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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

Mike looks at Hardy and thinks about how he never wants to have any old days. But “Yeah,” he says. “I’m on the lookout for a friend of a friend who was here back then. His name is Christopher Dorr, American reporter guy. He’s supposed to be living in Bangkok somewhere.”

“Dorr, yes, can’t say I know him personally, though.” Hardy pulls on his joint again. “But I reckon I’ve heard of him. Then again,” he exhales, “every other bugger you meet is looking for his contact, isn’t he? A lot of stories out there.”

“Far-out,” says Dreads.

“Long-lost fellas who went to earth,” Hardy says, smiling.

“Went to earth?” Mike asks.

“Like me,” Hardy snorts. “Went to earth and now I eat fire.” He sucks down to the end of the roach and then flicks it up in the air, smoking, and catches it in his mouth. The backpackers almost applaud. Hardy swallows.

Way over the top, thinks Mike. He looks at Hardy carefully and decides that he is very high, but not necessarily from the joint.

“There are, at any given time, some fifty righteous men on the planet,” Hardy says. “These righteous don’t know it, but if it weren’t for them, God would blow the whole place to hell. And here’s the catch, see: as soon as one finds out he’s one of the chosen, he dies and somebody else, some other righteous soul, takes his place.”

The sprawled backpackers are captivated. Lucy Long Legs is indulgent but interrupts. “Do you want to watch a movie?” She rises from Hardy’s crotch and rummages in a cabinet.

A stir of approval from the backpackers and Hardy picks Casablanca. Mike leans against the wall, sometimes watching the movie on the little television in the corner, but mostly watching Lucy Long Legs as she nods out on Hardy’s lap. Blond hair spills out from under her Jolly Roger bandanna and some tattoo peeks out from her ankle. She looks very young. Mike hopes he will run into Lucy Long Legs some other time.

10

Mike’s father, Mike’s mother, Elliot Analect, Dorr, and Dorr’s twin sister were all students at Harvard when they met. The three boys were roommates but they shared more than an address. They all wanted to be writers and were very competitive, especially Mike’s father and Dorr. As freshmen, all three became marginally famous for driving Dorr’s beat-up 1953 Chevy convertible down the frozen Charles River, past the boathouse where the Radcliffe winter formal was taking place. The story was that they put down the top just as they came into view, just before the car broke through the ice—and therefore just in time to allow them to escape. This was not exactly true.