Percival Everett - Suder

She looks up at me. “What if they don’t work?”

“They’ll work.”

“I’m sick of gluing on feathers,” Jincy says and closes her eyes.

“I’ll help,” says Sid.

“No, thank you,” I says. I look back at Jincy. She looks very small. “What are you afraid of?”

She raises her head. “What if they don’t work? What if you fall? You could die. I’ll be left alone.”

Silence.

Then I speak: “Why don’t you bring Renoir in and give him a bath?” I get up and grab my jacket. “I’m going to Willet Rock.”

I leave the house and walk up the trail on the south side of the mountain and follow it around to the western face. It’s a good hour’s hike and I’m a little winded when I reach this giant boulder that overlooks the lake. Below me, flying in big circles, is a vulture and I can’t take my eyes off him. He ain’t moving his wings and the currents are taking him up and down. I close my eyes and feel the wind on my face. I fall asleep.

It’s dark when I wake up and a light mist is hovering around me. I can’t see a thing and I’m trying to feel my way along the trail and I’m getting real anxious because the woods are extra quiet. My face brushes against the leaves of a tree and they are wet from the fog. I inhale the moist air. It is cool. I walk slowly on and I’m thinking about the fog and remembering a postcard that Bud Powell sent me from London when I was young. The picture on the card was of lamps on the street shining through fog and the message read: “Almost there.”

Jincy is on her knees raking mud from between Renoir’s toes with a stick and I’m sitting on the front steps doing my neck exercises. Richard Beckwith comes walking up the drive and he’s smiling real big.

“Hey,” I greet him.

“Hi, Craig.” He seems nervous. “How’ve you been?”

“Fine. You?”

“Great.” He pauses and looks over at Jincy and Renoir. “You really think it’s right for you to keep that child with you? I mean, her parents must be pretty worried.”

“Her parents beat her up,” I tell him.

He rubs his face with his palm. “You know, there’s some talk down in town about you flying off the mountain.”

I just look at him and I’m touching my shoulder with my nose.

Beckwith is even more nervous and he looks around and then he points. “Perisoreus canadensis.”

“Gray jay.”

“Funny how rumors get started.” He chuckles.

And I smile.

“You’re going to try it, aren’t you?”

And I says, “Chirp, chirp.”

Beckwith tilts his head and looks at me with questioning eyes. “I can’t tell if you’re pulling my leg or not.”

“Chirp.”

“You’re joking.” He laughs nervously.

“Off Willet Rock.” I’m staring at his eyes behind those fat lenses.

“This is crazy.”

“Just finished my wings.” I stand up. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to rest. Tomorrow is the big day.”

“You know,” says Beckwith, “you’re talking about suicide.”

“Whatever.” I wave my fingers at him and turn and enter the cabin. I stare up at the ceiling and then my eyes fall over to my saxophone, which is in the corner. I hear Charlie Parker’s solo. I fall asleep, humming it softly to myself.

“Be careful,” I says.

“Sorry,” Jincy says, pulling the razor a bit slower across my head. “It pulls because it ain’t sharp.”

“Go on. Don’t worry about it.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“I want to be streamlined, no wind resistance.” I straighten the towel around my neck.

“Damn silly,” says Sid.

I look at Jincy. “I’m going to shave my whole body.” “Everyplace?”

I nod and she cuts my head and I yelp and Renoir lets out a blast.

“Sorry,” she says and finishes. “There.”

I rub my hand over my clean head and whistle. “That’s pretty good.” I stand up and undress. “Give me the razor.”

Jincy hands me the razor without saying anything and I take to lathering up my legs.

“What are you doing?” Sid asks. “Shaving your legs?”

I don’t respond.

“Don’t that beat all,” he says, shaking his head. “Sick. I should have killed you without warning. Damn.”

Jincy watches silently as I pull the razor up and down my calves and then I lather up my groin.

“In front of the girl?” Sid asks in disbelief.

I don’t pay him no mind. I carefully shave around my penis and Jincy is staring at me. Her eyes rise up to meet mine and tears start to come out and roll down her cheeks.

Then there’s a pounding at the door and the sound of Richard Beckwith’s voice: “Craig! Craig!”

“Come in,” I says.

The door swings open and Beckwith sees me with my legs apart and a lathered-up crotch and he freezes. The bright daylight is behind him.

“What are you doing?” Beckwith asks.

“Hey.”

“What are you doing?”

“He’s shaving his nuts!” Sid screams. “The man is insane. Untie me so I can get away.” And then Sid yells at me, “I hope you slip and cut it off.” Then he makes a loud noise, trying to make me slip.

I’m finished and wiping the lather off with the towel. “What do you want?” I ask Beckwith.

Beckwith is staring at my crotch. “I was in town. I heard the sheriff— Why?”

I raise my eyebrows.

He points at my groin.

“I’m cutting down on air friction. What about the sheriff?”

He shakes his head. “The sheriff’s coming to arrest you. Some woman in town says you raped her.”

Jincy gasps.

“Psssst!” Sid tries to get Beckwith’s attention. “Get me out of here. He’s a crazy raper.”

“The guy in the store said her name was ugly Marsha,” says Beckwith.

“The woman I got the cold from.” I stand up. “Jincy, get me the cooking oil.”

“What are you doing now?” Beckwith asks.

“Getting ready to fly,” I answer. Jincy hands me the oil and I start rubbing it on my body. “Let the wall down,” I says to Jincy.

“You don’t really plan to go through with this?” Beckwith frowns.

The wall comes down and daylight floods the cabin and I grab my wings. I step across the wall and Renoir and Jincy are behind me. Beckwith is following, but Sid calls to him, “Hey, come here. I want to have a word with you.” And Beckwith goes back.

Jincy and I take off along the trail and a car pulls up to the cabin and a fat guy gets out. It’s fat Thomas from Portland.

“Craig!” yells fat Thomas. “Craig!” And he trots up the trail.

“Hey.” I step toward him.

“I’ve missed you,” he says. He looks past me. “You’ve got an elephant.”

Jincy looks at me.

Thomas is staring at my shaved groin and he starts to tremble like he’s going to blow up. Then he cries, “Oh, Craig, darling.” And he’s on his knees hugging me around the waist.

I push him away and deliver a punch to his chops and he falls over. He lies there.

Jincy and I walk on up the path and after some distance we see hunters on the trail ahead. We turn and head through the woods and up the mountain and we’re weaving through the trees. Then there’s a woman’s voice yelling, “I love you!” It’s ugly Marsha and she’s coming up behind us.

And behind Marsha is Sheriff Prager shouting for me to stop and he’s got his pistol drawn. His gun is pointing toward the sky and a bullet hits a tree near me and there’s Sid Willis limping up the incline. Prager ducks at the report from Sid’s gun and he turns to see Sid. Prager exclaims, “Another nigger in the woods!”

“I’m an Indian!” Sid screams and takes a shot at Prager and Prager shoots back and the two of them are hiding behind trees, shooting at each other.