J R

— She did too hey I mean that’s what we’re having where she said your money should work for you or it’s like this here lazy partner which you…

— Think she’s pretty smart do you?

— Sure she’s real smart, like…

— Real smart is she? She ever teach you what money is?

— Like anybody knows that I mean, wait, here like this here quarter is…

— What most damn fools think, next time you just tell her money is credit, get that?

— It’s what?

— Tells you your money should work for you you tell her the trick’s to get other people’s money to work for you, get that?

— Sure but…

— There they are… Davidoff rounded a corner ahead, — oh and Carol…

— Dave, that press statement…

— All squared away Boss… Davidoff hurried the boys ahead of him, — we had to clear them out of the board room Boss I think a pipe in the ceiling went, oh Carol… they rounded the corner behind her, — that press release I want to see it before it goes out, just a few word changes…

— But it went out already, you said…

— You mean it really went out? Well get the, get them on the phone. Wait. Get a pad. Got a pad?

— Hey wait all my stuff in that room hey that stock we bought’s in there wait…

— It’s all right your teacher got it hurry up… he pulled a door and they broke out on the hard floor to round the corner on a massive panel of black on white stroked with a mad reserve, — Carol? In the first paragraph for attributing the stock’s activity just read attributing the activity in nickel futures trading… he swerved them toward the elevators past a man balancing the huge canvas, — and in the second paragraph, for…

— Hey buddy where do you want this thing.

— Just, just lean it there don’t drop it get into the, wait I’ll have to show you where the board room is, Carol? he got the elevator button with a stab as one behind him ejected a figure hung with bags and cameras pursued by a cartload of white boxes — wait here’s the pho, doesn’t matter look Carol get these kids over to the automat with the others where’s…

— I got the wrong subway.

— Never mind forget it just get me proofs of the pictures you got downtown here get those box, wait… he came on empty hands fighting his tie, — Gov…

— This it?

— This is yes sir this is the painting Governor, the one we…

— Don’t match the carpet don’t match the walls don’t match a damn thing, what’s all that.

— What sir the oh, the box lunches yes sir these are the box lunches but the class Mrs Joubert’s youngsters had to leave because of the leak in the board room we’ll have to throw them out, there’s no…

— Throw them out? What’s in them.

— Ham and cheese sandwich, banana, cupcake potato chips pickle wedge…

— Don’t throw out good food, who ordered them.

— I did yes sir but…

— You ordered them you eat them… he bumped the surge of yellow where she backed the boys into the elevator, — hear me? Waste shows an undisciplined strain of mind, Mister what’s your name…

They descended to Country Gardens, pressed out ahead of her — hey aren’t we going to eat?

— You’re going to the automat instead… she held the yellow skirt against a gust of wind, — see over in that next block?

— Hey look…

— Come on boys, don’t stop…

— Boy but wouldn’t you think the police wouldn’t just let him lie there hey?

— You coming with us to eat?

— Did you see all that blood hey?

— No I have to go right back to work, there’s your friends… she gained the glass, pointed in over beans mounting a withered frankfurter remnant charred en casserole. — Come see us again now…

— Who’s that with Mrs Joubert hey… they burst from the revolving door.

— That guy Bast, she better have my stuif boy…

— Boys? No running… she called seated near bread and rolls, an elbow on the table and her fingers, curved as fingers curve on a violin’s fingerboard back on the heel of her hand where her chin rested, quivered there as though bringing the tremolant tone to her voice. — Not at you no, no I was laughing at myself when I was young, at what I thought all composers were like I’d read something about Wagner somewhere, about how he couldn’t stand books in a room where he was working and how he stroked soft folds of cloth and scent, he liked attar of roses and someone sent it to him from Paris, that’s what I thought it was like all silk, silk and attar of roses…

— Is this here all my stuff Mrs Joubert?

— How we suppose to eat.

— Yes I think if we can borrow another dollar from, thank you Mister Bast just take it over there boys, she’ll change it into nickels for you I’m sorry Mister Bast, I don’t know what we would have done if we hadn’t run into you again.

— Yes well I’d hoped…

— I don’t know how I could have left without money, I’d barely enough for their train fare and their lunches were supposed to be…

— No it’s all right… he’d brought his eyes up sharply from the loose collar of her blouseless suit, more the appeal of asking a favor than granting one in his tone — that was when he was old though, Wagner I mean, when Wagner was old and…