J R

They milled past Debbys cespool freshly annotated We kick ass yours too toward the stairs, crowding down, pairing off to seek parked cars in the rising wind that caught up leaves and bits of newspaper.

— Mister Bast did you see my sweater…? The bus door shut in her face and he watched it bully its way into traffic before he turned back for the station, shook a locked door, finally swung open the one beside it.

— I want to report a lost sweater, he said at the grating. — Red. A girl’s red sweater.

The agent looked up at the clock. Then he thrust a form under the sign on the grating Agent on Duty J Teets. — Fill out this, hey buddy! You want to bust that?

— Too God damned late, beat me to it… a crash came from the shadows.

— What do you think you’re trying to do?

— Think? another crash, — know God damned well what I’m trying to do… and another, — get the cigarettes I paid for out of your God damned machine here.

— Kick it like that again you’ll have trouble.

— Like that? another crash, — already got trouble what the hell do you think I’m kicking it for.

— You want me to call a cop?

— Police! Like that? the figure recovered balance from a final kick. — Police…! he broke from the shadows waving a rolled newspaper — call them myself sue your God damned railroad for theft of services, witness right here saw the whole thing.

— But, but Mister Gibbs what…

— Who? he caught a hand at the window grating, — Bast! what the hell are you doing here.

— Well I, I just got off the train and…

— So did I God damned lucky we’re alive.

— But I thought you were with Mrs Joubert was she, is she here?

— Where! where!

— No, no I meant…

— Better get him out of here buddy, came from behind the grating where the hand slid down to rest on the sign promptly followed by a sagging scrutiny.

— Teets. Want to give you a message for Agent Teets, Bast.

— Get him out of here buddy.

— Next time you see Agent Teets Bast God damned eavesdropper watch out for him, loyal friend but a cunning and dangerous enemy walk over his God damned grandmother why they got him behind bars here theft of service Bast, civilized conversation get over here where he can’t hear us God damned eavesdropper, watch out for him…

— Yes but, Mrs Joubert is she all right?

— Momentary recovery Bast, got inhaled each momentary recovery thought I had a newspaper.

— It’s under your arm yes but was she, what happened…

— Got lost in the dark caverns of her throat Bast, bruised by the ripple of unseen muscles ought to be ashamed of myself, told me I should apologize to you how’s that.

— Well no but that’s not what I…

— Told me you’re talented sensitive purpose Bast sense of purpose need help and encouragement lock yourself in write nothing music, take defeat from any brazen throat get to be like Bizet only not Bizet where the God damned doors… he hunched as though with cold, hands buried in pockets — dum dum dedum…

— Over here yes, but…

— Don’t spit upon the, garden path lead the whole God damned wait, Bast? Something I’m supposed to give you these right here she forgot to give me wait, forgot to give them to you here.

— But what are they, why…

— Kiddies’ train tickets here.

— But, no but this one says combined number five, seventh race what…

— Call that train tickets?

— No that’s what I…

— Eight to one broke at the God damned gate here, what are these.

— Wait you’re dropping, they’re train tickets but what…

— Just told you they’re train tickets didn’t I? Told you she said give them to you forgot to give them to you didn’t I?

— Yes but, but you were on that same train with these tickets?

— What train.

— This train the one we just, the four seventeen the one we…

— Four seventeen what I just told you didn’t I?

— Yes well yes but these tickets if you’d given them to me I…

— Four seven God damn it Bast four seventeen what she told me wasn’t it? Told me get the God damned four seventeen give you these God damned tickets Bast need help andcouragement from any brazen throat? Got the four seventeen didn’t I? Gave you the God damned tickets didn’t I? All you stand here and complain?

— No but what I meant was…

— Go around tell everybody you need help andcouragement break their God damned neck for you try to set their cracker on fire any way to behave?

— No but, wait there’s a key here Mister Gibbs it’s mixed up with these tickets you, here…

— That’s a key Bast.

— I know it yes, here.

— Place of stone Bast one flight up, how hard a path the going down and going up another’s stair told me you need help andcouragement, sensitive purpose lock yourself in write nothing music how’s that.

— No but it’s your key, here…

— Sitting right there Bast heard her say you need a place to work give all your time to composing, heard her say that’s quite outrageous really.

— No but she, I have a place Mister Gibbs I don’t really…