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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

The apartment was furnished and there were strange, bad paintings of animals on the walls. Five of them, all in oil. The largest was of a chimpanzee smoking a cigarette, and almost as big was a painting of a brown bear roaring out at the viewer. The three smallest were a set, all of dogs in military uniforms— a general, an admiral, and a fighter pilot. To Mike, they seemed to be looking at one another from the various walls where they hung, sharing some stupid private joke about whoever was living there. They’ll keep me company, Lyle told him when he mentioned it.

Mike ignored this and kept unpacking. Lyle apologized again for being crazy.

“No, it’s all right,” said Mike. “We have to have a sense of humor.”

68

Mike takes off running away from the accident. The blocks fall away. Running helps him gather his thoughts. Lyle never understood that. Finally, at Sixty-sixth Street, he slows to a walk. Passing a newsstand, he looks at the tabloids and learns that Mick Jagger and his daughter, Elizabeth, caused a scene at a Fashion Week party. Also, Mayor Giuliani snubbed an important rabbi. Newspapers are strange and sad and stupid things on the day of a disaster, thinks Mike.

At Broadway and Sixty-fourth Street, Mike looks for a cab again. There are more and more people on the street and fewer cabs. He can see small clusters of people watching television in pizza joints and coffee shops, sharing speculations.

Mike, too, wants to know exactly what is happening. But he doesn’t stop moving. He decides he’ll find out more when he gets farther downtown. He’s going no matter what.

Few people are walking his way. He thinks of all the times he has walked down Broadway. Going to the movies. Going to concerts at Lincoln Center. Mike speculates on the political ramifications of the attack, but only briefly. He is sure, however, that Lyle is thinking politics, streamlining his conspiracies. Mike has grown less interested in politics as his brother has become more paranoid.

The buses running uptown are packed long before they get to Sixty-fourth Street, the frightened passengers a collage of heads and shoulders through the windows as Mike watches them go by. At a crowded bus stop, Mike sees an older woman, probably in her seventies, talking to a little white dog she is cradling in a canvas bag. He is sure he has seen her before. That’s the way it is in cities, he thinks. You see the same people again and again. It’s not a mystery, only the probability of routine.