"So tell me about Fort Lupton," Simon says to Dore.
"Its between Brighton and Platteville. Basically a wide place in the road," she says. "But pretty wide. We even had crack."
"Did you."
"We had crack very early, before the rest of the country."
"Why was that?"
"Some pioneer cowboy chemists. As a matter of fact I was married to one of them for a while. Guy named Paul."
"Where is he now?"
"In the pen. Got four more years before he can even think about probation."
"Im sorry.
"Im not. Guy cut me in the face one time with a li?noleum knife. He was explaining himself."
Simon doesnt understand how anybody could do this. "What was he mad about?"
"Hed been fired a lot, from various jobs. Usually he got fired the first week. He was good at getting hired but he was a genius at getting fired. I was in a shelter for battered women for six weeks. They didnt let any?body know where it was."
"All of you been married?"
"Not Anne. Shes never found the right guy."
"Your husband was the right guy?"
"Well he seemed nice in the beginning, Simon. He gave me an off-the-road vehicle for a wedding present. Those are big in Colorado."
Veronica is fiddling with a shirt button. Theyre in the sitting room.
"What was your first sexual experience, Simon?"
He thinks for a moment. "I was about ten. This teacher asked us all to make little churches for a dis?play, kind of a model of a church. I made one out of cardboard, worked very hard on it, and took it in to her on a Friday morning, and she was pleased with it. It had a red roof, colored with red crayon. Then another guy, Billy something-or-other, brought in one that was made of wood. His was better than mine. So she tossed mine out and used his."
"That was your first sexual experience?"
"How far back do you want to go?"
"How olds your kid? Sarah, is it Sarah?"
"Sarah. Shes nineteen. When she was little she used to sing Im proud, proud, proud to be a cow. Thats something the cows sing on Sesame Street."
"Do you miss her?"
"Of course."
"What does your wife want?"
"More fun."
"Whats the matter with that?"
"Not a thing in the world."
"What does she do?"
"Shes a lawyer in Philadelphia. A deputy mayor, at the moment."
"You straight or gay?"
"Historically, straight."
"Me too. Nothing wrong with being straight."
"Right."
"Great twat out there on the streets you want some of it?"
"Only in principle."
"You like young twat, go after it. Onward to the merry hunt. You ever live and love in a garage apart?ment?"
"Never have."
"Theyre kind of snug. Especially if its a three-car garage. Up in the trees."
"Must be nice."
"Depends upon who youre cohabiting with. Dore has a hatpin. Six inches of cold steel."
"To discourage creeps and weirdos."
"You got it."
"Has she stuck anybody with it?"
"Not in New York State. Ive been reading in the paper about these rabid skunks."
"Theyre getting closer."
"You wouldnt think youd have to worry about them in a city like this."
"Its a great city. We have everything."
"The mayor seems like a clown."
"Hes a great mayor. Hes got it down exactly right. Couldnt be better. Hes what we want."
Theres a funny chirping noise. Its the smoke alarm.
"What the fuck is that?"
"The smoke alarm."
"Whats it trying to say? Theres no smoke."
"Telling us that the batterys wearing down."
"Well disconnect it for Christs sake."
He does so, standing on a chair, my God how cheap can plastic be? feels like paper --
"Youve got a good ass Simon."
The Times is spread all over the bar in the kitchen.
"This one I like," Simon says. "Death May Haunt Calcuttas Streets, But Teeming City Throbs With Life."
"Unbeatable," says Anne. Shes making a salad.
"Although --"
"What?"
"Slain US Major Had One Exploit."
"A one-exploit man."
"Rather like having only one --"
"That was lousy Tex-Mex last night."
"Better than no Tex-Mex at all."
"True."
"Whats that weed youre putting in there?"
"Thats Venetian marigold. Tastes like mint."
"Oh. Looks funny."
"It does, it does."
Shes slicing a big radish with rapid Japanese strokes.
"Anyone who sees Parsifal twice is a blithering idiot."
"You mean the movie."
"In any form. Land, sea, or in the air."
"Well I wont take you. You have my word."
"Thanks. This salad is going to be good. I guarantee it. Let me have the lemon-pepper."
"Here. You using the fancy olive oil?"
"Extra-virgin. Just like me."