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on the table. I pointed to the area where I wanted the treadmills and the
plasma screens. Since I was running the company and Cascade was company
property, I could do as I pleased, and I intended to make the place my own.
I always wondered why James never did this, Dave said, marking it down.
Why walk on a treadmill when you can walk outdoors? I said. Remember?
God, those damn hikes, Dave said, shaking his head. Up and down and through
that goddamn swamp over by the Hughes place.
But, he said, after looking off into space for a moment, I guess you got to
see things.
You can burn more calories on a treadmill, I said, and you can see the TV.
Dave looked at me over the tops of his glasses for a second, then said,
That s right.
Marty came down the stairs and I asked Dave if we were all set. We were. He
left and I turned to Marty. His eyes darted here and there.
He s not here, Marty said.
Who? Bucky? What do you mean, not here?
Marty shook his head and said, I looked all over the place, the fish shack,
the duck barn, all over. No one s seen him and then I went to his house. His
Suburban wasn t there, but I asked Judy and she said he s down in Endicott on
a hunt.
What hunt?
Some old friends. Harold Sincibaugh s crew.
I choked down a laugh. It s opening day tomorrow.
I guess he wasn t thinking, Marty said, wringing his hands.
Get his ass on the phone, I said, raising my voice.
They don t have one, Marty said. I asked.
Where s Russel? Luke?
With him.
Fuck. Who is here, Marty? This is your fucking staff too. Isn t it?
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James never let me get involved with Bucky s guides.
And did James have to spoon-feed Bucky on every fucking detail? It s opening
fucking day! We ve got the dinner tonight.
I don t know, Marty said, taking a step back. Maybe he didn t think he was
supposed to come.
Marty, I said, closing the gap between us and gripping his shoulder, you
get someone down there and get his ass back here tonight. I mean tonight.
You want me to go?
You can t go, we ve got the dinner. Get someone. Who s left? Who in this
place isn t related to Bucky?
Adam could go.
Good, whoever, I said, letting him go with a little shove. Just get him
back here.
Marty hurried off. I went upstairs into the great hall where the dinner would
be and told Jessica about Bucky.
I think white, don t you? she asked, holding a red and a white napkin up in
the light.
He puts everyone in their stands, I said. He keeps everyone together when
they move through the woods or the whole thing gets gummed up.
Honey, she said, standing up and stroking my cheek with the back of her
fingers. No one cares. They can sleep in.
Guys are going to want to hunt.
Who? Chris Tognola from Deutsche Bank? Howard Reese? Tim Kingston? Please.
Jim Higgins will.
The Bass Pro Shop guy, she said, clucking her tongue. People come here to
see the lodge.
She put the napkins down and glanced around, making sure we were alone. Her
eyes narrowed. She lowered her voice and said, If you re worried about what
people think, maybe you should get rid of people who don t do their jobs. And,
if they re living on company property, maybe they shouldn t be.
Bucky?
Anyone who tries to make you look bad. Anyone who thinks you re not running
this place, she said, moving a wineglass to the other side of the plate. You
let people snub you and this won t last long. Kick him out.
His house?
She gave me a grim smile with those teeth, put her finger in my chest, and
said, The house belongs to the company. You run the company. What did James
used to say? Eat or be eaten, right? You re at the top of the food chain now.
Judy s there, I said.
I got thrown out of my house, she said with a shrug, huffing on a spoon and
wiping it on her sleeve. I survived.
She put the spoon down, looked at me, and asked, What did you do when you
played football and somebody took a cheap shot at you? Forget about it until
they did it again?
She turned and walked away in the direction of the kitchen. I watched her
disappear, my face hot and pressure building in my brain. I jogged downstairs
to the parking garage where I found Adam wearing his Carhartt jacket, jeans,
and big rubber boots climbing into his pickup truck. I got in on the other
side.
You going with me? he asked. His round cheeks, which were always bright
pink, turned red, and his eyes widened behind their wire-framed glasses.
We re not going to Endicott, I said. Take me to Bucky s.
His house? Adam said, and he started the engine.
36
BUCKY S WIFE, JUDY, was in the trophy room, reading a book by the fire.
Bucky s mounts stared down with their dead glass eyes. A stone sheep. A
monster Cape buffalo. Two big turkeys in flight. There were dozens of animals
from six of the seven continents.
