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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

Lyle came in time for dinner. He didn’t explain where he had been, and his mother, whom Mike suspected had been coached by his father, knew enough not to ask. When they were sitting down to eat, Lyle reached down next to the table and picked up a shard of mirror, missed in the cleanup, and looked at his parents before tossing it in a perfect three-point arc into the tall white kitchen garbage can.

Later that night when Mike asked his brother what had happened, Lyle said, “Seven years bad luck.”

48

The three of them run out of the gallery, into the sudden heat and around a corner, where they finally stop. Skull Boy is still laughing as they catch their breath. Mike can see that this will be a high point of his trip. After a moment Skull Boy begins walking away, but Pierced Girl lingers, looking at Mike. Skull Boy calls to her. Mike doesn’t understand what he says but he can tell Skull Boy wants Pierced Girl to himself.

“OK, OK,” she says, but then she asks Mike if he would like to get a drink.

Mike, caught off guard, says, “Sure.”

“Come then.”

“I have to be somewhere,” he lies. “I was only killing time.”

“Tonight?”

“Sure, thanks.”

“Do you know Chart?”

“Near Khao San Road?”

Mike doesn’t know Chart but of course it’s near Khao San Road. Maybe he’ll go, but Pierced Girl isn’t even that pretty. For the hell of it, he asks her if she’s heard of a Christopher Dorr.

“We don’t remember anyone’s names,” she tells him.

Mike looks at the wat spire across the highway and turns to walk back to his hotel, wishing he had seen the Emerald Buddha.

49

Mike’s father wore a long, black overcoat, and Mike held on to his coattails as they walked up the steps of the cathedral. He remembered the view of the gray, stone building ahead of them over his father’s shoulder. Lyle was older and bounded up the wide snowy steps. He was in a hurry. “The faster we go to bed,” he explained to Mike, “the faster we wake up.”

Their mother said their father shouldn’t make them go to church.

“Would you like to come?” he asked her.

“Would you like to come to the party?” she asked him.

She was going to a Christmas Eve party on Fifth Avenue. The deal was they would all meet back at home before midnight. That was reasonable, and by reasonable compromise they would prosper and not be crazy. So what if they weren’t together all the time.

“Holidays are arbitrary,” their father told them, though Mike knew he was lying to make everybody feel better. “Ritual is important for a reason.”

50