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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 didn’t realize he had been down there so long,” says Bridget, calm now. “I was looking off the other way and then I looked and realized he was there at the bottom.”

Paul’s long, pale face has a blue cast and his eyes stare out into nothing. Burton leans down into his face, patting it gently and then less gently.

After another minute or two, Paul seems to focus on Burton.

“What happened,” asks Burton. “What happened, Paul?”

“It felt so good, I didn’t want to be coming up.”

This sounds very spacey to Mike, as if through an airlock.

“It felt like being in chocolate mousse.”

Harrison walks back into the living and starts reading the paper.

25

One thing Mike and his brother remember differently is the time Lyle burned himself with a bottle rocket. They were at the beach with their parents and a friend of Lyle’s who was visiting for the weekend. The sand was cool on their feet and the June sky was cloudless. They had a small bonfire, and were sitting on blankets watching as Mike’s father roasted yellow bell peppers and hot dogs on metal skewers for lunch.

The friend was describing his father to Mike and Lyle, and their parents were listening even as they had their own conversation, which is something they learned to do as parents. Mike and Lyle learned to do the same thing as children. The friend was joking about his father, a television writer, describing him as an artist shamed and oppressed by the wealthy financiers who worked in the same Midtown tower where he had his office. Mike and Lyle were both nodding and laughing at the notion. Then their mother interrupted them and said to the friend, “That’s called a fish-out-of-water setup, and I believe any number of very successful sitcom writers keep offices in Midtown.”

“No, I guess you’re right,” said the friend. “I know.”

They finished eating in silence and looked out at the ocean. Then Mike’s father told the boys to go look in the trunk of the car. There was something for them in there. At a newsstand in Chinatown he had bought a coffee can full of bottle rockets. Mike and Lyle and the friend ran to the trunk and then down to the water to set some of them off. Lyle was especially jumpy because his parents were arguing over the fire behind them. The bottle rockets punctuated their argument with screaming hisses and weak pops.