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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 was draining the rest of the booze. It went straight to his head. Then he was so angry, waiting for the car service outside the hospital, he didn’t even notice the rain.

76

Mike stops in front of an electronics store just above Union Square. The store’s sign reads HOME ENTERTAINMENT, SECURITY, COUNTERINTELLIGENCE. In the window are twenty flat-screen televisions. Some are tuned to the news, and some are tuned to cameras pointed at the sidewalk in front of the store. Mike can see himself on some of them, looking in the window, watching the news.

Mike sees footage of the second tower collapsing on one of the screens. Mike can’t hear the narration but the images are clear. Both towers have now fallen. Lower Manhattan is lost in gray smoke. It looks to Mike like a volcano has erupted.

77

Lyle did not always believe in his hallucinatory brother.

One night when Lyle knew absolutely that there was no third brother, he and Mike were out eating sushi at a place on Twelfth Street. Mike felt relieved that Lyle wasn’t paranoid, that he didn’t have switch moods, as the doctor called them, because Mike was in a dark mood himself. Sociology seminar that day had been about prostitutes. The other students had talked about problems of inherited hierarchy and gender as a social construction. About how prostitution was evidence for such things. Mike hadn’t said a word.

Lyle asked him what he was thinking about. Mike told him about the seminar.

“You ever in touch with those people in Bangkok?” asked Lyle.

“No,” said Mike

“Think you ever will be?”

“I don’t know.”

They ate in silence. Mike broke it. He wondered if maybe Lyle could help him for once. Or if they could help each other, just by talking.

“So what does he look like, when he comes?” he asked Lyle.

“Who?”

“Our other brother.”

“Fine. I’ll tell you,” Lyle said, and went on about the third brother. He told Mike about the visceral hate he felt for him, unlike anything he’d ever felt for anybody. About how he was witty, funny, made jokes about what else he was going to burn down. About how he had startling eyes. About how he’s not superhuman but could run faster than even you, Mike, fastest white kid in the city. About how he looked like us.

Mike was sorry he asked.

78

Stepping into a deli in the West Village, Mike wonders suddenly what he is doing. “Why am I going down there?” he says out loud, and a short Hispanic guy next to him says, equally suddenly, “Don’t know, man.”