ilookedathimtoolong.therewasabriefhalf-seenmoveatmysideandanumbingpaininthepointofmyshoulder.mywholearmwentdeadtothefingertips.iturnedandlookedatabigmean-lookingmexican.hewasn’tgrinning,hewasjustwatchingme.the.45inhisbrownhanddroppedtohisside.hehadamustacheandhisheadbulgedwithoilyblackhairbrushedupandbackandoveranddown.therewasadirtysombreroonthebackofhisheadandtheleatherchinstraphunglooseintwostrandsdownthefrontofastitchedshirtthatsmelledofsweat.thereisnothingtougherthanatoughmexican,justasthereisnothinggentlerthanagentlemexican,nothingmorehonestthananhonestmexican,andaboveallnothingsadderthanasadmexican.thisguywasoneofthehardboys.theydon’tcomeanyharderanywhere.

irubbedmyarm.ittingledalittlebuttheachewasstillthereandthenumbness.ifihadtriedtopullagunishouldprobablyhavedroppedit.

menendezheldhishandouttowardstheslugger.withoutseemingtolookhetossedthegunandmenendezcaughtit.hestoodinfrontofmenowandhisfaceglistened.“wherewouldyoulikeit,cheapie?”hisblackeyesdanced.

ijustlookedathim.thereisnoanswertoaquestionlikethat.

“iaskedyouaquestion,cheapie.”

iwetmylipsandaskedoneback.“whathappenedtoagostino?ithoughthewasyourgunhandler.”

“chickwentsoft,”hesaidgently.

“hewasalwayssoft—likehisboss.”

themaninthechairflickedhiseyes.healmostbutnotquitesmiled.thetoughboywhohadparalyzedmyarmneithermovednorspoke.iknewhewasbreathing.icouldsmellthat.

“somebodybumpintoyourarm,cheapie?”

“itrippedoveranenchilada.”

negligently,notquitelookingatmeeven,heslashedmeacrossthefacewiththegunbarrel.

“don’tgetgaywithme,cheapie.you’reoutoftimeforallthat.yougottoldandyougottoldnice.whenitakethetroubletocallaroundpersonallyandtellacharactertolayoff—helaysoff,orelsehelaysdownanddon’tgetup.”

icouldfeelatrickleofblooddownmycheek.icouldfeelthefullnumbingacheoftheblowinmycheekbone.itspreaduntilmywholeheadached.ithadn’tbeenahardblow,butthethingheusedwashard.icouldstilltalkandnobodytriedtostopme.

“howcomeyoudoyourownslugging,mendy?ithoughtthatwascoolielaborforthesortofboysthatbeatupbigwilliemagoon.”

“it’sthepersonaltouch,”hesaidsoftly,“onaccountofihadpersonalreasonsfortellingyou.themagoonjobwasstrictlybusiness.hegottothinkinghecouldpushmearound—methatboughthisclothesandhiscarsandstockedhissafedepositboxandpaidoffthetrustdeedonhishouse.thesevicesquadbabiesareallthesame.ievenpaidschoolbillsforhiskid.you’dthinkthebastardwouldhavesomegratitude.sowhatdoeshedo?hewalksintomyprivateofficeandslapsmearoundinfrontofthehelp.”

“onaccountofwhy?”iaskedhim,inthevaguehopeofgettinghimmadatsomebodyelse.

“onaccountofsomelacqueredchippiesaidweusedloadeddice.seemslikethebimwasoneofhissleepy-timegals.ihadherputoutoftheclub—witheverydimeshebroughtinwithher.”

“seemsunderstandable,”isaid.“magoonoughttoknownoprofessionalgamblerplayscrookedgames.hedoesn’thaveto.butwhathaveidonetoyou?”

hehitmeagain,thoughtfully.“youmademelookbad.inmyracketyoudon’ttellaguytwice.notevenahardnumber.hegoesoutanddoesit,oryouain’tgotcontrol.youain’tgotcontrol,youain’tinbusiness.”

