William Vollmann - The Royal Family

When he came into the Wonderbar later that night, Loreena the barmaid, who usually laid her hand on his and said hello, stranger! was standing with her back turned to the customers, gazing into the mirror as if she were checking her makeup. He knew that she was crying.

The bullet-shaped little owner stood there, smirking and red, drinking and drinking so that his face grew as red as the marquee of the Market Street Cinema.

I’m smart enough to know how to do this, Loreena said. I am smart enough to know how to do this.

Who’s running the show? said the owner.

You’re running the show, Heavyset, but I—

That’s what counts, the owner shouted. Right?

Right, the barmaid whispered.

How much you got in your till? How much did I give you?

You gave me nothing, Loreena said.

Good! Because nothing is what you deserve, you thieving crackhead bitch.

If you don’t trust me—

I don’t.

Loreena walked as far away from him as she could get while still remaining within the bar’s magic circle, and she wept.

Well, well, well! cried Heavyset with his hard little laugh. If it ain’t Henry! What’ll it be, Henry? Your usual?

Yeah, sure, said Tyler. Have you seen the Queen?

The who?

Oh, forget it. Have you seen Domino?

I eighty-sixed that skanky bitch, said Heavyset with immense satisfaction. Told her she’d better not come peddling ass in here anymore. She swore at me, too. I had to call the cops on her.

Just a second, Tyler said, striding out the back door into the black alley where Chocolate in her pale white parka was chuckling and weeping crazily to herself in the darkness. She stank and she had gained weight. She stood for hours on Mission Street begging men to please please give her twenty-five cents, and if any of them did, she grabbed the fellow tight and whispered: Couldja do me a big, big favor? Couldja gimme a dollar or maybe twenny dollars ’cause I — you know? You wanna go someplace with me? — None of them did.

What’s the matter, honey?

He ain’t right, the black woman snarled.

Who?

Heavyset. He tole me don’t come in there again, ’cause it’s a Mexican bar. He ain’t right. He gonna get his. Someday it gonna happen to him. I can see the day.

Come on in and I’ll buy you a drink, he said. He won’t pick on you when I buy you something.

No way am I goin’ in there!

All right. Well, I’ll be inside waiting for the Queen.

I’m cold, said Chocolate. An’ Maj she don’t do nothin’ for us now.

How’s business?

Lousy. An’ I’m hungry. I want something to eat. Won’t you take me down to that Burger King an buy me some fries or something? ’Cause Maj she—

Where’s Justin?

They busted him when he was on Turk Street tryin’ to cop some downers for Sapphire, I think. An’ they took his crutches—

All right, he said.

What the hell, chuckled Chocolate. I got some meat on my ass. My pants are too loose, though. They keep sliding down. You wanna see my ass?

I’m going inside. I’ll buy you a beer, though.

I said what the hell. Tell you what. You offer me a beer and then I’ll tell him real loud just what I think of him.

Tyler had to laugh. He didn’t like Heavyset. — I get it, he said. You let me go in first and then you come in afterward and go right up to me.

Okay. ’Cause he ain’t right. Henry, he got somethin’ bad comin’ to him.

Tyler strode back in through the back door, past the pool table where two characters scowled at him and said: You’re welcome. — Tyler replied: Why, fancy that. I was just thinking the same thing.

Heavyset was laughing at the television, red-faced, with a shot of bourbon in his hand. Loreena was still crying. Tyler sat down and said to her: What’s new?

Oh, I’m changing the locks on my place again. My ex started hitting me again last night.

When are you going to kick him out for good?

It’s just something between him and me. Like Strawberry and Justin, you know? I can’t really explain it. I won’t even try.

Okay, he said.

I need to borrow thirty dollars, she said.

Fortunately, Chocolate came in just then, and Heavyset saw her and turned purple, so Tyler locked his arm around her, shouting: Why, Chocolate! Good to see you, doll! Can I buy you a beer?

No, thank you, the whore announced. I’m black and this is a Mexican bar .

Heavyset came over very slowly and said to her: Stop fucking with me.

You ain’t right, she said.

This is a Mexican bar, Heavyset explained. This ain’t a black bar.

I’m tellin’ you, you ain’t right. An’ I saw how you called the cops on that white boy last week, that crackster john—

Get out and don’t come back. And do your thing across the street. Don’t do it behind my bar.

I live in this hood, Heavyset. You don’t be dissin’ me. I walk where I please.

All right, Chocolate, just drop it, Tyler said. It’s not worth it.

Somethin’ gonna happen to you, Heavyset, the whore said, ignoring him.

Get your nigger ass out of here, said Heavyset. I control this area. This is my area. I got my brothers in here, and they’ll back me up if you start something with your coal black ass.

You ain’t right. You ain’t right. But I don’t care, ’cause I got God and Cain in my heart.

Nigger, nigger, nigger bitch!

What did you call me? Oh, fuck it. Anyway, I have news for you. You got your false teeth out. Heavyset, you called me bitch with your teeth out!

You’re gonna have buckshot in your fat nigger ass if you don’t get out of here.

I’m not scared of that little pistol of yours, Heavyset. An’ your dick is even smaller.

All right, Chocolate, break it up, said Tyler.

He gonna get his, the whore said serenely.

Get out, said Heavyset. Now. I’m calling the cops.

Okay, Chocolate said far too sweetly. I’m goin’.

She was up to something, Tyler thought. He went outside with her and she started crying and hitting him up for money. — I can only give you a buck, he said, slipping her five.

Chocolate said to the Queen: He be dissin’ me, an’ hurtin’ me in my heart so bad… and the Queen, preoccupied, shook her head, slowly cleaning her crack pipe with a dirty paper clip, and then Sapphire began to cry, weeping: L-l-l-luh-luh-luh… and then the Queen said: Allrightie now, child. All right. — But Sapphire would not be still. She crawled on her hands and knees to Chocolate and nuzzled against her knees like a cat. Chocolate stroked her. Then she crawled back to the Queen and began kissing her hand. She wanted to go out.

Not now, baby, said the Queen. I gotta do some heavy thinkin’. Sapphy’s gotta wait. Bea, angel, you got time to take Sapphire out?

She be out trickin’, said Chocolate. Guess I’ll go out there, too. I need my fix so bad.

Allrightie then, said the Queen. Tomorrow I want to buy old Heavyset a drink.

For what?

Hush up, Choc. Queen’s gotta do some Heavy thinkin’. I want you to make Sapphire be quiet.

The Queen came into the Wonderbar on that hot August afternoon, the front door trembling behind her so that Loreena and Heavyset and their sparse crew of drinkers could see across the street and inside the bright whitewashed Mexican place where flames shot up from the grill and chopping sounds gladdened the longhaired guys waiting in line with clasped hands. Heavyset looked up with his usual dull viciousness, and then the door closed. A moment later, Sapphire scuttled nervously in, half-blinded by the cool darkness, piping: Luh-luh-luh…