Роберт Беллем - Pulp Frictions

‘I never saw these men before.’

‘Wouldn’t like to go bye-bye with ’em?’

‘Of course not.’

‘No use, boys. Get in your kiddie car and shove off.’

‘Sez you,’ one of the men said feebly.

Suddenly Red reached out and, taking the men by their coat collars, jammed their faces together. They both staggered back, dazed.

‘Sez me.’

The man who had been hit in the stomach was already sitting at the wheel; the other two climbed in beside him groggily. The car moved off.

Johnny was still a little dazed; he stood rubbing his jaw. The girl came over to him and put her hand on his arm.

‘Thanks. I’m glad you came along.’

‘Don’t mention it.’

Red looked on, smiling sardonically; then he said:

‘Sister, we’re going as far as El Portal and we’re going fast. Hop in, we ain’t got all night.’

‘Well, I...’ She looked at Johnny for a long time, then she said: ‘All right.’

When they got back to the car, Johnny held the door open for her.

‘Wouldn’t like to ride back here with old Red, would you?’ Red demanded.

The girl said nothing. She didn’t know just what to say. She climbed in with Johnny.

Johnny drove in silence for a long time. In a few minutes he picked up the car with the three men in it and went past them blowing the horn. The girl glanced at the speedometer. It read 76.

‘Do you have to drive that fast?’ she demanded.

‘Yes,’ said Johnny. ‘The little one’s wife is very sick. Afraid she’ll die. She’s in El Portal.’

‘The little one?’ She turned to look. ‘That’s a funny way to... aren’t these men friends of yours?’

‘No. I’m hitch-hiking to sunny Cal. I’m just the chauffeur. They drove all night and are worn out.’

She turned again and Red grinned at her.

‘I didn’t thank you,’ she said. ‘Thanks.’

‘Just routine,’ said Red. ‘I always go round fighting over dames. Or else they’re fighting over me. You know how it is. Like to come back here?’

‘Nix,’ said George. ‘Let the kid alone.’

‘Can’t I have any fun?’

‘You just had your fun. Beating up guys is your fun.’ George groaned and lay back. ‘I’m tired! Only clucks use their fists. You always was a cluck, Red.’

Red yawned and, lying back, put his hat over his eyes.

There was a long silence. The monotonous, burned country rushed past. Suddenly the girl leaned forward and began to cry.

‘Excuse me,’ she said, ‘but I’ve had about all I can stand. I hitched from Texas. It’s my first time. I never had any idea things would be so bad.’

Johnny patted her on the shoulder. She tried to stifle her sobs. Red leaned forward.

‘Johnny,’ he cried, ‘let that girl alone. Where was you brung up? Look at the state you got her in.’

Johnny turned slightly.

‘Listen... I...’

Red burst out laughing, delighted, then he leaned back and put his hat over his face.

‘What a man!’ said Johnny, shaking his head. To the girl, who was calmer now: ‘Going far?’

‘El Portal.’

‘That’s where we’re going.’

‘I know. I could hardly believe my ears.’

‘Live there?’

‘Yes. My boy friend lives there, too. He’s a lawyer, trying to get a start.’

‘It’s tough now for anybody to get a start.’

‘We were going to get married but we had a row. I wanted to go to work. He wasn’t making enough for us to get married on. Oh, we had a beautiful row, and I ran away.’

Johnny turned to look at her.

‘Yeah? You wanted to go to work and he wouldn’t let you? I’d like to see that guy.’

‘He wins. I give up,’ said the girl, smiling slightly. ‘But I’ll never let him know what a time I’ve had.’

Turning, Johnny glanced out of the corner of his eye at the girl. She was mighty pretty with her wavy light brown hair, her blue eyes, and her clear-cut, refined face. He began to envy the lawyer.

They were nearing the California line now and were getting into a true desert region. Great drifts of sand rose on either side of them; they went for miles at a time without seeing any vegetation. It was early afternoon and the sun was beating down with almost summer intensity.

George was sleeping peacefully, but Red had had a good rest, he said, although he had seemed to sleep but little, and was sitting up with his legs crossed, smoking a cigarette and whistling.

From time to time the girl looked out across the mile after mile of dazzling wasteland, which stretched unbroken to the enormous lavender mountains to the north. Finally she shuddered:

‘What an idiot I was to think I could hike through this place. It’s awful.’

‘Pretty bad,’ said Johnny, nodding.

‘It gives me the creeps. There ought to be a law.’

‘Too many laws now,’ said Red, leaning forward. ‘You never know when you’re going to break one. Eh, baby?’

‘My name’s Edna,’ said the girl. ‘I don’t like to be called “baby”.’

‘Don’t you, baby? That’s tough, baby. I always call my babies baby.’

The girl turned and looked straight into Red’s eyes.

‘Why don’t you be nice?’

Red lowered his head and made his shoulders shake.

‘George,’ he said, punching his companion, ‘she’s appealing to my better nature. Now that touches me... Say, Johnny, what’re we making?’

‘Little over sixty.’

‘Slow down till this copper goes past.’

Johnny saw a motorcycle cop coming towards them from the opposite direction. He slowed the car gradually. Glancing into the rear-view mirror, he saw that George was sitting up, alert now; Red’s face was hard and menacing. The cop looked at them sharply as they passed him.

‘He’s turning,’ said Red. ‘Outrun him, Johnny.’

‘They sting you here for speeding,’ said Johnny.

‘You’re feeling so good, Red,’ George sneered. ‘Take the wheel.’

‘No time,’ said Red, leaning forward. ‘Outrun him, kid. You heard me. Fifty bucks if you outrun him.’

‘That’s different.’

Johnny pushed the accelerator to the floorboard and the car shot away, roaring over the black macadam.

The girl touched his arm.

‘Do you think?...’

‘Right now for fifty bucks I’d climb a tree in this hack.’

‘Now you’re talking,’ said Red. ‘Give her the gun, boy.’

Mile after mile the cop trailed them; there’d be a dip in the road and they’d lose him, but when they got on the flat again, there he’d be. The strain was beginning to tell on Johnny; little pains began to run up and down his back and his accelerator foot was numb and he could feel the heat of the engine through his shoe.

‘Curve,’ cried Red. ‘He’s gaining a little. We may lose him here.’

Just as Red spoke, the cop’s motorcycle began to wobble; he had either blown a tyre or had hit a stone in the road; the motorcycle slewed round, then rolled end over end, throwing the cop in a long arc over into the mesquite.

‘Yow!’ yelled Red. ‘A nose dive. Nice work, Johnny.’

‘But, good heavens...’ the girl began. Johnny nudged her with his elbow. He knew they were in a spot. Red and George were real bad ones; he was sure of it now.

‘Keep her moving,’ said Red. ‘We shook that rat off but he might get up.’

Johnny glanced at the girl. He could see that she was very nervous. He laughed to cover up, and said the first thing that came into his head:

‘That boy friend of yours expecting you?’

The girl started.

‘No. It’s a surprise. He thinks I’m still in Dallas.’

‘Oh, just a little surprise. Well, we’ll soon be in. I wish you luck.’

‘Thanks. Going to stay in El Portal a while?’