Finegan asks,
So why are you here, the butcher gone?
The cannibal turns to splash away again, kicking furiously. He is
trying to maximize his progress, while still hoping to get a lift in
the houseboat. He’s also trying to buy time to concoct his story.
Finegan again uses the opportunity to speak to Joey over his shoulder,
in a quiet voice.
I’ll bet he’s the damn butcher!
Suddenly the splashing stops, the cannibal gasping for breath again.
Then all is silent. Finegan turns to look again to the side of the
houseboat in the direction of the cannibal. He sees the cannibal no
longer clinging to the floating insulation piece, but swimming in long
strokes toward the houseboat, closing the 50-foot gap. Finegan motions
for Joey to turn the houseboat away from the swimmer. He jumps down to
grab a long pole.
The houseboat is now churning away from the swimming cannibal, who is
only a foot or so from grabbing the paddles on the water wheel at the
back. This distance is increased to several feet. The cannibal sees
that he has lost this gamble and treads water now. Finegan says,
The butcher ate and you starved, yet you’re
here and he’s not?
The cannibal defends himself, saying,
We were running out of people to eat! It was
gonna be me, next. He had to sleep sometime.
There was a leg bone from the last carcass. . .
Jumping rafts makes a lot of noise, slapping
the water, so I slipped into the water and went
under him, tipped his raft so he slid. Then I
was up top, and had the leg bone. Every time he
popped his head up, I’d club him again.
Finegan glances toward the floating insulation piece, seeing it still
nearby.
You made good progress toward land. You keep it
up, you’ll make it. We’re not taking you
aboard.
125
The cannibal goes into a backstroke toward his floatation piece,
glowering at Finegan as he does so, clearly enraged. As the distance
between the cannibal and the houseboat increases, Finegan motions to
Joey to get out of the bike seat and let him pedal.
Let’s put some distance between us. I wanna be
waaaaay down the coast. . . Watch my back,
will ya?
Finegan shakes his head, pondering the story as he vigorously pedals
away from the swimming cannibal.
126
Kudzu Canyons
The houseboat is peddling along a coastline where kudzu vines, covering
everything in sight, are cascading into the shoreline. Mist is rising
from the water, so the scene is seen through the mist, a magical view.
The kudzu has covered several trees, which form spires, and has covered
the remains of some houses in an abandoned subdivision, the shape of
the rooftops barely discernable. Finegan and Joey are in awe, drifting
past the sight silently, with Joey on his usual place on the houseboat
roof and Finegan at the pedals.
As they round a curve in the shoreline, they see an even more amazing
sight – the remains of a car recycling junkyard where cars have been
piled high after being crushed. Atop the piles are cars, which are not
yet crushed. Kudzu vines have climbed up almost to the tops of the car
piles, so the roads between the crushed car piles have become kudzu
canyons.
People are living in the cars atop the piles, using the broken down
cars as a type of rainproof shelter. The trunks have been popped from
some of the cars, propped open as bedrooms for children. Some children
are leaning out of one trunk, waving at the houseboat as it drifts
past. Most of the cars have at least one door open, with an adult
sitting inside. The front seats of some cars have been pushed all the
way back to be used for sleeping, and have pillows and blankets tossed
about, an unmade bed. In others, the front seat has been removed but
the back seat is being used as a bed.
127
A Confederate flag is hoisted on a car radio antenna, but there are
other flags indicating independence. These flags look almost like tie-
dye, the paint and lettering faded, and are a variety of colors and
faded lettering. one flag that has “Kudzu Nation” painted in green
lettering. This flag lettering is fresh, not faded.
As the houseboat drifts toward the end of the car recycling plant,
there is a cleared area where a campfire is burning, a large pot hung
over the fire, burbling away. Several picnic benches are placed here
and there on a level spot nearby, with residents of the Kudzu Nation
lounging. Some wear baseball caps, cutoff jeans or pants, and t-shirts
with the sleeves torn off or rolled high. This is redneck country. The
men have beards. Several of the lounging residents wave and tip their
baseball caps toward the houseboat drifting by. Finegan says,
. . Seem friendly enough . .
Finegan pedals toward shore, then backpedals to slow the houseboat,
then comes forward to help Joey moor the boat. Joey is already swinging
one of the grappling hooks. Children and adults are climbing down the
vines, hand over hand and putting their feet against the rusting
crushed cars underneath the vine cover. Some adults are climbing just
below their young children, so if the child falters they can catch the
child, blocking its fall. An old man is climbing down with his cane
slung over his back.
The piles of crushed cars, topped with cars as living quarters, and the
kudzu cascading down the sides of the piles, all now covered with
creeping and hobbling residents, look a bit like an anthill under an
evacuation. Finegan comes across the gangplank, followed by Joey.
128
Finegan extends his hand to the apparently leader, the Kudzu King, who
is approaching with an extended hand and broad grin. Finegan says,
Finegan Fine here, trader.
The Kudzu King says,
Ain’t you the clever one! You got access to all
what’s flooded. Be damned.
The Kudzu King has a tanned face, a beard that has been crudely trimmed
to be only a few inches long, hair that looks just as butchered by
scissors, and is wearing well worn jeans, scuffed brown leather boots,
and an undershirt with a short-sleeved plaid shirt on top. His shirts
look grimy and sweaty, and are torn in several places. The Kudzu King
adjusts his baseball cap, and can hardly stop grinning. He slaps
Finegan on the shoulder, welcoming him, and walks alongside him as they
walk to the campfire. He says,
We’re just setting up breakfast. Yer welcome to