William Gaddis - J R

— Light a match will you? I, no I got it damn it look don’t just kick that mail in can’t you pick it up and…

— Got a misplaced reverence for mail Tom, think Grynszpan’s getting invitations to birthday parties? Edison Company look, A Piscator Attorney at Law ever hear good news from an attorney at law? Lighthouse for the Blind, Crawley and…

— All right just get up and bring it in, who the hell left the hot water in the sink running like this…

— Better turn it off before we…

— What do you think I’m trying to, damn it look at that the handle’s broken right off the faucet.

— Where’s Old Struggler.

— Right there on that pile of film cans Jack who the hell broke this fauc…

— Find any glasses? came from behind 36 Boxes 200 2-Ply where he threaded his way through the stacks of cartons for an opening ahead — where the, what happened to the lamp in here… He rested the bottle on an H-O carton to find a match, held it high along a further reach of cartons rising to a plateau of bound volumes heaped toward the wall and then came on for the windows ahead where an askew blind caught flashes of light from below.

— Jack? When were you up here last, turn that light on will you?

— Hell do you think I’m… he poised the stockinged foot on Wise Potato Chips Hoppin’ With Flavor! — how it got over here… and he reached under the punctured shade, — there…

— treasured heirlooms, many were from the finest homes in…

— God damned radio still alive, find a glass? Better get, ow!

— No is that all the scotch we…

— Wait don’t sit down, place is boobytrapped with sharp pencils… he pulled the soiled blanket from the armless sofa, sank back with the bottle. — Who the hell’s reading Moody’s Industrials…

— That’s what I, wait if that’s all the scotch damn it Jack you’re drinking the whole…

— Couldn’t wait, where’s your glass.

— There aren’t any glasses! do you, you think I don’t need one too Christ I, I’d just talked him out of it Jack I…

— Did a great job.

— What? Look don’t, don’t say anything like that to me again Jack don’t…

— Well how the hell could you let him leave like that! just, just let him go out alone even if you’d…

— He wouldn’t let me go with him! I told him you were coming down he thought we’d try to put him back into Bellevue he had this, this girl this God damn girl if she’d been here waiting for him like she said she would she, he’d be…

— Need some more scotch, I’d go myself but Hardy Suggs stole my shoe.

— I’m going yes, look Jack I’ll hurry if the police come in just don’t start, just tell them I’ll be right back will you?

— New liquor store right on the corner can’t miss it, I saw it from the cab, Tom? Can’t miss it, big sign in the window Back to School Sale can’t miss it… he put down the empty bottle, got up and dug for a match favoring his shod foot toward the window where he parted the blind to peer down at the flashing lights in a puff of smoke, reached to drop the burned match behind 2-Ply Facial Tissue Yellow sagging closer to it, picking a page up — what the, Tom…? he came down on 1 Doz 59¢ Wise Potato Chips Hoppin’ With Flavor! to bring the score under the light — pom pompom, pom… escaping him till he sang out abruptly — halte là!

— Hello…?

— Qui va là! That you Tom? Got back God damned fast what, wait who are you…

— I, Mister Gibbs…?

— Yes but who the, no. No. Bast? What in, what the hell are you doing here…

— Well I just, I’ve been away I just got back… he dropped a soiled manila envelope and a paper sack on the armless sofa and stood there — I, I’ve just been working here I, I mean what, is everything all right?

— Everything’s great, look…

— No but what are those police cars down there they…

— Those are police cars Bast now look, will you just tell me how you ever got here?

— Yes well the bus came in downtown and I walked across and took the subway up to…

— Bast?

— What, did I…

— Listen. Can you just tell me how the hell you found this place to begin with?

— Yes well the tag, the number was right on the tag on that key you gave me and the name Gryns…

— I gave you?

— Yes and the name Grynszp…

— No wait, wait. I gave you the key?

— Well, well yes you, that night at the train station when you remember don’t you Mister Gibbs? I mean I, I think you’d had something to drink but you gave me the key and said I could work up here if I, I mean is it all right?

— Fine great look just sit down will you? Don’t just stand there like a…

— Because I mean if it’s not I could…

— Said it’s fine didn’t I? Few details I didn’t follow find that card here someplace I, will you sit down!

— Yes well I, I was just going to fix something to eat… he’d picked up the paper sack again, — I’ve been on the bus all day I haven’t had anything since…

— Fine go fix it, just…

— I’ll be right back… he got past 36 Boxes 200 2-Ply, — Mister Gibbs? Would you like a cup of tea?

— Hate a cup of tea listen…

— Yes well I could only find one cup, he called over the torrent at the sink, — Mister Gibbs? I’ve tried not to disturb things I just put all the lampshades back here in one place and moved some of the boxes so it would be easier to…

— Bast?

— And the sink yes, yes I’m sorry… he came through with a cup dangling the string of a teabag — one day I turned on the hot water and when I tried to turn it off the handle on the faucet broke off in my hand and I couldn’t…

— Look don’t worry about the God damned sink just, listen…

— Would you like one of these Mister Gibbs…? he was tearing a cellophane wrapping — I just got them because it’s all I could…

— Christ no now look…

— Mister Gibbs are you, you’ve only got one shoe on are you…

— I know it! now, now listen…

— And your coat’s torn there by the pocket I mean are you, is everything…

— Listen! everything’s, I mean what are you doing here!

— Well I, I just thought when you said I could come up here and work you said, you were talking about a place of stone in that cafeteria about writing an opera and…

— Cafeteria thought you’re writing an opera call up they tell me you’re on a business trip, woman looks like a God damned carnival tent tells me…

— But, but how did you…

— Jack…?

— Tells me to bump into you have you call in for an appointment with your…

— I, I just did yes when I got off the bus but, but how did…

— Jack? Have they been here to, who…

— Like you to meet Edward Bast Tom, meant to tell you I said he could work up here he’s a composer, here pass the bottle…

— Yes well I, I’m glad to meet you Mister Grynszpan I’ve sort of expected you any day there’s a lot of mail for you, I put it in the oven to…

— No wait, look…

— Thought we needed a composer in residence cheer things up here, busy composing somebody else’s opera needed a piano, found the piano yet Bast?

— Yes well I, I mean I got about two octaves uncovered but then some books slid down when I was trying to find a, it sounds like a radio under there somewhere but I can’t…

— Tell you about that later Bast, he’s a little sensitive this was his honeymoon apartment, Tom? Tell Mister Bast how you used to clear your typewriter and papers off the card table when your charming bride invited…

— Look be quiet Jack, I’m not Mister Grynszpan no sit down Mister Bast go ahead with your, your supper look Jack…