ilookedathimtoolong.therewasabriefhalf-seenmoveatmysideandanumbingpaininthepointofmyshoulder.mywholearmwentdeadtothefingertips.iturnedandlookedatabigmean-lookingmexican.hewasn’tgrinning,hewasjustwatchingme.the.45inhisbrownhanddroppedtohisside.hehadamustacheandhisheadbulgedwithoilyblackhairbrushedupandbackandoveranddown.therewasadirtysombreroonthebackofhisheadandtheleatherchinstraphunglooseintwostrandsdownthefrontofastitchedshirtthatsmelledofsweat.thereisnothingtougherthanatoughmexican,justasthereisnothinggentlerthanagentlemexican,nothingmorehonestthananhonestmexican,andaboveallnothingsadderthanasadmexican.thisguywasoneofthehardboys.theydon’tcomeanyharderanywhere.

irubbedmyarm.ittingledalittlebuttheachewasstillthereandthenumbness.ifihadtriedtopullagunishouldprobablyhavedroppedit.

menendezheldhishandouttowardstheslugger.withoutseemingtolookhetossedthegunandmenendezcaughtit.hestoodinfrontofmenowandhisfaceglistened.「wherewouldyoulikeit,cheapie?」hisblackeyesdanced.

ijustlookedathim.thereisnoanswertoaquestionlikethat.

「iaskedyouaquestion,cheapie.」

iwetmylipsandaskedoneback.「whathappenedtoagostino?ithoughthewasyourgunhandler.」

「chickwentsoft,」hesaidgently.

「hewasalwayssoft—likehisboss.」

themaninthechairflickedhiseyes.healmostbutnotquitesmiled.thetoughboywhohadparalyzedmyarmneithermovednorspoke.iknewhewasbreathing.icouldsmellthat.

「somebodybumpintoyourarm,cheapie?」

「itrippedoveranenchilada.」

negligently,notquitelookingatmeeven,heslashedmeacrossthefacewiththegunbarrel.

「don’tgetgaywithme,cheapie.you’reoutoftimeforallthat.yougottoldandyougottoldnice.whenitakethetroubletocallaroundpersonallyandtellacharactertolayoff—helaysoff,orelsehelaysdownanddon’tgetup.」

icouldfeelatrickleofblooddownmycheek.icouldfeelthefullnumbingacheoftheblowinmycheekbone.itspreaduntilmywholeheadached.ithadn’tbeenahardblow,butthethingheusedwashard.icouldstilltalkandnobodytriedtostopme.

「howcomeyoudoyourownslugging,mendy?ithoughtthatwascoolielaborforthesortofboysthatbeatupbigwilliemagoon.」

「it’sthepersonaltouch,」hesaidsoftly,「onaccountofihadpersonalreasonsfortellingyou.themagoonjobwasstrictlybusiness.hegottothinkinghecouldpushmearound—methatboughthisclothesandhiscarsandstockedhissafedepositboxandpaidoffthetrustdeedonhishouse.thesevicesquadbabiesareallthesame.ievenpaidschoolbillsforhiskid.you’dthinkthebastardwouldhavesomegratitude.sowhatdoeshedo?hewalksintomyprivateofficeandslapsmearoundinfrontofthehelp.」

「onaccountofwhy?」iaskedhim,inthevaguehopeofgettinghimmadatsomebodyelse.

「onaccountofsomelacqueredchippiesaidweusedloadeddice.seemslikethebimwasoneofhissleepy-timegals.ihadherputoutoftheclub—witheverydimeshebroughtinwithher.」

「seemsunderstandable,」isaid.「magoonoughttoknownoprofessionalgamblerplayscrookedgames.hedoesn’thaveto.butwhathaveidonetoyou?」

hehitmeagain,thoughtfully.「youmademelookbad.inmyracketyoudon’ttellaguytwice.notevenahardnumber.hegoesoutanddoesit,oryouain’tgotcontrol.youain’tgotcontrol,youain’tinbusiness.」

「i’vegotahunchthatthere’salittlemoretoitthanthat,」isaid.「excusemeifireachforahandkerchief.」

thegunwatchedmewhileigotoneoutandtouchedthebloodonmyface.

