Vasil, Vasil, get up, don’t be stupid, it’s just an old hag … an a couple a geezers … the two of us might’ve been able to take em … but he just lay there, the Nailhead. Vasil, c’mon, up an at em! Even that didn’t help. I gave him a little kick. No, he said.
I tried hoisting him onto my shoulders. But he was too heavy. He didn’t want to. And that hag was smiling! As soon as I moved toward her though, the geezers moved too. I knew the well was there. Ten meters to the bottom. And down there … I didn’t give Vasil another look, inching back towards the door, a moment later I was out in the hallway, escaping … and all of a sudden, like the corner of a rag … some bird or bat or I don’t know what whipped me across the eyes with its wing … brought me to a halt, heart pounding from running and also with fright … I walked to the door, slowly, curbing my fear … and then I heard footsteps, quiet and shuffling, but how could … Granny Macešková came shuffling out from around the bend in the hallway.
Whew, granny, you scared the daylights outta me. I leaned against the wall.
Good gracious, what is it, sonny, your heart? Acting up? said the little old lady.
Did you know we have visitors, Mrs. Macešková?
You mean those geologist gentlemen? What fine young men, they brought me up some coal. Helped me take down the curtains … she mumbled something to herself.
Mrs. Macešková, I asked, I don’t suppose you have any … relatives, friends … somewhere to go if you couldn’t stay here anymore?
Good gracious, what do you mean, sonny, why on earth would I want to move?
She peered at me, those eyes … full of silver, like when she came out of the well … Uh-huh, guess she’ll have to stay here, I thought.
Why don’t you come up to my place for a nice cup of tea … a growing boy like you needs healthy things.
Thank you very much, Mrs. Macešková, but I’ve gotta be … I heard footsteps on the cellar stairs and cleared out fast. It was the reasonable thing to do, I think.
I ran down the street, no tram. I set out for town along the tracks. They seemed to stretch into infinity. I don’t gotta do everything I can, occurred to me nonsensically. When I came to the streets, other things occurred to me. Day was breaking. I watched. Poked around in the spring mud a while, there’s always stuff lyin in there, that’s what archeologists do. You can tell from the sediment what’s goin on. Even if the whole plain’s bustling with mobiles threatening you with their fumes, give the stuff a little blood from your eye … investigate. I studied the shop signs. There were names on the shingles now. Usually people’s. Some made sense. I touched the plaster here and there. Some signs I had to laugh at, others were upsetting. None conveyed humility. Then I lifted my head and saw: RUTHENIAN UNION, CZECH REPUBLIC. I felt a prick. Here I am, I marveled. But then I spotted him and ducked around the corner.
Must’ve been comin off the night shift, he was draggin, he’d had enough. Actually I don’t know why I followed him. Something told me to. I think I was trembling a little. I trailed him tensely, ready to jump … he tottered a little, just a little, didn’t look back even once … then finally he entered a building … I broke into a sprint … followed him all the way up to the attic, treading lightly one flight below, and when he opened the door I jumped inside, shoving Spider ahead of me. He just groaned.
She was lying on the bed. I turned on the light, her eyes didn’t open. Black hair on the pillow, flat on her back. I threw up the shades and opened the window. The room reeked. At the head of the bed … of my loved one … bottles … empty, half full, a whole battery … I bent over her puffy face, a thin blanket covered her body. And underneath … I yanked it off … straps around her hands, across her chest too, only her legs were free … and all she had on was a ripped T-shirt, drenched in sweat … I roared, knelt down, and whipped out my knife … Spider cold-cocked me from the side … dropped on me … only … rage … then I was pounding him, on and on, I could’ve gone on pounding forever, I didn’t even know I was hitting him, there was a fog in my head, it was red … and then I heard … What’re you doing? she said loud and clear.
She was looking at me. I don’t feel good! she said. I cut her loose, held her in my arms. Drinky … drinky winky? her swollen face pleaded grotesquely. She shut her eyes, head slumping onto her chest. I felt her forehead, touched her cheeks … must’ve had a fever, she was limp in my hands, I laid her blazing-hot body back down.
Ahem, said Spidey. He stood behind me, holding my knife. I didn’t totally trust him till I had the blade back in my hand, edge toward him. He raised his arms. He was a little scratched up, but these Northies …
Hey, he said …
What’s with her, you freak. Tied up?
Hey, that was Jícha’s call. She … an booze was the only way I could keep her here.
How come she’s got nothin on. Where’s her clothes. I’ll kill you.
No, he swallowed. No. I took em so she wouldn’t split, trust me. I … that’s not my thing.
An Jícha? Talk to me.
He’s dead, you know that.
I don’t care, did he … did he interrogate her here?
Yeah, said Spider.
No, I said. That’s too much. An who else? Hadraba?
Nobody, I swear. I was just comin to let her go. Hadraba’s call. She was for you. We didn’t wanna, it was Jícha, believe me. He knew she’d been meetin, know who with? Viška, he said. She musta squealed, no shit.
That’s what Jícha said.
Yeah.
Got a bathroom here?
He lifted his chin.
We carried her over and set her down in the tub. Get lost, I told him. I ran the water, dumpin in all the salts and shampoos that eight-legged playboy had in there. I didn’t really want to see her naked without her knowing. It was hard work keepin her head above water and washin her up a little. Skinny. Shame slapped me, but I couldn’t not notice … her firm breasts and rear end. Gorgeous! Unbelievably small nipples. No tattoos. Maybe something … on her inner thigh. But I resisted.
Am I home? she said, opening her eyes. You’re with me, I assured her. She shut them again. Started bobbing her head around a little and whipping the foam with her hands … suddenly a smile spilled across her face … It’s cold! she said. I added hot water. And then: Are we in the yard? Guess she thought she was in some washtub, she sat up and I scrubbed her back a little … then she wilted again. But kept on smiling into the foam. I soaped her up and rinsed out her hair. It stank of booze. She held on.
Ahem, ahem, Spidey said from behind me, gaze discreetly averted, and handed me a glass. Alka-Seltzer, he mumbled. New thing. I put in four. She obediently drank it down. Bulged out her eyes, then began slapping the foam and humming to herself, she still didn’t know where she was. Me and Spider sat on the edge of the tub, backs to her … we’d hear the glug-glug if she went under … had a smoke.
Hey … I said after a while, you guys shouldna done this.
You know how it is … he said … an I just …
You fed her the booze. I mean it coulda killed her!
Sister snorted and slapped the water. Splashed us.
Not that chick. All she needed was one hand free, heh.
Followin orders! I’ve heard that before. You too!
Damn, yeah, that’s what it came to.
Anyway, screw it.
Right but … now what’m I gonna do.
Yeah, well. Sorry for poundin you like that, hey, I didn’t know …