I see, Bruce said.
Bruce, be careful you dont take your own life.
Yes, sir, Bruce said, staring down.
Dont call me sir!
He nodded.
Were you in the Service, Bruce? Is that what it was? You got on the stuff in the Service?
No.
You shoot it or drop it?
He made no sound.
Sir, Mike said. Ive served, myself, ten years in prison. One time I saw eight guys in our row of cells cut their throats in one day. We slept with our feet in the toilet, our cells were that small. Thats what prison is, you sleep with your feet in the toilet. You never been in prison, have you?
No, he said.
But on the other hand, I saw prisoners eighty years old still happy to be alive and wanting to stay alive. I remember when I was on dope, and I shot it; I started shooting when I was in my teens. I never did anything else. I shot up and then I went in for ten years. I shot up so muchheroin and D togetherthat I never did anything else; I never saw anything else. Now Im off it and Im out of prison and Im here. You know what I notice the most? You know what the big difference is I notice? Now I can walk down the street outside and see something. I can hear water when we visit the forestyoull see our other facilities later on, farms and so forth. I can walk down the street, the ordinary street, and see the little dogs and cats. I never saw them before. All I saw was dope. He examined his wristwatch. So, he added, I understand how you feel.
Its hard, Bruce said, getting off.
Everybody here got off. Of course, some go back on. If you left here youd go back on. You know that.
He nodded.
No person in this place has had an easy life. Im not saying your lifes been easy. Eddie would. Hed tell you that your troubles are mickey mouse. Nobodys troubles are mickey mouse. I see how bad you feel, but I felt that way once. Now I feel a lot better. Whos your roommate?
John.
Oh yeah. John. Then you must be down in the basement.
I like it, he said.
Yeah, its warm there. You probably get cold a lot. Most of us do, and I remember I did; I shook all the time, and crapped in my pants. Well, I tell you, you wont have to go through this again, if you stay here at New-Path.
How long? he said.
The rest of your life.
Bruce raised his head.
I cant leave, Mike said. Id get back on dope if I went out there. Ive got too many buddies outside. Id be back on the corner again, dealing and shooting, and then back in the prison for twenty years. You knowheyIm thirty-five years old and Im getting married for the first time. Have you met Laura? My fiance?
He wasnt sure.
Pretty girl, plump. Nice figure?
He nodded.
Shes afraid to go out the door. Someone has to go with her. Were going to the zoo were taking the Executive Directors little boy to the San Diego Zoo next week, and Lauras scared to death. More scared than I am.
Silence.
You heard me say that? Mike said. That Im scared to go to the zoo?
Yes.
I never have been to a zoo that I can recall, Mike said. What do you do at a zoo? Maybe you know.
Look into different cages and open confined areas.
What kind of animals do they have?
All kinds.
Wild ones, I guess. Normally wild. And exotical ones.
At the San Diego Zoo they have almost every wild animal, Bruce said.
They have one of those what are they? Koala bears.
Yes.
I saw a commercial on TV, Mike said. With a koala bear in it. They hop. They resemble a stuffed toy.
Bruce said, The old Teddy bear, that kids have, that was created based on the koala bear, back in the twenties.
Is that right. I guess youd have to go to Australia to see a koala bear. Or are they extinct now?
Therere plenty in Australia, Bruce said, but export is banned. Live on the hides. They almost got extinct.
I never been anywhere, Mike said, except when I ran stuff from Mexico up to Vancouver, British Columbia. I always took the same route, so I never saw anything. I just drove very fast to get it over with. I drive one of the Foundation cars. If you feel like it, if you feel very bad, Ill drive you around. Ill drive and we can talk. I dont mind. Eddie and some others not here now did it for me. I dont mind.
Thank you.
Now we both ought to hit the sack. Have they got you on the kitchen stuff in the morning yet? Setting tables and serving?
No.
Then you get to sleep to the same time I do. Ill see you at breakfast. You sit at the table with me and Ill introduce you to Laura.
When are you getting married?
A month and a half. Wed be pleased if you were there. Of course, itll be here at the building, so everyone will attend.
Thank you, he said.
He sat in the Game and they screamed at him. Faces, all over, screaming; he gazed down.
Yknow what he is? A kissy-facy! One shriller voice made him peer up. Among the awful screaming distortions one Chinese girl, howling. Youre a kissy-facy, thats what you are!
Can you fuck yourself? Can you fuck yourself? the others chanted at him, curled up in a circle on the floor.
The Executive Director, in red bell-bottoms and pink slippers, smiled. Glittery little broken eyes, like a spooks. Rocking back and forth, his spindly legs tucked under him, without a pillow.
Lets see you fuck yourself!
The Executive Director seemed to enjoy it when his eyes saw something break; his eyes glinted and filled with mirth. Like a dramatic stage queer, from some old court, draped in flair, colorful, he peeped around and enjoyed. And then from time to time his voice warbled out, grating and monotonous, like a metal noise. A scraping mechanical hinge.
The kissy-facy! the Chinese girl howled at him; beside her another girl flapped her arms and bulged her cheeks, plop-plop. Here! the Chinese girl howled, swiveled around to jut her rump at him, pointing to it and howling at him, Kiss my ass, then, kissy-facy! He wants to kiss people, kiss this, kissy-facy!
Lets see you fuck yourself! the family chanted. Jack yourself off, kissy-facy!
He shut his eyes, but his ears still heard.
You pimp, the Executive Director said slowly to him. Monotonously. You fuck. You dong. You shit. You turd prick. You On and on.
His ears still brought in sounds, but they blended. He glanced up once when he made out Mikes voice, audibly during a lull. Mike sat gazing at him impassively, a little reddened, his neck swollen in the too-tight collar of his dress shirt.
Bruce, Mike said, whats the matter? What brought you here? What do you want to tell us? Can you tell us anything about yourself at all?
Pimp! George screamed, bouncing up and down like a rubber ball. What were you, pimp?
The Chinese girl leaped up, shrieking, Tell us, you cocksucking fairy whore pimp, you ass-kisser, you flick!
He said, I am an eye.
You turd prick, the Executive Director said. You weakling. You puke. You suck-off. You snatch.
He heard nothing now. And forgot the meaning of the words, and, finally, the words themselves.
Only, he sensed Mike watching him, watching and listening, hearing nothing; he did not know, he did not recall, he felt little, he felt bad, he wanted to leave.
The Vacuum in him grew. And he was actually a little glad.
It was late in the day.
Look in here, a woman said, where we keep the freaks.
He felt frightened as she opened the door. The door fell aside and noise spilled out of the room, the size surprising him; but he saw many little children playing.
That evening he watched two older men feed the children milk and little foods, sitting in a separate small alcove near the kitchen. Rick, the cook, gave the two older men the childrens food first while everyone waited in the dining room.