The Sand Castle by Rita Mae Brown Page A

knelt down, Leroy, what’s wrong?”
    â€œOww.”
    Louise, kneeling down now, too, pulled out his waistband. “Julia, the crab’s latched onto him.”
    The two quickly pulled off his trunks. Sure enough, the crab held his part in her claw, probably as upset as Leroy but not about to release her grip.
    Mother grabbed the crab from behind, thumb on belly, forefinger on top of her yellowish shell with its blue edges. “Sis, see if you can pry open the claw.”
    Louise reached for the claw but the crab waved its other one menacingly. “Nickel, grab a pennant off the sandcastle. Now!”
    I did, handing her the popsicle stick with the colored paper on the end. She put it in front of the crab, who grabbed it.
    â€œYou want me to do it and you hold the crab?” Mother asked Louise.
    â€œNo, I think I can do it.”
    Leroy cried and sobbed so hard he couldn’t even scream anymore.
    Louise put her fingers on both sides of the claw. “Damn. Nickel get another pennant.”
    I did.
    Perspiration gleamed on her forehead.
    â€œHoney, be ready to put the popsicle stick into the claw the minute she gets it off,” Mother commanded.
    Finally, Louise pried open the claw and before the crab could pinch her I stuck the popsicle stick into the claw. The little crustacean snapped at the stick just as Mother threw her on the sand, where she ran sideways with two popsicle sticks.It would have been funny if Leroy hadn’t been in so much pain.
    â€œHoney, honey, move your hands.” Louise had gently tried to move his hand away from his penis the second the crab had been pulled off.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œLeroy, do as you’re told.” Louise’s voice sharpened. “This isn’t something to fool around with.”
    He removed his hands, doubled up now.
    Mother said, “Thank God she didn’t cut through him, but she took a slice.”
    â€œHe’ll swell up and that’s going to hurt, too. Juts, let’s carry him back to the car and we’ll find some ice.”
    â€œI can walk,” he cried, but he could hardly stand when they got him up. “Give me my trunks.”
    â€œAll right. All right.” Louise handed him his trunks and he fell over putting one leg in.
    â€œI’ll run to the shower and wet a towel. We can wipe him off,” I volunteered.
    â€œHurry.” Mother leaned down to lift Leroy up.
    â€œI’ll walk.”
    He did, painfully, as Louise held his hand.
    I was already at the pump when they drove up. Leroy was helped out of the car by Mother. She wiped off his part, then rewet the towel, wiping the sand off him very quickly.
    Back in the car in no time, Louise found a filling station with an ice machine sitting outside. She bought a bag of ice, put it in her bucket, and raced back to the car.
    â€œNickel, get a small towel out of the trunk.”
    I did, and the sisters put the towel under him, then wrapped ice cubes in another towel I handed them.
    â€œYou have to hold this on you even if the cold sort of makes you throb after a while,” Louise ordered him. “When the ice melts have Nickel put more in the towel. Do like I tell you and you’ll be all right.”
    He nodded as Mother handed him the towel. “Hold it right over where the crab grabbed you.”
    Mother checked her watch as they drove away. “We won’t get back in time to take him to the doctor.”
    â€œI hope he doesn’t need one but if it doesn’t look good I’ll ask Doc Ferguson to come over. You don’t want to take chances with something like that.”
    â€œThose claws are sharp. That damned little crab could have nipped a ball right off if she’d hit him right,” Mother stated offhandedly.
    â€œReally?” The lurid image compelled me.
    â€œAre you all right, Leroy?” Mother ignored me.
    â€œIt hurts.”
    â€œIt’s going to hurt for a while.” Mother turned