JR (107 page)

—How'd it get up there yes lost this and I'd really be, what in, what the hell…

—Oh wow, I mean like there was this frozen pizza up there…

—Frozen what do you mean frozen cheese and tomato all over the whole God damned throw me that shirt God damn it, I mean God damn it if you and Bast are staying here at least you could…

—What man at least we could what, I mean he just gave you some rent didn't he? And I mean like you weren't even very nice to him, man I mean this one time I ever saw you before you're up here that night waving this bottle around with like one shoe and I mean now you come on like you're this really different person, man like I mean really up tight you know?

—Yes well listen…

—I mean you just come in here all at once from like nowhere and everybody should drop dead while you look for your Tootsie Rolls and this great folder with cheese and tomatoes like it's War and Peace I mean what…

—Listen it is it's, look … he wiped a hand, sank back on 24-12 Oz Btls Fragile! —chance I've been waiting for to work on this book again I've finally got it, worked on it before never any reason for me to finish it anything to make me really want to do it now there is that's why it's, why I've got to really damn it… he got to a knee, reached up, —hello yes who … ? Wait who is it what do you … Monsieur Bast oh, no il n'est pas là…

—Man like just say j'ai mon foo and they hang right up … the door shuddered, hung, —I mean I'll see you man…

—Comment… ? Le commissionnaire du, du mal oui? comment? C'est un pays … ? Yes all right bon no offense damn it qu'est ce que vous … qui moi? Moi je suis ahm, je suis son aide oui, Monsieur Bast est parti mais je… Urgent oui mais je … de quel catalogue… ? Rouge et vert, de quoi? Ray X? Don't see one here no je ne… Que vous êtes pressé bon je le dirai au Monsieur quand il re… yes well look écoutez God damn it what do you want me to qu'est ce que vous… comment? De bonne vente oui mais you mean acheter tout… ? Oui fine prix convenu mais l'inventaire tout entier… ? Tout à l'instant même fine see what I can… qui moi? Je m'appelle ahm, oui je m'appelle Grynszpan oui, Monsieur Grynszpan… bon, si vous … plus tard bon pas de quoi good God …

He came down wiping a hand, caught the door tipped on its hinge and set it firm before he wet the shirt's tail at the sink torrent and came in to the couch wiping the blue folder —try to get anything done

here … sitting to open its pages and wipe at margins, pausing with —I hope every weeder… to clear his throat, —I hope every reader will, from this history, take warning, and stamp improvement on the wings of time… and his feet came up to rest on Thomas Register. —Pursued by the crippled ghost of exquisite and delicate sensibility, Frank Woolworth fled to wait… he reached, dug, came up with the nub of a pencil. —Fleeing that crippled ghost of exquisite and delicate sensibility to Lancaster Pa where his best would be good enough, Frank Woolworth secured success with a line of ten cent items to stamp his nickel's worth of improvement on democracy even then being flushed from elsewhere in Aristotle's lecture notes as forlorn delusion rising out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all sounds fine doesn't it, nothing hard about that. Roused by the steam whistle, democracy's claims devoured technology's no wait. Roused by the steam whistle, democracy claimed technology's promise to banish failure to inherent vice, where in painting it survives today, and America sprang full in the face of that dead philosopher's reproach to be always seeking after the useful does not become free and exalted souls. By the nineties the arts were already seeking refuge at Hull

House dressed as, by the nineties the arts showed up disguised as therapy at Hull House seeking refuge from streets ringing with Jack London's howling discovery of Spencer's immutable law, Give me the fact, man! The irrefragable fact! and elsewhere their torrent catalogued as literature to trample Maggie the Girl of the Streets where John Dewey came groping for the close and intimate acquaintance got with nature at first wait. And elsewhere their torrent no. Catalogued elsewhere as literature, these… the pencil nub drew lines, an arrow detouring a tomato blot —published this ten years ago it would have been damn it have to type it over anyhow where I put those cigarettes … he rummaged. —Give me the fact man sound like I mean that's Spencer's law? howling discovery of Spencer's immutable Christ anybody thinks Spencer would say give me the fact man no business reading this in the first place. Now… smoke rose. — Catalogued elsewhere as literature, these no. These, catalogued elsewhere as literature, catalogued as literature to trample made it an active verb, conspired no … smoke rose, the cigarette finally dropped into the enchiladas, his head rested back. —These…

