Page 196 (1/1)

More static

And then a black Citroen heads down Route Nationale through southern Nore called Male

The handheld cah what looks like a Ralph Lauren advertiseray overcast sky-and Bobby’s so well-groo a black wool blazer, a black cashmere turtleneck, Gucci boots, his hair’s ie bottle of Evian water He’s following a path

Two golden retrievers bound into the fra Bobby as he nears what looks like a converted barn He’s passing under a prosceniu truck The barn is s As he approaches the front door Bobby turns his head toward the ca the viewer can’t hear while pointing at an antique bird feeder that hangs next to the front door of the converted barn

Bobby knocks on that door He leans down to pet the dogs The dogs are photogenic, relaxed Suddenly both their heads snap up and, bounding out of frame, they immediately run to whoever’s behind the caure, mostly obscure in the shadowy doorway, shakes Bobby’s hand The figure notices the caure motions Bobby inside

And then F Fred Palakon, his face clearly visible, looks outside before closing the door

The director leans over, letting go of my hand, and rewinds the tape to the es froain F Fred Palakon shakes Bobby’s hand

Once again F Fred Palakon gestures toward the camera

The director presses Pause on the VCR’s console, freezing on Palakon’s face the instant Palakon notices the ca into the bedroo in the house in either the 8th or the 16th

"I know this isn’t exactly reassuring," the director says

I’ on the other side of the bed, delusional, backed up against the wall, floundering

"Just consider what it onna die, I’onna killaround on the bed

"At any rate," the director says, ejecting the tape from the VCR, "this is not a fantasy"

I lie on the bed, finally roanout, the director says, "It’s an instruction"

13

An hour later I’ my teeth in the shower I barely dry et dressed Nu to myself in the darkness ofa plan

12

Walking slowly down the circular staircase into the living roo A ca a cup of watery coffee while leaning against the big Panaflex camera that takes up soin the director’s chair, staring at a video console, preparing a scene I will not be appearing in The crew mills around Someone actually says to soing and slinking off

I’ myself that this will be the last ti being prepped for a seght now he’s facing aroo over the noise, explains to an interviewer, "It’s the classic bistro look in what’s basically a modern kitchen" The intervieants to touch on eyeball fashion, what country has the sexiest soldiers, and then, "Ooh, can I have a pretzel?" I’er My heart feels sore, on the verge of bursting Ito Bentley while gawking at me and Bentley iving each other high fives

Ja on a couch, a pink facefroover froht, and she’s talking sullenly into a cell phone A book, an astrological forecast for Aquarians, lies on her chest and she looks like someone dropped her, picked her up, then laid her across the couch She’s pressing a flower into her face, fingers stained from newspaper ink She holds up a hand warily as I pass and er and so Jamie’s blank face on super-8