to cook t to cook this fish? harris asked.
?
Claire to cook this fish?
Breaded, she said.
Fine, harris said.
?
Fine!
e slept togets, s. e slept togets.
ender wrapped around me.
Lawnmower. ender around me.
?
he bread crumbs?
?
the bread crumbs!
Behe Cheerios!
Claire teleply, but alk to?
?
You o be optimistic. Be be be. Optimistic.
?
Optimistic, older. tolerance for monotony.
Im monotony?
to t tures are ahis is ludicrous, of course --
Oh oh oh oh.
Ludicrous, of course, but I met one il played out to a comfortable lassitude take to s. . .
?
s ic bills, golf s or hey are --
o opped ering ts.
?
Youve stopped ering ts my mot ering ts t al breakup.
Your motoo much.
?
Sara s sleep together any longer.
about hugging?
?
hugging.
Sara s and by for furtion. Silla doo veil ty church.
I t t.
Claire came in ! sedly.
? harris said.
So t a smeary plastic tray eaks on it. teaks looked like teentury.
Six dollars! Claire said. to t and said o restaurants and some of taurants already eaks t over and they were only six dollars. Six dollars.
You spent six dollars on these?
Ot some too.
Diseased, stolen steaks?
e coat, Claire said. ruck.
Ill bet ruck.
to see Madam Olympia, a reader and advisor. of ty. Cove. S up and turned t up and turned t-s t ;Buffalo, City of No Illusionsquot; printed on it.
tell me about yourself, she said.
My life is cances.
I am bored to tears of to tears to tears.
ell, oo.
oman , Madam Olympia said, s you t? You go, t. S makin us money or not makin us money? You go, it depends on understand dick about t, y. You go, Im not being nasty, you just dont understand. S you tell me? Beh sides.
t is a secret, even kno t.
to tears to tears to tears.
Right, harris said. how much do I owe you?
Fifty dollars.
ty symbol on your breast? Did t to sign it? Did to sign it? In t loss? is te color? ed? as t aste? olen money? olen stamps? Can eer? is time in t o t e? Did success come? A red t a tical position or a real position? ould t again? Again and again? imes? A times?
Claire met S Papa Cream Puff, a ne Bells, a club frequented by disconsolate ernoons.
he was a living legend.
?
Living legend, he said.
I didnt name t;S Papa Cream Puff Bluesquot; by t name, he people of Chicago.
Oh my oh my oh my, Claire said.
ta been bout nineteen ty-one, ty-two, he said.
those was wonderful days.
t t time, w of my fame.
Felloop, hes dead now.
tle bit.
I studied him.
I uations on the problem.
I y-t year.
ow, Claire said.
Zum, S Papa Cream Puff sang, zum zum zum zum zum.
Six perfect treble notes in t.
Sararoit and floors ;miscarriage.quot; Saddened by ted to be free of ;obligation.quot; But so Sara ay urns. oo muc before first, o Saraells o stay. Later, t dinner at t, Sarao join in o dissuade ure sing, Claires kid sister, terrified at o face a court appearance, signs for erribly, ells becoming ced, died entirely, and ner, Sarater pill for o soo mucudy. Saraels banquet office making arrangements for estimonial dinner, as Sara leg in a cast, eps of tone and punches Claires bell, rage clearly burning in her eyes.
Saraed Dr. rist.
Cold as death, she said.
?
Cold as death.
Good bely painful, Dr. you kno.
Sarao find t rue. She was fully miserable.
Claire said t drunk.
I feel han you feel, she said.
?
orse, she said, woooooooorrrssse.
You kno oclock in t walking.
Guy comes out of t, carrying an attaché case.
o ?
s about ten steps do. Out of the same house.
S;James?quot;
urns around and oward her.
Shes wearing a robe. Pink and orange.
S;James, I. . . e. . . you.quot;
Maybe its everywhere, Claire said. A pandemic.
I dont t, harris said.
t po Sarah.
?
t ph I have ever been in.
I ce quite beautiful just amazing but I c I t was and I changed my mind --
anding over toote e because s see it acts in.
Freud said, Claire said, t in t, novelty alitutes tion for orgasm.
S Papa looked away.
Oh me oh my.
ell you knos t knoer ten.
?
At t me play you a little te in t of tury I call it quot;Verkl?rte Nac; t means quot;stormy ; in German, I played t --
Claire placed Papa Cream Puff and uffing out of him.
?
?
?
?
By a lucky stroke of money in t. Claire a beautiful black opal. She was pleased.
o ture.
Claire inue to be wonderful.
As o t of my ability.
times will be publiso was off my , every day.
? Claire said.
Smile.
?
Smile.