The smoke drifted through planes of light from the askew blind mounting 24/One Pound H-O and Won't Burn, Smoke or Smell, crossed the plateau of bound volumes of the Musical Courier to climb NO DEPOSIT NO RETURN and fail against the arc of the clock where the long hand pursued the small, passed it, descended and was gone. He sat up abruptly —damn it get anything done in this place … and he was in past 36 Boxes 200 2-Ply —hello… ? Not here no Mister Bast left this morning, who… Mister Grynszpan? not here either no, who's … oh. Oh they did… ? and they said they'd just talked to a Mister Gryn… can't understand them at all no matter of fact Mister Piscator they

ahm… No, no it's French yes talked to them myself, I… me? Grynszpan yes I just said that because I'm up here getting some work done didn't want to be dist… just helping Mister Bast out yes took this call from … radium? No they… oh, didn't mention rhodium no sounded like they had a catalogue of x-ray machines red and green catalogue want to buy the whole… Ray X that was it yes red and … all outdated inventory? Didn't even ask didn't seem to care no I don't think they could read the specifications either, sounded like all they could read was the prices they want immediate… discount no didn't ask for one they just want im … in the catalogue yes everything in it I sold them everything in the catalogue complete inventory if they can get hold of it immediately, just want to know where they can … got it all warehoused where … ? Fine yes I'll tell them that, goodbye… you're welcome yes, good… what? No, no Mister Bast mentioned it said this Leva might call but he didn't give me any details just left here this morning in a hell of a hurry and… Yes well look I'm busy I can't… sorry yes but look I can't get into… who B F Leva? worst God damned moviemaker in … losing how much… ? You mean your company's looking for tax credits up in the range of … who Bast? No didn't say anything to me about a threat to the tax loss status of your textile wait look Mister Piscator don't go into it please, I'm working on something up here and… yes I … All right look all five studios what's the book val… what just in carrying charges… ? All right look take on the whole thing get rid of that two and a half million cash outlay in carrving charges by dumping these four smaller studios well under book value, say you sell them off at two million one bring your tax credits up

around forty million just hang onto the big studio rate this Leva's going you'll be … problem getting hold of their stockholders list quote the book value at a hundred and sixty-eight a share real God damned point's how active it is, stockholders probably watching these losses sitting on their look I don't know the whole story shouldn't be trying to

… can't no I told you I'm working on something I… help Mister Bast

out yes but he didn't say anything about a… Didn't mention that either no he… no look I… didn't tell me about that either damn it look Mister Piscator trying to help out but I've got something here I'm working on that's … I don't know when I'll finish it no! Now will you… you're welcome yes good … I will yes goodbye.

He was back in muttering, dug out a cigarette and lit it before he came down to the sofa —forty million tax credits Christ thought he was up here writing music what the hell he's been, where was I… he picked up the folder, set the enchilada can on Moody's —get anything done here ought to just let the God damned thing ring, consoled only by the fact that Madame Bernhardt had allowed herself to be photographed in a yellow mackintosh as ungainly as his for the jaunt, Wilde still knew no country in the world where machinery is so lovely as in America. I have always wished to believe that the line of strength and the line of beauty are one. That wish was realized when I contemplated American

machinery. It was not until I had seen the waterworks at Chicago that I realized the wonders of machinery. The rise and fall of the steel rods, the symmetrical motion of great wheels is the most beautifully rhythmic thing I have ever seen. Spread broadcast, this particular aesthetic experience of Wilde's was now leveling men's claims to being absolutely equal since they were absolutely free, the symmetrical motions of those great wheels homogenizing their no, no wait spread broadcast, this wait. On less aesthetic levels, Wilde's experience spread broadcast leveling no damn it leveling levels wait. In less aesthetic versions, the symmetrical motions were, motions were, no, no elsewhere. Elsewhere the symmetrical motion … he tapped ashes into the enchiladas, tapped one foot against the other on Thomas Register.

