WALTER ABISH
71
I return the chief of police's smile. A brief sense of camaraderie. My
period of irresponsibility is past. I have become respectable again.
When it came to the crunch, I did the right thing. I swallowed my
medicine, and now I am back again, free to do what I want, to go where
I wish.
My brother is working on another book, says my brother.
This time, be sure to make it a best seller, says the chief of police,
and they all roar with laughter.
13.
You spend an awful lot of your time sleeping, don 't you? said Daphne,
wrinkling her nose critically. How do you manage to get any work
done?
I work late at night.
Did she look skeptical.
At the university library I looked up her father in the
International
Who's Who.
Mortimer S. Hasendruck. b. Debunk, Illinois 1920. M.I.T.
1941. Dept. of Defense. 1944. Founder and President of Dust Industries.
m. June C. Steinholf, 1946. s. Mark D. Hasendruck 1949. d. Daphne S.
Hasendruck 1952. Address: Edea, Illinois.
What? said my brother, you mean you've never heard of Dust
Industries. He seemed incredulous at my ignorance. What kind of an
activist were you? Dust is one of America's largest armament manufac–
turers. They produced most of the advanced equipment used in Viet–
nam.
I guess, I said, that's why Daphne doesn't wish to speak about her
father.
14.
We must have her over for dinner, said Maria.
Sure.
Today I received a note in the mail.
It
was brief and to the point. We
know where you are. Did you expect to hide from us? Because of you
lise, Adalbert, Jurgen, Heinz, Helga, Assif, Lerner, and Mausi are
rotting in
j
ail. Do you reall y expect to get off scot-free? We intend to get
you.
If
not tomorrow then the day after, if not the day after then next
week, or next month. Soon. We promise.
