Limbo Page #6

She thought I was too downbeat.

- She used that word?

- Among others.

Well, she's a real spark plug,

that Corky.

I have to tell you something.

I'm allergic to wool.

Like in a carpet, even a blend.

So in blankets and clothing...

I can get rid of whatever.

No, you don't have to.

If you see me itching...

Well, no, it's no big deal.

I bought new sheets.

In case you came over.

Really?

So maybe this is a terrible idea.

Veto it if you want.

Some guy?

He's really nice.

They're all nice

till you say they're scum...

...and shouldn't be allowed

walking the streets.

This'll be fun.

It's like a nature thing.

Oh, please.

You don't like him, you don't have to

deal with him again. It's my business.

Then why do I have to go?

Consider it a favour to me.

It's important he know

you're more than a rumour.

I'd rather stay a rumour.

Anyhow, you already know him.

You work with him. Joe Gastineau.

Is there some problem with him?

He seems really nice.

Is there something I should know about?

He's fine.

He's not the guy you like out there?

Honey.

Honey, he's my age. He's older.

What did you think could happen?

Nothing did happen, did it?

Give me a break!

Maybe this is good. Maybe it's a sign.

We don't usually like

the same type guys.

If I knew you were interested in him...

But I didn't, did I?

You can be mad at me,

but not that mad. Okay?

This isn't a willful

boyfriend-swiping type of thing.

It's something different.

If you do this for me,

I'll love you forever.

She's a good kid.

She's funny.

Really?

In a morbid kind of way.

So do you find her attractive?

I never thought about it much.

Well, she's a kid.

Will I sleep with you or with her?

It's up to you.

You two know each other.

I'm gonna go down below

and get things squared away.

Some coincidence, huh?

So you like boats?

I don't know. Never been on them much.

Well, we're gonna cruise up north a ways

and maybe see some whales, seals...

...sea lions.

My mother hates boats. Anything you

do outdoors that's fun, she hates it.

And she's allergic to wool.

She told me.

You allergic to anything?

My mother's boyfriends.

It's terrific down there.

Yeah, Bobby's got a real

nice operation going.

I love boats.

Hey, Joey. Terrific. You made it.

Bobby, this is Donna De Angelo

and her daughter, Noelle.

They're coming along for

the first leg of the trip.

Great. We'll take the scenic route.

Well, the first night, maybe

you slap some water on your face...

Well, the first night, maybe

you slap some water on your face...

...take your clothes off,

crawl under the sheets.

Seems like minutes

before they yank you out of bed.

You pick the money fish out of the web,

ice them down, make another set.

The next night, you maybe

take your jacket off...

...and sleep with your boots on,

on top of the rack.

Third night, you might not

make it below.

By the end of the week, you look

for someplace safe to lean on...

...and close your eyes

for a few minutes.

I've slept on fish.

Sounds like hell.

Well, people get hooked on it.

God knows why.

It's the thing itself, you know?

You go out, you find the fish.

You pull them out of the ocean.

You're right there with it.

Everything else is secondhand.

People work in canneries.

People sell real estate, T-shirts.

What if you couldn't sing anymore?

What if you had to work, like,

you know, in a record store?

So you liked it.

And it was dangerous.

And you got off on it.

Yeah, I guess I did.

Noelle is studying to be

a nuclear physicist.

Very funny.

You could. You're smart enough.

She's been in a new school every year.

But she's a good writer.

How would you know?

I've read your stories.

When I was 12.

You still write, don't you?

The weather service says

we got a gale coming.

We're not gonna make it to the narrows.

Is that bad?

If we put in back here, the mountains

will knock down a lot of the wind.

It's not a good anchorage.

- You've been in there?

- No.

Well, if we stay out here,

we're gonna get hammered.

How's the kid?

Do you want some water?

Rinse out your mouth?

We could try another one of those pills.

No, I'll be all right.

What are these cuts?

- These...

- They're just cuts!

"Just cuts"? How did they get there?

Maybe I got them at work.

People don't get cuts...

We'll pull into

this inlet and drop anchor.

When it calms down,

I'll throw on a couple of steaks.

Are you all right?

"Frosh Phenom Cans 30

in Overtime Upset."

"Soph Sensation Leads the Saint

K-Cagers to the State Finals."

He's got those scars on his knees.

Jumpin' Joe Gastineau.

The "Houdini of the Hardwood,"

the "Beethoven of the Bank Shot."

So he was good?

John Wooden sent one of his scouts

to look at him.

Is that someone I should know?

In basketball, it's like God sending the

angel Gabriel to check out your moves.

Joey graduated, they retired his number,

retired his locker...

...bronzed all his old jockstraps...

...stuck them in the trophy case.

High school.

The game's changed.

Now I'd just be another guy.

Right.

This tofu burger, how does she like it?

Mealy, medium-mealy

or black and crispy?

I don't think she's very hungry.

When this was a territory, it would've

been a hanging offense to eat bean curd.

She is picky about food.

If I scramble her an egg,

she makes me feel like a criminal.

If your own kid can't make you

feel like sh*t, what's the point?

No meat?

No meat, no fish, no dairy.

Food Nazi.

I could scrape the green stuff off

the anchor chain, heat that up for her.

Listen.

You hear anything?

No.

Nobody comes back here.

I thought I heard a motor.

Listen, Joe, we got a problem.

I should've asked.

They're terrific.

But this guy I'm meeting...

Guys, actually.

What's going on?

It's complicated.

Tell me.

I was in a situation.

I invested in some real estate.

It didn't turn out well.

There was a cash-flow squeeze.

I had these clients. They

owned an organic food business.

I took them from Baja to Glacier Bay.

They're high the whole time, but nice.

And at the end, we got along

pretty good, and they gave me a bonus.

It's a pound of hash, right?

It's primo stuff.

They said if I wanted, if I was that

kind of guy, how easy it would be to...

- Christ.

- They connected me with someone.

I brought up a couple of loads

over the last few years.

It's a piece of cake.

The money gets me out of a jam.

It's just hash.

It's not crack or heroin.

You carrying drugs onboard?

No, Joe.

I'm not.

That's the problem.

The last time I'm up,

off of Cape Caution...

...a Canadian patrol boat

comes racing after me.

I dump the whole batch.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I get nervous, and it's fish food.

They had me confused

with some other boat.

Somebody reported them running

too close to a pod of humpbacks.

These guys, Joey, I don't know that much

about them, but they don't f*** around.

They think I sold it on the side,

that I'm holding out.

We arrange a meet in Baja.

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