But in art Christ Jayzus is not the only one that is crucified, Tommy says. In the background, he says, pointing to the painting, and fixed to another cross, he says, in the shape of a coiled number eight, he says, hanging there like it might be dead already, he says, there’s a brightly coloured snake with all of its bones broken. How do you know its bones are broken? Sammy says to Tommy. Because, Tommy says, a blind snake with all its bones broken is the pain at the centre of the world. How did you get to that? Sammy says to him. The Green Book, Tommy says. I got it from The Green Book. Of course it might just be a plastic snake, Tommy says, and he shrugs. It might not be real, he says. How come? Sammy says to him. Because in order to vanquish it, you must make an idol of it, and raise it up, Tommy says. They probably stuck a plastic snake up there, he says to Sammy, just for the sake of it. After that the pair of them saw some more art but none of it was of much interest except for a beezer painting of Mickey Mouse by your man Lichtenstein.

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