Read Online All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers: A Novel by Larry McMurtry - Free Book Online
Authors: Larry McMurtry
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wonderful pet. I confess my theft!”
“He’s always stealing,” Godwin said, staggering into our midst. “Who’s he stealing now? What’s wrong Razzy? You look like you swallowed an ice cube.”
“I hit him,” I said. “I also stole his octopus. A specialist in protozoa doesn’t need an octopus. We play sex games with it. It’s our bed toy.”
Sally walked past us and went in to get dressed. She didn’t take the scene seriously. The Lesbians decided to mother Razzy. While they were fanning him back to health Godwin took me aside.
“I’m leaving with you,” he said. “You came under my auspices. They’ll all blame me for your behavior. I admire you. I’ve wanted to hit that fucker for years. I’ll buy you and your lovely wife the best dinner in Houston. My wedding gift to the two of you.”
“Maybe in a minute,” I said. I expected Razzy to attack me as soon as he recovered himself. I was wrong, however. He strode into his apartment without saying a word. Perhaps he had decided not to soil his hands with me. Or perhaps he had gone to look for the sword-cane I imagined him having. He might emerge and run me through. Godwinwent in to dress. Recklessly I walked over to the Lesbians. They looked sullen. We stared at one another. It was another war of nerves.
“Who do you read?” I asked, addressing myself to Lorena.
“You’re looking to get slugged again, kiddo,” she said.
“No ma’am,” I said. “I just wondered who you read.”
“The masters,” she said huskily. “Gide. Mann. Colette.”
“I was just curious,” I said.
The sinister one stepped forward, her hot little eyes shining with hatred.
“I have powers,” she said. “I now put a curse upon you. Your keys will no longer fit in locks. No door you really wish to enter will open for you again. From now on you will be thirsty. Water will stop running from your faucets. No one will give you presents. People will not like your clothes. Your stomach will be unsettled and you will belch all day. There will be sand in your beds. You will be constipated often. Those whom you remember will not remember you. You will have a rash between your legs.”
The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up. I had never had a curse put on me before. She was matter-of-fact about it, and very convincing.
“Soon a pane of glass will drop between you and your wife,” she said. “You will be able to see her, you will be able to hear her, you will be able to want her, but the pane of glass will always separate you. You will not be able to touch her. The pane of glass will enclose you like a cylinder, separating you from all women. You will want many women, but nothing will ever shatter the pane of glass.”
She stopped talking and stepped back to light a cigarette. No wonder Godwin was afraid of them. I turned and went right in to find Sally. She was letting Razzy Hutton help her zip her dress. I don’t know why she needed help. It upset me badly.
Godwin came out of the bathroom with his shirt unbuttoned. He had a coat and tie in his hand. “Danny and Sally are dining with me,” he said to Razzy. “You must make our apologies to the company.”
Razzy merely smiled. He had become inscrutable. I was thinking of hitting him again, but Godwin gave me no chance. He whisked us out and half an hour later we were drinking champagne at an intimidating French restaurant. It didn’t intimidate Godwin, of course. He spoke French fluently, and probably well. After the champagne we had a rack of lamb and three bottles of a wonderful red wine. I was far too drunk to talk. Even Sally was drunk—the color in her cheeks was almost as deep as the color of the wine. I remembered, in my drunkenness, that a bridge had been burned. I didn’t want to stay at Rice. I wanted to leave Houston, and the sooner the better. I didn’t want dawn to find me in the city. The one thing I knew clearly was that life had changed, and we were leaving as soon as we finished
“He’s always stealing,” Godwin said, staggering into our midst. “Who’s he stealing now? What’s wrong Razzy? You look like you swallowed an ice cube.”
“I hit him,” I said. “I also stole his octopus. A specialist in protozoa doesn’t need an octopus. We play sex games with it. It’s our bed toy.”
Sally walked past us and went in to get dressed. She didn’t take the scene seriously. The Lesbians decided to mother Razzy. While they were fanning him back to health Godwin took me aside.
“I’m leaving with you,” he said. “You came under my auspices. They’ll all blame me for your behavior. I admire you. I’ve wanted to hit that fucker for years. I’ll buy you and your lovely wife the best dinner in Houston. My wedding gift to the two of you.”
“Maybe in a minute,” I said. I expected Razzy to attack me as soon as he recovered himself. I was wrong, however. He strode into his apartment without saying a word. Perhaps he had decided not to soil his hands with me. Or perhaps he had gone to look for the sword-cane I imagined him having. He might emerge and run me through. Godwinwent in to dress. Recklessly I walked over to the Lesbians. They looked sullen. We stared at one another. It was another war of nerves.
“Who do you read?” I asked, addressing myself to Lorena.
“You’re looking to get slugged again, kiddo,” she said.
“No ma’am,” I said. “I just wondered who you read.”
“The masters,” she said huskily. “Gide. Mann. Colette.”
“I was just curious,” I said.
The sinister one stepped forward, her hot little eyes shining with hatred.
“I have powers,” she said. “I now put a curse upon you. Your keys will no longer fit in locks. No door you really wish to enter will open for you again. From now on you will be thirsty. Water will stop running from your faucets. No one will give you presents. People will not like your clothes. Your stomach will be unsettled and you will belch all day. There will be sand in your beds. You will be constipated often. Those whom you remember will not remember you. You will have a rash between your legs.”
The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up. I had never had a curse put on me before. She was matter-of-fact about it, and very convincing.
“Soon a pane of glass will drop between you and your wife,” she said. “You will be able to see her, you will be able to hear her, you will be able to want her, but the pane of glass will always separate you. You will not be able to touch her. The pane of glass will enclose you like a cylinder, separating you from all women. You will want many women, but nothing will ever shatter the pane of glass.”
She stopped talking and stepped back to light a cigarette. No wonder Godwin was afraid of them. I turned and went right in to find Sally. She was letting Razzy Hutton help her zip her dress. I don’t know why she needed help. It upset me badly.
Godwin came out of the bathroom with his shirt unbuttoned. He had a coat and tie in his hand. “Danny and Sally are dining with me,” he said to Razzy. “You must make our apologies to the company.”
Razzy merely smiled. He had become inscrutable. I was thinking of hitting him again, but Godwin gave me no chance. He whisked us out and half an hour later we were drinking champagne at an intimidating French restaurant. It didn’t intimidate Godwin, of course. He spoke French fluently, and probably well. After the champagne we had a rack of lamb and three bottles of a wonderful red wine. I was far too drunk to talk. Even Sally was drunk—the color in her cheeks was almost as deep as the color of the wine. I remembered, in my drunkenness, that a bridge had been burned. I didn’t want to stay at Rice. I wanted to leave Houston, and the sooner the better. I didn’t want dawn to find me in the city. The one thing I knew clearly was that life had changed, and we were leaving as soon as we finished
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