Brrttttt.
Lights out, spook. Then, and I don?t know why I did it, maybe it was because, you know, it?s the last
day of the fuckin? war, you want to try to get in as much as you can, I take Fineman?s machete and
lop that slope?s head off, swock, just like that, pretty as you please. Fineman almost pukes, can you
believe that? All he?s seen, for Christ sake. I throw the trophy in this ammo bag, take it back for the
rest of them to see. What the hell, they have a right. Call it spoils of war.
The last day: This time the scuttlebutt?s true. We get back to the river and it?s all over. Everybody?s
cheering, singing songs, drinking, and the black market man is giving away booze. I never thought I?d
live to see the day. They?re settin? off rockets and flares, shooting up shit, like the Fourth of Fuckin?
July, and all I?m doin?, I?m sittin? there thinkin? about what that lieutenant said, about bowling. Only
he didn?t talk about what happens when it?s over, maybe none of us thought it ever would be. Thing is,
we?re gain? back to the World, man, whether we like it or not. It?s all over. No more grace.
73
ZAPATA SAVES THE DAY
The call came in at 8:04.
The Warehouse was already babbling with activity. Dutch was quizzing Lange, Cowboy Lewis, and
Pancho Callahan. Charlie One Ear took the call.
Callahan was doing most of the talking.
“We all showed up at city pier together, no more than thirty minutes ago,” he told Dutch. “Kite there
was following Bronicata, and Cowboy was on Chevos. I had Costello. Zapata was there, too, doing
something, I don?t know what. All of a sudden all four of us are watching each other and the three of
them are tooting out into the bay on Costello?s boat.”
“Cute. So right now we?re standing on empty, that it?” Dutch said.
“Well, Zapata powdered. I don?t know where he went. One minute he was there, the next minute he
wasn?t.”
“We woulda followed Costello and them but we couldn?t find a rowboat to rent,” Kite Lange said.
“Hilarious,” said Dutch. “You auditioning for the Comedy Hour?”
Charlie One Ear burst through the door.
