William Gaddis - Carpenter's Gothic

— She just, I told you she just called, she's on a trip and…

— Her whole God damn life's a trip. He put his glass down empty, — why doesn't she just buy Eleuthera and slam the door.

— She's not even there, she's in Montego Bay. She bumped into Jack Orsini coming back from Geneva and he took her to Montego Bay.

— Didn't I tell you? Reads a ten minute paper in Geneva, stops at Eleuthera to pick up your flaky blonde they hop over to Montego Bay to sit around the pool and he writes the whole God damn thing off as a medical conference, isn't that what I told you? Did you tell her I want to talk to him?

— Well she, it wasn't really the…

— I told you last week, the next time you hear from him I want to talk to him did you tell her that?

— Well not, yes I told her yes, yes she said he'd call you. She said he'll call you when he gets back, she…

— I mean this is important Liz, I mean this is what I mean about these phone calls, getting these important phone calls if we're going to get things going around here. Adolph told me Orsini's trying to hit the estate for another hundred thousand, did I tell you? Adolph says…

— Oh Paul honestly, Adolph says… She was swinging wide the refrigerator door, — didn't I ask you not to get into that it will just make things worse…

— Look don't get ahead of me Liz! You're always trying to get in there ahead of me, here put some ice in this will you? Orsini's sitting on this eight million dollar foundation your father set up for him now he comes up for another hundred thousand operating expenses, tells Adolph he wants to keep things going to carry out your father's wishes what happened to the eight million? Straps a few people down and puts them to sleep, checks their eye movements to track down their dreams now he needs a hundred thousand to publish their findings, I mean what the hell happened to the eight million? Look, Orsini may be looking around for an investment that's all. Some idle cash looking for a quiet place to hide out, straight business that's all, if he wants to spend his time lying around the pool with some spaced out…

— All right! Just, just stop calling Edie a flaky blonde. When do you want dinner, there's this chicken thing.

— Oh come on, Liz. What's she doing playing tickledick in the hot tub with Jack Orsini, put some water in this will you? I thought she got married, that Indian creep last winter called himself a medical student with the long dirty diapers I thought she was Mrs Jheejheeboy, where the hell's Mister Jheejheeboy?

— Well she's not Mrs Jheejheeboy I don't know where he is, they're separated. Now do you want dinner?

— Just like to see the look on her father's face when he paid off Mister Jheejhee…

— He doesn't even know about it.

— Know about it? Grimes? He pays off every time she ties the can to one, only time he got off free was the Burmese that took off with all her traveler's checks. Just like he paid off your brother Billy to keep his hands off Squeek, every time…

— Well he doesn't. Edie has her own money, she has her own money she can't wait to get rid of it.

— Should have had a shot at Edie myself.

— Why didn't you.

— I'm kidding Liz look, all I'm…

— Did you?

— Look I didn't know her. I didn't even know her till I met you.

— All right then after. What about after.

— Liz come on… he tripped against the table leg, — what would I…

— No please Paul, stop it please… she ducked away at the stove. — Do you want that broccoli with this? from last night?

— What do you mean then, she's got money she wants to get rid of! He was back at the table, where he stamped down his emptied glass. — Catch Grimes setting up a trust where she could dip into principal whenever she…

— Paul you don't listen. I told you when it happened you just never listen, that terrible old aunt died she had in Saint Louis Aunt Lea everybody hated her, she kept living till ninety six just for spite just to be mean. She wouldn't part with a penny she wouldn't even die when it would do anybody any good Edie always hated her, she had to go out and stay with her sometimes when she was little and when she left Edie two or three million I don't know how much, Edie was so mad she's just been trying to run through it to get back at her. Do you want broccoli with this or not.

— All right look, just tell me one thing. Liz? The bottle neck shuddered on the rim of the glass and he steadied it, forcing it down, — just one thing. Here's your pal Edie your best friend Edie trying to unload a couple of million, right? Here we are so far in the hole we can't see out the top, now will you tell me why the hell it never occurred to you hit her up for a few…

— Because there are things you just don't do Paul! Especially with best friends there are things you just don't ask from best friends that's why. Because I don't want her to think you can't do what you, I want her to think you can do all these marvelous things you're doing what I tell her you're doing that we don't need help hers or anybody's that's why! Because she thinks you're just marvelous that you're brilliant doing these investments and things because she, because I didn't marry Mister Jheejheeboy that's why!

— All right listen. Just listen. I just told you we're looking for investors. She's got some extra cash, she thinks I know what I'm doing fine, she can put in half a million, straight business no best friends no anything, a good tax angle her money's safe now what's wrong with…

— Oh everything Paul, everything now you've made me burn the broccoli. She doesn't want tax angles she doesn't want it safe she just wants to spite that old woman, she…

— Liz the old woman's dead!

— That's not the point! If she wants to run through it if she wants to just give it to people like this Victor Sweet she met down there why shouldn't she. Do you still want this broccoli?

— Like your brother and his greasy Buddhists same God damn thing, why the hell would she give money to Victor Sweet.

— Because he needs it for politics, he wants to be in the Senate and he needs it to get elected just like anybody that's why.

— No, come on Liz. Victor Sweet? He'd run for dog catcher. He's never got near a…

— Well Edie says he's charming, she said he wants peace and disarmament he's read a lot and he's sincere and he really wants to help his people, she met him at a party down there and she says he's charming.

— Liz he's sentimental and woolly minded, the black vote won't touch him he couldn't lead ants out of a paper bag, he can't even get himself nominated if he wants to help his people what the hell is he doing at parties in Montego Bay?

— He's trying to raise money to get nominated to get, I don't know I don't care. Here. You don't have to eat the broccoli.

— Fine where's the ice did you, Liz? Where you going.

— No place. Just in here.

— But what…

— It's the smoke Paul, it's your cigarette it's just the smoke.

— Yes all right but, Liz? waving the smoke about with one hand, garnishing the broccoli with ashes stamping the thing out on the edge of the plate with the other, — Liz? You're not going to eat?

— I don't know. Maybe later I don't know.

— Then why did you, I mean I didn't say I wanted to eat right now either… Both elbows on the table he pursued a chicken remnant across the plate, — Liz? You said Victor Sweet wants to run for senator? You mean in Washington against Teakell…? He speared it flaked with ash — like running against a stone wall, Teakell's been in there for thirty years he's got everything behind him from the Administration to people like Grimes, Edie's father that old bastard Grimes you think that's why she's doing it? give him another ulcer? Get next to Teakell I'd be out of the woods… He speared another piece clear of the broccoli, — think she even knows who Teakell is? Liz? Feel like I'm in here talking to myself.