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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

“I know,” continues Mike, “made me want to jump off the roof.” He says this half solemn and half not, like someone, he thinks, who is too cool to brag about nearly tossing himself off the roof but who is too honest to lie about it. Burton seems to be taking him at his word. They all are. Of course they are, Mike thinks. Why wouldn’t they?

“Well, we won’t let you jump off the roof.”

They all talk to Mike about why he should do ecstasy. Why, Mike wonders. But they are very civil about it. Ecstasy is not like weed that will make you jump off the roof. It’s friendlier. And we’re all here. Couldn’t be a safer place.

Mike thinks that, beneath it all, they are asking him a question. But what? And then suddenly he thinks of the girl on the motorcycle carrying the baby. Maybe he’s high already.

Harrison sharpens the conversation in his low, now almost musical lilt.

“But you’ve never tried it, have you?” he says to Mike.

Mike looks at Harrison, who just stares back at him. Have you?

The pill feels chalky for a moment on Mike’s tongue and then he swallows.

23

As soon as Mike decided to take the internship in Hong Kong, his mother gave him a picture of the family. In it, Mike, his parents, and Lyle stand at the seashore near their home in Long Island. They look like catalog people, handsome and expensive, posed and shot.

Lying in bed a week before he was to leave, Mike held up the photograph to a lamp. He was wondering what his life would be like in Asia. The lamplight shone through the silver gelatin print, and Mike could see through himself. He could see through his blond hair and white teeth. He could see through his parents with their arms around each other, and his frowning brother. He could see through the sky behind his family and the sand they stood on.

Mike was determined that his life in Asia be good and simple. That it be the start of his life, Mike’s life, and not be a crazy life. But as he looked at what was actually just a snapshot and saw his family ghosted by the backlight, he suddenly understood something new and it unsettled him. What Mike saw was the potential for craziness in himself, just like it was there in all of them.

24