“i’vegotahunchthatthere’salittlemoretoitthanthat,”isaid.“excusemeifireachforahandkerchief.”

thegunwatchedmewhileigotoneoutandtouchedthebloodonmyface.

“atwo-bitpeeper,”menendezsaidslowly,“figureshecanmakeamonkeyoutofmendymenendez.hecangetmelaughedat.hecangetmethebigrazzoo—me,menendez.ioughttouseaknifeonyou,cheapie.ioughttocutyouintoslicesofrawmeat.”

“lennoxwasyourpal,”isaid,andwatchedhiseyes.“hegotdead.hegotburiedlikeadogwithoutevenanameoverthedirtwheretheyputhisbody.andihadalittlesomethingtodowithprovinghiminnocent.sothatmakesyoulookbad,huh?hesavedyourlifeandhelosthis,andthatdidn’tmeanathingtoyou.allthatmeansanythingtoyouisplayingthebigshot.youdidn’tgiveahootinhellforanybodybutyourself.you’renotbig,you’rejustloud.”

hisfacefrozeandheswunghisarmbacktoslugmeathirdtimeandthistimewiththepowerbehindit.hisarmwasstillgoingbackwhenitookahalfstepforwardandkickedhiminthepitofthestomach.

ididn’tthink,ididn’tplan,ididn’tfiguremychancesorwhetherihadany.ijustgotenoughofhisyapandiachedandbledandmaybeiwasjustalittlepunchdrunkbythistime.

hejackknifed,gasping,andthegunfelloutofhishand.hegropedforitwildlymakingstrainedsoundsdeepinhisthroat.iputakneeintohisface.hescreeched.

themaninthechairlaughed.thatstaggeredme.thenhestoodupandtheguninhishandcameupwithhim.

“don’tkillhim,”hesaidmildly.“wewanttousehimforlivebait.”

thentherewasmovementintheshadowsofthehallandohlscamethroughthedoor,blank-eyed,expressionlessandutterlycalm.helookeddownatmenendez.menendezwaskneelingwithhisheadonthefloor.

“soft,”ohlssaid.“softasmush.”

“he’snotsoft,”isaid.“he’shurt.anymancanbehurt.wasbigwilliemagoonsoft?”

ohlslookedatme.theothermanlookedatme.thetoughmexatthedoorhadn’tmadeasound.

“takethatgoddamcigaretteoutofyourface,”isnarledatohls.“eithersmokeitorleaveitalone.i’msickofwatchingyou.i’msickofyou,period.i’msickofcops.”

helookedsurprised.thenhegrinned.

“thatwasaplant,kiddo,”hesaidcheerfully.“youhurtbad?didthenastymanshityourfacey-wacey?wellformymoneyyouhaditcominganditwasdamnusefulthatyouhad.”helookeddownatmendy.mendyhadhiskneesunderhim.hewasclimbingoutofawell,afewinchesatatime.hebreathedgaspingly.

“whatatalkativeladheis,”ohlssaid,“whenhedoesn’thavethreeshysterswithhimtobuttonhislip.”

hejerkedmenendeztohisfeet.mendy’snosewasbleeding.hefumbledthehandkerchiefoutofhiswhitedinnerjacketandheldittohisnose.hesaidnoword.

“yougotcrossedup,sweetheart,”ohlstoldhimcarefully.“iain’tgrievingawholelotovermagoon.hehaditcoming.buthewasacopandpunkslikeyoulayoffcops—alwaysandforever.”

menendezloweredthehandkerchiefandlookedatohls.helookedatme.helookedatthemanwhohadbeensittinginthechair.heturnedslowlyandlookedatthetoughmexbythedoor.theyalllookedathim.therewasnothingintheirfaces.thenaknifeshotintoviewfromnowhereandmendylungedforohls.ohlsside-steppedandtookhimbythethroatwithonehandandchoppedtheknifeoutofhishandwithease,almostindifferently.ohlsspreadhisfeetandstraightenedhisbackandbenthislegsslightlyandliftedmenendezclearoffthefloorwithonehandholdinghisneck.hewalkedhimacrossthefloorandpinnedhimagainstthewall.helethimdown,butdidn’tletgoofhisthroat.

