Samedi the Deafness by Jesse Ball Page A

said James, I won't.

    —You'll have to come out sooner or later.

    —No.

    —If you don't come out, I swear I'll send you to a work camp. James laughed.

    —Grandpa, I know there aren't any work camps. Not for boys like me.

    James's grandfather laughed too.

    —Oh, I think I can find one. They'll have you peeling potatoes and making zippers. Did you know that all zippers are made by people? Machines can't make them; it's too difficult. But making zippers will eventually cripple your hands. Yes, in the countryside somewhere there are zipper factories full of children with crippled hands. Perhaps I will send you there.

    —Grandpa . . . said James, laughing.

    He came out from his hiding spot. His grandfather lifted him up and gave him a great big hug.

    —What is it you like, young sir? asked James's grandfather.

    —Gladiators, said James. And tigers. And falcons.

    James's grandmother could be heard then, calling from the house.

    —I think supper's ready, said James's grandfather. Shall we go in?

 

    day the fourth

 

    James went to the window. He could see that two police cars had made their way up the main drive. They parked blocking the driveway; policemen got out.

    From out of the house came two men, Graham and one other. Who was it? He looked like a doctor. Probably Sermon.

    Graham and Sermon spoke with the policemen for some time. They made gestures with their hands. To these the policemen responded with nods. These nods were in turn responded to with nods and further gestures.

    After a little while, the policemen got back into their cars.

    —What's going on? called Grieve from the bed.

    —Nothing, said James. Some police came.

    She stood up and hopped over. She had sewn herself into a bag the night before. She said she and James didn't know each other well enough to sleep in the same bed otherwise, but that certainly there was no other bed that she intended to sleep in that night but his, and he had better get used to it. He had said nothing but had watched with a great deal of astonishment as she had honestly and truly sewn herself inside a bag.

    Now she was standing next to him.

    —Sweetheart, she said. Hold me up, will you?

    She leaned against him, and he put his arms around her. He could feel the warmness of her skin through the thin layer of cotton.

    He thought then of how he had seen her in the diner and had immediately liked her. He'd liked her so much that he'd decided against her for his own good.

    —You know, she said. They came for you .

    —What? asked James.

    —It's not the first time, she said. They came yesterday too. Of course, they know that you killed Mayne. They think it was for the drugs. Apparently there wasn't much money in the house. Anyway, his wife and kid have testified that you threw him out the window. So . . .

    She paused, slid around in his arms and kissed him hard on the mouth.

    —Father sent the police away when they came here looking for you. I guess you left the mask at the house with the package I sent it in, and they traced that here. So, they thought maybe you came here.

    She turned back to the window. The police cars were now making their way along the road in the distance.

    —Don't worry, she said. They'll never come to get you here. Father will see to it. And if we want to go someplace else, like Provence, or Andalusia, well, he'll see to that, too. Don't you like having me around? she asked.

    James said that he had not killed Mayne, not at all. Mayne had jumped, he maintained. There was no reason for him to kill Mayne. It made no sense at all.

    —But why were you in the apartment in the first place? she asked. That's what no one understands. Not that we need to. No one would ever ask you about it. It's your business, of course.

    In fact, don't answer. Don't feel that you need to. Anyway, come back to bed. It's cold here by the window.

    She hopped back over to the bed, flopped onto it, and crawled under the covers.

    James continued