— General counsel? Of, but of what company what…
— No man like council general something.
— But, consul general but of where…
— Like he couldn’t even talk English man, I mean it sounded French so like I say the only French I know and he hangs right up, then like there was this U S chamber of something I mean I didn’t even write it down like they said can you come speak at some dinner so I ask like what’s on thé menu and they don’t even know I mean like that must be some dinner.
— Yes well, all right yes what’s this one bert, Beaton?
— Like he called twice today man he sounds like this real fag I mean he really wants to talk to you.
— Yes I know yes I’ll, I’ll call him when I…
— And then somebody calls from this office of some Senator someplace I mean they really sound like they think they’re hot shit so could they discuss this campaign contribution at your convenience they said they’re like counting on twenty so like I say maybe you’ll send them twenty bucks sometime so like they say perhaps I misunderstood they mean like thousand so I say they better count again so…
— Yes well look maybe, maybe you shouldn’t bother to answer the phone anymore if, what does this say Stamper?
— Stamper man like I never heard such a filthy mouth on anybody, I mean like he’s in some fucking barnyard…
— Yes but what did he, was it about music for a…
— He said it’s like he wants to talk to you about some rights of something you could like call him back at his car I mean I told him what to do with his car man I never heard such a filthy mouth, I mean you have some business associates man like somebody else calls that says is your boss keeping his long position on bellies man I mean this must be some business you and him are in. And I mean him. Man he sounds like he’s calling from under this blanket someplace.
— Did he call? What, what did he…
— Man like he can’t stop talking I mean he says write all this stuff down so I write this stuff down and, no on the back…
— What this? I can’t, what’s ebus…
— Erbus that’s Erbus like he said it’s some movie company that’s losing all this money I mean he sounded real happy, like I wrote it down someplace… and her knee fell wide leaning toward the paper gone quivering in his hand, — like down here…
— Ebe… he cleared his throat, raised his eyes back to the brown paper — Erebus yes that, it must be that man who just called Mis, Mister Leva…
— I mean they lost twenty-eight what’s that, like million, I mean like he said twenty-eight million dollars making some big movie they’re losing like a million dollars a month man I mean like he sounded real happy.
— Yes well there are tax, business tax situations where…
— Man like don’t explain it to me but I mean like that must be some movie… and the knee fell back, — then under there he said like will you read today’s Times like about this war someplace you’re buying this radium then some other stuff about he’s like buying this school will you talk to this lawyer that sent you that dirty mummy joke and then some big bank loan like man let’s eat… the knees came down — I mean I’m hungry.
— Yes well, go ahead I just want to finish…
— Like do you want me to bring in that mail?
— Yes go ahead, I just…
— And like shall I open these packages?
— Yes go ahead… and the pen moved again, arching, dipping, paused to add a title to the list and his face was back closer to a fresh sheet of empty staves licked lips parting, meeting, parting on puffs of sound against the ripping of paper over the rush of waters beyond, the trickle at his back from under boxes and the massed Musical Couriers
— today. Many were from the finest homes in America. Many were treasured heirlooms…
— Like I mean what we really need here, man.
— But what, what is it…
— Like it’s this electric tie rack I mean can’t you see? Like it says you organize them by color on these little wheels and there’s this pushbutton selector where they rotate like they must think you’re a fucking basket case man, look at this one.
— But what’s it for, it looks…
— Like it says right on it man Steakwatcher, I mean like it really says solid state computer programmed for broiling steaks and chops to perfection I mean somebody really paid money for these, man.
— Yes well some, there’s probably a card from some company in the…
— I mean like a lot of fucking money man, like they’re scared if they gave you something somebody might like really need you’ll think it’s this fucking insult… An armload of mail cascaded to the sofa, — like I mean things are really screwed up.
— I know it but, look I just want to finish this before…
— Before what man. Like I mean the whole fucking scene is coming down…
— and any other mouthwash is like the difference between a lovely Beethoven sonata and an ear splitting blast from…
— Oh wow.
— What’s, no wait wait don’t open…
— Man I didn’t see this box I mean who sent you this!
— Wait no look if you put it on the whole thing will look it’s too long, the feathers are dragging on…
— But I mean wow like are these real eagle feathers?
— Yes but I don’t know but look if it gets dirty I wait, wait you can’t wear it carrying all that what…
— These cups for grape drink and here here quick get this before it…
— Put it on the, here put it on Moody’s what is it anyhow.
— It’s these enchiladas and like this is remoulade sauce it says on the jar I mean what did you expect.
— I thought maybe this time you look out the grape drink! I thought this time if I gave you that five dollars for food maybe we could eat something that…
— Well look man I mean it says niney-nine cents right on the can and this remoulade sauce it says…
— No I mean I thought you could buy something, just go in and buy some regular food we could…
— Man like what’s the difference I mean you’re getting like this five dollars’ worth, I mean add up the cans and there’s like these capers and these fancy snails out there like I mean how am I supposed to save up to get Chairman Meow out of this vietrinary man… She shunted mail aside with a ruffle of feathers, — man I don’t see how they go around all the time with all these feathers sticking up their…
— Well they don’t but they do wear, look if you could just button that shirt a little, it’s…
— Man like my pants got wet with that tub in there I mean I can’t wear them wet… but she got a button holed, licked sauce from her fingers and tore open an envelope. — Like they’re delivering your thousand gross assorted plastic flowers from Hong Kong man.
— Who is what plastic flowers I…
— Like it just says owing to backed up warehousing facilities your recent bid on shipment three five nine seven one…
— Yes well just, just put it over there wait be careful that looks like a check.
— It’s like your Texas Gulf dividend man, fifteen cents, and like here’s another one, Pacific Telephone. Thirty cents.
— Yes well those are, I’m putting those in the ice tray in the…
— I mean this is what they’re always talking about Wall Street? Like I mean I never saw such a…
— No but those are just one share people usually own more than, wait don’t throw that away it’s…
— What all this crap that was with them?
— Yes it’s the, they send out this literature to their stockholders to keep…
— Literature? I mean like you call this literature man?