William Gaddis - J R

— Got to understand my co-executor Mister Beamish, problem is he wrote a very important novel a few years ago just won a modest award, comes out in paperback gets letters from college girls and little magazines ask him something for nothing but he hasn’t got anything to…

— Jack shut up.

— Problem was Beamish we all knew each other too long, whole God damned problem Schramm thought the very important novel was about Schramm…

— Jack God damn it listen…

— Please Mister Eigen I think, Mister Gibbs I don’t think you need go into…

— Ought to know what did Schramm in though Beamish, problem was the self who could do more problem was somebody ran off with it, read all about it in Mister Eigen’s very important…

— Jack! God, God damn you shut up!

— Yes I, I think if we can get on to more relevant matters Mister Gibbs…

— Well God damn it can’t you see that’s what I’m trying to do? Problem where’s that cup, problem isn’t anything here of any great value God damn it what do you think this is!

— I, I’m sorry Mister Gibbs I don’t follow your point, an old typewriter scarcely…

— No he means the papers Mister Beamish but it’s just something Schramm, the manuscript of a book Schramm was…

— I see yes of, of course but establishing a monetary value for the manuscript of a published work is still a gray area and in this case would merely complicate…

— Point is Beamish God damn it Tom explain it to him will you Tom? Point is it isn’t published Beamish, point is it isn’t even finished, point what the hell do you think the point was Schramm comes back here one eyed comes back to tell us all comes back and takes one look see that God damned pipe up there Beamish…?

— Yes but, that isn’t what I meant…

— Jack just sit down and, here damn it give me that cup.

— Empty Tom, have to go next door and get Old Struggler.

— Give it to me I’ll go next door and…

— No no hurry Tom have to tell Beamish…

— Well I want another one myself damn it…

— Have to explain to Beamish Tom, you go next door and fill it while I explain something to Beamish Tom…

— But Mister Eigen…

— I’ll be right back Mister Beamish and we’ll clear this right up.

— Point is Beamish you have to know the facts, I can’t read this manuscript to you till you know the facts, see that in his will about Arlington but you have to know the facts, point is the war was the only time Schramm was ever really Schramm, that right Tom? Where the hell did he go. Little town called Beamish Mister, Saint Fiacre Mister Beamish, Belgian town snuggled up against the Ardennes where they broke through in that last big offensive and there’s Schramm out there with a few tanks holding the point. God damned general pulling his armor back as fast as he can there’s Schramm out there holding the point of the whole God damned defense perimeter with a few tanks against a whole God damned Panzer army coming down out of the Ardennes. Second night Schramm’s out there holding the point gets ready to fall back to his own lines there aren’t any God damned lines, general’s got himself and his whole God damned division what’s left of it pulled back twenty miles says later he radioed Schramm to pull back the end of the first day was a God damned lie, whole God damned Panzer army coming down on them finally knock out Schramm’s tank he damned near froze, hit in the leg and they take him prisoner damned near froze, ever see his limp? So God damned ashamed being taken prisoner he always tried to hide it, walked without showing it except when he was tired always drag a foot when he was tired, God damned general shelling his own front lines while he’s pulling out recommends Schramm for a medal for calling in shells on his own position holding that point God damned general still going around calling this the classic use of armor in defense, tells the history books how he stalled Blaufinger’s whole God damned Panzer army at Saint Fiacre long enough to break the back of the whole God damned Ardennes offensive there’s Schramm out there waiting for orders that never, Tom? Just filling Mister Beamish in on, thanks… wanted to know why in hell Schramm wants to be buried at Arlington out there holding the point waiting for orders while General Box wins the war, didn’t offer Mister Beamish any Tom. Here you go Mister Beamish…

— Oh no, no thank you…

— Sorry any of that get on you?

— It’s quite all right but, perhaps now we could…

— Trying to hurry Beamish… the cup came up for a long pull and he reached for the papers, — point is Schramm wasn’t just trying to write another God damned war book, whole God damned point in Faust the Lord has everything laid out for Faust to win but he won’t tell Faust, what the hell do you expect Faust to do? Lord staying above the God damned battle letting him break his God damned neck fighting for what was planned for him all the time what the hell do you…

— Jack shut up! We’ve got to…

— Look how the hell do you expect me to read this whole God damned thing to Mister Beamish without filling him in on the facts, ever see Schramm’s Western Beamish? Wrote a movie Western didn’t even have his name on it, point is he’s out there hanging on waiting for orders to fall back that never came from the Lord and this God damned general radioed him was a God damned lie, comes out saying he won the bet and… wait what the hell are you doing, expect me to read this whole thing to Mister…

— I don’t Jack! Damn it I don’t expect you to read anything to anybody now put… put it, down…!

— Mister Eigen perhaps we should wait and meet at my…

— Tom you’re spilling everything all over the God damned wait, wait that red book… and he was down among papers and dried teabags, dried squares of bandage — lent it to him five years ago never knew what happened to it wait, just read you this part Beamish give you a real insight into…

— Jack that’s enough God damn it! Here, give me…

— Wait you’re ripping it, what do you…

— Well then put it down damn it and… he caught a picture falling from its pages — who the, look at this, who’s this.

— Never saw Schramm’s mother Tom?

— Schramm’s, her? No, but who…

— Ask fam’s schrammly lawyer Tom, that Mrs Schramm Beamish?

— Yes I, I believe it is but not Mister Schramm’s ah, mother of course, his father’s second wife yes, I believe she married him just a few years before he died…

— Real number Tom, really see how she made the old man’s mickey stand for him can’t you Beamish…

— Well she, she was a good many years his junior yes, even younger than your friend Mister Schramm himself but…

— See why Schramm felt like Hippolytus turned backwards can’t you, get a hand on that raw lung see how Schramm felt can’t you.

— Yes I, I understand their relations were never entirely cordial but at this stage of course matters involving his estate will make it necessary to, I have some papers right here for her to sign in fact, I’d expected to drop them off but I’ll be out of town for a few days and…

— Where is she.

— Right there in the east Sixties somewhere but it’s getting rather late and I…

— Here I’ll take them, I can drop them off.

— Be very helpful if you would Mister Eigen, the address is right on it and it might help expedite matters, I know she is anxious to see things settled…

— Don’t blame her, get her hands on all that God damned money see how long she’s been waiting for it there where her crupper’s beginning to sag can’t you, hand that cup down will you? Probably more God damned surprised than anybody the way Schramm pulled out and left the whole God damned thing in her lap.