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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

The Holworthy boys, as they came to be known, after Holworthy Hall, their freshman dorm, became very close during the four years. At the end, they were something like brothers.

Mike’s father and Dorr often sparred in the late afternoon and then went for a drink or several afterward. Dorr was a great talker and a decent boxer. These fighting and drinking sessions were Mike’s father’s favorite times. Dorr had schemes, places to go, women to fuck. He was exuberant and frequently drunk, and Mike’s father envied him for the way he didn’t seem to think too much about anything. Dorr also turned him into a heavy smoker.

Analect was never as close with Mike’s father and Dorr. He did not drink as much and did not box at all. Unlike them, Analect had grown up with both of his parents. He was a third-generation legacy at Harvard and, by the time he was eighteen, already very good at not fucking up, something that saved Dorr and Mike’s father from expulsion on several occasions. Thinking about this, Analect decided it was a trade-off he was willing to accept: two real parents for two fake brothers.

11

The movies run late and the morning seeps through the shuttered windows. Mike says thanks for your hospitality to an unconscious room as he picks his way through to the door.

As he opens it, a Thai man is opening it from the other side. Mike apologizes across the languages and brushes past him. The Thai man stands in the doorway and takes a small package wrapped with rubber bands from the pocket of his jeans and wings it at sleeping Hardy’s forehead. The Thai man reacts with a high-pitched laugh and is following Mike down the stairs before Hardy registers the whack.

Down on the street, Mike wonders where to go for a cab. The Thai man walks quickly to a parked motorcycle, turns, and calls back to him.

“Taxi? Taxi! Cheap.” He is wearing a blue vest with a number and an advertisement for taxi service on it. His movements are quick and jerky as he gestures for Mike to get on behind him.

“How much?” Mike asks, as he approaches the bike.

“A hundred and twenty.” The Thai man bounces up and down on his seat.

How much is that? Mike wonders. Whatever. “Sure,” he says, getting on the bike.

The driver offers him a helmet, which he declines, and they are off. Mike is glad for the handholds at his side so that he doesn’t have to hold on to the driver. The motorcycle flies and weaves on the wide boulevards and sends the stalls of cloth and produce flapping as they shoot the alleys.