Phoebe shook her head. "No," she replied. "It sounds ne to me."
"There!" said Texas, glaring back over his shoulder at Maeve but almost instantly returning his gaze to Phoebe. "She understands me. "
"Then take her. Write your damn letters to her. I want no part of you."
Phoebe saw a wounded look cross King Texas's unfinished face. "You won't get another chance," he said to Maeve, still studying Phoebe as he spoke. "Not after this. The lad's going' to destroy your city and you'll go with it."
"Don't be so sure," Maeve replied.
'Oh, wait now... " King Texas said, "can you be thinking of going back into business?" He swung his huge head round to peer at Maeve.
"Why not?" she said.
"Because the lad have no feelings. Nor do they have much between the legs."
"So you've seen them, have you?"
"Dreamed 'em," King Texas said. "Dreamed 'em over and over."
"Well go back to your dreams," Maeve said. "And leave me to get on with what's left of my life. You've got nothing I need."
"Oh that hurts," King Texas said. "If I had veins I'd bleed."
"It's not just veins you're missing!" Maeve replied.
The King's gigantic form shuddered, and he growled out a warning: "Be careful," he said.
But the words went unheeded. "You're old and womanly-2'Maeve said.
"Womanly?" Now the street rocked again. Phoebe heard Musnakaff muttering to himself, and realized it was a prayer she knew: "Mary, mother of God...
"I'm a lot of things," King Texas said. "And some of 'em I'm none too proud of. But wontanly-2' His head had started to sprout snaky shapes as thick as fingers. Hundreds of them, 1 running from his scalp in writhing streams. "Does this look womanly to you?" he demanded to know. His entire body was transforming, Phoebe saw, his anatomy bulging and rippling. As it did so he stepped out of the hole from which he'd risen onto solid ground, detaching himself from the flow of rock. He stood before Maeve like a shaggy titan, with a growl in his
11 throat. "I could take you all down with me," he said, reaching to seize the cobbled street. the way somebody might catch hold of a rug. "Let you see what it's like in my beautiful darkness." He tugged on the street, just a little. Musnakaff was thrown off his feet, and instantly slid towards one of the holes.
"Please God no!" he shrieked. "Mistress! Help me!"
"Just stop it!" Maeve said, as though speaking to a fractious child. Much to Phoebe's surprise, the tone worked. King Texas let go of the ground, leaving Musnakaff sobbing. with relief. "Why do we always end up arguing?" Texas said, his tone suddenly placatory. "We should be spending this time reminiscing."
"I've got nothing to reminisce about," Maeve said.
"Not true, not true. We had fine times, you and me. I built you a highway. I built you a harbor." Maeve looked up at him unmoved. "What are you thinking of?" King Texas said, leaning a little closer to her.
"Tell me, blossom."
Maeve shrugged. "Nothing," she said.
"Then let me think for us both. Let me love for us both. What I feel for you is more than any man ever felt for any woman in the history of love. And without it-"
"Don't do this," Maeve whined.
"Without it, I am in grief, and you-"
"Why won't you listen?" "You are forgotten."
At this, Maeve bristled. "Forgotten?" she said.
"Yes. Forgotten," Texas replied. "This city will be gone in a few hours. Our harbor, your fine buildings... " He waved his huge hands in the air, to evoke their passing. "The lad will wipe it all away. And as for Everville-"
"I don't want to talk about that."
"Is it too painful? I don't blame you. You were there at the beginning, and now they've forgotten you."
"Stop saying that! " Maeve raged. "Jesus and Mary, will you never learn? I am not going to be bullied or shamed or tempted or seduced into ever loving you again! You can build me a thousand harbors! You can write me a love letter every minute of every day till the end of the world and I WILL NOT LOVE YOU!" With this, she turned to the closest of her bearers. "What's your name?" she said.
"Noos Cataglia."
"Your back, Noos."
"I beg your-?"
"Turn around. I want to climb on your back." "Oh-yes. Of course." The man duly presented his back to Maeve, who with his help began to scramble up onto it. "What are you doing?" King Texas said quietly.
"I'm going to prove you wrong," Maeve said, grabbing hold of her mount's collar. "I'm going back to Everville."
For the first time in several minutes, Phoebe piped up. "You can't," she protested.
"You tell her," King Texas said. "She won't listen to me."
"You promised to help me find Joe," Phoebe went on.
"I'm afraid he's lost, Phoebe," Maeve said, "so let it go." She pursed her lips. "Look, I'm sorry," she said, though plainly the apology was hard. "But didn't I say to you, don't put your faith in love?"
"If you did I wouldn't believe you."
"Listen to this woman!" King Texas said to Maeve. "She's wise! Wise!"
"She's as much a fool for love as you are," Maeve said, her rheumy gaze going from Phoebe to Texas and back again. "You deserve each other!" Then she tugged on her mount's collar. "Move yourself!" she said.
As the poor man started away up the gradient, King Texas looked down at Musnakaff, who had cautiously scrambled to his feet during this exchange. "Woman!" Texas yelled to Maeve. "if you go, I'll kill your little boot-licker."
Maeve cast a glance over her shoulder. "You wouldn't be so petty," she said.
"I'll be whatever I like!" Texas roared. "Now you come back! I'm warning you! Come back!" Maeve simply dug her knees into Cataglia's flanks. "He has seconds left to see the sky, woman!" Texas yelled. "I mean it!"
Musnakaff had started to let out a pitiful mewling sound and was retreating from the closest of the holes.
"You are cruel!" Texas hollered after Maeve. "Cruel! Cruel!"
With that he seemed to lose all patience, and reached down to tug at the ground. "Don't-2' Phoebe said, but her appeal was drowned out by Musnakaff s shriek as he was thrown from his feet. He scrabbled at the cobbles as the street tipped beneath him, but his fingers found too little purchase and he tumbled towards the hole. Phoebe couldn't stand by and watch him go to his death. Yelling to him to hold on, she raced towards him, arms outstretched. He raised his head, a brief glimpse of hope appearing on his ashen face and reached out towards her.
Before her fingers could find his, however, he lost what hold he had and fell. For a fraction of a second their eyes locked and she saw how terrible this was. Then he was gone, screaming and screaming.
She retreated from the hole, letting out a sob of horrorand more, of rage-as she did so.