Long hand drove short toward the summit, descended into NO RETURN. Gum wad bounded, withdrew, dropped again — still smoldering in, no the compost ignited by, lit no, hell’s that God damned dictionary… He tipped the bottle over the cup, edged closer to the sill as he raised it, put it down empty on Moody’s watching the gum wad bound, rise again, gradually reached to raise the window, chin on the sill blowing gently. The curler wavered. The gum wad hesitated, dropped rose and bounded off. The curler wavered to the edge, rolled back, the gum wad rose. The long hand climbed from NO DEPOSIT. At the sill’s edge the curler trembled and was gone, the gum wad swung aimless and slowly rose from sight.
— Get anything done here God damn it… he grabbed up the shirt coming through — catch pneumonia this way, hello…? No now wait who do you… no company spokesman here right now no, goodb… never heard of Teletravel no, now… Frigi what? Look… no listen… look I don’t know a God damned thing about filing an environmental impact statement on the… effect on marine life of disposing of what sound shards at sea look I don’t know what you’re talking ab… Yes well look if that’s what their head of R and D testified before the Armed Services Committee what else do you want, if I was a tuna fish I’d… because I’m not a God damned tuna fish! now… President of who you mean the president of the company? here? are you out of your… Well look if he called you and… look if he gave you all that in a phone statement what are you calling… Look I’d like to be in Honduras myself, now… because I don’t know God damn it, good… no comment yes goodbye…!
He ducked to Hoppin’ With Flavor! to tip the bottle over the cup — just stop answering the God damned thing call Tom work out some kind of Christ, try to call him there they’ll tell me to call him here… he set the cup down emptied — now. For though, for now the tale how God damned tomato and cheese right down the, wonder how old that pizza is… he got a cheese clot off Wilde with a thumbnail, bit, blew it out — should have brought something in damn it, shoot the pianist just get to the end of this God damned sentence shoot the pianist. For thow, damn it God damn it! His hands went white against his face, drawn down for fingertips to press his eyes, dig at them, fall away to leave them staring — find the God damned typewriter should have done this in the first place… he dragged the case from behind Thomas Register of Manufacturers, squared it on top and snapped it open — retype the whole thing right from, be God damned… he caught the stained manila folder sliding off the keyboard — wondered what the hell happened to this… he opened it and turned a page, sank down on H-O with it and turned another, found a cigarette and brought the enchilada can closer tapping ashes, settling back against Won’t Burn, Smoke or Smell tapping ashes, leaning forward to tip the bottle, back to where the sun streaked down one margin crossing closer to the other with each turning page till it had left them altogether when the peal of the phone brought him up steadied against Hoppin’ With Flavor! — coming God damn it… against 200 2-Ply as he passed it on the fourth ring.
— Yes hello…? Not back yet no goodb… oh it is? Put him on yes thought I forgot his, hello? Thought I forgot your message didn’t you, sonorous torns of hone and kettle… the who…? No no nope boss company president whatever the hell he is not here either hasn’t called no, not a… you what…? Wouldn’t say that Mister Crawley, he prob… no no wouldn’t think he’d do a thing like that good Christ see a fine man like you go under just for a little margin money, company like this one he must hold enough stock to cover any… closed down four points? God damned shame, what’s… They what…? Who filed it Piscat… God damned shame atmosphere of mistrust these days isn’t it, old Piscator files an affidavit accepting service of the summons these lenders go ahead and attach his stock anyhow tell you what it is Crawley whole God damned decline from status to contract what’s wrong with the whole God damned modern… Sounds like to me see them attach his stock to guarantee his court appearance sounds like they’re trying to grab off his company what it sounds like, what’s wrong with the whole God damned country atmosphere of mistrust say incidentally Crawley, don’t happen to be planning a trip to Honduras…? Honduras yes, just happened to think you might bump into him down there, newspaper called says there’s a rumor wait, listen… no no listen… hear a funny nose in this phone? noise…? He held it up and shook it, started unscrewing the mouthpiece — what? Why not sounds like a God damned exciting place Honduras might be thinking of buying it, vastness of the plains the purple hello…? hear me…? Can’t hear me… he had the cover off holding it closer, forcing a nail under a wire, twisting — God damned bug in it… he pulled it out, — hello? screwing the cover back on, — hello Crawley? Bastard hung up…
He tossed the thing ahead of him coming down, steadied against 200 2-Ply to crush it under a heel — whole God damned place probably bugged… the bottle tipped horizontal and he held it up to what light there was — Christ… he raised the cup — what, something move God damn it saw something move up there looked like a… he reached to Won’t Burn, Smoke or Smell to pull himself up — well God damn it! and he was down picking up cigarette lighters, view of the Ghiralda, glue, — God, suppose she… and he steadied against H-O, came down on it — what was I, typed yes get it typed Christ, get something typed… he dragged Thomas Register closer, reached the bottle over, rummaged in Won’t Burn, Smoke or Smell beside him, — now… He hit R.
— your loved ones, open a trust savings ac…
— Get under their God damned signal, here… he emptied the cup, hunched closer, typing — God damned apostrophe hardly see in here… the roller turned, turned again, each time more slowly till he was up abruptly shaking the punctured lampshade, rattling open the battered shopping bag from the sofa as the lamp lighted — knew they eat snails Christ but, catfood…? The lamp went off, came on — chicken parts necks and backs, palmitate, d-activated plant sterol choline chloride pyridoxine better not no where the, where those cigarettes… the lamp went off.
When it came on he was sitting on Hoppin’ With Flavor! staring at the vacant sill outside. He reached the bottle. The second hand sprang from NO DEPOSIT, plunged to NO RETURN and suddenly he was up digging in Won’t Burn, Smoke or Smell, had the glue squeezing it on the Liberty head quarter as the lamp flickered off and on for him pressing the quarter on the sill, banging the window up steadying an arm on 2-Ply Facial Tissue Yellow — couldn’t, couldn’t be God suppose she… It rang again. He looked down his front, brushed at it, tripped against H-O getting through to steady against the tub, let it ring again. — Hel, hello…? Christ that you Tom? did, she didn’t call did she…? no no just, that’s right just thought… no couldn’t have missed her no been here the whole God damned day been here got Schramm’s typewriter, found Schramm’s typewriter been… what? Notes? find my notes told you I can’t find my notes whole place is… Schramm’s notes? in what typewriter… old manila folder got what spilled on it…? Keep an eye out for it Tom I’ll keep an eye out typewriter manuscript old manila spilled on God damn it… Nothing no foot just slipped on this God damned what…? Drink two drinks yes had three drinks been up here all… well God damn it listen I… know I said that yes but God damn it look Tom she… listen say something like that listen Tom told you I haven’t felt too God damned well I… no what… Didn’t tell me that no, what… no which eye… No but look if it was your… heard of that happening listen Tom had a detached retina you’d really be… Wouldn’t try that Christ no find a good eye man a good, eye man, not a good eye, the good eye could… the what? Called who, here? Oh called here yes she called this morning collect didn’t even… visitation rights make the kid sound like John the Bap wait listen ever think of that game idea we… no just reminded me jumping for joy in the womb Mary visiting Elisa wait Christ listen what day is it…! no no now today what… Not the God damned date the day the day! got a God damned name like Monday Tues… Christ.