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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 became very serious, as if he were almost expecting something.

“Breathing,” said Jane. “But I didn’t hear any footsteps.”

She kept a straight face. Mike thought she might really be scared and he hurried to pull himself together. He even took her by the hand and started to lead her out of the aisle. When they were three rows away and hadn’t said anything, Jane couldn’t contain herself anymore. Her laughter overwhelmed the quiet of the library. “I knew it,” she said. “You really thought there might be a ghost.”

But Jane doesn’t get it. It’s not that Mike believes in ghosts, it’s that he knows you can be haunted.

7

By midnight, Dreads has a whole backpacker crew gathered around him, eyes flooding from the ecstasy. Mike watches them dance, bumping into one another, stopping only to pull beaten water bottles from the pockets of their cheap linen fisherman’s pants, just purchased on Khao San Road. Dreads is straight Khao San. Mike doesn’t really want to talk to Dreads anymore. What he wants to do is find Dorr. He wants to impress Analect, not Bishop. He wants to meet this man who boxed his father.

At 2 A.M. the strobes stop and the PA blares that it is time to leave. This is exactly Mike’s story, backpacker kids and how the government is cracking down on the ecstasy scene, instituting a two-o’clock closing time. People begin to filter out. Mike starts to go with them, but Dreads hands him another beer and tells him to relax. “No worries man, what’ll they arrest us for?”

For being stupid, thinks Mike.

The PA fires again: “THE POLICE WILL BE HERE IN FIVE MINUTES . . .” and then it becomes garbled and everyone is leaving. Mike is tired but Dreads says he knows a place they can go to and tells Mike about an apartment, just a few blocks away. Dreads gets excited talking about how the apartment is like a secret society of cool backpackers where there is always good hash. “Plus,” he explains, “there are always girls there, white girls, you know? Not that the Thai girls aren’t totally cool.”

Mike looks at Dreads and knows that he is afraid of Thai girls.

Dreads keeps talking about the apartment and the “rad old guy” whose place it is. “And you should see his hookup,” says Dreads as they walk out, “an older chick with red hair, so hot.”

Outside, Mike sees two monster sports cars, hundred-thousand-dollar, 4 million baht, candy-colored, speed machines. Their brown, hair-gelled drivers open the doors and white girls with big blond bodies get in. Mike hadn’t seen them inside. Probably rich Indian or Bengali kids, on holiday. They are loud, speeding into the night.