Robin…
"Nothing that's really gone, that I can't ever find again."
"Oh. Whereas my memories-"
"Yes?" They both smile.
"One took lots of aspirin. One was drinking or drunk much of the time. One was concerned about getting one's lounge suits to fit properly. One despised the upper classes but tried desperately to behave like them…"
"And one cried wee, wee, wee, all the way-" Jessica breaking down in a giggle as he reaches for the spot along her sweatered flank he knows she can't bear to be tickled in. She hunches, squirming, out of the way as he rolls past, bouncing off the back of the sofa but making a nice recovery, and by now she's ticklish all over, he can grab an ankle, elbow-
But a rocket has suddenly struck. A terrific blast quite close beyond the village: the entire fabric of the air, the time, is changed-the casement window blown inward, rebounding with a wood squeak to slam again as all the house still shudders.
Their hearts pound. Eardrums brushed taut by the overpressure ring in pain. The invisible train rushes away close over the rooftop…
They sit still as the painted dogs now, silent, oddly unable to touch. Death has come in the pantry door: stands watching them, iron and patient, with a look that says try to tickle me.
D D D D D D D
(1)
TDY Abreaction Ward St. Veronica's Hospital Bonechapel Gate, El London, England Winter, 1944
The Kenosha Kid
General Delivery
Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Dear Sir:
Did I ever bother you, ever, for anything, in your life?
Yours truly,
Lt. Tyrone Slothrop
General Delivery Kenosha, Wise., U.S.A. few days later
Tyrone Slothrop, Esq. TDY Abreaction Ward St. Veronica's Hospital Bonechapel Gate, El London, England
Dear Mr. Slothrop: You never did.
The Kenosha Kid
(2) Smartass youth: Aw, I did all them old-fashioned dances, I did the
"Charleston," a-and the "Big Apple," too!
Old veteran hoofer: Bet you never did the "Kenosha," kid!
(2.1) S.Y.: Shucks, I did all them dances, I did the "Castle Walk," and I did the "Lindy," too!
O.VH.: Bet you never did the "Kenosha Kid."
(3) Minor employee: Well, he has been avoiding me, and I thought it
might be because of the Slothrop Affair. If he somehow held me re
sponsible-
Superior (haughtily): You! never did the Kenosha Kid think for one instant that you…
(3.1) Superior (incredulously): You? Never! Did the Kenosha Kid think for one instant that you …?
(4) And at the end of the mighty day in which he gave us in fiery
letters across the sky all the words we'd ever need, words we today
enjoy, and fill our dictionaries with, the meek voice of little Tyrone
Slothrop, celebrated ever after in tradition and song, ventured to
filter upward to the Kid's attention: "You never did 'the, ' Kenosha
Kid!"
These changes on the text "You never did the Kenosha Kid" are occupying Slothrop's awareness as the doctor leans in out of the white overhead to wake him and begin the session. The needle slips without pain into the vein just outboard of the hollow in the crook of his elbow: 10% Sodium Amytal, one cc at a time, as needed.
(5) Maybe you did fool the Philadelphia, rag the Rochester, josh the
Joliet. But you never did the Kenosha kid.
(6) (The day of the Ascent and sacrifice. A nation-wide observance.
Fats searing, blood dripping and burning to a salty brown…) You did
the Charlottesville shoat, check, the Forest Hills foal, check. (Fading
now…) The Laredo lamb. Check. Oh-oh. Wait. What's this,
Slothrop? You never did the Kenosha kid. Snap to, Slothrop.
Got a hardon in my fist,
Don't be pissed,
Re-enlist-
Snap-to, Slothrop!
Jackson, I don't give a fuck, Just give me my "ruptured duck!" Snap-to, Slothrop!
No one here can love or comprehend me,
They just look for someplace else to send… me…
Tap my head and mike my brain, Stick that needle in my vein, Slothrop, snap to!
PISCES: We want to talk some more about Boston today, Slothrop. You recall that we were talking last time about the Negroes, in
"Nothing that's really gone, that I can't ever find again."
