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Back The Third Brother Save as PDF
Chapters (116)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by the Author
  3. The Third Brother
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. PART I
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. PART II
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67
  75. 68
  76. 69
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. 80
  88. 81
  89. 82
  90. 83
  91. 84
  92. 85
  93. 86
  94. 87
  95. 88
  96. PART III
  97. 89
  98. 90
  99. 91
  100. 92
  101. 93
  102. 94
  103. 95
  104. 96
  105. 97
  106. 98
  107. 99
  108. 100
  109. 101
  110. 102
  111. 103
  112. 104
  113. 105
  114. 106
  115. 107
  116. 108

Dorothy pulled her pants back up and started to climb down, but she slipped. I thought she might catch her teeth on the bronze but she didn’t. I watched her flail and then land heavily in my urine-soaked snow. She let out a short yelp of surprise and her friends were suddenly serious.

“You’re OK, thank God, what a bad fall that looked like— are you sure you’re OK?”

“I think so,” Dot sniffled.

Let’s go get some hot chocolate and feel better, they all agreed, and they walked away to chocolate together in the cold night.

They would, I imagined, be leaders one day. They would become famous doctors, investors in new ideas, politicians, people of note. They would dictate policy, control wealth. They would be powerful. They would command respect. They might even stand on podiums, on the latent shoulders of the bronze piss statue, and address the public.

I wanted to assassinate them, one by one.

103

I also wish I could have gone with them. Part of me wanted to get some hot chocolate.

Jane and I are not together anymore. It was fucked after 9/11. I was cruel and essentially unwell for a long time, since Tweety, really, and if I can salvage something from my behavior it’s that I was cruel to Jane because it wasn’t good for her to be around me. So I didn’t really give her a choice. This is what I tell myself.

“Maybe not,” she said over the phone, and that was it. She was fed up. After that, the day Lyle died, I didn’t try to talk to her again. She called when she found out, and left a message about Lyle, about friends relying on each other, even if they weren’t together anymore.

I was somewhere else by then, though, and never called her back. It was too late. Somewhere else, ha, like where I am now. A different city, a different college. Long-distance relationships, I have heard people say, never work.

104

Hoping to see that archaeology girl, I often went back to the Museum of Natural History. I reasoned that she was an archaeology major, so she must do research there.

The last time I was there, an elementary school class was visiting on a field trip. I was looking at the best exhibit, which is the reconstructed polar bear skeleton. The bones are yellow and indescribably smooth and brilliant to the touch. I have often broken the rule and run my hand over the bones of that ancient bear.