Dennis will do his death-defying dive twice. Now, and again at the close of the show."
Anne said, "Is he a reenactor?"
"He is, but don't know it yet."
"Wait till you see what I'm wearing. Jerry comes in while I'm packing? `Where's the hoop for the hoopskirt?' I said, `Tell me how to get a fucking hoop in the bag and I'll bring it.' I've never had any intention of wearing a hoopskirt. I haven't told him yet, but I'm going to be a quadroon camp follower."
"Cool. You'll be the show."
"Hang a red lantern on the tent."
"How much you charge?"
"I don't know. What do you think, back then?"
"High-class whore? Maybe two bucks. Camp follower? About four bits." He said, "Listen what she's saying."
The woman's voice telling the crowd, "Chickasaw Charlie Hoke, Tishomingo's popular celebrity host, would like to say a few words to you as our champion climbs all the way to the top of that eighty-foot ladder. Charlie?"
Now Charlie's voice came over the speakers.
"Thanks, Diane. Folks, let's give a big hand to DianeCorrigan-Cochrane, the Voice of the North Delta."
"Good crowd," Robert said. "Hundred and a half easy."
"For eighteen years," Charlie's voice told them, "Dennis has been performing as a champion, the same length of time I spent in organized baseball. Like Dennis, ready to bear down wherever and whatever famous sluggers I was facing. While Dennis was showing his stuff all over the world, I was with the Orioles organization, the Texas Rangers, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the De-troit Tigers, Baltimore again, got traded back to De-troit and finished my career with the Tigers in the '84 World Series. When Dennis started out he knew he would never give up till he was a champion in his field. Just as I bore down in the minors striking out some of the biggest hitters in baseball. AlOliver, GormanThomas, JimRice. Let's see, DarrellEvans, MikeSchmidt when I was with Altoona, back then throwing ninety-ninemile-an-hour fastballs. BillMadlock, WillieMcGee, Don Mattingly. And I fanned WadeBoggs twice in the longest game on record. Went eight hours and seven minutes. In other words I know and can appreciate what Dennis Lenahan has gone through to get where he's at today."
Robert said, "That man is all scam. I can't believe he's never done time."
"You haven't," Anne said. "Or have you?"
"Jail, no prison. Charlie says he's gonna reenact. Wants to be a Yankee this time."
"What about the diver?"
"Gonna be a Yankee."
"But he doesn't know it yet?"
"He don't know shit, but he's learning."
"How'd you do with the house-trailer guy?"
"Manufactured homes they're called. Got him lined up."
"You've been a busy boy." Giving him the look again.
They heard the key in the lock as Dennis went off in a flying reverse pike, Robert's eyes glued to him. Two seconds it took? Maybe two seconds falling sixty miles an hour. Robert turned, raising his arm.
"Hey, Jerry, you just missed the eighty-foot dive, man." It seemed strange, seeing him with a beard.
Jerry took a cashier's check from his pocket, laid it on the table and began opening a bottle of red saying, "How do you know it's eighty feet?"
"I either went up there with a ruler," Robert said, "or I counted the rungs. Take your pick. You win?"
"Course I won. You think I'd play if I lose?" He said to Anne, "How you doing, sweetheart? You show Robert your outfits?"
"I took a nap while Robert looked at the view."
"The show," Robert said, "it's still on." It didn't make sense to him, Anne saying she took a nap, daring Jerry to check the bed for tracks. But that's the kind she was, liked to fool with being caught. So sure of herself she didn't see it: if Jerry ever did walk in on them she'd be the one would have to go.
Robert said, "Listen, I'm gonna leave you all. I told Dennis I'd come by his house for a drink.
Wants me to check out his landlady. Says she's fine." It was for Anne, but she wouldn't look at him.
Jerry was shaking his head. "You're crazy, you know it? This whole
Anne said, "Is he a reenactor?"
"He is, but don't know it yet."
"Wait till you see what I'm wearing. Jerry comes in while I'm packing? `Where's the hoop for the hoopskirt?' I said, `Tell me how to get a fucking hoop in the bag and I'll bring it.' I've never had any intention of wearing a hoopskirt. I haven't told him yet, but I'm going to be a quadroon camp follower."
"Cool. You'll be the show."
"Hang a red lantern on the tent."
"How much you charge?"
"I don't know. What do you think, back then?"
"High-class whore? Maybe two bucks. Camp follower? About four bits." He said, "Listen what she's saying."
The woman's voice telling the crowd, "Chickasaw Charlie Hoke, Tishomingo's popular celebrity host, would like to say a few words to you as our champion climbs all the way to the top of that eighty-foot ladder. Charlie?"
Now Charlie's voice came over the speakers.
"Thanks, Diane. Folks, let's give a big hand to DianeCorrigan-Cochrane, the Voice of the North Delta."
"Good crowd," Robert said. "Hundred and a half easy."
"For eighteen years," Charlie's voice told them, "Dennis has been performing as a champion, the same length of time I spent in organized baseball. Like Dennis, ready to bear down wherever and whatever famous sluggers I was facing. While Dennis was showing his stuff all over the world, I was with the Orioles organization, the Texas Rangers, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the De-troit Tigers, Baltimore again, got traded back to De-troit and finished my career with the Tigers in the '84 World Series. When Dennis started out he knew he would never give up till he was a champion in his field. Just as I bore down in the minors striking out some of the biggest hitters in baseball. AlOliver, GormanThomas, JimRice. Let's see, DarrellEvans, MikeSchmidt when I was with Altoona, back then throwing ninety-ninemile-an-hour fastballs. BillMadlock, WillieMcGee, Don Mattingly. And I fanned WadeBoggs twice in the longest game on record. Went eight hours and seven minutes. In other words I know and can appreciate what Dennis Lenahan has gone through to get where he's at today."
Robert said, "That man is all scam. I can't believe he's never done time."
"You haven't," Anne said. "Or have you?"
"Jail, no prison. Charlie says he's gonna reenact. Wants to be a Yankee this time."
"What about the diver?"
"Gonna be a Yankee."
"But he doesn't know it yet?"
"He don't know shit, but he's learning."
"How'd you do with the house-trailer guy?"
"Manufactured homes they're called. Got him lined up."
"You've been a busy boy." Giving him the look again.
They heard the key in the lock as Dennis went off in a flying reverse pike, Robert's eyes glued to him. Two seconds it took? Maybe two seconds falling sixty miles an hour. Robert turned, raising his arm.
"Hey, Jerry, you just missed the eighty-foot dive, man." It seemed strange, seeing him with a beard.
Jerry took a cashier's check from his pocket, laid it on the table and began opening a bottle of red saying, "How do you know it's eighty feet?"
"I either went up there with a ruler," Robert said, "or I counted the rungs. Take your pick. You win?"
"Course I won. You think I'd play if I lose?" He said to Anne, "How you doing, sweetheart? You show Robert your outfits?"
"I took a nap while Robert looked at the view."
"The show," Robert said, "it's still on." It didn't make sense to him, Anne saying she took a nap, daring Jerry to check the bed for tracks. But that's the kind she was, liked to fool with being caught. So sure of herself she didn't see it: if Jerry ever did walk in on them she'd be the one would have to go.
Robert said, "Listen, I'm gonna leave you all. I told Dennis I'd come by his house for a drink.
Wants me to check out his landlady. Says she's fine." It was for Anne, but she wouldn't look at him.
Jerry was shaking his head. "You're crazy, you know it? This whole
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