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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

Analect told me again how great my father was, what a good man, and how obviously there was nothing he could say to convey how sorry he was about what had happened.

I agreed. “I appreciate it, but you’re right. There’s nothing to say.”

It hadn’t snowed for a week, and it was a warm winter morning, the snow melting into our shoes. We passed the have-a-heart guy, hawking papers.

“Christopher Dorr went here, too,” I said.

“With your father and me,” he said. Analect seemed to know I would ask about this. Maybe he even came to talk about it, I thought. Then he asked me, “So did you see him, while you were there in Bangkok? Bishop didn’t know.”

“Yeah.”

I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t tell him that I was afraid of Dorr, though that was mostly how I felt. But given the chance I would want another shot at him, to see him again and do battle. I don’t think he’d get to me anymore, and I’d like to scare the life out of him in that house on stilts. Maybe drag him into the street and balance his legs on the curb and jump on them so they’d crack like tree branches. He was just a junkie. I would put that dog out of its misery.

“He was fucked up.” I said.

“How are you doing,” Analect asked.

“School,” I said.

“Dorr’s not in Bangkok anymore.”

“What happened to him?”

“I went to check myself. Burton took me to his house in Khlong Toei, but he was gone.”

“So where is he?” I was suddenly annoyed.

Analect, hands in his pockets, looked off into the sky. “Probably dead.” Then he turned and looked at me and I realized how disheveled I was. How tired. And something about about the way he looked at me made me want to punch him in the teeth.

“Mike, you have to be careful not to get fucked up.”

“What are you telling me?”

“I just thought I’d come by and see how you were doing.”

Too weird for me.

It wasn’t his fault. So what if he sent me to Bangkok to get high with backpackers. That didn’t fuck me up. And what did he care anyway. Maybe he felt guilty about losing Dorr, so he wanted to help me. That’s what I think now. We were all the same, really, weren’t we?

“I have to go,” I told him, and then I took off.

95

People who know me know my family is dead, but I wonder if the professors all know, if there is some flag attached to my folder. Sometimes I wish everyone knew and sometimes I wish no one did, especially when it comes to the professors.

There is one professor I like. I think he knows.