Gregory Roberts - The Mountain Shadow

‘You’ve got me there.’

‘I always get you there.’

A newcomer to the bar bumped Karla into me, and our glasses clashed together anyway.

‘Looks like we’ve done that toast after all,’ I said.

She stared at me from a hard frown for a moment, but then she smiled again.

‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Make another toast, without drinking water yourself. That should keep us safe.’

‘To green eyes – may they always be protected.’

‘I’ll certainly drink to that,’ Randall said, sipping champagne.

‘To green queens,’ she said, smiling light at me.

She raised her glass, took a small sip, and stared back at me. It was the moment to break through, and we both knew it. It was perfect.

‘Lin!’ Vinson said, bouncing against me and slapping his long, strong fingers onto my back, Rannveig at his side. ‘Good to see you, man!’

I was still looking at Karla. She was looking at me.

‘Vinson,’ I said, the voice in my ears sounding like something hard, breaking. ‘I don’t think you’ve met. This is Karla. Karla, this is Stuart Vinson. And this is Rannveig, like the thing at the airport.’

‘Say, Karla !’ Vinson shouted. ‘I’m damn glad to finally meet you.’

‘It won’t do any good,’ Karla replied, playing it straight.

‘It… it won’t?’ Vinson smiled, already confused.

‘No. Anything you heard is out of date.’

‘Out of… what?’

‘I reinvented myself.’

Vinson laughed.

‘Oh. Wow. Like, when did this happen?’

‘It’s happening now,’ Karla said, holding his gaze. ‘Try to keep up.’

My heart stumbled like a drunk dancing. God, I loved her. There was no-one like her.

Then she turned to the girl, Rannveig, and asked her if she was okay. I looked at the girl. She wasn’t okay.

‘She’s fine!’ Vinson said, clapping an arm around her.

Rannveig’s face was drawn and pale.

‘I told her,’ Vinson continued, ‘I said, hey, you’ve been through a lot. Time to get out and see people, have a few laughs, you know? The best medicine, they say.’

He hugged her to him, shaking her. Her arms flapped at her sides.

‘How you doing, kid?’ I asked.

She looked up quickly, ice-chips glittering in her blue eyes.

‘I’m not a kid!’ she snapped.

‘O… kay.’

‘Don’t take it personally,’ Karla said. ‘He’s a writer. He thinks he’s older than his grandfather.’

‘That’s pretty funny,’ Vinson laughed.

‘And as for you ,’ Karla said. ‘Let that girl out of your armpit, right now.’

Surprised, Vinson allowed Karla to peel Rannveig away from him.

‘Randall,’ Karla said, ‘I know you’re off duty, but this in an emergency. I want your cleanest glasses and your dirtiest jokes, and make it snappy.’

‘Your command is my wish, ma’am,’ Randall said, glasses like eels swimming in his hands.

‘How ’bout that?’ Vinson mumbled. ‘She stole my girl.’

‘She’s your girl now?’

‘Oh, man,’ he said, turning a big, open-mouthed smile on me. ‘I told you, didn’t I, back there at the station house? I told you she was the one. I’m crazy about her. She’s really something, isn’t she? My heart beats faster every time I look at her.’

‘She’s been in a plane crash,’ I said.

‘A plane? But… what?’

‘You know what I mean. She woke up a few days ago with a dead boyfriend in the bed. That’s a big fire to put out. Go easy, man.’

‘Oh, sure, sure. I mean, like – hey, wait a minute! You don’t think I’m taking advantage of her situation , do you? I’m… I’m not that kinda guy.’

‘I know.’

‘I haven’t put a hand on her.’

‘I know.’

‘I wouldn’t do that.’

‘I know.’

‘I’m not that kinda guy,’ he said again gruffly.

I was suddenly tired: the kind of angry-tired that’s irritated by everything that isn’t flat, and white, and has a pillow at one end.

‘If I thought you were that kinda guy, I wouldn’t have let you get near her, or any girl I know.’

He bristled, young manhood straightening his spine.

‘Any time you think you’re good enough, sport.’

‘I really haven’t got time for this shit, Vinson. I met Rannveig before you did. And I got her out of jail, remember? That gives me the right to tell you not to push her too hard. If you don’t like it, and you want to get slappy, I’ll be downstairs by my bike, in about five minutes.’

We stared at one another, his pride riding out to meet my irritation. Men. I liked Vinson, and he liked me, and we were ready to fight.

‘When did you meet her?’ he asked, after a long stare.

‘Before that day at the police station.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘Why didn’t she? Maybe because it’s none of your business. Look, I met her once, on the street, outside Leo’s. She was waiting for her boyfriend to score. Ask her about it.’

‘Okay, okay. But I care about her. Don’t you see that?’

‘Of course I do. I’m glad she’s with you. That’s what I was trying to tell you before, maybe in the wrong way. You’re a nice guy. She’ll be safe with you. I know that. Just ease up a little. She had a boyfriend. He’s dead. What she needs is a friend. The boy-part can wait, while the friend-part does the work. You see that, right?’

He relaxed, letting out a gush of air.

‘Wow! You really had me going there, Lin. Jesus! I thought -’

‘Listen, the best thing you can do for that girl, right now, is to tell her that her boyfriend didn’t commit suicide. She feels guilty, but she had nothing to do with it. The dope was too strong. Three kids died in the same week. Check on it. Make sure she understands that, and clear her mind.’

‘Thanks,’ he said. ‘Hey, I’m sorry we got off on the wrong -’

‘It’s my fault. Got a lot on my mind. Have you seen Lisa anywhere?’

‘She was with that artist, last time I saw her. The tall guy, with the slicked-back hair.’

‘Thanks. He’s one of the partners in her gallery. If I can’t find her, I’m gonna go home. If you see her or the artist, please tell her that. You take care.’

‘Wait!’ Vinson said, reaching out to offer his hand. ‘Thanks. Thanks. I mean… I’ll take care of Rannveig. I mean -’

‘It’s good,’ I said, shaking hands with him, smiling at him, liking him, wishing happiness for him and the girl, and not really caring, so long as they were happy, if I ever saw either one of them again. ‘It’s good.’

Little tornadoes of laughing-drinking people whirled in every room. I went from whirl to whirl, searching for Lisa. Nobody had seen her for a while at the party. I finally made my way to the door.

Karla was dancing with Rannveig. For a minute, I watched: her hips the sea, her eyes the flute, her hands the cobra. Karla.

When the elevator doors opened, Scorpio George, Naveen Adair and Divya Devnani stepped out.

‘Lin!’ Naveen cried. ‘Where are you going, man? The party’s just getting started!’

‘I’m beat,’ I said, stepping into the elevator and holding the button to keep the doors open. ‘But can you give me a minute?’

‘Oh, please come with us!’ Scorpio pleaded. ‘I want you to tell me about that shooting incident at Leopold’s. Nobody’s talking, and I’m dying to know what happened.’

‘Another time, Scorp.’

‘Okay, then we’ll ride back down with you,’ Naveen said, pulling the others into the elevator with him.

The doors closed, leaving us with our reflected selves in the mirrored walls.

‘There was a very pretty American girl, all blonde hair and brown eyes, waiting upstairs,’ Divya said. ‘Did you meet her?’