ood on te room furnis, and tairs at Singers te, stiff pillows.
t red but tionless as a black mask except for tters of rils h.
Get out, the Negro said.
ait------ Jake said ?’
this is my house.’
Jake could not dra why?’
You are a ranger.’
Jake did not leave. ion to
one of traige ced erpane. tered ced. In tense as conspiracy or as t before an explosion.
It midnigy bottle of gin. Scattered aserpane. Doctor Copeland pressed ensely into te cotton nig o tie ed ting dialogue. And now a pause had come.
So time is ready for------ Jake began.But Doctor Copeland interrupted is per ed. I beg your pardon, Doctor Copeland said.
Sorry, said Jake. Go on.’
No, you continue.’
ell------ Jake said. I say arted to say.
Instead trangled Souted South.’
And the Negro people.’
to steady from ttle on tely o t and picked up a small, c served as a paperate of ed and ted and defense. But! But if you o ask me to point out t uncivilized area on t here------’
atcor Copeland. Youre out in the ocean.’
Jake turned t, grimy ted spot. een
states. I knoalking about. I read books and I go around. I been in every damn one of teen states. Ive country in ty and to spare for no man, . And in addition to try rue principle—ty, and rig start? tions get to eat. And een states tation of —t its a t to take in would make a man go cray.
At least one tter off t peasant in any European Fasciststate. tenant farm is only seventy-ts ty-five to ninety dollars per person. And ty-five dollars a year means just about ten cents for a full days arvation. But! Jake nibbed y fist. S stood out on ! ed.
toucalking about t trutold so t see trut alloo know.’
And tor Copeland. to understand w is o us you o------’
Jake interrupted ions in th.
t, t. But s one place. eats s one spot ton mills, our pulp mills, our ories, our mattress factories.
t ache
quivered angrily. o t paternal system of American industry.
Absentee o fit for o live in. Moreover, t to be not slums in t place. ties are not t to tle. Built tention to needs ties for pigs. For under tem pigs are valuable and men are not. You cant make pork c of skinny little mill kids. You cant sell but a pig------’
or Copeland. You are getting off on a tangent. And besides, you are giving no attention to te question of t get a is impossible to see tuation including us Negroes.’
Back to our mill village, Jake said. A young lint t or ten dollars a sucimes as er t c o say eig ed store. tore overcem. it is t to t so t. But its taken a of lies to keep them from knowing.’
t------ said Doctor Cbpeland.
time t period has gone—and gone for good.
Less tions a feries he blood
and softened tem of capitalistic democracy is—rotten and corrupt. t revolutionary and permanent kind.’
And t forget t now and always has been.’
Yeah.’
quot;tural life. ic robbery of money and goods taken place is simply because to accrue place.’
ts tem, Jake said.
tor Copeland bitter-ry. tory of my people e erminable ory of t. Like a certain species of sea gull. If you capture one of tie a red string of to death.’
Doctor Copeland took off acles and rebound a ion. Mr. Singer is a Jew.’
No, youre here.’
But I am positive t time I saw old me so.’
ed. quot;. Irish and Anglo-Saxon.’
?But------’
Im certain. Absolutely.’
Very or Copeland. e quarrel.’
Outside t t daurned from silver to ill. the clear, lonely song of a
spring bird in tside. t breeze bleenseness and exion.
Doctor Copeland leaned for and cerpane. ts itude. Deep black circles . t eaced.
As tenseness betrained.
At last Doctor Copeland cleared and said: I am certain you did not come discussed ts all t to no purpose. e alked of everyt t vital subject of all—t. must be done.’
till ced. In tation. Doctor Copeland sat bolt uprig ted inued. And tantly to speak at time.
Excuse me, Jake said. Go ahead.’
No, you. You started first.’
Go on.’
Psor Copeland. Continue.’
Jake stared at ical eyes. Its this way.
t. tion is for to knorut is won.’
Yes, once tand ty. But o tell them?’
Listen, Jake said. t cters. If one person sends a letter to ten people and ten people sends letters to ten more—you get it? ered. Not t I e letters, but t go around telling.
And if in one too just ten of t-knohen I feel like some good has been done. See?’
Doctor Copeland looked at Jake in surprise. ted.
Do not be c just go about talking. Cters indeed! Kno-knows!’
Jakes lips trembled and h quick anger.
O.K. to offer?’
I t I used to feel someion. But I a mistake t attitude is.
For ury I t it o be patient.’
I didnt say be patient.’
In tality I . Before injustice I ical ead of t.
As an armor against oppression I taugience and faitraitor to myself and to my people. All t is rot. Noime to act and to act quickly. Fig ’
But how? Jake asked. how?’
ting out and doing togetting to demonstrate.’
last p;getting to demonstrate.quot; good do if you get to demonstrate against a t knorying to stuff the hog by way of his ass.’
Sucor Copeland said prudishly.
For C sake! I dont care if t’
Doctor Copeland us not get so overed, us attempt to see eye to eye her.’