「atwo-bitpeeper,」menendezsaidslowly,「figureshecanmakeamonkeyoutofmendymenendez.hecangetmelaughedat.hecangetmethebigrazzoo—me,menendez.ioughttouseaknifeonyou,cheapie.ioughttocutyouintoslicesofrawmeat.」

「lennoxwasyourpal,」isaid,andwatchedhiseyes.「hegotdead.hegotburiedlikeadogwithoutevenanameoverthedirtwheretheyputhisbody.andihadalittlesomethingtodowithprovinghiminnocent.sothatmakesyoulookbad,huh?hesavedyourlifeandhelosthis,andthatdidn’tmeanathingtoyou.allthatmeansanythingtoyouisplayingthebigshot.youdidn’tgiveahootinhellforanybodybutyourself.you’renotbig,you’rejustloud.」

hisfacefrozeandheswunghisarmbacktoslugmeathirdtimeandthistimewiththepowerbehindit.hisarmwasstillgoingbackwhenitookahalfstepforwardandkickedhiminthepitofthestomach.

ididn’tthink,ididn’tplan,ididn’tfiguremychancesorwhetherihadany.ijustgotenoughofhisyapandiachedandbledandmaybeiwasjustalittlepunchdrunkbythistime.

hejackknifed,gasping,andthegunfelloutofhishand.hegropedforitwildlymakingstrainedsoundsdeepinhisthroat.iputakneeintohisface.hescreeched.

themaninthechairlaughed.thatstaggeredme.thenhestoodupandtheguninhishandcameupwithhim.

「don’tkillhim,」hesaidmildly.「wewanttousehimforlivebait.」

thentherewasmovementintheshadowsofthehallandohlscamethroughthedoor,blank-eyed,expressionlessandutterlycalm.helookeddownatmenendez.menendezwaskneelingwithhisheadonthefloor.

「soft,」ohlssaid.「softasmush.」

「he’snotsoft,」isaid.「he’shurt.anymancanbehurt.wasbigwilliemagoonsoft?」

ohlslookedatme.theothermanlookedatme.thetoughmexatthedoorhadn’tmadeasound.

「takethatgoddamcigaretteoutofyourface,」isnarledatohls.「eithersmokeitorleaveitalone.i’msickofwatchingyou.i’msickofyou,period.i’msickofcops.」

helookedsurprised.thenhegrinned.

「thatwasaplant,kiddo,」hesaidcheerfully.「youhurtbad?didthenastymanshityourfacey-wacey?wellformymoneyyouhaditcominganditwasdamnusefulthatyouhad.」helookeddownatmendy.mendyhadhiskneesunderhim.hewasclimbingoutofawell,afewinchesatatime.hebreathedgaspingly.

「whatatalkativeladheis,」ohlssaid,「whenhedoesn’thavethreeshysterswithhimtobuttonhislip.」

hejerkedmenendeztohisfeet.mendy’snosewasbleeding.hefumbledthehandkerchiefoutofhiswhitedinnerjacketandheldittohisnose.hesaidnoword.

「yougotcrossedup,sweetheart,」ohlstoldhimcarefully.「iain’tgrievingawholelotovermagoon.hehaditcoming.buthewasacopandpunkslikeyoulayoffcops—alwaysandforever.」

menendezloweredthehandkerchiefandlookedatohls.helookedatme.helookedatthemanwhohadbeensittinginthechair.heturnedslowlyandlookedatthetoughmexbythedoor.theyalllookedathim.therewasnothingintheirfaces.thenaknifeshotintoviewfromnowhereandmendylungedforohls.ohlsside-steppedandtookhimbythethroatwithonehandandchoppedtheknifeoutofhishandwithease,almostindifferently.ohlsspreadhisfeetandstraightenedhisbackandbenthislegsslightlyandliftedmenendezclearoffthefloorwithonehandholdinghisneck.hewalkedhimacrossthefloorandpinnedhimagainstthewall.helethimdown,butdidn’tletgoofhisthroat.

