Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon Page A

and corvetting round lately, high in hisnature compared to how he used to do. He was always in a good mood these days—could be too good. Maybe it was the change in the weather. Maybe he don’t rightly follow about his manhood. He always was a baby. He scoping round at the cats, the raindrops pimpling the puddles, the sparrows hopping up and down and cussing each other in the eaves. He stopped and had him a long sniff of Grizzly’s goat. Now that Deucey had the two horses, she bought Grizzly a ten-dollar goat to keep him company. When the goat wasn’t in the stall he was tied up like now on a chain in the grass patch between the shedrows, but he always pulled it out tight as a fiddle string if folks was around, for he was nosy.
    Medicine Ed returned to the subject at hand. It’s one thing you can count on, son. When they gone they gone. You never know what you missing. Onliest thing, you be lighter of heart. Anyhow, he say into the horse—first he spied round to see what devilborn varmint might be listening, a crow, say, or Deucey’s slit-eye goat—you know I be a little of a doctor-man. I take them things and do you good with em, you hear? You don’t got to worry, you in good hands.
    But Little Spinoza was only interested in that satchel-bellied ten-dollar billy goat. First he jumped back like insulted when the goat lift his head at him and stare. What you think this is, son? Ain’t nothing but a spotted he-goat, good for nothing save to be the horse’s friend. He gone urinate in you hay and shove his head in you feed bucket and race you to you eats. You don’t mind out, he win too. You want that? Medicine Ed reached down and touched that peculiar armor-plate forehead of the goat between his coin-slot eyes, and shuddered. But Little Spinoza dance around and look happy and want a billy goat all his own.
    …
     
    The time to call Mr. Two-Tie was nine in the morning from the payphone back of the track kitchen. Midnight until four, Two-Tie be taken up with his after-hours card game. Then the backside come alive and Medicine Ed himself couldn’t get away, and if he could, Two-Tie’s line be always busy. At eight he out walking his dog. By noon he be fast asleep.
    Two-fifty will be no problem at all, Edward, your credit is always good. May I ask do you need the cash in front of any particular race? Possibly sumpm I shoulda heard about it but ain’t? I can have one of my associates bring over the dough any time.
    Naw, Medicine Ed reply, it ain’t no race, but then it go quiet, too quiet, save for a little itchy noise deep in the phone.
    Gone to the dentist, Medicine Ed explained. Toothache.
    How soon you say you need that two fifty?
    Soon’s I can get it.
    I’ll send somebody over this afternoon. How you like that new job, Edward?
    It all right, Medicine Ed tell him.
    I hear that Hansel fellow shipped in here from the Eastern Panhandle. Charles Town.
    That’s right. Two-Tie was silent and Ed understood he should give up more. Four horses. Zeno claim one the first night out. Hansel he still talking bout that horse.
    This seemed safe to say. He couldn’t believe the young fool would be so fool to claim the horse back, nemmind what he say now.
    You don’t happen to know where he was before that?
    Hansel? Well, Medicine Ed said slowly, surprised and a little worried at Two-Tie’s interest in the young fool. I believe he work for Roland Hickok oncet. Before he have his own string. I don’t know when. He say he spend last winter selling cars.
    Selling cars! Where the hell was that?
    Some cold place way it’s no horse racing. One of them states up by Canada. I disremember the name.
    Selling cars, Two-Tie echoed in disgust. Edward. You and I have done plenty of business over the years.
    Sho is.
    We understand each other, ain’t it?
    Sho is.
    Like you already know, I look on it as a pleasure to do business with people that has a mature insider’s view of life on the backside. I find their conversation highly