Lavant came up and put his arm around her.
?I can hardly wait,? Socrates said. ?To see the sun come up and not be in jail are the two best things there is.?
Lavant and Alice went off to her bed. Venus touched Socrates' shoulder but he told her that he was going to stay up for a while.
Venus was well named but Socrates was too angry to be with a woman. He didn't feel safe in his own skin.
He opened the sliding glass door and sat out on the terrace that looked over Alice's rock garden, swimming pool and the sea. He couldn't make out the ocean but he could smell it and every once in a while there came the faint sound of breaking waves.
Two hours later the Pacific shifted into existence and morning gulls cried. Socrates sat completely still, afraid to move a finger lest the spell would break.
The smell of coffee came with daylight.
?Good morning, Mr. Fortlow,? Alice said at the door. She came out with a cup of coffee in each hand.
?Mornin',? Socrates said. ?Thank you.?
His hostess wore a full-length white terry cloth robe. She sat down in the chair beside him.
?I love this view,? she said. There were dark patches under her eyes and her hair was a mess.
?It's like we ran through hell and went right up to heaven,? Socrates said. ?Damn.?
Venus and Lavant soon appeared and they went off saying that they would make breakfast. Alice joined them but Socrates stayed outside. He walked down through the rock garden, stuck his toes in the pool. He walked out to the edge of the property which looked down into a sheer gorge that led down to the sea.
?Where you wanna go, Socco?? Lavant called.
Socrates was standing near the pool.
Lavant and Alice and Venus came over to the edge when the big man didn't answer.
?Did you sleep at all last night?? Venus asked him.
?I don't think so,? he replied.
?Why'ont you stay here and take a nap, brother,? Lavant suggested. ?Alice gonna take me down to Sam Flax in Westwood to get some razor blades and brushes. That's okay, right, baby??
?Well,? the homeowner stalled. ?I ??
?He
save your butt last night, girl.?
?Okay,? she said after a long hesitation. ?We're going for art supplies and maybe some lunch. We'll drop Venus off at work and Lavant promised to help me pick up a chair that I bought.?
Socrates fell asleep on the sofa in the wide living room and dreamed of being in that house forever with the breeze from the ocean and the sweet sounds of the world.
He was walking on a large grassy field with Killer running around him on all four legs. There were sheep everywhere bleating and eating grass.
?Hey, Socco,? someone called.
He turned and saw Right Burke approaching him wearing his sergeant's uniform from World War II. He was no longer crippled but he was still an old man.
?Hey, Burke, what's happenin'?? Socrates hailed.
?You think these sheep think they sheep?? Burke asked.
