thestretchofbroken-pavedroadfromthehighwaytothecurveofthehillwasdancinginthenoonheatandthescrubthatdottedtheparchedlandonbothsidesofitwasflour-whitewithgranitedustbythistime.theweedysmellwasalmostnauseating.athinhotacridbreezewasblowing.ihadmycoatoffandmysleevesrolledup,butthedoorwastoohottorestanarmon.atetheredhorsedozedwearilyunderaclumpofliveoaks.abrownmexicansatonthegroundandatesomethingoutofanewspaper.atumbleweedrolledlazilyacrosstheroadandcametorestagainstapieceofgraniteoutcrop,andalizardthathadbeenthereaninstantbeforedisappearedwithoutseemingtomoveatall.

theniwasaroundthehillontheblacktopandinanothercountry.infiveminutesiturnedintothedrivewayofthewades’house,parkedandwalkedacrosstheflagstonesandrangthebell.wadeansweredthedoorhimself,inabrownandwhitecheckedshirtwithshortsleeves,palebluedenimslacks,andhouseslippers.helookedtannedandhelookedgood.therewasaninkstainonhishandandasmearofcigaretteashononesideofhisnose.

heledthewayintohisstudyandparkedhimselfbehindhisdesk.onittherewasathickpileofyellowtypescript.iputmycoatonachairandsatonthecouch.

「thanksforcoming,marlowe.drink?」

igotthatlookonmyfaceyougetwhenadrunkasksyoutohaveadrink.icouldfeelit.hegrinned.

「i’llhaveacoke,」hesaid.

「youpickupfast,」isaid.「idon’tthinkiwantadrinkrightnow.i’lltakeacokewithyou.」

hepressedsomethingwithhisfootandafterawhilecandycame.helookedsurly.hehadablueshirtonandanorangescarfandnowhitecoat.two-toneblackandwhiteshoes,eleganthigh-wastedgabardinepants.

wadeorderedthecokes.candygavemeahardstareandwentaway.

「book?」isaid,pointingtothestackofpaper.

「yeah.stinks.」

「idon’tbelieveit.howfaralong?」

「abouttwothirdsoftheway—forwhatit’sworth.whichisdamnlittle.youknowhowawritercantellwhenhe’swashedup?」

「don’tknowanythingaboutwriters.」ifilledmypipe.

「whenhestartsreadinghisoldstuffforinspiration.that’sabsolute.i’vegotfivehundredpagesoftypescripthere,welloverahundredthousandwords.mybooksrunlong.thepubliclikeslongbooks.thedamnfoolpublicthinksifthere’salotofpagestheremustbealotofgold.idon’tdarereaditover.andican’trememberhalfofwhat’sinit.i’mjustplainscaredtolookatmyownwork.」

「youlookgoodyourself,」isaid.「fromtheothernightiwouldn’thavebelievedit.you’vegotmoregutsthanyouthinkyouhave.」

「whatineedrightnowismorethanguts.somethingyoudon’tgetbywishingforit.abeliefinyourself.i’maspoiledwriterwhodoesn’tbelieveanymore.ihaveabeautifulhome,abeautifulwife,andabeautifulsalesrecord.butallireallywantistogetdrunkandforget.」

heleanedhischininhiscuppedhandsandstaredacrossthedesk.

「eileensaiditriedtoshootmyself.wasitthatbad?」

「youdon’tremember?」

heshookhishead.「notadamnthingexceptthatifelldownandcutmyhead.andafterawhileiwasinbed.andyouwerethere.dideileencallyou?」

「yeah.didn’tshesay?」

「shehasn’tbeentalkingtomeverymuchthisweek.iguessshe’shadit.uptohere.」heputtheedgeofonehandagainsthisneckjustunderhischin.「thatshowloringputonheredidn’thelpany.」

「mrs.wadesaiditmeantnothing.」

「well,shewould,wouldn’tshe?ithappenedtobethetruth,butidon’tsupposeshebelieveditwhenshesaidit.theguyisjustabnormallyjealous.youhaveadrinkortwowithhiswifeinthecornerandlaughalittleandkisshergoodbyeandrightoffheassumesyouaresleepingwithher.onereasonbeingthatheisn’t.」

「whatilikeaboutidlevalley,」isaid,「isthateverybodyislivingjustacomfortablenormallife.」

hefrownedandthenthedooropenedandcandycameinwithtwocokesandglassesandpouredthecokes.hesetoneinfrontofmewithoutlookingatme.

「lunchinhalfanhour,」wadesaid,「andwhere’sthewhitecoat?」

「thismydayoff,」candysaid,deadpan.「iain’tthecook,boss.」

「coldcutsorsandwichesandbeerwilldo,」wadesaid.「thecook’sofftoday,candy.i’vegotafriendtolunch.」

「youthinkheisyourfriend?」candysneered.「betteraskyourwife.」

wadeleanedbackinhischairandsmiledathim.「watchyourlip,littleman.you’vegotitsofthere.idon’toftenaskafavorofyou,doi?」

candylookeddownatthefloor.afteramomenthelookedupandgrinned.,「okay,boss.iputthewhitecoaton.igetthelunch,iguess.」

heturnedsoftlyandwentout.wadewatchedthedoorclose.thenheshruggedandlookedatme.

「weusedtocallthemservants.nowwecallthemdomestichelp.iwonderhowlongitwillbebeforewehavetogivethembreakfastinbed.i’mpayingtheguytoomuchmoney.he’sspoiled.」

「wages—orsomethingontheside?」

「suchaswhat?」heaskedsharply.

igotupandhandedhimsomefoldedyellowsheets.「you’dbetterreadit.evidentlyyoudon’trememberaskingmetotearitup.itwasinyourtypewriter,underthecover.」

heunfoldedtheyellowpagesandleanedbacktoreadthem.theglassofcokefizzedunnoticedonthedeskinfrontofhim.hereadslowly,frowning.whenhecametotheendherefoldedthesheetsandranafingeralongtheedge.

「dideileenseethis?」heaskedcarefully.

「iwouldn’tknow.shemighthave.」

「prettywild,isn’tit?」

「ilikedit.especiallythepartaboutagoodmandyingforyou.」