Page 66
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zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
on the table. I pointed to the area where I wanted the treadmills and the
plasma screens. Since I was running the company and Cascade was company
property, I could do as I pleased, and I intended to make the place my own.
I always wondered why James never did this, Dave said, marking it down.
Why walk on a treadmill when you can walk outdoors? I said. Remember?
God, those damn hikes, Dave said, shaking his head. Up and down and through
that goddamn swamp over by the Hughes place.
But, he said, after looking off into space for a moment, I guess you got to
see things.
You can burn more calories on a treadmill, I said, and you can see the TV.
Dave looked at me over the tops of his glasses for a second, then said,
That s right.
Marty came down the stairs and I asked Dave if we were all set. We were. He
left and I turned to Marty. His eyes darted here and there.
He s not here, Marty said.
Who? Bucky? What do you mean, not here?
Marty shook his head and said, I looked all over the place, the fish shack,
the duck barn, all over. No one s seen him and then I went to his house. His
Suburban wasn t there, but I asked Judy and she said he s down in Endicott on
a hunt.
What hunt?
Some old friends. Harold Sincibaugh s crew.
I choked down a laugh. It s opening day tomorrow.
I guess he wasn t thinking, Marty said, wringing his hands.
Get his ass on the phone, I said, raising my voice.
They don t have one, Marty said. I asked.
Where s Russel? Luke?
With him.
Fuck. Who is here, Marty? This is your fucking staff too. Isn t it?
Page 65
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
James never let me get involved with Bucky s guides.
And did James have to spoon-feed Bucky on every fucking detail? It s opening
fucking day! We ve got the dinner tonight.
I don t know, Marty said, taking a step back. Maybe he didn t think he was
supposed to come.
Marty, I said, closing the gap between us and gripping his shoulder, you
get someone down there and get his ass back here tonight. I mean tonight.
You want me to go?
You can t go, we ve got the dinner. Get someone. Who s left? Who in this
place isn t related to Bucky?
Adam could go.
Good, whoever, I said, letting him go with a little shove. Just get him
back here.
Marty hurried off. I went upstairs into the great hall where the dinner would
be and told Jessica about Bucky.
I think white, don t you? she asked, holding a red and a white napkin up in
the light.
He puts everyone in their stands, I said. He keeps everyone together when
they move through the woods or the whole thing gets gummed up.
Honey, she said, standing up and stroking my cheek with the back of her
fingers. No one cares. They can sleep in.
Guys are going to want to hunt.
Who? Chris Tognola from Deutsche Bank? Howard Reese? Tim Kingston? Please.
Jim Higgins will.
The Bass Pro Shop guy, she said, clucking her tongue. People come here to
see the lodge.
She put the napkins down and glanced around, making sure we were alone. Her
eyes narrowed. She lowered her voice and said, If you re worried about what
people think, maybe you should get rid of people who don t do their jobs. And,
if they re living on company property, maybe they shouldn t be.
Bucky?
Anyone who tries to make you look bad. Anyone who thinks you re not running
this place, she said, moving a wineglass to the other side of the plate. You
let people snub you and this won t last long. Kick him out.
His house?
She gave me a grim smile with those teeth, put her finger in my chest, and
said, The house belongs to the company. You run the company. What did James
used to say? Eat or be eaten, right? You re at the top of the food chain now.
Judy s there, I said.
I got thrown out of my house, she said with a shrug, huffing on a spoon and
wiping it on her sleeve. I survived.
She put the spoon down, looked at me, and asked, What did you do when you
played football and somebody took a cheap shot at you? Forget about it until
they did it again?
She turned and walked away in the direction of the kitchen. I watched her
disappear, my face hot and pressure building in my brain. I jogged downstairs
to the parking garage where I found Adam wearing his Carhartt jacket, jeans,
and big rubber boots climbing into his pickup truck. I got in on the other
side.
You going with me? he asked. His round cheeks, which were always bright
pink, turned red, and his eyes widened behind their wire-framed glasses.
We re not going to Endicott, I said. Take me to Bucky s.
His house? Adam said, and he started the engine.
36
BUCKY S WIFE, JUDY, was in the trophy room, reading a book by the fire.
Bucky s mounts stared down with their dead glass eyes. A stone sheep. A
monster Cape buffalo. Two big turkeys in flight. There were dozens of animals
from six of the seven continents.
Page 66
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]