Oscar gave me a look that seemed at least briefly interested. “How did that come about?”

“Doug was at Viridian’s with Ed one day and asked if I wanted to see how it was done.”

“And how’s that working out?”

“Fine, I guess. I’m doing the no-brain stuff. Sharpening the pencils.” Oscar seemed skeptical at this account of my contributions. “He’s not paying me.”

“No, he wouldn’t.”

“Is Compass Points a good magazine?”

“Often enough. When Doug holds off on the logrolling.”

“You want to tell me what that means?”

“The exchange of favors,” Oscar said wearily. “He publishes poems by other editors and they publish his in their magazines. Everybody’s happy.”

I was quiet, considering this. Then I said, “But it’s a famous magazine, isn’t it? It goes way back.”

“It’s been famous. And Doug wants to be famous. Don’t we all.”

“How did he end up with the magazine?”

“Same way he ended up with that swell house. He had a wealthy lover who died and left the place to him. And enough cash to start the magazine up again. Not that Ed doesn’t pull his weight. And puts up with a thing or two, I imagine. He’s a good guy, Ed. Why can’t I ever find any wealthy lovers?”

“Then I guess you’d have to kill them off.”

“So funny. Doug’s such a tease. He’s always on the verge of taking my poems for the magazine and dangling some real money in front of me. Then it never happens. Well screw him. He should do something for Virdie, she really needs the money.” He glanced at me. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this.”

“Somebody needs to tell me things once in a while so I’m not always the only clueless person in the room.”

“Not clueless. Innocent.”

“Now you’re pissing me off.”

The bar was beginning to fill up, people drifting in for happy hour or bar food. Somebody got the jukebox going. Emmylou Harris singing “Boulder to Birmingham.” That song for a perfectly broken heart. I said, “Tell me about Mathias.”

“What about him.”

“Why he’s supposed to be such a big deal. Why Viridian doesn’t talk about him.”

“That’s old gossip.”

“But it’s still going around.”

Oscar pushed his hair back with both hands and sighed and said that first he needed to finish his beer.