PULL DOWN VANITY!
461
of us in the center of the floor. I regretted only that Fenton seemed to
have left.
"Jesus," Herb protested in his eunuch's voice, "it's enough already.
Whose idea was this anyway?" He looked at me with visible contempt.
"The guy's drunk. And God knows he had provocation. Enough already!"
"It
was his own idea," I lied. "He'll feel better tomorrow if he
gets it off his chest." I wished in my heart that Hank had smashed in
Herb's supercilious face, breaking the glasses, splintering that melan–
choly, greasy nose.
"I can't stand it," Herb kept protesting. "He had provocation.
Enough is enough," but Hank was moving inexorably from one person
to another, shaking every embarrassed hand in the room. He would look
back over his shoulder at me each time, for approval and encouragement.
Finally he was through, and I said into the silence, "Let's go!"
"About time!" Herb exclaimed.
"Go!" Hank answered. "Herb come, too."
All four of us climbed painfully up one short flight of steps, and
down the other next door. The baby was screaming relentlessly, hoarse
and too tired to stop; but she smiled and said da-da when Judith took
her in her arms.
"Silly girl," she exclaimed, "she calls me da-da. Poor abandoned
darling!"
"C'min anhavea drink!"
"There's nothing to drink, dear," Judith objected. "Please go to
bed!"
"Shutup." He said it mildly but firmly. "Have a drink anyway!"
It must have been intended for a joke, because he tried to laugh. Once
in his own house, he seemed less drunk, and I wondered if he hadn't
been shamming a little,
using
his drunkenness.
"Poor dear," Judith said, reaching out one hand to stroke his hair.
"He won't remember a thing in the morning."
"Let's only hope so," Herb put in.
"Don't touch me and shutup. Amsterdam, les talk. Don't leamme
alone. Christ, don't leamme alone." He shuddered at the touch of his
wife's hand, moving across the room in my direction as if in search
of asylum.
"Sure, let's talk," I said, "but about what? Sandburg?"
"You're a strong lilbastard, Amsterdam. You carried me. Weigh
hunneranninety pounds."
Judith had gone into the kitchen alcove to prepare a bottle for
the baby; and stumbling across the room, Hank pulled to the curtain,
winking at me in complicity.
