Dog Soldiers (35 page)

Eddie shrugged in mock despair.

“
We
’
re turning Gerald on, Raymond. We
’
re showing him how it is. And he
’
s gonna do us a few favors because he
’
s a nice cat and we
’
re gonna make him scared.
”

“
How?
”

“
How? We
’
re gonna put you in his life. Then he
’
s gonna want everything back like it was when he didn
’
t know nothing.
”
He patted Hicks
’
arm in a friendly fashion.
“
You
’
ll make out fine. Look at the bright side.
”

Hicks began to laugh.

Eddie grinned happily.

“
You
’
re smiling. You like it.
”

“
Sure,
”
Hicks said.
“
Anything you want.
”

Eddie and Hicks returned while Jody was explaining to Marge that she, Jody, was fundamentally a revolutionary and that if Gerald was not fundamentally a revolutionary at the moment, she considered it likely that he soon would be. Hicks was so tense that Marge was aware of his body
’
s rigid
ity when he sat down on the bed beside her. His right hand rested on his knee; the discolored palm opened and closed as he stretched his corpse-white fingers. When she looked at his face, it struck her that in some curious way he had come to resemble Eddie P
eace and after a moment she rea
lized that it was his smile. He was wearing Eddie
’
s smile in some private mockery. When he turned it on her, she took it for a signal the significan
ce of which she could not under
stand.

“
Everybody makes out,
”
Eddie told them.

Jody studied him for a moment and giggled, a hand to her mouth.

“
Ed is my absolute picture of an operator. Look at him.
”

Everyone looked at Eddie Peace.

“
Mine too,
”
Hicks said.

“
Raymond is the operator,
”
Eddie said softly,
“
not me.

He
’
s the original hip guy. The whole world is goofs to him.
”

“
What
’
s that like?
”
Gerald asked. He had begun to enjoy himself.

Hicks walked over and took the bottle from his hand without looking at him.

Eddie Peace watched him.

“
What
’
s it like, Raymond?
”

Hicks closed his eyes for a moment, drank some bourbon, and gave Eddie Peace his own smile.

“
I don
’
t know what it
’
s like, Eddie.
”

Marge leaned against him and felt him trembling.

“
What are we doing here?
”
she asked.
“
Are we going to do up or what?
”

Eddie came over to pat her on the head.

“
Mar-gee wants her smack-ee.
”

“
Please
.”
Marge said.
“
Really.
”

Eddie laughed.

“
I already asked ya if you was a schoolteacher, didn
’
I?
”

“
Yes, you did,
”
she said.

Eddie clapped his hands.

“
C
’
mon, c
’
mon, Raymond. It
’
s all you. Where
’
s this famous shit?
”

The bleached fingers shook slightly as he opened the bag. His Eddie Peace smile was an uninhabited rictus. Marge grew frightened of him.

When the dope was out everyone regarded it with silent respect. Gerald and Jody stood to see it.

“
Well, O.K., there, Mr. Hicks,
”
Eddie said.
“
Let
’
s try it on.
”

Since their arrival, Marge had been trying to decide
whether she would do up with them. The fact that there
seemed to be a decision involved encouraged her to pass; with the stuff laid out before her like a midnight picnic, her faint resolve wavered.

So far as she could tell, she felt a
l
l right. Perhaps it had been just nerves the last time, nerves and the lack of dilaudid. If she declined, Eddie Peace would be irritated and confused and that made it almost worthwhile. On the other hand, it was all such a drag, so scary and depressing and the high was so righteous and serene. She never thought about Janey when she was high.

“
You want to go first?
”
Eddie asked her gently. She glanced at Hicks and it seemed to her that he shook his head almost imperceptibly. It was probably imagination, she thought, she could not read him at all that night.

“
You go ahead.
I’l
l think about it.
”

Eddie smiled.

“
Yeah, you do that, Margie.
”
He looked about the room.
“
I
’
ll go first. Because it
’
s my party.
”

Hicks bowed his head in deference, the terrible smile still in place.

