BooksBarbecue
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 tells her that the club kids all speak English.

“Many stories,” is all she says.

“Better stories,” Harrison says, seriously. “Tweety lives in Khlong Toei. That’s one of the neighborhoods where Thaksin is cracking down. You’ve seen a lot of pills, haven’t you, Tweety?”

Tweety’s expression hardens. “I have seen,” she says.

Mike realizes Harrison is trying to help him and that they are talking about yaa baa, not ecstasy.

“What do you think?” asks Mike. “The government is too rough?”

“Many stories,” she says, again.

When Mike asks Tweety if she has heard of Christopher Dorr, she is startled and looks at Harrison, whose expression doesn’t change. Mike himself is a little nervous about his question and watches Harrison for a sign. Nothing. Finally, Tweety says yes, she knows Dorr. He is a reporter, but she has not seen him in a long time. She looks past Mike at an expat in a pinstripe suit just down the bar.

“Another farang asshole,” Tweety says. She now seems a little drunk. Mike asks her again about Thaksin and his crackdown.

“Even this place, the Grace, was raided, “ she says, loudly. “They made everyone pee in cup. Many are careful about coming now, too high.”

The expat in the suit overhears this and is unsettled. “What’s that?” he wants to know. “You say they’d make me piss in a cup?”

Tweety smiles at Harrison, who nods down the bar.

“Really, they make you piss in a cup?” the man asks again. Then he comes out with it, of course. “I had a tab of E last night.”

Harrison shrugs to show that this is nobody else’s problem, and the man pays up quickly and leaves. Of course Tweety meant for him to hear.

After another drink, Mike asks Tweety if she could help him meet Christopher Dorr.

“No, I do not see him anymore,” she says. “But maybe I translate for you.”

“Finding Dorr is where I could use some help,” says Mike.

“It is not a good story,” says Tweety.

28

Mike’s girlfriend, Jane, was a very good student and also good at sex, a combination that Mike’s father once told him was not unusual. She was studying classics and was a fine translator. Sometimes she quoted the Iliad to Mike in bed, in Greek. They had never had an argument. One time Mike asked her if she thought that was strange.

“Why would we argue?” she said. “We never do anything wrong to each other and we’re rich white kids at fancy schools.” Mike found that answer very unsatisfying but didn’t tell her.