William Gaddis - J R

— Man like there’s four of you I mean you’re this whole cemetery like if you can’t come up with one how can he get you this booking man, like time is money I mean what about Chairman Meow like I mean did you go to Jersey?

— Like, what day is it.

— Man like how do I know what day is it I mean if you went to Jersey it’s like Thursday right? She stooped back to the tub, came up tossing sandals — I mean like hurry man, like tell him I mean don’t offices close like?

— Yes well, what time is it they usually…

— It’s like five of.

— Five of what.

— Man like how do I know five of what, I mean it’s like five minutes of something but you hang this big office wall clock from your business over there with like all those boxes stacked up I mean after three o’clock nobody knows what time it is till like nine I mean come on man every day this vietrinary keeps him there it’s like four dollars I mean hurry up wait leave me some reds… They paused past 24–12 Oz Btls Fragile! — man like what’s this, coke? I mean wow… she came on, shuddering the door back into place on the flap of sandals down the dark, returning slowly past the rush of waters pulling the shirt closed far enough to thrust the envelope into its pocket and let it fall free again pushing the guitar off on the pile of mail and sitting, feet up toes snubbed on H-O — I mean they give Al this real hard time at Jersey and Connecticut man, like they make him go over there and sign all the time like they won’t even mail him his checks you know? Like here at New York they mail him it only then he has to like spend all this New York welfare just to like go get this welfare off Jersey and Connecticut I mean just like you man.

— Like what do you mean me just like me what…

— Man like this business job you’ve got only you’re going around with that radio thing stuck in your ear all the time for this other job listening to these songs like you think you have to write down every song they play I mean just make up a list man, like I mean I’ll make up a list for you.

— Look I’m just doing it became I’m trying to get something else done here and why you think Al is, I mean if he worked like other people and…

— Come off it man like other people I mean like who, like I mean somebody’s getting paid to be this weather forecaster someplace telling you fair and warm while you’re like up to your ass in this blizzard I mean like who does anything man, I mean somebody gets a job and like the first thing they do they try to figure out how to not do it I mean look at you man, like this business job with all this mail and calls and these presents like only you’re up all night trying to make this four hundred dollars writing this music for some band that’s getting this money free to play it? Like I mean what’s the difference if you get help off that and Al gets it off this welfare, I mean like you’re both in music and like you weren’t even very nice to him man.

— Yes but, but look can’t you…

— I mean he brings his guitar all the way up here to talk about music and you won’t even talk to him.

— Yes but look can’t you see I just want to get this finished and then I can…

— Man like finish it who’s stopping you I mean everybody’s like trying to help you out, I mean like I’m taking in all these packages and like answering the door to these cops and Indians and every…

— But what, wait what Indians who…

— Like man either he was this Indian or he had this deviated septum like my brother had one I mean like I tell him to get lost and he says he already is lost and like this Treasury Department cop looking for your friend Grynszpan and these telephone calls, I mean just writing down all these telephone calls man… legs gaped and the shirt fell wide with her reach to 12–38 Oz Btls Won’t Burn, Smoke or Smell for a torn brown paper bag — I mean here…

— Yes well, look thank you but if Al hadn’t broken that attachment that took them down on tape you wouldn’t even have to ans…

— I mean that’s what I mean like I mean you say maybe it can be adopted to like tape something off your ear radio so Al tries to help you out and when you’re like trying to tape this Bach thing it breaks so you blame him when he’s only trying to…

— Yes all right it doesn’t matter look what’s, what does this say General who? He held out her pencil markings on the brown paper, — Ball?

— Balls Boll I mean how do I know like that’s what I said General who and they said General some company like, and like there’s this other general, like council something.

— General counsel? Of, but of what company what…

— No man like council general something.

— But, consul general but of where…

— Like he couldn’t even talk English man, I mean it sounded French so like I say the only French I know and he hangs right up, then like there was this U S chamber of something I mean I didn’t even write it down like they said can you come speak at some dinner so I ask like what’s on thé menu and they don’t even know I mean like that must be some dinner.

— Yes well, all right yes what’s this one bert, Beaton?

— Like he called twice today man he sounds like this real fag I mean he really wants to talk to you.

— Yes I know yes I’ll, I’ll call him when I…

— And then somebody calls from this office of some Senator someplace I mean they really sound like they think they’re hot shit so could they discuss this campaign contribution at your convenience they said they’re like counting on twenty so like I say maybe you’ll send them twenty bucks sometime so like they say perhaps I misunderstood they mean like thousand so I say they better count again so…

— Yes well look maybe, maybe you shouldn’t bother to answer the phone anymore if, what does this say Stamper?

— Stamper man like I never heard such a filthy mouth on anybody, I mean like he’s in some fucking barnyard…

— Yes but what did he, was it about music for a…

— He said it’s like he wants to talk to you about some rights of something you could like call him back at his car I mean I told him what to do with his car man I never heard such a filthy mouth, I mean you have some business associates man like somebody else calls that says is your boss keeping his long position on bellies man I mean this must be some business you and him are in. And I mean him. Man he sounds like he’s calling from under this blanket someplace.

— Did he call? What, what did he…

— Man like he can’t stop talking I mean he says write all this stuff down so I write this stuff down and, no on the back…

— What this? I can’t, what’s ebus…

— Erbus that’s Erbus like he said it’s some movie company that’s losing all this money I mean he sounded real happy, like I wrote it down someplace… and her knee fell wide leaning toward the paper gone quivering in his hand, — like down here…

— Ebe… he cleared his throat, raised his eyes back to the brown paper — Erebus yes that, it must be that man who just called Mis, Mister Leva…

— I mean they lost twenty-eight what’s that, like million, I mean like he said twenty-eight million dollars making some big movie they’re losing like a million dollars a month man I mean like he sounded real happy.

— Yes well there are tax, business tax situations where…

— Man like don’t explain it to me but I mean like that must be some movie… and the knee fell back, — then under there he said like will you read today’s Times like about this war someplace you’re buying this radium then some other stuff about he’s like buying this school will you talk to this lawyer that sent you that dirty mummy joke and then some big bank loan like man let’s eat… the knees came down — I mean I’m hungry.