King's County by James Carrick Page B

of that paint. Sputtering thick glass fluorescent
lights and layers of crude graffiti, all obviously done by the same
hand, completed the attempt at replicating an old subway
tunnel.
    Some more convincingly stained steps
led down to another door. It was rusted and chipped, salvaged from
some derelict structure, but it also opened easily. Braulio was
there behind it.
    The room was octagonal with 5m high
rectangular windows on one side displaying the downtown buildings
and waterfront. The pale wood paneled walls opposite the windows
were lined with odd, irregularly shaped sofas. On them lounged a
half dozen women. Their faces were caked in starkly white makeup
with big frowns painted on in brownish red. They wore flimsy ballet
outfits with tights and looked drugged. Braulio stood at an easel
wearing lavender striped cream pajamas and looking bored. He didn't
bother to look up when I walked in.
    "Hola, Chao, Hello, or what-have-you."
He said.
    I think one of the ballet girls rolled
her eyes at him but it was hard to tell.
    "So, you’re the CO around here, am I
right?" I said.
    "Yes, I am." He didn't take the bait.
He stood in place, irritatingly calm, and continued making little
dis-amused motions with the paint brush.
    I pitched myself on a sofa between two
girls and put my arms around them.
    "Are you an artist, too?" I asked the
one to my left. She drew her chin into her chest and glared at me.
Both of them squirmed, contracting under my arms. I squeezed them
in closer.
    She hissed like a cat and swiped at my
face scratching my forehead. The other girl fled the
room.
    Braulio sprayed his muse with a bottle
of water, chiding her to be nice. She calmed down immediately,
bowed her head, and sat primly on the sofa with her hands clasped
on top of her legs crossed at the knees.
    I was impressed. Braulio and I went
over to a recess in the wall that housed a small bar. Without
offering or my asking he handed me a cold can of a sour fruity
beer.
    "It's good. I've been drinking that red
tagged stuff since I got here." I said.
    "Ahh. Be advised: It may stunt your
growth as an artist." He said.
    "I'm no artist. Maybe you should know,
I don't belong here and I didn't ask to be here. I got kicked out
of the army just a few days ago, actually."
    "Well, there's time for you. There's no
higher calling. Let me tell you about Gauguin."
    "Yes, I know. He started painting
seriously later in life - in his thirties, I think. And he was in
the navy as a young man, as well."
    Braulio was incredulous,
    "How would you know that? The erstwhile
astronaut surprises."
    "I read and listened to audios while
out in space. There was a lot of time for that. Not just art, all
kinds of things." I said.
    His eyes narrowed and he raised his
can, "I salute you then. Jackie said you might be interesting to
know."
    Jackie was Clarke. Jack Clarke, Jackie,
Jacko, or JCC, sometimes.
    Braulio invited me to take one of his
ballet models into an adjacent bedroom then he excused himself,
saying he'd return for me in a few hours. It was awkward for a
moment, sitting there alone in that room. But I took the hand of
the nearest one, the now tranquil face scratcher, and led her away.
I got it over with as fast as possible.
    &
    The three of us stood around the table
jabbering at each other. At regular intervals, Braulio pieced out
the white powder in tiny little doses, keeping us going and adding
an element of anticipation.
    "I am the bloody writer around here. I
am the arbiter of the written word, as far as any of these idiots
could ever know. None of these kids comes fucking close. I'm a GOD
as far as they know."
    Clarke paused to light a smoke and blow
a huge cloud above our heads,
    "Nothing to say - never. We've got,
here's your students, look: ducks. Ducks. That's it. Ducks in the
pond, ducks lined up, and out of fucking proportion to boot. Why
would anyone care? I don't care. This is - what - what is it? It's
totally bloody fucking insane."
    Clarke was foaming and starting