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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

Back at the hotel, Mike takes a cold shower and thinks about how there is no way he is going to Chart. Three days ago he would have forced himself, for the story, but the story is bullshit, or at least it’s a different story now. It’s not about backpacker kids eating pills. It’s about farangs not knowing anything and getting in trouble. It’s about me. And sometimes farangs ought to stay in their hotel rooms.

When the phone rings, Mike stays in the shower. If it’s Burton let him think I’m out, Mike tells himself. I said I would be out. The phone stops and doesn’t ring again. Wasn’t even important.

He lies naked on the bed watching international news to kill the hours. The news is strange and accented, much different from American news, more interesting. A bomb explodes in Moscow and no one takes responsibility. Police clash with rebels in Haiti and the voodoo priests chuckle in the alleys and dance in the moonlight. A baby with two heads dies in Santo Domingo even though two-headed baby experts fly in from around the world. Mike falls asleep as the program starts to loop.

He wakes up at eleven. So much for Pierced Girl. He wants to go back to sleep but is hungry and decides to go to the McDonald’s in the lobby of the hotel. A total farang move.

On his way downstairs, Mike stops by Bishop’s door and listens. He wonders where Bishop actually is. Maybe his “best girl” is a wife and he has a whole family in Bangkok that has never seen his skyscraper apartment in Hong Kong. More likely Bishop is in some teak house with a thirteen-year-old hooker. Mike hears nothing through the door.

Eating his double cheeseburger, Mike continues to mull over Bishop, who, he decides, is behaving badly. There is a code and Bishop is not following it. Analect will not like the way Bishop disappeared. Analect lives by this code, Mike is sure. The same code his father lives by. It’s about action. It’s about always doing your job, before anything else. Mike overheard his father tell his mother this many times, when she complained that he was working too hard. Bishop is not doing his job, Mike thinks, so he is an asshole.

Assholes everywhere, actually. An American boy, about Mike’s age, is telling the Thai girl with acne behind the counter that he doesn’t want any pickles.

“I said I don’t want any pickles.” The kid is getting louder.

The girl hands him his tray with both hands and a slight bow. The kid notices Mike watching and comes over and sits down.