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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

Mike doesn’t know how long he has been there when he notices Dreads and Hardy and a girl sit down at the Italian café next door. They don’t see him. The girl must be a replacement for Lucy Long Legs, Mike thinks, although she is older and harder-looking. He watches the three of them order beers and pizza. Then Hardy takes out a corncob pipe full of hash and lights up. Mike catches the sweet smell right away. Hardy and Dreads pass it back and forth several times, and then Hardy quickly puts the pipe away again. The girl thinks this is hilarious. They are all still laughing when their first beers arrive. After a little while Mike doesn’t watch them anymore.

He knows how the rest of his time in Bangkok will be. He will sit at this table drinking beer, watching farangs. Burton will hear about what has happened and come by and find him. Bridget might show up and tell him to relax. Harrison said they’d have another beer, but they won’t. Harrison will just be gone. And eventually, Bishop will show up at Mike’s table and ask for the stony backpacker quotes to patch together, and that will be the story. Mike never wants to see any of them again.

When he gets back to his room he is sick again and vomits until there is nothing left, but he doesn’t pass out. He calls his brother without looking at the time or thinking about the charge to the magazine. He can’t get through at first and tears well in his eyes.

Finally he gets a ring and he takes a deep breath and lies on his back on the bed, pressing the phone tightly to his ear. The receiver magnifies his breathing. But the phone just rings and rings until Lyle’s voice mail picks up.

“This is Lyle. Leave a message.”

Mike hangs up. He is suddenly relieved his brother didn’t answer. There is nothing to say.

PART II

Lyle was surprised by how loud the fire was as he ran out of the house.

As it engulfed the living room, the piano caught, and the strings snapped with sharp pings as the wooden frame softened and collapsed. The bookshelves burned from the bottom up, the big art books first, then the middle shelves of hardcovers, and as the shelves collapsed, the cheap paperbacks fell into the conflagration. All the food in the kitchen cabinets melted and the aerosol cans under the sink exploded. On the big dining room table where his father had been studying it, a map of Hong Kong curled and disintegrated into ash. A box of bullets discharged in his mother’s bedroom.

The whole house came down in a huge roar, like a jet taking off.