…
— Good night nurse. You don’t hear that one anymore do you.
— Good night now, I’ll see you boys in the morning… and the glow at the wall socket took up the loss of day, eyed the slow accumulation of the night.
— Bast? you awake? Bast? Will you help me over here?
— What, what is it. Mister Duncan?
— I can’t find it help me over here will you?
— Yes but, wait a minute, yes. What’s, but what are you reaching for…
— Not the eye of a needle.
— What?
— Those people at the next bed there are they, I can’t understand them what are they Porto Ricans?
— Mister Duncan there’s nobod…
— Do you want to split a beer? Split a beer with me will you?
— Well, well all right but…
— Never in the service were you Bast?
— No I, never…
— Fourteen years it took me to get out of the wallpaper business the first payday I was drafted down there at Dix I started a ten cent crap game, son of a bitches came raised it a dollar five dollars ten I got out and started another ten cent crap game the same thing happened, kept happening till I was standing there alone crap games going on all around me I’d started them all how do you like that. I said how do you like that.
— Well I, I’m sorry it ended that way maybe I’d better…
— It always does Bast it always does, life never lets you down the first night we were out there they put us out there in the Huertgen Forest Marty shouts over to us you guys want to see a dead German? Out there in the moonlight the moon was out half his head gone squatted there with his pants down I couldn’t take a crap for five days after that, you’d better get a case, Bast? Better get a case, call home and get three dollars and twenty eight cents. Have you had your lunch?
— Well, well yes we…
— What are you going to have for supper.
— Well we, we just…
— Have you got the money? Let’s see it…
— Mis, Mister Duncan I’d better ring for the nurse…