—Leveling men's claims to being absolutely equal since they were absolutely free, the symmetrical motion of, symmetrical motion of God damn it, the symmetrical motion … he sat there tapping, —where the hell did that come from… and he had the guitar by the throat, plucked it, cradled it and strummed a chord —can't be his no whole God damned thing's out of tune … he hunched over it trying strings, tightening keys —owner must be a deaf mute … he plucked, tried chords, loosened a key, tightened one, tried a string, a chord, a bar — thing of Granados how the hell does it go … he made a fresh start.

Another. The long hand crept from no deposit, passed the short, the second hand swept past them both to NO RETURN, reappeared and was gone —Almost had it that time God damn it just try to get anything done here…

He got in past 200 2-Ply, braced a foot and reached, —hello … ? No wait this is … wait this isn't… Look this isn't Master Bast he's not here, he … Lunch? but it's … too bad yes but… Well look it's not bis fault if you brought in Pouilly Fuissé and this salmon mousse before you called, he's not even… that you've got a grand piano in your suite now fine I'll tell him, good … what? Me? No that's … yes that's very kind of you but… no I have a lunch appointment just leaving for it, good … I will yes, au voir … he came down cautiously, —seems to lead quite a life up here … and he picked up a red cup to rinse it under the torrent in the tub, fill it at the one in the sink and drop in a teabag, back to set it on Moody's and find a cigarette —get through one simple sentence here before something else where the hell was I, published this ten years

ago it really would have been here, disappointed with Ni, spread broadcast yes. Spread broadcast, this aesthetic no wait what did I, elsewhere yes. Elsewhere, close and intimate acquaintance got with the wonders of machinery at first hand were lev, was leveling men's claims to being absolutely equal since they were absolutely free, the symmetrical motion of those great wheels homogenizing their differences till Christ damn it now. At less exalted. At the less exalted levels where close and intimate acquaintance was, with the wonders of damn it God damn it … ! He reached for the cup, spilled it back on Moody's —get something to eat just no God damned energy, where I

put those cigarettes. Now. At less exalted levels the synep, symmet, the symmetrical motion … his head came back, his eyes climbed 2-Ply Facial Tissue Yellow through planes of sunlight from the askew blind to rest on the Baldung propped up there, —that symmetrical motion… and the cigarette, dangling unlit, finally fell.

—Wha … he sat up abruptly, brought a hand up against the sun come round full on his face.

—Perk up your personality you bastard, thought that God damned thing was dead… He was up, —thought I, somebody at the door… ? he got through past the torrent at the tub —one minute's peace get anything done here, yes?

—Mister Bass… ?

—Just a … he got it opened —good heavens! He stared down into décolletage —he's, he's not here, what…

—Erebus Production buy im a fuck an ere I am.

—Oh, oh I see, well…

—E's not ere Mister Bass?

—Not, not right now but it's hardly… —I ave a eavy schedule you know? Wen e's ere.

—Don't know but wait, wait I've seen you somewhere yes in a drawer once, saw you in a man's shirt drawer…

—Don be crazy I don go in man's drawers no, goodbye…

—Bet you don't, had a mustache too yes last time I saw you you had a mustache…

—You very crazy goodbye…

He dug a cigarette out and lit it before he got the door closed — couldn't have been, Christ imagine that… barely past the tub —now what, God damn it… he braced a foot —hello… ? Wait who's … ah oui. Oui c'est fait, tout… l'inventaire complet oui, même que dans le catalogue c'est warehoused hell's the word for warehouse. Déposée

oui déposée au port de Houston… non non comme owston, en Texas … comment? No, non c'est un état, Texas… Oui tout reste ahm, prepare

… Argent oui on peut payer là … là oui en Texas même si vous … look écoutez damn it just pay for it and get it out of there packed ready to go tout prepare oui… you're welcome yes pas de quoi monsieur what the hell that's all about never heard anybody so excited…

—Problem's I'm the God damned aerial, get in under their signal here

… he crouched, dragged 24/One Pound H-O from the heap, dislodged a cache that clattered to the floor like broken glass —God's name was that… he was down picking them up, held one to the light, another — who the hell's been taking pictures of zebras, damn it got to get through this thing… He reached the folder, sat hunched on H-O —get through one simple sentence here, just one. Spread broadcast no, what was, at the less, at less exalted levels the symmetrical motion leveling