said.
“Correct,” Paul said. “I get your solemn word: this is the last time. You’re my brother, but you’re a little old now to need a keeper, and I’ve had my share of the job.I don’t want it any more. I never had much luck at it anyway.
“I don’t ask for miracles, Jerry,” Paul said. “They’re nice, but they’re hard to come by. You’ll be in another mess next year. You know it and I know it. I don’t want promises of good behavior.”
“Okay,” the Digger said.
“What I want,” Paul said, “what I want is peace and quiet. I want a promise that you’ll go to someone else, the next time you get in the soup. You won’t even tell me about it.”
“Okay,” the Digger said.
“I’m not finished,” Paul said. “I’m at the point where a man has to drive a hard bargain. I should’ve done it before, but I didn’t. Now I’ve got to, or you’ll just keep on coming back until you beggar me.
“You started talking about risky things,” Paul said. “I know your history. You went to prison for minding Dinny Hand’s cellar full of stolen jewelry, twenty years ago, and you didn’t learn a solitary thing. You almost went to prison when they found out about those television sets and stereos in the cellar of the Bright Red. It was all I could do to persuade them the help put them in there and you didn’t know about it, and you know I was lying, Jerry, and I knew it too. Your vacation was all that saved you, that time, that and the silence of your friends.
“I know the way your mind works,” Paul said. “I don’t like it, but I know it. When you get the chance, you steal. The trouble is that you’re not a very good thief. You’ve been caught twice. The last time you were next door to a long sentence. You got away that time. You won’t get away again. You see, I know them, too,from dealing with them in your behalf. They remember a man who got one free. If he slips again, they land on him.”
“Just out of curiosity,” the Digger said, “what do you care, this is the write-off and all? I don’t mean nothing by it, I’m just asking.”
“I’ve been here two years short of the magic number,” Paul said. “Nobody’s ever been pastor of Holy Sepulchre for ten years without making domestic prelate. I’d like to, Jerry, I’d really like to. I’d like for you not to foul it up for me.”
“That’s what I thought,” the Digger said.
“What you think is your business,” Paul said. “Your family deserves something better’n weekends traveling back and forth to Walpole to see Daddy. I deserve something better’n coming downstairs every year to hear about Little Brother’s latest calamity. You tell me you won’t mortgage the house or the saloon to get the money that you lost all by yourself. But there’s no other legal way to get it. So you’re telling me you’ll commit crimes. And I’m telling you, you’ll get caught. Don’t give me that pious stuff about your family. I’ll give you three thousand dollars. For that I get your promises: no more emergency visits, and no more crimes . You’ll get caught.”
“You’re buying me off,” the Digger said.
“I’m buying me,” Paul said, “I’m buying me off. I told you. I’m making provision for my old age. I’m through bailing you out. Now I’m buying me off. I want those assurances. For three thousand dollars, we’re quits. Take it or leave it.”
“Take it,” the Digger said.
“I’ve got your word,” Paul said.
“You got my word,” the Digger said.
“On both things,” Paul said.
“On both things,” the Digger said.
“I’d better have,” Paul said. “I was really looking forward to that Limited.”
“J ESUS Christ , D IG ,” the Greek said, “you got way in over your fuckin’ head . I saw that fuckin’ marker, I almost fuckin’ shit . The fuck’s the matter with you, you lose your fuckin’ mind or something? Guys, guys like us, you haven’t got that kind of fuckin’ money. What
“Correct,” Paul said. “I get your solemn word: this is the last time. You’re my brother, but you’re a little old now to need a keeper, and I’ve had my share of the job.I don’t want it any more. I never had much luck at it anyway.
“I don’t ask for miracles, Jerry,” Paul said. “They’re nice, but they’re hard to come by. You’ll be in another mess next year. You know it and I know it. I don’t want promises of good behavior.”
“Okay,” the Digger said.
“What I want,” Paul said, “what I want is peace and quiet. I want a promise that you’ll go to someone else, the next time you get in the soup. You won’t even tell me about it.”
“Okay,” the Digger said.
“I’m not finished,” Paul said. “I’m at the point where a man has to drive a hard bargain. I should’ve done it before, but I didn’t. Now I’ve got to, or you’ll just keep on coming back until you beggar me.
“You started talking about risky things,” Paul said. “I know your history. You went to prison for minding Dinny Hand’s cellar full of stolen jewelry, twenty years ago, and you didn’t learn a solitary thing. You almost went to prison when they found out about those television sets and stereos in the cellar of the Bright Red. It was all I could do to persuade them the help put them in there and you didn’t know about it, and you know I was lying, Jerry, and I knew it too. Your vacation was all that saved you, that time, that and the silence of your friends.
“I know the way your mind works,” Paul said. “I don’t like it, but I know it. When you get the chance, you steal. The trouble is that you’re not a very good thief. You’ve been caught twice. The last time you were next door to a long sentence. You got away that time. You won’t get away again. You see, I know them, too,from dealing with them in your behalf. They remember a man who got one free. If he slips again, they land on him.”
“Just out of curiosity,” the Digger said, “what do you care, this is the write-off and all? I don’t mean nothing by it, I’m just asking.”
“I’ve been here two years short of the magic number,” Paul said. “Nobody’s ever been pastor of Holy Sepulchre for ten years without making domestic prelate. I’d like to, Jerry, I’d really like to. I’d like for you not to foul it up for me.”
“That’s what I thought,” the Digger said.
“What you think is your business,” Paul said. “Your family deserves something better’n weekends traveling back and forth to Walpole to see Daddy. I deserve something better’n coming downstairs every year to hear about Little Brother’s latest calamity. You tell me you won’t mortgage the house or the saloon to get the money that you lost all by yourself. But there’s no other legal way to get it. So you’re telling me you’ll commit crimes. And I’m telling you, you’ll get caught. Don’t give me that pious stuff about your family. I’ll give you three thousand dollars. For that I get your promises: no more emergency visits, and no more crimes . You’ll get caught.”
“You’re buying me off,” the Digger said.
“I’m buying me,” Paul said, “I’m buying me off. I told you. I’m making provision for my old age. I’m through bailing you out. Now I’m buying me off. I want those assurances. For three thousand dollars, we’re quits. Take it or leave it.”
“Take it,” the Digger said.
“I’ve got your word,” Paul said.
“You got my word,” the Digger said.
“On both things,” Paul said.
“On both things,” the Digger said.
“I’d better have,” Paul said. “I was really looking forward to that Limited.”
“J ESUS Christ , D IG ,” the Greek said, “you got way in over your fuckin’ head . I saw that fuckin’ marker, I almost fuckin’ shit . The fuck’s the matter with you, you lose your fuckin’ mind or something? Guys, guys like us, you haven’t got that kind of fuckin’ money. What
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