Read Online Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cormac McCarthy
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the windowsill where the radio
sat and turned it off. It aint news no more, he said. Wars and rumors of wars. I dont know
why I listen to it. It's a ugly habit and I wish I could get broke of it but I think I
just get worse.
John Grady spooned pico de gallo over his rice and his flautas and rolled up a tortilla
and commenced to eat. The old man watched him. He nodded at the boy's boots.
You look like you been in some pretty mirey country today.
Yessir. I was. Some.
That old greasy clay is hard to clean off of anything. Oliver Lee always said he come out
here because the country was so sorry nobody else would have it and he'd be left alone. Of
course he was wrong. At least about bein left alone.
Yessir. I guess he was.
How's your foot doin.
It's all right.
The old man smiled. He drew on his cigarette and tapped the ash into the ashtray on the
table.
Dont be fooled by the good rains we've had. This country is fixin to dry up and blow away.
How do you know?
It just is.
You want some more coffee?
No thanks.
The boy got up and went to the stove and filled his cup and came back.
Country's overdue, the old man said. Folks have got short memories. They might be glad to
let the army have it fore they're done.
The boy ate. How much do you think the army will take?
The old man drew on his cigarette and stubbed it out thoughtfully. I think they'll take
the whole Tularosa basin. That's my guess.
Can they just take it?
Yeah. They can take it. Folks will piss and moan about it. But they dont have a choice.
They ought to be glad to get shut of it.
What do you think Mr Prather will do?
John Prather will do whatever he says he'll do.
Mr Mac said he told em the only way he'd leave was in a box. Then that's how he'll leave.
You can take that to the bank.
John Grady wiped his plate and sat back with his cup of coffee. I ought not to ask you
this, he said.
Ask it.
You dont have to answer.
I know it.
Who do you think killed Colonel Fountain?
The old man shook his head. He sat for a long time.
I ought not to of asked you.
No. It's all right. You know his daughter's name was Maggie too. She was the one told
Fountain to take the boy with him. Said they wouldnt bother a eight year old boy. But she
was wrong, wasnt she?
Yessir.
A lot of people think Oliver Lee killed him. I knew Oliver pretty well. We was the same
age. He had four sons himself. I just dont believe it.
You dont think he could of done it?
I'll say it stronger than that. I'll say he didnt.
Or cause it to be done?
Well. That's another matter. I'll say he never shed no tears over it. Over the colonel,
leastways.
You didnt want some more coffee?
No thank you son. I'd be up all night.
Do you think they're still buried out there somewheres?
No. I dont.
What do you think happened?
I always thought the bodies were taken to Mexico. They had a choice to bury em out there
somewhere south of the pass where they might be discovered or to go another thirty miles
to where they could drop em off the edge of the world and I think that's what they done.
John Grady nodded. He sipped his coffee. Were you ever in a shooting scrape?
I was. One time. I was old enough to know better too.
Where was it?
Down on the river east of Clint. It was in nineteen and seventeen just before my brother
died and we were on the wrong side of the river waitin for dark to cross some stolen
horses we'd recovered and we got word they was layin for us. We waited and waited and
after a while the moon come upjust a piece of a moon, not even a quarter. It come up
behind us and we could see it reflected in the windshield of their car over in the trees
along the river breaks. Wendell Williams looked at me and he said: We got two moons in the
sky. I dont believe I ever seen that before. And I said: Yes, and one of em is backwards.
And we opened fire on em with our rifles.
Did they shoot back?
Sure they did. We laid
sat and turned it off. It aint news no more, he said. Wars and rumors of wars. I dont know
why I listen to it. It's a ugly habit and I wish I could get broke of it but I think I
just get worse.
John Grady spooned pico de gallo over his rice and his flautas and rolled up a tortilla
and commenced to eat. The old man watched him. He nodded at the boy's boots.
You look like you been in some pretty mirey country today.
Yessir. I was. Some.
That old greasy clay is hard to clean off of anything. Oliver Lee always said he come out
here because the country was so sorry nobody else would have it and he'd be left alone. Of
course he was wrong. At least about bein left alone.
Yessir. I guess he was.
How's your foot doin.
It's all right.
The old man smiled. He drew on his cigarette and tapped the ash into the ashtray on the
table.
Dont be fooled by the good rains we've had. This country is fixin to dry up and blow away.
How do you know?
It just is.
You want some more coffee?
No thanks.
The boy got up and went to the stove and filled his cup and came back.
Country's overdue, the old man said. Folks have got short memories. They might be glad to
let the army have it fore they're done.
The boy ate. How much do you think the army will take?
The old man drew on his cigarette and stubbed it out thoughtfully. I think they'll take
the whole Tularosa basin. That's my guess.
Can they just take it?
Yeah. They can take it. Folks will piss and moan about it. But they dont have a choice.
They ought to be glad to get shut of it.
What do you think Mr Prather will do?
John Prather will do whatever he says he'll do.
Mr Mac said he told em the only way he'd leave was in a box. Then that's how he'll leave.
You can take that to the bank.
John Grady wiped his plate and sat back with his cup of coffee. I ought not to ask you
this, he said.
Ask it.
You dont have to answer.
I know it.
Who do you think killed Colonel Fountain?
The old man shook his head. He sat for a long time.
I ought not to of asked you.
No. It's all right. You know his daughter's name was Maggie too. She was the one told
Fountain to take the boy with him. Said they wouldnt bother a eight year old boy. But she
was wrong, wasnt she?
Yessir.
A lot of people think Oliver Lee killed him. I knew Oliver pretty well. We was the same
age. He had four sons himself. I just dont believe it.
You dont think he could of done it?
I'll say it stronger than that. I'll say he didnt.
Or cause it to be done?
Well. That's another matter. I'll say he never shed no tears over it. Over the colonel,
leastways.
You didnt want some more coffee?
No thank you son. I'd be up all night.
Do you think they're still buried out there somewheres?
No. I dont.
What do you think happened?
I always thought the bodies were taken to Mexico. They had a choice to bury em out there
somewhere south of the pass where they might be discovered or to go another thirty miles
to where they could drop em off the edge of the world and I think that's what they done.
John Grady nodded. He sipped his coffee. Were you ever in a shooting scrape?
I was. One time. I was old enough to know better too.
Where was it?
Down on the river east of Clint. It was in nineteen and seventeen just before my brother
died and we were on the wrong side of the river waitin for dark to cross some stolen
horses we'd recovered and we got word they was layin for us. We waited and waited and
after a while the moon come upjust a piece of a moon, not even a quarter. It come up
behind us and we could see it reflected in the windshield of their car over in the trees
along the river breaks. Wendell Williams looked at me and he said: We got two moons in the
sky. I dont believe I ever seen that before. And I said: Yes, and one of em is backwards.
And we opened fire on em with our rifles.
Did they shoot back?
Sure they did. We laid
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