Suits me. I dont to figh you.’
t. Doctor Copeland moved o times o speak and eacime t in last o you is t attempt to stand alone.’
But------’
But, notor Copeland didactically. quot;t fatal try to stand alone.’
I see ting at.’
Doctor Copeland pulled ts up over gatigo . You believe in truggle of my people for ts?’
tors agitation and ion made Jakes eyes brim suddenly ears. A quick, serpane and fast. Sure, he said.
quot;tremity of our need?’
Yes.’
quot;tice? tter inequality?’
Doctor Copeland coug into one of t beneat is a very simple, concentrated plan. I mean to focus on only one objective. In August of to lead more ty on a marco ason. All of us toget yonder you ack of letters or Copeland slid he narrow bed.
You remember o you a s o you attempt to stand alone.’
I get it, Jake said.
*But once you enter t must be all. First and foremost.
Your give of your int, urn, rest or .’
For ts of th.’
In ty. And it must be either yes or no.’
Doctor Copeland leaned back on tly purple. Jake scorembling mouto side t pale ligric bulb suspended from the dawn.
Jake rose to and stood stiffly at t of the bed. he
said flatly: No. ts not t angle at all. Im dead sure its not. In t place, youd never get out of to up by saying its a menace to public rumped-up reason. t you and not. But even if by some miracle you got to ason it do a bit of good. ion is crazy.’
ttle of por Cope-lands t. o sneer and condemn, ead?’
I didnt sneer, Jake said. I only remarked t your plan is crazy. I come onigter t. I ed your son, illie, and to let me puso tell ero tell alk on tics of capitalism—and ss lies. I everyone and w off. And make everyone whem know.’
Psor Copeland furious-ly. do not believe you it o laug t.
Never unity to hand.’
tared at eacter disappointment and anger.
ttle of a reet outside. Jake s everytly backward.
to solve talism is to geld every one of teen million black men in tates.’
So t is ting about justice.’
I didnt say it s see t for trees. Jake spoke h slow and painful care.
to start at ttom. traditions smased. to forge a o make man a social creature for the
first time, living in an orderly and controlled society o be unjust in order to survive. A social tradition in which------’
Doctor Copeland clapped ironically. Very good, tton must be picked before t do-notheories can------’
raggle up to t stinking cesspool of a place called ason? difference does it make? do a feter—a fee, good or bad? y is built on a foundation of black lies.’
Everytor Copeland panted. Everything！
Nothing!’
quot;t and most evil of us on t of justice than------’
O! Jake said. Balls!’
Blaspor Copeland. Foul blasphemer!’
Jake so t of bursting and -sig!e------ Doctor Copelands voice failed ruggled and no sound last o bring forth a choked whisper: Fiend.’
t yello tor Copelands ed at a broken angle, a fleck of bloody foam on he room.
Nlt;oay in to be around somebody all time. Doing somete. And if sed or figured ed all t ted every blade of grass in the back yard and every leaf on a
certain bus errible afraidness came in ernoons and suddenly so t a p a boor te bery to to time s about good t last. tes and tte smoked. t er t? And time a here？
Just Mister Singer. Sed to folloeps to ernoon as soon as sc tore to drink a Coca-Cola. Screet and go into tore and finally come out again.
Simes even wook walks. S know.
So see s some vanilla on t of to visit o get tired of aling over tty ch him.
Mister Singer, snoer-time?’
ilted the wall and nodded.
In some different country this one—in a foreign place?’
e on raveled to Ontario, Canada—across troit Canada te
snoed up to t . Lareets speaking Frenco eacs and we ice igloos.
tic region iful norts.
quot; and get any fres it t way.’
urned o one side because understand.
S ask tion again because suddenly it sounded silly. S ed. A big, black sric fan cooled t air. All . It ed to tell eac old before. so say errible and afraid. But it . Maybe it could not be spoken ing. Maybe o let and t h him.
I asking you about Canada—but it didnt amount to anyter Singer.’
Doairs in ty of trouble.
Etta ill so sick t s sleepcrotas job meant eigors bill.
tc kitcove. tco cime else ters. On Georges birt tle red bike on to give it to
pay, and after tallments due tore sent a man out to take t c into t the door.
It ime. to t payment on some furniture.
And no too. taken, but nobody ever paid t on time.
For a o another job.
do carpenter made tery to be more ten feet off t nobody tion.
Its advertising, Mick, ve come to ts all in tter c no to sell myself. I got to get out and let people knochem good and cheap.
You just mark my o build up to make a good living for t of my life. Just by advertising.’
s of tin and some red paint. For t o room. do care over ting of eacter. As led and o calm first c*Mick, I to you rigo stand out whem.’
S first. t ted to add more and more t top and bottom. Before ered all over Once and You Give Me Any atc Run.’
You tried to e so muc nobody old him.
in and left to ed t big block letters
and a picture of a clock. Soon ack of t in try rees and fenceposts. At bot up a sign ing tohe house.
And over t door ther sign.