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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 was a great talker. He might have some new insight about modern art or the misbehavior of the medieval papacy or about anything, really. Lyle read constantly and incorporated the language and ideas of the books he read into his conversations. Some found him eccentric or pretentious, but Mike understood him, the same way Lyle understood how Mike didn’t talk much. They could communicate in different ways about the same girl they had met at the market when buying the fish— whether she was smart or not, and so on. Mike had liked very much to listen to his brother talk.

Backing out the driveway, Mike decided not to sell. He would never sell, and never build either. Nothing would happen here. If, centuries later, archaeologists discovered the site, they would encounter it exactly as Mike left it, hear the rumble of the driveway under their tires.

85

Nearly home. At an intersection they stop and Lyle looks back downtown at the smoke. Mike can tell Lyle’s spirits are flagging. Mike thinks about how close to death they were. He wonders if Lyle is thinking the same thing. Mike doesn’t know what to say, though, so he doesn’t say anything.

When they get to Lyle’s apartment, Lyle says he wants to go up on the roof, get a look at where they were. Mike wants to do this too, and tentatively pats his brother on the shoulder, but Lyle shrugs him off.

“What happens now?” asks Lyle.

“Nothing,” says Mike.

“I’m not feeling that great,” says Lyle.

“Want to get some water?” asks Mike.

“Later. Let’s check out the view.”

86

Tweety had been waiting outside. As if a lover had whispered the scene in his ear, Mike knew it was true as soon as he thought about it.

He was sitting in class one day, back home, parents dead, brother crazy, and he knew what had happened the night he fucked Tweety. She had left Burton’s apartment, and she was waiting for Mike to leave too, so she could follow him to his hotel. But he never left. So she waited there in the shadows of the compound where Burton lived. She waited, and waited, and was nervous about guards for no reason and smoked cigarettes. It was a moonless, rainy night, and the compound was dark, and Tweety really was a little frightened of the dark, and she had been waiting out there, nervous, while Mike had been having his last couple of beers.

She waited, until it became clear that Mike was not going to walk out of Burton’s blue door. And then Mike couldn’t imagine what was in her head, because she walked back through the door and fucked him, and he didn’t even remember it that well.

87

On other roofs around Lyle’s building, at various elevations, people stand watching the smoke, listening to the sirens. Mike wants to be calm. They made it.