The Royal Family (52 page)

She whistled four times, and he lobbed her a dime bag.

That’ll work, chucked the blonde, paying him.

Gimme five for Maj’s retirement fund, said the tall man.

For hers or for yours? said Domino disdainfully. How do I know what crap you’re up to?

You got some mouth, said the tall man. You be lucky you’re in good with Maj. Otherwise I might just have to beat your whitebread ass.

Oh la-
la,
sneered Domino. Don’t think I haven’t figured out who’s gaffling everybody else. And someday I’m going to do something about it.

Now who’s gettin’ accused? said the tall man watchfully. You got the guts to accuse me to my face? Or you accusin’ Maj behind her back as usual?

Fuck you, Justin. Hey, keep an eye out for a sec, would you? I need to pee.

She squatted down between two cars and began to make water, which struck the asphalt with a sizzling noise. Many things are more convenient without underwear.

Hey! she said indignantly. You’re not supposed to watch me, you pervert!

The tall man chuckled. Certain things I like to look at. Not so much what you be doin’ there, but the part of you you be doin’ it
from.

Wiping herself on her skirt, Domino rose, not really angry at all. —Hey, you know that guy Henry? The one who keeps hanging around the Queen?
He
likes that stuff. He’s into golden showers.

Me, I’m just into
gold,
said the tall man.

You’re just a big black jerk, laughed Domino. Here’s ten dollars for your retirement fund.

She turned her back on him and went out toward the ticket booth. She lit up a cigarette. A man was approaching. She said to him tentatively: Hey, you wanna . . . ?

The man gazed at her intensely. Then he got into his truck and drove away.

Domino breezed into the Wonderbar, drunk and high, determined to get drunker. An old john whom she dated once or twice a month sat down beside her. —Aha, the old bastard’s horny again! she thought gleefully, showing him leg. I’m the
best!

The john said: You, uh, I, uh-uh-uh-uh—

Gimme a twirl! laughed the drunken blonde. Why do you think li’l girls like to twirl?
Not just to see their skirts fly up, though that’ll work for some. The real reason is,
it makes you high.
But I did just wash my underwear. Wanna see?

I . . . well, I, yes.

Then I’ll
give you a twirl!
Ha, ha, ha!

You’re so—I mean to say, Domino, you, uh, you’re
beautiful.

Black belt, leather, lace, why don’t you SIT on my—face!
See I’m a poet. I wish I could dance on the bar, but—and suddenly the blonde burst into tears—Loreena won’t let me. I know her. I just know . . .

Well, said the Canadian doctor, joke goes like this: Guy’s trying to call Canada, and the operator says: Sorry, sir, that’s an imaginary number. Please multiply by the square root of minus one and try again. Well, it’s just a mathematics joke. I can’t make any excuses for it. It’s not me who’s the lawyer; it’s my wife.

Domino smiled well-manneredly. —Hey, you got five dollars?

Absently, the doctor reached into his wallet and counted out five ones. Domino saw a hundred dollar bill in there and her heart pounded.

So where did you say you were from? Domino said.

The doctor looked at her. —I’m from Canada. Have you been listening to anything I said?

Sure, Professsor. You were talking about your wife. So you wanna kind of like unzip, and then maybe we can
relax?
I’m real tight down there, you know what I mean?

Listen, said the doctor. I changed my mind. I wanted somebody who could pretend a little better than you could.

Oh, well, aren’t
we
hurt! sneered Domino. Just because I don’t understand all your mathematics shit, you can’t get hard! You have it in for me because I never had the opportunity you had? You have something against girls that never had the chance to get a good education, that never even got a decent pair of shoes?

Those sneakers of yours look just fine to me, said the doctor. Or don’t they count?

Domino reached into her purse and pulled out a razor-knife. —All right, don’t play games with me, she said. I want your wallet.

They call some people shot-callers, said the tall man. They’re the ones that call the shots. If you gotta get well and I wanna sell you some powder for a higher price and you say no, don’t mean no nevermind, ’cause you gotta have that powder, see.
I
call the shot.

How many women shot-callers you know? said Domino.

A few. And they be so cold.

How about me?

You certainly be cold enough. Might as well call you the Ice Bitch. But that’s not all there is to it. You got to show some
sense.
Why be mean when you can accomplish the same thing by coaxin’?

I don’t give a fuck about coaxing, laughed Domino.

That’s what I’m saying. Oh, what’s the use?

Shit, if I was the Queen I’d get good for all the girls, get a nice escort service, hundred
dollar dates for even the girls that didn’t deserve it, even the ugly girls, even the mean, stupid bitches, even the assholes that ripped me off and gaffled me and jacked me up, and they wouldn’t have to pay
nothin’.
Not a fuckin’ thing. Justin. I’d be so good to them they wouldn’t know what hit ’em. I was in an escort service for a number of years. Being the Queen is easier than you might ever dream. And I sure as hell wouldn’t . . . wouldn’t . . . what the fuck was I talking about? Jeez, my head hurts.

