— Wait who Mis, Mister Crawley? What do you mean liquid…
— His firm yes, straight liquidating bankruptcy, as I think I’ve already told you your aunts’ account was severely diminished when he began to buy and sell as rapidly as possible simply to generate as many commissions as he…
— But he owes me, he still owes me four hundred dollars he said he’d send the check what if, would they take his bank account?
— I can’t say Mister Bast, perhaps if it were a personal account you might still, excuse me. Nurse…?
— Joe bring in a chair to take Mister Bast down to the front door, you signed everything for him didn’t you Mister Coen I have to hurry you out, we need this room immediately and Joe? Hurry right back it has to be scrubbed everything including the Venetian blinds, if she recovers we’ll probably have to paint it too.
— Joe wait, wait that wastebasket…
— Please Mister Bast we’re in a hurry…
— So am I! No just those papers on the top…
— But what…
— Because it’s all I’ve got! Look I don’t need a chair I have to get uptown to see if that check’s there, I can’t wait for…
— I’m sorry Mister Bast it’s a hospital regulation and Joe, move that chair out she hates green and you’ll have to change the curtains, she’s one of the trustees we had her in once just for a tubal insufflation and practically had to rebuild the whole wing.
— Mrs Angel here let me get your coat, I hope one of you will be in touch with me as soon as you’ve been able to discuss Mister Bast’s position in this entire…
— There’s nothing left to discuss! There’s nothing left is there? Stella? No, no I’ve failed enough at other people’s things I’ve done enough other people’s damage from now on I’m just going to do my own, from now on I’m going to fail at my own here those papers wait, give me those papers…
— And Joe tell the kitchen she’ll bring her own silver and have her food brought in from outside, her maid will bring her jewelry and makeup and send in her hairdresser just see what color curtains we have, she’ll send her maid out to Saks for a negligee and the color…
— You’re finally leaving us Mister Bast, you’ll miss our Christmas tree. Come back and see us…
— Yes well thank you for, for everything… the wheels spun down the corridor, swerved for the ponderous approach of a bed mounting an inert figure massed under sheets and veered through the bull’s eye doors for the lull of the elevator, the swing of glass doors. — Thank you Mister Coen goodbye and, Stella goodb…
— I’m coming with you.
— Why what for! we don’t…
— For Jack. That’s where you’re going isn’t it?
— Yes but, all right I’m going up here for the bus if you…
— A bus don’t be silly, Mister Coen could you call us that cab please. You can reach me at home when anything develops.
— Of course yes Mrs Angel any change in your husband’s con…
— I don’t think we need wait for that do we? If my acting for him presents any problem, I’m sure under the circumstances you can draw up papers enabling me to do so?
— Why, why yes if you…
— And incidentally yes there’s no need to bother my aunts any further is there, surely my husband’s interest in the company together with my father’s estate is sufficient majority for any decisions I come to? this old lawsuit you mentioned for instance, I want the judgment on it the moment you learn it so we can act appropriately without any delay in fact, Mister Coen, on the chance it goes against General Roll you might begin to get material together for an appeal I don’t intend to see it lost, I think that’s all clear?
— Why, why yes Mrs Angel of course yes, yes here let me get the door…
— And thank you again you’ve been terribly helpful. Driver? we’re going uptown, it’s on Ninety-sixth Street isn’t it Edward?
— Yes it’s, it’s between Second and Third yes, Ninety-sixth between Second and Third driver… he squared the pages loose against him at the lurch of the cab, knees tight holding him forward to the edge of the seat looking out as though aware that his back, the back of his head was being looked at, looking down as abruptly as the knee crossed under his elbow, crossing his own.
— Is there anything you can do about those trousers Edward, we could certainly stop and get you something and a coat, you haven’t even a coat…
— No! I’m, I’m fine… he thrust the pages away pulling, tucking at his waist, paired his knees again coming forward — did you know that he, my father did you know he was coming back?
— I suggested it to them.
— Oh… he sat hunched to the window there staring at the massive side of a truck where five dwarfs heralding None Of Us Grew But The Business moved ahead, fell back for a hatless woman blowing her nose, U S Mail, Dumor Delivery Service, a brown dog muzzling glass.
— I didn’t hear you.
— Nothing I didn’t say anything…! a bus bullied passage, fell away for Department of Correction, the woman wadding her handkerchief now, Ace Photo Service, Emergency — this next corner… National Casket Co, XL Cab — driver…?
— You still don’t understand do you! You think he, that he knew what would happen? the courage it took for him to go on facing the…
— Driver! it’s, it’s up behind that ambulance…
— Where’s all the ashcans out front?
— That’s it yes… he brought the papers close coming forward for the door — right here, yes… he was out, holding the cab’s door open. — You’d better wait here till I see what’s…
— I’d intended to.
— Yes well if he’s, if Mister Gibbs is up there what shall I tell him you want.
— Nothing. Nothing! no you won’t understand will you! that your own selfish suffering’s easier than facing suffering you’ve caused and can never call back Edward don’t you think I, Edward? Well you will…!
He caught balance as the door was pulled from him in his turn between the burned car hulk and the ambulance backed open at the curb, clattered through doors to linoleum mounting two steps at a time — sorry…! he backed down a step, two, turned to wait at the foot as whites took shape descending, filling the narrow stairs.
— Want to hold that door for us there? That’s it, little wider can you get it any wider?
— It’s no, no this is as far as…
— Wait just lower your end a little Jim, should have used the window sling on this one.
— Only four stories of rope how could we.
— Mister?
— That’s it a little harder now, that’s it…
— Mister could I ride to the hospital with you Mister?
— Not going to no hospital, that’s it, there. Got it now?
— But my vife Mister, I could ride with her where you’re going?
The doors clattered. He held the cold metal of the newel and then climbed hand on the rail a step at a time to the top and the turn for the end of the hall, where the door stood leaning free against the wall there. — Hello? he knocked on it — is, oh Mister Eigen hello is Mis…
— Christ where have you been come in, I’m on the phone.
— I just got out of the hosp…
— What…?
— Out of the hos…
— Look I’m not trying to rewrite the God damn agreement, I just asked if it would be convenient for me to come up and see him tomorrow afternoon instead of today, I’ve been… no I know he does but… Not used to what…? No now wait listen, do you think you’re granting me a privilege letting me see my own son? Do you ex… all right why shouldn’t he have told you where we’d been, she’s a perfectly nice woman who… he what…? Look of course I never told him if I marry somebody else now and have more children that you’ll get them too, now… Because I’ve been helping her clean up some of the details on Schramm’s estate that’s why! She’s a perfectly ni… No, where… no I don’t, look if he wanted it why didn’t you just take it like you took everything el… yes Bruckner and the double God damn boiler I know it! Look if I find his crèche I’ll bring it up whenever I… Well Christ I know he wants it there for Christmas don’t I? What… because that’s what the God damn court order says doesn’t it? that we all have to spend Christmas together doesn’t it? Now listen is David there? can I… Well can’t you call him in for a minute…? All right! Look will you just tell me what time to call so I can… Because I won’t be at this number no, I just came up here to straighten some things out and get my papers as soon as this delivery service gets here to… well can you just tell him I called? I’ll try later if… all right I’ll just keep trying! Goodbye! Christ…!