eyeing all happen. Cat sister press red paper bundle on fingers of operative me, host sister say, “I hope it fits.”
Fingers of operative me cradle package, slick feel of red paper. Pull at fake gold of flowering knot, careful no to tear paper, no to break binding. This agent deconstruct package careful as were delay-ignite Turkish T-155 Panter howitzer shell bomb. Inside, folded black fabric printed white with in letters English writing. Unfold fabric so reveal tunic, wrote across front with “Property of Jesus” on top above shape like fish, like primitive outline caveman fish.
Pig dog eyes looking down at apparatus, twitching thumbs pushing beeps, busy and fast, host brother say, “It’s a T-shirt, ’tard.” Say, “Put it on.”
Fellow mission operatives, neighboring amid arrival for collect luggage, target host families throw arms around, say, “Group hug.” Agent Sasha. Agent Vigor. Accept to grip thread of silver floating bladder, English worded “Welcome to Jesus.” Other floating bladder worded “Smile!” Other package covered of paper. Other agents buried in heavy layer American arms. Every American try secret to be sniffing operatives, scrub with small snake eyes for soil or foreign disease germ. Host families with fellow operatives trailing more distant, strolling more distant until disappear out airport doors to where already automobile wait. Horn honking at edge of outside street. All automobile the big of house.
Begins here phase one: Operation Havoc.
Arms of operative me wrestle black fabric over head, pull fabric down over shoulders, over waist until black hang to knees, past knees. Edge of little sleeve hang to elbow. Word of “Jesus” flap over crotch. Collar big around to circle neck and one shoulder of this agent.
Breathing cow father say, “You’ll grow into it.” Say, stinking fluoride breath, “Here,” and hand over fabric rag glued to hang off end of wood stick. American flag little as napkin. White, red, and blue.
Fingers of operative me pinch wood stick like stem of stinking weed. Wave stripe flag to fan away reek of host family air. Butter fat stench. Chemical hair soap stink. Such filthy reek American cash money.
Hand of vast cow father, hand rise, all finger made straight as for pledge. Lips host father say, “We’re not
Same now, host mother flex both leg limbs so able leap, smite own palm against open hand of father, making loud sound of slap hands. Say shout host chicken mother, “
Begins here delicious tang of host family, thin American blood already salt on hot tongue of operative me. Already is decadent host family flesh tear by operative teeth. Drool of operative me, flooding hunger within mouth making to swallow. Tongue to lick lips of operative me. Drown cyanide molar. Could be crunch of host bones sweet between teeth of this agent. Stomach to growl. Quick them to be screaming out blood, mouth trumpet yawning blood, quick dead. Ultimate vengeance.
Label tag inside collar of Jesus tunic, print “Made in China.”
Label tag along weed stem of American flag, print “Made in China.”
Operative me not say loud, only say inside this agent head, quote turncoat Hebrew, corrupt genius Robert Oppenheimer, atom bomb father, quote, “I am become as death, the destroyer of worlds.” Next then, making agent eyes bright on host target family, mouth of operative design into smile, extra especial wide to show all of many sharp white teeth.
Quote, “All the better to eat you with, my dears.”
Repeat inside head of operative me, quote, “I am become as death…”
Chicken mother say, “We’ll make an American out of you…” Keys of automobile jangling, beak chin wagging no stop, host mother say, “Or, swear to our Lord almighty God, we are gonna die trying.”
Dispatch Second
Begins here second account of operative me, agent number 67, on arrival retail product distribution facility of city. XXXXXX Outlet number XXXXXX. Date XXXXXX. For official record, during American winter youth attend compulsive levels of teaching; during summer, American youth must attend shopping mall.
Magic quiet door go sideways, disappear inside wall to open path from outside. Not total all glass, extruded aluminum metal frame silver edge, doors slide gone until reveal inside stand old woman, slave woman appareled with red tunic, spring apparatus gripping tunic front to hang swinging sign, printed, “Doris.” Ancient sentinel rest gray cloud eye upon operative me, roll eye from hair and down this agent, say, voice like old parrot, say, “Welcome to Wal-Mart.” Say, “May I help you find something?”
Mouths of this agent make smile, face design into pleasing eye contact. This agent say, “Much venerate ancient mother … where sold here location China-make 81-S-type gas-operated, rotating-bolt, fire six hundred fifty rounds per minute machine gun?”
Face of ancient mummify bound in dying skin, clouded eye only look, no blink.
Smile of operative me say, “Revered soon dying mother, distribute you ammunitions correct for Croatia- made forty-five-caliber, long-piston-stroke APS assault rifle?”
Smile of operative me, breathing, await.
Sag windpipe of ancient parrot, sag skin jump with swallow. Edge smear of red wax slice open as mouth, wax smile melt flat, straight.
“Brazil-made FA 03 assault rifle?” say this agent, shout, maybe not could hear, shout, “Venerate ancestor, much respected dying soon rotting corpse,” shout, “where sell here Slovak SA Vz.58 assault rifle?”
Parrot face of dying skin fill with blood glow, red wax of mouth bunch until volcano pucker, tight until skin of pucker mouth pinched white of no blood. Cloud eyes flash electric bolts. Volcano blow open, old parrot voice say, loud shout, saliva erupt to fly, “You’ll find our sporting goods on aisle sixteen, young man.”
Could be,
Merely this agent say, “Thank you, much esteemed madam living skeleton.” Wish safe quick soon mission into next eternity.
For official record, squirrel maze of retail distribution center puzzle of competition warring objects, all improved, all package within fire colors. Area divided into walls constructed from objects, all tinted color so grab eye. All object printed: Love me. Look me. Million speaking objects, begging. Crown American consumer with power of king, to rescue choose and give home or abandon here for expire. Word label blow sharp into ear, loud into eye. Pander hand to take. Dying objects. All here, useful life winding down in clock ticks. Dying objects. Dying buyer. Dying slave woman “Doris.” Desperate how sad.
Feet of this operative walk bending around corners, through canyon shadowed of objects, all boast best cheap. All most good taste. All objects fight for adopt.
Bending around new corner, eyes of operative me witness operative Tibor, agent 23, shoving wheeled silver basket of host family. Around new corner, witness operative Magda, agent 36; host mother eyeing sideways as concealing bright box of object within tunic of that agent to theft. Eye of operative Magda meeting eye contact of this agent.
Recent to commence: Operation Havoc.
Next then, feet of this operative bending around new corner, witness host brother, pig dog, resting on polish floor. Prone on floor, pig dog face cheek flat pressed on floor, whole body sprawl behind head and neck. Stand over, other new youth, American growing clear-yellow hair to hang hiding ears. Clear-yellow hair hang to hide neck, hang so curtain sides of face while youth rest shoe foot on upside of pig dog face. Clear-yellow youth balance all weight, stand only on face of host brother, clear-yellow youth say, “Hand over the cash, dick- wad…”
Face of pig dog, pinched under shoe, flat on top of floor, nose of host brother leak blood and liquid mucus in mix puddle around crack lips. Host brother eyes squeeze shut. Lips of pig dog sputter in puddle, blow blood and juice to say, “Okay… okay.” Say, “Just let me up.”
Clear-yellow bully reach hand to behind trouser pocket of pig dog. Slide fingers within and pull until denim fabric cry with threads breaking, until pocket flap hanging like fabric tail. Hands of clear-yellow bully, stomp shoe
