Read Online Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy - Free Book Online
Authors: Cormac McCarthy
Tags: Fiction, Literary, General, Romance, Family Life, Domestic Fiction, Brothers and sisters, incest, Abandoned children, Tennessee, Brothers and sisters—Fiction, Abandoned children—Fiction, Tennessee - Fiction, Incest - Fiction
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ye?
No.
Well. Do you not hold with goin to shows?
I ain’t never been to nary. I don’t reckon they’s nothin wrong with it.
He had his hands in the rear pockets of his canvas pants. In the powdered dust of the street he had created a small amphitheatre with the sole of one shoe. I don’t see why ye cain’t go, he said. You a widder didn’t I hear ye say?
Yes.
Well. You ain’t got ary beau have ye?
No, she said.
Well.
She watched him curiously. She had not taken her hand from above her eyes.
Well, I don’t see why all ye cain’t go.
I just cain’t, she said.
Won’t, he said.
No.
Looky here. He drew forth from his pocket a deep leather purse, the brass catches grown with a bilegreen crust. He coyly slid a sheaf of bills out and riffled them before her. She watched. She let her hand fall to the bundle at her breast, blinking in the sun. He worked the money. It’s a bunch of it ain’t it? he said. Bet you ain’t never …
I got to go, she said.
Here, wait up a minute.
She mounted the wooden walkway and went up the street.
Hey, he called.
She kept on. He stood in the street with his mouth working dryly and the purse in his hand with the money peeking out.
Yes, the man said. They is one stocks here. Name of Deitch. Is that the one you was a-huntin?
I never did know his name, she said.
Well what did he look like?
I ain’t able to say that neither, she said. I never knowed they was all different kinds.
The man leaned slightly over the counter and focused his eyes for a moment somewhere about her middle. She lowered her arms and looked away toward the sunbright windows at the front of the store.
What was it you wanted with him? the man said.
He’s got somethin belongs to me I got to get from him.
And what is that?
I cain’t tell ye.
You don’t know that either.
I mean I know it but I cain’t tell it.
Well I just thought maybe he could leave it here for ye.
Well, she said, it wouldn’t keep. Sides I don’t know as that is the feller. He ain’t got no little chap with him is he?
I don’t know, the man said. But I don’t see how you goin to find him and you not knowin his name nor nothin.
I reckon I’ll just have to hunt him, she said.
Well, I hope ye luck.
I thank ye.
Yes. Listen, maybe you could leave word if you wanted, write it down and I’d give it to him if it was a secret and then if it was him he’d know and could …
He don’t know me neither, she said.
He don’t.
No sir.
Well.
It’s all right. I never meant to put ye out none. And I do thank ye for your trouble.
Yes the man said. He watched her go, his jaw slightly ajar. Before she reached the door he called to her. She turned, mantled by the noon light that came crooked through the bleary panes of glass.
Yes, she said.
Do you want me to tell him that you’re huntin him? Or that they is somebody huntin him? Or that …
No, she said. I’d take it as a favor if you’d not say nothin to him a-tall.
The cowbell clanked over the door, and again, faint and dimly pastoral in the iron gloom of the shop. He shook his head in great doubt.
When she approached they were all sitting in the wagon eating.
Howdy, the man said. Did ye get your errands run?
Yessir, she said.
Did ye find him?
No sir. He never came thisaway I don’t believe. I ast.
Well.
I was just wonderin could I maybe ride back with ye’ns this evenin.
I would say ye could.
I’d be much obliged.
The old woman had risen and was staring down at her as if beset by dogs or some worse evil. The two girls were whispering and peering from behind their hands.
Set down, mamma, the woman said.
Set her out some dinner, the man said.
Lord, she said, I just ain’t a bit hungry.
The woman had taken up the pail and now she stopped, still chewing, looking down at the young woman standing in the road.
Set her out some dinner, he said again.
While she ate she saw the boy coming across the mall toward them. When he saw her sitting on
No.
Well. Do you not hold with goin to shows?
I ain’t never been to nary. I don’t reckon they’s nothin wrong with it.
He had his hands in the rear pockets of his canvas pants. In the powdered dust of the street he had created a small amphitheatre with the sole of one shoe. I don’t see why ye cain’t go, he said. You a widder didn’t I hear ye say?
Yes.
Well. You ain’t got ary beau have ye?
No, she said.
Well.
She watched him curiously. She had not taken her hand from above her eyes.
Well, I don’t see why all ye cain’t go.
I just cain’t, she said.
Won’t, he said.
No.
Looky here. He drew forth from his pocket a deep leather purse, the brass catches grown with a bilegreen crust. He coyly slid a sheaf of bills out and riffled them before her. She watched. She let her hand fall to the bundle at her breast, blinking in the sun. He worked the money. It’s a bunch of it ain’t it? he said. Bet you ain’t never …
I got to go, she said.
Here, wait up a minute.
She mounted the wooden walkway and went up the street.
Hey, he called.
She kept on. He stood in the street with his mouth working dryly and the purse in his hand with the money peeking out.
Yes, the man said. They is one stocks here. Name of Deitch. Is that the one you was a-huntin?
I never did know his name, she said.
Well what did he look like?
I ain’t able to say that neither, she said. I never knowed they was all different kinds.
The man leaned slightly over the counter and focused his eyes for a moment somewhere about her middle. She lowered her arms and looked away toward the sunbright windows at the front of the store.
What was it you wanted with him? the man said.
He’s got somethin belongs to me I got to get from him.
And what is that?
I cain’t tell ye.
You don’t know that either.
I mean I know it but I cain’t tell it.
Well I just thought maybe he could leave it here for ye.
Well, she said, it wouldn’t keep. Sides I don’t know as that is the feller. He ain’t got no little chap with him is he?
I don’t know, the man said. But I don’t see how you goin to find him and you not knowin his name nor nothin.
I reckon I’ll just have to hunt him, she said.
Well, I hope ye luck.
I thank ye.
Yes. Listen, maybe you could leave word if you wanted, write it down and I’d give it to him if it was a secret and then if it was him he’d know and could …
He don’t know me neither, she said.
He don’t.
No sir.
Well.
It’s all right. I never meant to put ye out none. And I do thank ye for your trouble.
Yes the man said. He watched her go, his jaw slightly ajar. Before she reached the door he called to her. She turned, mantled by the noon light that came crooked through the bleary panes of glass.
Yes, she said.
Do you want me to tell him that you’re huntin him? Or that they is somebody huntin him? Or that …
No, she said. I’d take it as a favor if you’d not say nothin to him a-tall.
The cowbell clanked over the door, and again, faint and dimly pastoral in the iron gloom of the shop. He shook his head in great doubt.
When she approached they were all sitting in the wagon eating.
Howdy, the man said. Did ye get your errands run?
Yessir, she said.
Did ye find him?
No sir. He never came thisaway I don’t believe. I ast.
Well.
I was just wonderin could I maybe ride back with ye’ns this evenin.
I would say ye could.
I’d be much obliged.
The old woman had risen and was staring down at her as if beset by dogs or some worse evil. The two girls were whispering and peering from behind their hands.
Set down, mamma, the woman said.
Set her out some dinner, the man said.
Lord, she said, I just ain’t a bit hungry.
The woman had taken up the pail and now she stopped, still chewing, looking down at the young woman standing in the road.
Set her out some dinner, he said again.
While she ate she saw the boy coming across the mall toward them. When he saw her sitting on
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