“
Your works or mine, Eddie?
”

“
Mine,
”
Eddie said.
“
They
’
re new.
”

His works were new, a re
gulation syringe, without impro
visations. He had cotton an
d ajar of surgical alcohol. Hol
lywood.

“
Now that
’
s what I call narcotics paraphernalia,
”
Hicks said.
“
I got better than that,
”
Eddie said.
“
I got coke to run with it. I don
’
t go for that nowhere noddy feeling.
”

“
I do,
”
Marge said.

“
Sure you do. You
’
re a broad.
”

He assembled the needle and admired its luster. Jody watched him.

“
But is Ed an addict?
”
she asked her husband.
“
I didn
’
t know Ed was an addict.
”

Gerald looked puzzled.

“
Ed
’
s an addict,
”
Hicks said.
“
Ain
’
t you, Ed?
”

Nothing could spoil Eddie
’
s mood.

“
None of your fucking business,
”
he said good-naturedly.

Hicks took the cap from his Wild Turkey bottle, rinsed it out in the sink — and with his baker
’
s measuring spoon — poured in what he judged to be the fifth part — a nickel bag. Eddie followed him about, watching over his shoulder.

“
That
’
s enough?
”

“
You
’
ll find out.
”

“
It
’
s that good?
”
He took the cap and looked into it.
“
And we do it aged in oak.
”

There was a pool of water in the bottom of the sink. Hicks drew up enough to fill the dropper and transferred it to the cap in three measures.

“
Gerald,
”
Eddie said.
“
C
’
mon Gerald, social significance time. We
’
re gonna cook up here.
”

He held the cap with an alligator roach clip, they cooked up with his propane lighter. When the heroin began to melt, he produced a tiny make-up box and spooned an edge of his cocaine from it into the mix.

“
Aged in oak and cut with coke, Gerald.
”
Gerald nodded as a man will who has spent much time being shown things.
“
Aged in oak and cut with coke and bless my soul,
”
Eddie said. He took the works from Hicks
’
hand and loaded his shot.

“
Cheers,
”
he told them.

He tied up with the red bandana and went into the big vein. When he shot, a burst of bright color rose in the valve and a liquor of blood and melted heroin spread across the pure glass surface in delicate butterfly patterns. When he took the needle out he ran a swab across his arm and over the point of the spike.

“
Aw shit,
”
he said tenderly, moved to emotion.

After a minute or so, he stamped his feet.

“
Ai
yai
!
”
He grinned furiously at the people in the room.
“Ai
chihuahua
.”

Jody watched him with an expression of incredulity and delight.

“
Is it Mexican?
”
she asked.

“
Is it Mexican?
”
Eddie cried.
“
Bless your heart!
”

Everyone laughed except Gerald. Hicks
’
laughter was his Eddie Peace smile expanded in a spasm.

“
She asks me if it
’
s Mexican!
”
Eddie roared. His hilarity was boundless.
“
Outasight!
”

Jody was nearly beside herself.
“
Who
’
s next.
”

“
Who
’
s next, Marge?
”
Eddie asked.

Marge shrugged.
“
I don
’
t care. I
’
m still thinking about it.
”

“
What about me?
”
Jody demanded.

“
Gotta be you,
”
Eddie said.
There was a little bit of spit
tle on his lip and he wiped it away.
“
Gotta be you. Stone the gash.
”

“
Did you want to go first?
”
Jody asked her husband.

“
Maybe I ought to,
”
Gerald said.

“
I don
’
t see why. But you can if you want to.
”

“
No,
”
Gerald said.
“
No. There
’
s no reason you shouldn
’
t.
”

“
Stone the gash,
”
Eddie Peace said. Jody offered her arm manfully. Eddie held it and turned to Hicks.

“
I gotta say, Raymond. … I gotta say …
”

“
Glad you like it, Eddie.
”

He looked down at Jody
’
s arm and shoved it away.

“
I don
’
t want that,
”
he declared.
“
Gimme some leg.
”