“Yes sir, very true, but what I want to—”
“Barrett.”
“Sir?”
“Which is the best course for a man: to live like a Swede, vote for the candidate of your choice, be a good fellow, healthy and generous, do a bit of science as if the world made sense, enjoy a beer and a good piece (not a bad life!). Or: to live as a Christian among Christians in Alabama? Or to die like an honest man?”
“I couldn’t say,” said the engineer. He was bitterly disappointed by Sutter’s refusal to take him seriously.
“How is Jamie?” asked Sutter.
“Better,” said the other absently. “I am on my way there now. If you will answer my question, I’ll leave.”
“What question?”
“The last time I saw you you said you had something to tell me. What was it?”
“I don’t remember.”
The engineer, who had been pacing the tiny porch, which abutted Wells Fargo on one side and the O.K. Corral on the other, paused and fixed Sutter with a lively clairvoyant expression. Now at last he remembered everything, knew what he knew and what he didn’t know and what he wished to know. He even remembered every sentence in Sutter’s notebook.
“I want to know what it was you discovered while you were in the, ah, hospital out here last summer.”
“What?” said Sutter, coming down hard on all four legs of the captain’s chair.
The engineer was not disconcerted. “I’ve finished your casebook. I wish to know whether you meant only that when you’re in a bad way things look better than they do ordinarily.”
“Oh,” said Sutter, replacing his feet. “That. I don’t remember. That was a long time ago and, as I told you, I attach no importance to that stuff. It was written to be rid of it, excreta, crap, and so intended.”
“I just finished speaking to Kitty.” The engineer drew up another sheriff’s chair. “We spoke for two hours. It cost twenty-four dollars. I had to reverse the charges.”
“Good Lord. I can’t imagine talking to Kitty for five minutes.”
“We settled a great many things,” said the engineer, frowning — who in hell was Sutter to patronize Kitty?
“Are you getting married?” asked Sutter politely, turning his chair a few degrees but keeping his pale eyes fixed on the brown schematic mountain.
“Yes. After — things are more settled. But that is not why I drove out here this afternoon. I want to know this,” he said, leaning over and grabbing the rim of Sutter’s chair so hard that his knuckles turned white. “I want to know why you brought Jamie out here.”
Sutter tried to tear his eyes from the mountain. “You’re right. It didn’t work, did it?”
“Right? What do you mean? What didn’t work?”
Sutter shrugged. “Jamie’s little idea of a vacation.”
“Jamie’s? But according to what you wrote, it was your idea too. What did you expect him to do?”
“It’s not what I expected.”
“Then he expected something?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“He expected something to happen.”
“What? Not get well?”
Sutter shrugged.
“But you brought him out. You must have hoped for something.”
“Only that he might get a little better.”
“Get better?” He watched the other like a hawk. “No, you mean die better, don’t you?”
Sutter shrugged and said nothing.
“You didn’t answer,” said the engineer after a moment.
Again Sutter’s feet hit the floor. “Goddamn it, Barrett, what do you mean by requiring answers from me? Why should I answer you? What are you to me? Christ, if you recall I never solicited your company in the first place.”
“I am asking nevertheless,” said the engineer cheerfully.
“Why me, for Christ’s sake?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you take me for, some pissant wise man, ole rebel Sutter whom the yokels back home can’t stand and who therefore by your peculiar logic must be onto something just because they’re not? You know something, Barrett? There’s one thing I’ve never been able to get the straight of, and that is what it is you want of me. I suspect it is one of two things. You either want me to tell you to fornicate or not to fornicate, but for the life of me I can’t tell which it is.”
“Then tell me,” said the engineer smiling.
“I will not tell you.”
“Tell me to be chaste and I will do it. Yes! I will do it easily!” he said, striking the rail softly with his fist. “All you have to do is tell me.”
“I will not tell you.”
“Then tell me not to be chaste.”
“I will not.”
“Why not?”
“Barrett, since when is failure, my failure, a badge of wisdom?”
“I did not think of it that way,” said the engineer, frowning. Suddenly he did see Sutter for the first time as the dismalest failure, a man who had thrown himself away. He marveled at his, the engineer’s, being here.
“I know you don’t,” said Sutter, not unkindly. “But maybe you better start. For both our sakes. Be done with me. Go stay with Jamie.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do,” said the other absently.
“What?”
“Be done with you.”
“I fervently wish you success.”
“Yes,” said the engineer, cheering up. “Yes! You’re right. There is no reason why I can’t just get up and go about my business, is there?”
“No reason.”
“To answer your earlier question: yes, Kitty and I are getting married.”
“You mentioned it.”
“We spoke of many things.”
“Good.”
“And settled a fair proportion of them.”
“Good.”
“It turns out we see eye to eye on most things.”
“Excellent.”
“It seems that Mr. Vaught has made Lamar a vice-president and that he is going to offer me the position of personnel manager. I actually feel I might do well at it.”
“I have no doubt of it.”
“For the first time I feel fairly certain of what I want to do.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“We even have a house in mind. Cap’n Andy Mickle’s place on South Ridge. Do you know it?”
“Very well indeed.”
“You’ve been there?”
“A dozen times.”
“Why? Oh. You mean to treat Cap’n Andy?”
“A colossal bore. He bored himself to death. But that’s no reflection on the house. An ideal spot. The best view on the ridge.”
The engineer frowned, thinking of the buzzards circling the doleful plain and Cap’n Andy striding the “bridge.” But he quickly brightened. “We’ve even agreed on the same denomination.”
“The same what?”
“Denomination. Church. Kitty has become quite religious. She is convinced of the wisdom of our having the same church home, to use her expression.” The engineer laughed tolerantly, shaking his head at the ways of women, and wiped a merry tolerant little tear from his eye.
“Jesus,” muttered Sutter.
“Eh?” The other cocked his good ear.
“Nothing.”
“You don’t fool me, Dr. Vaught. Don’t forget that I’ve read your casebook. Though I do not pretend to understand everything, that part didn’t escape me.”
“What part?”
“Your awareness of the prime importance of the religious dimension of life.”
“The religious dimension of life?” Sutter looked at him suspiciously. “Barrett, are you putting me on?”
“No sir.”
“Then if you’re not, you’re doing something worse.”
“Sir?” asked the engineer politely.
“Never mind.”
“Dr. Vaught,” said the engineer earnestly. “There is one more thing. Then I will leave.”