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"Why do I even try to reason with you? I always lose"

"You’re a fabulous ood debater, too"

"I’m a fabulous man of action and a terrific short-order cook"

"The ideal husband"

"I’e that she was offering a concession that I could not accept, she smiled and said, "Tell you what - I’ll take a day off work and go with you, right at your side, everywhere you go"

Where I hoped to go, by the grace of psychic netisht now be preparing hiether Storet on with your dream Pack those cones, mix those milkshakes, and be the best damn purveyor of ice cream that you can be Even little dreams can’t come true unless you persevere"

"Did you think that up, odd one, or are you quoting?"

"Don’t you recognize it? I’ you"

She smiled affectionately "You’re s on your lunch break?"

"You know me - I pack my lunch It’s cheaper, and I can stay at work, on top of things"

"Don’t change youralley, near a olf course?"

"No"

"A o near a game arcade?"

"Reo near an a breakfast with his moll - "

"I’m nobody’s rapefruit in her face"

"And what does she do - castrate hirapefruit knife"

"Public Enemy was made in 1931 You couldn’t show castration on the screen back then"

"What an ihtened now You want halfI love you and I’m worried about you"

"I love you, too, sweetie So I’ll proolf course I’ll have it right at Burke &Bailey’s If I spill salt, I’ll immediately throw a pinch over my shoulder Hell, I’ll throw the entire shaker"

"Thanks But I’rapefruit-face smash"

FORTY-SIX

AT THE TAKUDA HOUSE ON HAMPTON WAY, NO BODACHS were in sight The previous night, they had been swar over the residence

As I parked in front of the place, the garage door rolled up Ken Takuda backed out in his Lincoln Navigator

When I walked to the driveway, he stopped the SUV and put down his"Good , Mr Thomas"

He’s the only person I knoho addresses , isn’t it?"

"A glorious ," he declared "A momentous day, like every day, full of possibilities"

Dr Takuda is on the faculty of California State University at Pico Mundo He teaches twentieth-century A that the ht in ely bleak, cynical, matism, often written by suicidal types who sooner or later kill theuns, Professor Takuda was a remarkablv cheerful man

"I need soo­ing to college, after all, eventually getting a doctorate, building an aca­demic career, like you"

When his lustrous Asian complexion paled, he acquired a taupe tint "Well, Mr Thoood conscience reco but the hard sciences As a working environment, the rest of acade, envy, and self-interest I’ out the e, and then I’ to write novels like Ozzie Boone"

"But, sir, you always seem so happy"

"In the belly of Leviathan, Mr Thomas, one can either despair and perish, or be cheerful and persevere" He shtly

This wasn’t the response I expected, but I pressed forith my half-baked scheme to learn his schedule for the day and thereby per­haps pinpoint the place where Robertson’s kill buddy would strike "I’d still like to talk to you about it"

"The world has too few modest fry cooks and far too many self-important professors, but we’ll chat about it if you like Just call the university and ask for raduate assistant will set up an appoint, sir"

"Now? What has caused this sudden urgent thirst for academic pur­suits?"

"I need to thinkmar­ried on Saturday"

"Would that be to Ms Bronwen Llewellyn?"

"Yes, sir"

"Mr Thomas, you have a rare opportunity for perfect bliss, and you would be ill advised to poison your life with either acade, followed by two student

conferences Then I’ a movie with my fam­ily, so I’m afraid tomorrow is the absolute earliest we can discuss this self-destructive i lunch, sir? At the Grille?"

"We’re allowing the children to choose It’s their day"

"Whatand the alien"

"Don’t," I said, though I hadn’t seen the fil hit"

"It sucks"

"The critics like it," he said

"Randall Jarrell said that art is long and critics are but the insects of a day"

"Give my office a call, Mr Thomas We’ll talk tomorrow"

He put up his , backed out of the driveway, and drove off toward the university and, later in the day, an appointment with Death

FORTY-SEVEN

NICOLINA PEABODY, AGE FIVE, WORE PINK SNEAKERS, pink shorts, and a pink T-shirt Her atch featured a pink plastic band and a pink pig’s face on the dial