"Oh. Whereas my memories-"
"Yes?" They both smile.
"One took lots of aspirin. One was drinking or drunk much of the time. One was concerned about getting one's lounge suits to fit properly. One despised the upper classes but tried desperately to behave like them…"
"And one cried wee, wee, wee, all the way-" Jessica breaking down in a giggle as he reaches for the spot along her sweatered flank he knows she can't bear to be tickled in. She hunches, squirming, out of the way as he rolls past, bouncing off the back of the sofa but making a nice recovery, and by now she's ticklish all over, he can grab an ankle, elbow-
But a rocket has suddenly struck. A terrific blast quite close beyond the village: the entire fabric of the air, the time, is changed-the casement window blown inward, rebounding with a wood squeak to slam again as all the house still shudders.
Their hearts pound. Eardrums brushed taut by the overpressure ring in pain. The invisible train rushes away close over the rooftop…
They sit still as the painted dogs now, silent, oddly unable to touch. Death has come in the pantry door: stands watching them, iron and patient, with a look that says try to tickle me.
D D D D D D D
(1)
TDY Abreaction Ward St. Veronica's Hospital Bonechapel Gate, El London, England Winter, 1944
The Kenosha Kid
General Delivery
Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Dear Sir:
Did I ever bother you, ever, for anything, in your life?
Yours truly,
Lt. Tyrone Slothrop
General Delivery Kenosha, Wise., U.S.A. few days later
Tyrone Slothrop, Esq. TDY Abreaction Ward St. Veronica's Hospital Bonechapel Gate, El London, England
Dear Mr. Slothrop: You never did.
The Kenosha Kid
(2) Smartass youth: Aw, I did all them old-fashioned dances, I did the
"Charleston," a-and the "Big Apple," too!
Old veteran hoofer: Bet you never did the "Kenosha," kid!
(2.1) S.Y.: Shucks, I did all them dances, I did the "Castle Walk," and I did the "Lindy," too!
O.VH.: Bet you never did the "Kenosha Kid."
(3) Minor employee: Well, he has been avoiding me, and I thought it
might be because of the Slothrop Affair. If he somehow held me re
sponsible-
Superior (haughtily): You! never did the Kenosha Kid think for one instant that you…
(3.1) Superior (incredulously): You? Never! Did the Kenosha Kid think for one instant that you …?
(4) And at the end of the mighty day in which he gave us in fiery
letters across the sky all the words we'd ever need, words we today
enjoy, and fill our dictionaries with, the meek voice of little Tyrone
Slothrop, celebrated ever after in tradition and song, ventured to
filter upward to the Kid's attention: "You never did 'the, ' Kenosha
Kid!"
These changes on the text "You never did the Kenosha Kid" are occupying Slothrop's awareness as the doctor leans in out of the white overhead to wake him and begin the session. The needle slips without pain into the vein just outboard of the hollow in the crook of his elbow: 10% Sodium Amytal, one cc at a time, as needed.
(5) Maybe you did fool the Philadelphia, rag the Rochester, josh the
Joliet. But you never did the Kenosha kid.
(6) (The day of the Ascent and sacrifice. A nation-wide observance.
Fats searing, blood dripping and burning to a salty brown…) You did
the Charlottesville shoat, check, the Forest Hills foal, check. (Fading
now…) The Laredo lamb. Check. Oh-oh. Wait. What's this,
Slothrop? You never did the Kenosha kid. Snap to, Slothrop.
Got a hardon in my fist,
Don't be pissed,
Re-enlist-
Snap-to, Slothrop!
Jackson, I don't give a fuck, Just give me my "ruptured duck!" Snap-to, Slothrop!
No one here can love or comprehend me,
They just look for someplace else to send… me…
Tap my head and mike my brain, Stick that needle in my vein, Slothrop, snap to!
PISCES: We want to talk some more about Boston today, Slothrop. You recall that we were talking last time about the Negroes, in
Similar Books