It hurts from doing what you call thinking, said Justin. Now leave me in peace. I’m gonna roll myself some of this greenbud. Thank the Lord you’re allergic to that. Otherwise you’d be hitting me up and threatening . . .

I wouldn’t make ’em stay in this dump, either, Domino muttered. I wouldn’t want ’em with me, anyhow. Better to get myself a nice big old house like I used to have before my mother lost her mind, and I want a kitty, a nice white kitty cat. And all the rest of you, I’d keep you at arm’s length, I tell you. You goddamned backstabbers . . .

•

For the wisdom of this world is folly with God.

 

1 C
ORINTHIANS
3.19

•

Who’s that rose for? That rose for me?

It’s for the Queen, said Tyler.

For the Queen!
Oh!
You datin’ the Queen? said Kitty.

I’m just bringing her a rose.

Shit! Why didn’t you bring
me
one?

Evening, Strawberry, Tyler said. Have you been crying?

Justin and I broke up, the whore wept.

I’m sorry to hear that, he said. What was the last thing you said to him?

I told him he’d be well advised to use this time packing.

And what did he say?

Oh, he said something about me, involving fornicating female dogs. Oh, hell. Here he comes. Justin! Justin, I already told you! Keep away from me, I said!
Justin!

The tall man glared scarlet-eyed and slugged her in the mouth. Her lip split and blood dribbled down her chin.

Come on home, she said to him steadily. Let’s forget this. When we get home I’ll go out and make money and get you another drink.

He needs another drink like I need an airplane, Kitty muttered.

The tall man punched Strawberry again. Kitty screamed.

All right, Justin, said Tyler. You made your point.

Strawberry turned on him, clawing and shrieking: Stay out of my business, you bastard! This is between Justin and me!

I get it, said Tyler. Where’s the Queen?

In there, said the tall man.

All right, he said, walking around them. He heard the tall man punch Strawberry again, and felt sickened.

Beatrice was playing with a blue tiger which she had made out of papier mâché when Tyler came down the steps into the tunnel, giving her game surcease. She likewise hated the tall man’s violence, even though she could understand very well that he might become exasperated because Strawberry was a born thief and even from her own sisters she would steal. Once Beatrice had caught her trying to sell Domino’s silver shoes. She begged her not to do that, but the other girl wouldn’t listen. But whenever the tall man beat her,
ay!
Poor Strawberry! How Beatrice pitied her!

Afternoon, Bea, he said drily.

Oh, Henry, why is Justin so fierce? I’m afraid now even to see his face! And Strawberry, she’s so patient, may the saints protect her . . . When he goes away I can give to her this tiger, and may she find joy in it.

I figure you and I should go out dancing sometime, he said to cheer her. —Maj tells me you used to dance professionally . . .

With a bitter grimace she replied: On the Day of the Dead they only know to dance their own way.

What’s that got to do with anything? You thinking of dying anytime soon?

From behind, they heard Strawberry’s shrill, sharp screams. But the darkness ahead where the Queen was was silent.

I dislike it, she said.
Ay,
how I dislike it.

Never mind, Bea. In your home town how do they dance?

They dance different. It’s like the same music, but nobody show them.

You still like to dance?

She trembled. —No, she said. No more. Now I doan like.

All right, he said.

He could not unhear Strawberry’s screams and Kitty’s screams.

The Queen was in the darkness muttering: I’m fixin’ to go buy some groceries.

Is Strawberry going to be okay? he said.

Justin slapping her around again, huh? said the Queen. I seen that almost every month.

Yeah.

Oh, he’s a wild one, said the Queen, resigned.

What if he kills her?

He won’t.

I don’t get it. Don’t you run things here? Are you trying to tell me she wants it?

Hush up, Henry. She done him wrong this time. She flushed all his china white down the toilet an’ then told him she done it. It’s always this way. She’ll be sick a couple of days . . .

It makes me anxious, he said. I hate to see her allowing that to happen.

Nobody sayin’ you don’t have a good heart. But maybe you don’t understand. It’s not always wrong when a man hits a woman. Most of the time, yes. But not all the time.

I don’t know.

You’d never do it. But maybe she needs it.

How could anyone
need
it?

Strawberry! called the Queen. Strawberry, c’mere!

The whore came in torn clothes, bleeding from the mouth, one eye swollen shut. Justin was stamping and roaring outside as his victim whispered: This is how the world is. Oh, Jesus! Someone’s gonna get compensated, but it’s still horrendous. I still hope someday we’ll all laugh about it, but oh well.

Strawberry!
Strawberry!

What? she sobbed. Maj, he’s so violent. Can’t you —

Strawberry, this gentleman told me he’s worryin’ about you.

Tell Henry to keep the fuck out of my business.

All right, baby, you can go. Now, Henry, do you believe?

I believe in her pride, that’s all.

You want me to take your pain away? I could make you drink something so you’d forget Irene forever. You wouldn’t wake up cryin’ no more. You want me to do that?

No.