Read Online The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer - Free Book Online
Authors: Norman Mailer
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home."
"I don't want to," he said. "They're not there."
She insisted. She got him to go. It took all her powers of argument, but she drove him over. It was just a few blocks and when they got there, the lights were out. He said, "They're not here."
Now, she realized she was drunk. It came over suddenly that she was smashed. She managed to say, "Where do you want me to take you ?"
"Over to Sterling's."
"Can't you get in here?"
"I don't want to."
So she took him over to Sterling's. When they got there he said, Sterling isn't up. She said, "You can't stay at my house."
Still, they went back to her apartment. She didn't want to get picked up for drunk driving, and at least she knew the way to her house.
In the living room, Gary started kissing her again. She was feeling miserable and wondering how to get out of this, when she passed out with her arms folded and her head down. By the time she stirred, he was gone. She woke up remembering she'd made a date to go to a movie with him sometime the following week.
Next morning, Gary phoned early. Marge told her sister to say she was not up. He called half an hour later, and Marge said, Just tell him I'm not here. That ended it, she hoped.
By Saturday night, Gary was drunk. Early in the evening he tried to convince Sterling Baker to drive him up to Salt Lake City, but Sterling talked him into going home. Now, Gary tried to warm Vern up for the trip, but got the answer that it was close to midnight and fifty miles one way, and let's forget the idea. Gary answered, All right, just lend me your car. "Well," Vern said, "you can't take it."
Gary gave a look. His eyes at such times had the fury of an eagle in a cage. Those eyes practically said to Vern, "Your '69 gold Pontiac is out in the driveway, and so is your '73 green Ford pickup. You won't lend me either." Aloud he said, "I'll hitch."
Vern could see Gary in a bar in Salt Lake looking for trouble. "Do what you wish," said Vern. "I'd like you to stay here."
"I'm on my way."
After he left, Vern couldn't take it. Before three minutes were gone, he said to Ida, "Hell, I'll drive him." He got into his car, thinking of the look on Gary's face when he would pull up alongside, open the passenger door, and growl, "Why don't you go to Salt Lake with this damn fool?" But Vern couldn't find him. There was a place on West Fifth where you would start hitchhiking, only nobody was there. Vern went back and forth through the streets. Gary must have picked up a driver instantly.
Eight o'clock Sunday morning, Gary called from Idaho. He was 300 miles away. "How," said Vern, "did you get there?"
Well, said Gary, this dude picked him up and he fell asleep, and the fellow went right through Salt Lake. By the time he woke up, it was Idaho. Vern, said Gary, "I'm broke. Could you come and get me?"
"Maybe Brenda will go," said Vern, "but I sure won't." He took a breath.
"You won't come and get me?" Gary sounded real aggravated. A lot yawned between them. Vern said, "Stay where you are. I'll call Brenda."
"What," asked Brenda, "are you doing up north?"
"I wanted to drop in on Mom," said Gary. "You see, I ran into this fellow in Provo who has friends in Idaho. He said, 'Let's visit my buddies, then shoot you on up to Portland.' "
"Oh, God," said Brenda. He had violated his parole. He had been told not
"I don't want to," he said. "They're not there."
She insisted. She got him to go. It took all her powers of argument, but she drove him over. It was just a few blocks and when they got there, the lights were out. He said, "They're not here."
Now, she realized she was drunk. It came over suddenly that she was smashed. She managed to say, "Where do you want me to take you ?"
"Over to Sterling's."
"Can't you get in here?"
"I don't want to."
So she took him over to Sterling's. When they got there he said, Sterling isn't up. She said, "You can't stay at my house."
Still, they went back to her apartment. She didn't want to get picked up for drunk driving, and at least she knew the way to her house.
In the living room, Gary started kissing her again. She was feeling miserable and wondering how to get out of this, when she passed out with her arms folded and her head down. By the time she stirred, he was gone. She woke up remembering she'd made a date to go to a movie with him sometime the following week.
Next morning, Gary phoned early. Marge told her sister to say she was not up. He called half an hour later, and Marge said, Just tell him I'm not here. That ended it, she hoped.
By Saturday night, Gary was drunk. Early in the evening he tried to convince Sterling Baker to drive him up to Salt Lake City, but Sterling talked him into going home. Now, Gary tried to warm Vern up for the trip, but got the answer that it was close to midnight and fifty miles one way, and let's forget the idea. Gary answered, All right, just lend me your car. "Well," Vern said, "you can't take it."
Gary gave a look. His eyes at such times had the fury of an eagle in a cage. Those eyes practically said to Vern, "Your '69 gold Pontiac is out in the driveway, and so is your '73 green Ford pickup. You won't lend me either." Aloud he said, "I'll hitch."
Vern could see Gary in a bar in Salt Lake looking for trouble. "Do what you wish," said Vern. "I'd like you to stay here."
"I'm on my way."
After he left, Vern couldn't take it. Before three minutes were gone, he said to Ida, "Hell, I'll drive him." He got into his car, thinking of the look on Gary's face when he would pull up alongside, open the passenger door, and growl, "Why don't you go to Salt Lake with this damn fool?" But Vern couldn't find him. There was a place on West Fifth where you would start hitchhiking, only nobody was there. Vern went back and forth through the streets. Gary must have picked up a driver instantly.
Eight o'clock Sunday morning, Gary called from Idaho. He was 300 miles away. "How," said Vern, "did you get there?"
Well, said Gary, this dude picked him up and he fell asleep, and the fellow went right through Salt Lake. By the time he woke up, it was Idaho. Vern, said Gary, "I'm broke. Could you come and get me?"
"Maybe Brenda will go," said Vern, "but I sure won't." He took a breath.
"You won't come and get me?" Gary sounded real aggravated. A lot yawned between them. Vern said, "Stay where you are. I'll call Brenda."
"What," asked Brenda, "are you doing up north?"
"I wanted to drop in on Mom," said Gary. "You see, I ran into this fellow in Provo who has friends in Idaho. He said, 'Let's visit my buddies, then shoot you on up to Portland.' "
"Oh, God," said Brenda. He had violated his parole. He had been told not
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