Roadside Picnic

Redrick looked at his watch. There wasn't much time until dawn, and the patrol car was still there. Its spotlights were still searching the bushes, and their camouflaged jeep was quite close to the police car. They could find it any minute.

"The Golden Ball,” said Burbridge. “I found it. There were so many tales about it. I spun a few myself. That it would grant your every wish. Any wish, hah! If that were true, I sure wouldn't be here. I'd be living high on the hog in Europe. Swimming in dough."

Redrick looked down at him. In the flickering blue light Burbridge's upturned face looked dead. But his glassy eyes were fixed on Redrick.

"Eternal youth—like hell I got it. Money—the hell with that, too. But I got health. And good children. And I'm alive. You can only dream about the places I've been. And I'm still alive.” He licked his lips. “I only ask for one thing. Let me live. And give me health. And the children."

"Will you shut up?” Red finally said. “You sound like a dame. If I can, I'll get you out. I'm sorry for your Dina. She'll have to hit the streets."

"Dina,” the old man whispered hoarsely. “My little girl. My beauty. They're spoiled, Red. I've never refused them anything. They'll be lost. Arthur. My Artie. You know him, Red. Have you ever seen anything like him?"

"I told you: if I can I'll save you."

"No,” Burbridge said stubbornly. “You'll get me out no matter what. The Golden Ball. Do you want me to tell you where it is?"

"Go ahead."

Burbridge moaned and stirred.

"My legs … Feel how they are."

Redrick reached out and moved his hand down his leg below the knee.

"The bones … ” He moaned. “Are the bones still there?"

"They're there. Stop fussing."

"You're lying. Why lie? You think I don't know, I've never seen it happen?"

Actually all he could feel was the kneecap. Below, all the way to the ankle, the leg was like a rubber stick. You could tie knots in it.

"The knees are whole,” Red said.

"You're probably lying,” Burbridge said sadly. “Well, all right. Just get me out. I'll give you everything. The Golden Ball. I'll draw you a map. Show you all the traps. I'll tell you everything."

He promised other things, too, but Redrick wasn't listening. He was looking at the highway. The spotlights weren't racing across the shrubbery any more. They were frozen. They converged on that obelisk. In the bright blue fog Redrick could see the bent black figure wandering among the crosses. The figure seemed to be moving blindly, straight into the lights. Redrick saw it bump into a huge cross, stumble, bump into the cross again, walk around it, and continue on, its arms outstretched before it, fingers spread wide. Then it suddenly disappeared, as though it fell underground; it surfaced a few seconds later, to the right and farther away, stepping with a bizarre, inhuman stubbornness, like a wind-up toy.

Suddenly the lights went out. The transmission squealed, the engine roared, and the blue and red signal lights showed through the shrubs. The patrol car tore away, accelerated wildly, and raced toward town. It disappeared behind the wall. Redrick gulped and unzipped his jump suit.

"They've gone away.” Burbridge muttered feverishly. “Red, let's go. Hurry!” He shifted around, felt for and found his bag, and tried to get up. “Let's go, what are you waiting for?"

Redrick was still looking toward the road. It was dark now, and nothing could be seen, but somewhere out there he was stalking, like an automaton, stumbling, falling, bumping into crosses, getting tangled in the shrubs.

"All right,” Red said out loud. “Let's go.” He lifted Burbridge. The old man clamped onto his neck with his left hand. Redrick, unable to straighten up, crawled with him on all fours through the hole in the wall, grabbing the wet grass.

"Let's go, let's go,” Burbridge whispered hoarsely. “Don't worry, I've got the swag, I won't let go. Come on!"

The path was familiar, but the wet grass was slippery, the ash branches whipped him in the face, the bulky old man was unbearably heavy, like a corpse, and the bag with the booty, clinking and clanging, kept getting caught, and he was afraid of running into him, who could be anywhere in the dark.

When they got out onto the highway, it was still dark, but you could tell that dawn was coming. In the little wood across the road, birds were making sleepy and uncertain noises, and the night gloom was turning blue over the black houses in the distant suburbs. There was a chilly damp breeze coming from there. Redrick put Burbridge on the shoulder of the road and like a big black spider scuttled across the road. He quickly found the jeep, swept off the branches from the hood and fenders, and drove out onto the asphalt without turning on the headlights. Burbridge was there, holding the bag in one hand and feeling his legs with the other.

"Hurry up! Hurry. My knees, I still have my knees. If only we could save my knees!"