I pointed at his red eyeWhich really wasn't as...
I
pointed at his red eyeWhich really wasn't as red
as it had been He picked up the contractThere were
crumbs on it from Elizabeth's pastryHe brushed
them off and handed it to me, then leaned forward,
hands clasped between his knees, gazing at me over
the imposing shelf of Elizabeth's bosom"If I had
another X-ray, what would it show? That the slug
was smaller? That it was gone?"
"I don't know
"Are you still working on my portrait?"
"Yes
"Don't stop, muchachoBut don't get your hopes up too
high, okay?"
"I won't Then another thought struck him, one
that was eerily similar to Dario's stated concern
"What do you think would happen if lightning
struck Big Pink and it burned flat with that
picture inside? What do you think submariner rolex would happen to
me?"
I shook my headI didn't want to think about it
I did think about asking Wireman if I could go up
to El Palacio's attic and look around for a
certain picnic basket (it was RED), then decided
not toI was sure it was there, less sure that I
500
wanted to know what was in itThere were strange
things kicking around Duma Key, and I had reason
to believe they weren't all nice things, and what
I wanted to do about most of them was nothingIf
I left them alone, then maybe they'd leave me
aloneI'd send most of my pictures off-island to
keep everything nice and peaceful; sell them, too,
if people wanted to buy themI could watch them
go without a pangI was passionate about them
while I was working on them, but when they chanel bucket bags were
done, they meant no more to me than the hard semi
circles of callus I'd sometimes sand off the sides
of my great toes so my workboots wouldn't pinch at
the end of a hot August day on some job site
I'd hold back the Girl and Ship series, not out of
any special affection, but because the series
wasn't done; those paintings were still live flesh
I might show them and sell them later, but for now
I meant to keep them right where they were, in
Little Pink
xv
501
There were no boats on the horizon by the time I
got back to my place, and the urge to paint had
passed for the time beingI used Wireman's microrecorder
instead, and put the sample contract on
tapeI was no lawyer, but I'd seen and signed my
share of legal paper in gucci tote my other life, and this
struck me as pretty simple
That evening I took both the contract and the tape
recorder back down to El PalacioWireman was
making supperElizabeth was sitting in the China
ParlorThe gimlet-eyed heron - which was a kind
of unofficial housepet - stood on the walk outside,
peering in with grim disapprovalThe late-day sun
filled the room with light
China Town was in disarray, the people and animals
tumbled here and there, the buildings scattered to
the four corners of the bamboo tableThe pillared
plantation-house was actually overturnedIn her
chair beside it, wearing her Captain Bligh
expression, Elizabeth seemed to dare me to put
things right
Wireman spoke from behind me, making me jump"If
I try to set vintage gucci watch things back up in any kind of pattern,
502
she sweeps it apart againShe's knocked a bunch
to the floor and broken them
"Are they valuable?"
"Some, but that's really not the pointWhen she's
herself, she knows every one of themIf she comes around and asks where Bo Peep
isand I have to tell her
she broke them, she'll be sad all day
"If she comes around
"Think I'll head on home, Wireman
"Gonna paint?"
"That's the plan I turned to the disarray on the
table"Wireman?"
"Right here, vato
"Why does she mess them up when she's like this?"
"I thinkbecause she can't stand looking at
what she's not
I started to turn aroundHe put a hand on my
shoulder
"I'd just as soon you didn't look at me just now,"
he saidHis voice was barely under latest dior bag contr