“touchmewithonefingerandi’llkillyou,”ohlssaid.“onefinger.”thenhedroppedhishands.

mendysmiledathimscornfully,lookedathishandkerchief,andrefoldedittohidetheblood.heheldittohisnoseagain.helookeddownatthegunhehadusedtohitme.themanfromthechairsaidloosely:“notloaded,evenifyoucouldgrabit.”

“across,”mendysaidtoohls.“iheardyouthefirsttime.”

“youorderedthreemuscles,”ohlssaid.“whatyougotwasthreedeputiesfromnevada.somebodyinvegasdon’tlikethewayyouforgettoclearwiththem.thesomebodywantstotalktoyou.youcangoalongwiththedeputiesoryoucangodowntownwithmeandgethungonthebackofthedoorbyapairofhandcuffs.there’sacoupleofboysdowntherewouldliketoseeyoucloseup.”

“godhelpnevada,”mendysaidquietly,lookingaroundagainatthetoughmexbythedoor.thenhecrossedhimselfquicklyandwalkedoutofthefrontdoor.thetoughmexfollowedhim.thentheotherone,thedriedoutdeserttype,pickedupthegunandtheknifeandwentouttoo.heshutthedoor.ohlswaitedmotionless.therewasasoundofdoorsbangingshut,thenacarwentoffintothenight.

“yousurethosemugsweredeputies?”iaskedohls.

heturnedasifsurprisedtoseemethere.“theyhadstars,”hesaidshortly.

“nicework,bernie.verynice.thinkhe’llgettovegasalive,youcoldheartedsonofabitch?”

iwenttothebathroomandrancoldwaterandheldasoakedtowelagainstmythrobbingcheek.ilookedatmyselfintheglass.thecheekwaspuffedoutofshapeandbluishandtherewerejaggedwoundsonitfromtheforceofthegunbarrelhittingagainstthecheekbone.therewasadiscolorationundermylefteyetoo.iwasn’tgoingtobebeautifulforafewdays.

thenohls’reflectionshowedbehindmeinthemirror.hewasrollinghisdamnunlightedcigarettealonghislips,likeacatteasingahalf-deadmouse,tryingtogetittorunawayjustoncemore.

“nexttimedon’ttrytooutguessthecops,”hesaidgruffly.“youthinkweletyoustealthatphotostatjustforlaughs?wehadahunchmendywouldcomegunningforyou.weputituptostarrcold.wetoldhimwecouldn’tstopgamblinginthecounty,butwecouldmakeittoughenoughtocutwayintothetake.nomobsterbeatsupacop,notevenabadcop,andgetsawaywithitinourterritory.starrconvincedushehadnothingtodowithit,thattheoutfitwassoreaboutitandmenendezwasgoingtogettold.sowhenmendycalledforasquadofout-of-townhardboystocomeandgiveyouthetreatment,starrsenthimthreeguysheknew,inoneofhisowncars,athisownexpense.starrisapolicecommissionerinvegas.”

iturnedaroundandlookedatohls.“thecoyotesoutinthedesertwillgetfedtonight.congratulations.copbusinessiswonderfulupliftingidealisticwork,bernie.theonlythingwrongwithcopbusinessisthecopsthatareinit.”

“toobadforyou,hero,”hesaidwithasuddencoldsavagery.“icouldhardlyhelplaughingwhenyouwalkedintoyourownparlortotakeyourbeating.igotariseoutofthat,kiddo.itwasadirtyjobandithadtobedonedirty.tomakethesecharacterstalkyougottogivethemasenseofpower.youain’thurtbad,butwehadtoletthemhurtyousome.”

“sosorry,”isaid.“soverysorryyouhadtosufferlikethat.”