to cook t to cook this fish? harris asked.

    ?

    Claire  to cook this fish?

    Breaded, she said.

    Fine, harris said.

    ?

    Fine!

    e  slept togets, s. e  slept togets.

    ender  wrapped around me.

    Lawnmower. ender  around me.

    ?

    he bread crumbs?

    ?

    the bread crumbs!

    Behe Cheerios!

    Claire teleply, but alk to?

    ?

    You o be optimistic. Be be be. Optimistic.

    ?

    Optimistic,  older. tolerance for monotony.

    Im monotony?

    to t tures are ahis is ludicrous, of course --

    Oh oh oh oh.

    Ludicrous, of course, but I  met one  il  played out to a comfortable lassitude take to s. . .

    ?

    s ic bills, golf s or hey are --

    o opped ering ts.

    ?

    Youve stopped ering ts my mot ering ts t al breakup.

    Your motoo much.

    ?

    Sara s sleep together any longer.

    about hugging?

    ?

    hugging.

    Sara s and by for furtion. Silla doo veil  ty church.

    I  t t.

    Claire came in ! sedly.

    ? harris said.

    So t a smeary plastic tray eaks on it. teaks looked like teentury.

    Six dollars! Claire said. to t and said o restaurants and some of taurants already eaks t over and they were only six dollars. Six dollars.

    You spent six dollars on these?

    Ot some too.

    Diseased, stolen steaks?

    e coat, Claire said. ruck.

    Ill bet ruck.

    to see Madam Olympia, a reader and advisor.  of ty. Cove. S up and turned t up and turned t-s t ;Buffalo, City of No Illusionsquot; printed on it.

    tell me about yourself, she said.

    My life is cances.

    I am bored to tears  of to tears to tears.

    ell, oo.

    oman , Madam Olympia said, s you t? You go, t. S makin us money or not makin us money? You go, it depends on  understand dick about t, y. You go, Im not being nasty, you just dont understand. S you tell me? Beh sides.

    t is a secret,  even kno t.

    to tears to tears to tears.

    Right, harris said. how much do I owe you?

    Fifty dollars.

    ty  symbol on your breast? Did t to sign it? Did to sign it? In t loss?  is te color? ed? as t aste? olen money? olen stamps? Can eer?  is  time in t o t e? Did success come? A red  t a tical position or a real position? ould t again? Again and again? imes? A times?

    Claire met S Papa Cream Puff, a ne Bells, a club frequented by disconsolate ernoons.

    he was a living legend.

    ?

    Living legend, he said.

    I didnt name t;S Papa Cream Puff Bluesquot; by t name,  he people of Chicago.

    Oh my oh my oh my, Claire said.

    ta been bout nineteen ty-one, ty-two, he said.

    those was wonderful days.

    t t time, w of my fame.

    Felloop, hes dead now.

    tle bit.

    I studied him.

    I uations on the problem.

    I y-t year.

    ow, Claire said.

    Zum, S Papa Cream Puff sang, zum zum zum zum zum.

    Six perfect treble notes in t.

    Sararoit and floors ;miscarriage.quot; Saddened by ted to be free of ;obligation.quot; But  so Sara  ay urns. oo muc before  first, o Saraells o stay. Later, t dinner at t,  Sarao join in o dissuade ure  sing, Claires kid sister, terrified at o face a court appearance, signs for erribly, ells  becoming ced,  died entirely, and  ner, Sarater pill for o soo mucudy. Saraels banquet office making arrangements for estimonial dinner, as Sara leg in a cast, eps of tone and punches Claires bell, rage clearly burning in her eyes.

    Saraed Dr. rist.

    Cold as death, she said.

    ?

    Cold as death.

    Good bely painful, Dr.  you kno.

    Sarao find t rue. She was fully miserable.

    Claire said t  drunk.

    I feel han you feel, she said.

    ?

    orse, she said, woooooooorrrssse.

    You kno oclock in t walking.

    Guy comes out of t, carrying an attaché case.

    o ?

    s about ten steps do. Out of the same house.

    S;James?quot;

    urns around and oward her.

    Shes wearing a robe. Pink and orange.

    S;James, I. . . e. . . you.quot;

    Maybe its everywhere, Claire said. A pandemic.

    I dont t, harris said.

    t po Sarah.

    ?

    t ph I have ever been in.

    I  ce quite beautiful just amazing but I  c I  t was and I  changed my mind --

    anding over toote e because s see it  acts in.

    Freud said, Claire said, t in t, novelty alitutes tion for orgasm.

    S Papa looked away.

    Oh me oh my.

    ell you knos t knoer ten.

    ?

    At t me play you a little te in t of tury I call it quot;Verkl?rte Nac; t means quot;stormy ; in German, I played t --

    Claire placed  Papa Cream Puff and uffing out of him.

    ?

    ?

    ?

    ?

    By a lucky stroke  of money in t.  Claire a beautiful black opal. She was pleased.

    o ture.

    Claire inue to be wonderful.

    As o t of my ability.

    times will be publiso was off my , every day.

    ? Claire said.

    Smile.

    ?

    Smile.