「touchmewithonefingerandi’llkillyou,」ohlssaid.「onefinger.」thenhedroppedhishands.

mendysmiledathimscornfully,lookedathishandkerchief,andrefoldedittohidetheblood.heheldittohisnoseagain.helookeddownatthegunhehadusedtohitme.themanfromthechairsaidloosely:「notloaded,evenifyoucouldgrabit.」

「across,」mendysaidtoohls.「iheardyouthefirsttime.」

「youorderedthreemuscles,」ohlssaid.「whatyougotwasthreedeputiesfromnevada.somebodyinvegasdon’tlikethewayyouforgettoclearwiththem.thesomebodywantstotalktoyou.youcangoalongwiththedeputiesoryoucangodowntownwithmeandgethungonthebackofthedoorbyapairofhandcuffs.there’sacoupleofboysdowntherewouldliketoseeyoucloseup.」

「godhelpnevada,」mendysaidquietly,lookingaroundagainatthetoughmexbythedoor.thenhecrossedhimselfquicklyandwalkedoutofthefrontdoor.thetoughmexfollowedhim.thentheotherone,thedriedoutdeserttype,pickedupthegunandtheknifeandwentouttoo.heshutthedoor.ohlswaitedmotionless.therewasasoundofdoorsbangingshut,thenacarwentoffintothenight.

「yousurethosemugsweredeputies?」iaskedohls.

heturnedasifsurprisedtoseemethere.「theyhadstars,」hesaidshortly.

「nicework,bernie.verynice.thinkhe’llgettovegasalive,youcoldheartedsonofabitch?」

iwenttothebathroomandrancoldwaterandheldasoakedtowelagainstmythrobbingcheek.ilookedatmyselfintheglass.thecheekwaspuffedoutofshapeandbluishandtherewerejaggedwoundsonitfromtheforceofthegunbarrelhittingagainstthecheekbone.therewasadiscolorationundermylefteyetoo.iwasn’tgoingtobebeautifulforafewdays.

thenohls’reflectionshowedbehindmeinthemirror.hewasrollinghisdamnunlightedcigarettealonghislips,likeacatteasingahalf-deadmouse,tryingtogetittorunawayjustoncemore.

「nexttimedon’ttrytooutguessthecops,」hesaidgruffly.「youthinkweletyoustealthatphotostatjustforlaughs?wehadahunchmendywouldcomegunningforyou.weputituptostarrcold.wetoldhimwecouldn’tstopgamblinginthecounty,butwecouldmakeittoughenoughtocutwayintothetake.nomobsterbeatsupacop,notevenabadcop,andgetsawaywithitinourterritory.starrconvincedushehadnothingtodowithit,thattheoutfitwassoreaboutitandmenendezwasgoingtogettold.sowhenmendycalledforasquadofout-of-townhardboystocomeandgiveyouthetreatment,starrsenthimthreeguysheknew,inoneofhisowncars,athisownexpense.starrisapolicecommissionerinvegas.」

iturnedaroundandlookedatohls.「thecoyotesoutinthedesertwillgetfedtonight.congratulations.copbusinessiswonderfulupliftingidealisticwork,bernie.theonlythingwrongwithcopbusinessisthecopsthatareinit.」

「toobadforyou,hero,」hesaidwithasuddencoldsavagery.「icouldhardlyhelplaughingwhenyouwalkedintoyourownparlortotakeyourbeating.igotariseoutofthat,kiddo.itwasadirtyjobandithadtobedonedirty.tomakethesecharacterstalkyougottogivethemasenseofpower.youain’thurtbad,butwehadtoletthemhurtyousome.」

「sosorry,」isaid.「soverysorryyouhadtosufferlikethat.」