— But your shirt too the blood it's, what…
— Switchblade. He picked up the glass and drank slowly till he'd emptied it. — Just broke the skin but there goes my good suit. I got mugged Liz, broad daylight coming out of that prayer breakfast people all over the place I got mugged, that's all.
— No but was it…
— A spade of course it was a spade! Looked just like my, see it in his eyes before he came at me, see it coming in the yellow of his God damned eyes before I saw the knife.
— But it's, don't you want to wash it or, or some ice? put some ice…
He was down in the chair again staring fixed at the glass, thrusting it toward her — yes here, get me some ice. I think he was waiting for me… He reached out to drag up the folds of the jacket, — tried to get his hands on this I think he was waiting for me.
She put down ice in the glass where he'd pulled out a plain envelope, riffling the bills in it with an edge of his thumb. — But what, where did…
— A book Liz, a book? Walked out the door I told you I was seeing a publisher for an advance on a book? Can't back me up you wouldn't believe me at least can you listen?
— But it's, Paul it's all hundreds and, and cash all in cash?
— I wanted it in cash! He'd picked up the glass again, rattling the ice in it. — Walked out the door there you didn't believe me did you, thought I just wanted to impress your God damn brother where is he, tries to clip me twenty dollars on a hundred dollar check where is he, why isn't he here pissing on the floor.
— Do you, will you want supper in a little while I…
— All you said was what's it about, don't think I can write a book so you just say what's it about… He'd dug cigarettes from the jacket's pocket and lit one — want to know what's it about I'll tell you the title, The Wayne Fickert Story that's what's it about. Sketch it out and get this writer this Doris Chin, the one on the paper, the one that did that story on him in the paper get her in for a final polish before we get into the movie tie in, already talking about a movie tie in get his mother in there to play the mother. Billye Fickert the kid's real mother, get things off the ground here send her to Actors Studio we just have to find a kid to play the kid, it's a big project. It's a big project Liz, have to start work on it tonight that's what all this is… he brushed at the heap of papers he'd dropped on the table when he came in, rattling the ice loose in the glass till it prompted him to reach for the bottle. — I think he was waiting for me.
— Do you want water?
— Saw it in his eyes, seen that look before I knew what was coming.
— I got veal I thought I'd, I thought we'd try veal.
— Put some water in this will you? Get things off the ground here before they, not so much! Before they tear him to pieces, they're after him Liz.
She put the glass down in front of him. — If it was broad daylight I should think the police would…
— What police, not talking about the God damn police I'm talking about the federal government, the ones penetrating into the top power slots in the federal government right down to the county level they're out to get him, here… dashing ashes on the papers in a sweep of his hand — see it all right here, follow up ad campaign on this big crusade we kicked off on west coast television gave them a good look at Billye Fickert back from the fat farm she's already had a few offers, get this movie tie in off the ground they'll line up ten deep she's already had an offer from somebody up in the Bay Area not exactly the kind of thing we, here she is… he held up the page, — Liz?
— Well! she's quite, I think you have a letter from her there.
— What? Where.
— It's there somewhere, you can't miss it. It's in pencil.
— Where. Ask you if there's any mail when I came in the door where, only thing here's God damn B & G Storage… paper tore. — Look at that. Sent us a check Liz look at that… he shook it free of the letter, — twelve hundred sixteen dollars eighty cents look at that, minute you don't need it they get their bookkeeping straight send you twelve hundred sixteen dollars and who the hell's Doctor Yount.
— He was a…
— Keeps sending this God damn thing OV fifty dollars? a year ago?
— No tear it up, I sat in his waiting room for an hour, there was a television set going I was watching something about grasshoppers and this awful woman came over and switched it to a soap opera doctor who's just lost his leg and I turned it off and his nurse came in and told me I had no right to deprive the other patients of their pleasure and I left, Paul this letter…
— God damn good thing… paper tore, — Doctor Yount lose his leg got what's coming to him, that's…
— This letter Paul, the one with the check it says they, no. No it says they sold the, they sold all of it Paul they sold all of it! That bill for, we owed them nine hundred and ten dollars, advertising, handling, auction expenses four hundred eighty four twenty, taxes and, they got twenty eight hundred dollars for it at their auction, for all of it! Can't we, couldn't we call them and try to, those chests and mother's beautiful old, oh Paul…
He put down his glass and sat staring at it. — He was waiting for me, Liz.
— Did you hear what I said! This letter? that they've sold…
— What I've been telling you isn't it? walked in the door ask if there's any mail that's what I've been telling you? Problem Liz sometimes you don't listen… He put down the bottle, — problem is…
— Paul honestly, don't tell me what the problem is. She'd opened the cupboard and had out a saucepan, — do you want…
— All spelled out right here see that? full two page spread pray for America right across the top see that? Somehow he'd managed to get the newspaper open wide without knocking over the bottle. — An organized conspiracy is under way to destroy the Constitution of the United States. We are witnessing a conspiracy to destroy all our churches, our free press and our rights of assembling peacefully before God. Will you let this happen? Running it in these rural weeklies out in the boondocks all these hicks read anyway, here's their picture takes up half the page here then right under it he says we are just one small church down here on the Pee Dee but these are God's people, all God's people, here on the banks of the Pee Dee and out in my radio and television audience across the land and even on the dark continent of Africa where our mission radio brings words of hope and salvation to innocent sufferers everywhere. Today we are fighting your battle single handedly against satanic powers of darkness in high places then he puts in this line from Paul to the Ephusians, gives the Bible school students time off from the bottling plant to dig up his research. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places Liz what the hell are you doing, banging pots around I'm trying to show you something here.
— I'm starting supper.
— Goes right on to the listen, we are fighting your battle for if our church, targeted for the opening attack on the US Constitution is successful, other churches will follow until not one single church in our great Christian nation is left standing. Here in our plight on the banks of the Pee Dee you are witnessing the most satanic and unconstitutional attack on the very fundamentals of American freedom, the dark beginnings of a Marxist dictator state casting the shadow of the powers of darkness over the entire world pray for America, pray for, Liz?
— Do you want peas with it?
— With what.
— The veal, I said I thought we'd try…
— Peas? talking about peas they're down there trying to kill his Bible school wipe out his whole Christian Recovery for America's People put the skids under his Africa missions you're talking about peas? Can you look? just turn around and look for a minute?