?I followed her,? Lavant said. ?She went into a couple'a stores carryin' Johnny in her arms but then she come to this one place, this delicatessen. They wouldn't let no dogs in there. Even that bitch couldn't break that rule and so she tied his leash to a bike rack. That's all I needed.?
The man in purple showed all of his teeth. ?You know I pretended like I was lockin' up my bicycle but then that I changed my mind. I scooped up little Johnny and made a beeline back home. He's mine now. License, shots, everythang.?
Lavant put up his hands feigning modesty at pulling off a great prank.
?Why?? Socrates asked.
?It's a war out here, brother,? Lavant Hall said with conviction. ?They wanna make us into slaves with the dollar. They wanna make us into slaves next to the TV. They even wanna make you a slave to taxes, my brother. You pay 'em yo' money an' they use it to buy your chains.?
?Listen, man,? Socrates said. ?I done heard all that shit in the lockup. All day long you hear men talk about bein' political prisoners an' all that shit. What I wanna know is what's all that got to do with you stealin' that woman's dog??
They had both stopped walking at the south end of the park. Socrates let Killer's backside down on the grass. But the dog didn't care because he was with his new best friend, barking and biting playfully.
?I didn't steal 'im I freed 'im,? Lavant said with glee in his high voice. ?I'm a freedom fighter. That's my job twenty- four hours a day, seven days a week. While you sleepin' I'm out fightin' for freedom. While you makin' chains I'm puttin' acid in the locks. While you countin' your pennies on a bare tabletop I'm partyin' with the people free from all the raggedy flags and law books of the Man.?
?You do all that, huh??
?Yep, I do,? Lavant said.
?Then why ain't I heard about you, you so famous??
?You done heard you just don't know. I'm all around you but I'm invisible like Ralph Ellison.?
?I don't know him either. And I still don't see why you stole that dog. But I thank you for the cigarette.? Socrates bent down to heft Killer's rope and said, ?Come on, boy. Let's get you home before somebody wants to make you free.?
?Hey, brother, hold up,? Lavant Hall said. ?What they have you in prison for??
?I broke the law right on the jaw,? Socrates said. ?I fucked it up and they come down on me with a hundred tons of chain.?
The man with the different-color eyes got serious.
?They can lock up your body,? the purple man said. ?But your mind is yours even if you don't want it.?
Socrates stopped a moment to think over those words. He nodded and then nodded again. Then he gave a little half wave and turned away.
He walked back toward his own apartment. Before he reached his home he had forgotten about Lavant Hall; except for once in the middle of the night when he was awakened by a thickly sweet odor. He sniffed his left hand in the darkness and realized that it was the scent of Lavant Hall's cologne.
September was hotter than August that year. One Saturday it was so bad that Socrates got a ride from the gypsy cabbie, Milton Langonier, out to Venice Beach where he and Darryl walked along the ocean with Killer at dusk.
Every hundred yards or so Killer would test the waves with his big red tongue, hoping to find fresh water somewhere in that vast ocean.
?How you like yo' new job?? Darryl asked. He was lanky and awkward but Socrates could see the beginning contours of a man's face coming out to replace the child's.
?They miss you down at the store, Darryl. Robyn and Sarah always askin' after you.?
?Really?? the child said. ?That Robyn's fine.?
?They both cute.? Socrates liked the black and white girlfriends even though they were wealthy and didn't know a thing.
