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"I guess not," I said

He sat down again

His hair had dried into ringlets and the wind lifted theht froyou out here to watch planes?"

"He died when I was five"

"Mine didn’t either Cocksucker No wonder I turned out bad"

"What, he didn’t show up to watch you play Little League?"

"He didn’t doexcept drink, fornicate, and kill folk That’s where I got all my talent Froinning to feel a characteristic crankiness settle in It was one thing to die, and quite another being forced to sit around in a cold wind er I’d been thinking I better make nice Noondered what the point was In theat my face I stared back, just to see what it would feel like

He nodded judiciously "Your black eye’s looking better"

I ran a finger alongwhat I must look like to the uninitiated observer The last time I’d assayed ed hues drareen, which was overlaid with pluot me that round"

He waved the compliment away "That was just a warm-up I wasn’t serious"

"What’d Eric think of it?"

"Didn’t bother him Look at cartoons Kids see violence all the time and it doesn’t count for shit People don’t really die It’s all special effects"

"I doubt he’s going to feel that way if you shoot his aze shift