You’re riding back here, Jesse says to me, there’s no room up front. I don’t want to. It’s dark and it’s hot. Jesse says, Buddy do what I say or I’m gonna lock you in that box. I can’t let him put me in there. He’s like never to let me out.

Him and Mr. Sanders take Monsieur Beaumont with them. The door shuts and I’m all alone. Sweat’s running down my face and crawling down my back. The truck starts and we’re agoing. Through a little window I see cars lights people. Fireworks are popping and fading and leaving spidery ghosts. We stop at Kmart and Jesse runs inside and then we’re driving again.

The road’s long and straight and empty after that. I open drawers and come upon some silverware a hammer and nails a box of pencils and two Christmas candy canes. I put one candy in my pocket and tear the plastic off the other. I’m sucking on it when the truck all of a sudden slows. I go sit at the table and hide the candy under a cushion.

Out the window’s a red arrow and a motel. The truck goes past them but stops down the road. Mr. Sanders opens the door and Jesse brings Monsieur Beaumont in and lays him back in the box. Mr. Sanders sticks the rag in his mouth and closes the lid and locks it.

Him and Jesse strap on their guns and knives. Sit tight, Jesse says to me, don’t open the door no matter what you hear. I ask what about Monsieur Beaumont. He can’t get at you, Jesse says, he’s all locked up and no more dangerous than a sack of spuds.

Him and Mr. Sanders step out and I watch through the window at them walking off toward the red arrow. I hear Monsieur Beaumont breathing in the box his chains jingling. Keep still you sonofabitch, I say. You was our friend but you ain’t no more.

I take the candy from under the cushion and go to sucking it again. It’s real quiet just flies buzzing until Monsieur Beaumont commences to moaning like a haint and kicking inside the box like he means to break out. Boom boom boom. I go to the drawer and get a knife and yell that I got it but that don’t settle him. Boom boom boom. I kick the box myself. I pound it with my fist. You best lay off, I say, I’ll dust you I will. Boom boom boom. I go to singing loud as I can to drown him out. We got a great big convoy trucking through the night. We got a great big convoy ain’t she a beautiful sight.