Destroyer 034 by Chained Reaction

Author:Chained Reaction
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

The old black woman wore a red bandanna around her head and a house dress that

dropped in a straight line, unbroken by any hint of human curve, from neck to feet,

encased in plush bedroom slippers at least four sizes too big.

The pipe she was smoking gave off toxic fumes, the like of which he had not smelled

since commandoes under his leadership exploded a German cordite factory in Norway in

1944.

"I am looking for Ruby Gonzalez," Smith said.

"C'mon in," said Ruby's mother.

She led Smith into the parlor of the small apartment and motioned Smith to the chair

opposite her blue rocker. He sat down in the overstuffed seat, and sank for what seemed

like a full three seconds before stopping.

"Lemme see yo' hands," Mrs. Gonzalez said.

"I'm looking for Ruby. She's your daughter, I believe."

"Ah knows who my daughter is," said Mrs. Gonzalez. "Show me yo' hands."

Smith struggled back up to the edge of the chair and extended his hands before him. Maybe she was

going to tell his fortune. The gaunt black woman took his hands in hers in a grip like a

112

vise. She looked at the palms, then the fingers, then turned them over and looked at the backs, then

released them as if they were the most no-account hands she had ever seen.

"Don' see nothing special about them hands."

"Why should there be something special about them?"

"Listen, you. You be here to get Lucius back or not?"

"I came here to see Ruby. Your daughter."

"You not the man who gonna get Lucius back?"

Smith felt as if the old woman was going to tell him something important.

"Perhaps," he said. "What did Ruby say?"

"Ruby, she be watching the television and she see these hands, and she say, like,

that's him, that's him, he gonna get Lucius back and they be white hands and I think

they be yours 'cause all white hands look alike."

Hands? Hands. What was she talking about?

"So you be the man or not?" Mrs. Gonzalez asked.

"I'm going to try to get Lucius back," Smith said.

"Okay. Befo' Ruby gets home, I wants to talk to yo' about that."

"Yes?" asked Smith.

"Why you just not let Lucius be where he be?"

"You mean not bring him back?"

The old woman nodded her head. "Ruby miss him a little bit now," she said. "But that

not last long. And when she sees how good we does without him, she be happy. He be

about the most worthlessest boy ah ever see."

113Smith nodded.

"When will Ruby be back?" he asked. "What time's it?"

Smith glanced at his watch. "Two-thirty." "She be back before six." "Areyou

sure?"

"Sure. That my supper time and that girl never miss fixing my supper." "I'll be back, Mrs. Gonzalez," Smith

"Sure. That my supper time and that girl never miss fixing my supper." "I'll be back, Mrs. Gonzalez," Smith

said.

"C'mon, c'mon, step on it," Ruby said. "I got to get home to cook Mama's dinner."

"I'm going eighty-five now," Remo said.

"Go faster," Ruby said. She folded her arms across her bosom and stared out the

front windshield of the white Lincoln Continental.

"Silence up there," commanded Chiun from the

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.