BooksBarbecue
Back The Trickster
Chapters (74)
  1. The Trickster
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. Preface to the 20th anniversary edition
  6. Introduction
  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. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. Keep Reading
  70. FURNACE
  71. Acknowledgements
  72. About the Author
  73. ALSO BY THE AUTHOR
  74. About the Publisher

‘I said “Calling up the spirits, Pappy?” and I laughed so hard I could hardly say it, and slapped my leg.

‘I don’t remember much about how he moved across the floor, except next thing I was on my back and he was kneeling on me and smashing my face with that fist.’

Sam looked across the flames at the stony Calvin to see if he were still listening. He was.

‘How’d he get that strong, Calvin? I always wondered that. He was so strong and fast for a drunk. I never could fight him. Anyway this time, I didn’t bother.

‘I couldn’t move my arms, and I wasn’t even trying. I just let him keep crunching that fist into my face, blinking through the blood and still coughing and laughing at his prick that was resting on my chest like a skinned skunk while he hit me. He was kind of gurgling his shouts at me, yelling, “You fuckin’ cunt. I’ll kill you, you cunt. I’ll kill you,” and he meant it too. And then suddenly he just stopped and stared at me from up there, panting like a horse, and looked at me real close with those scheming eyes. I could hardly see for the blood. All I could smell was the raw alcohol off his breath, and the blood from my cuts, and I just lay there quietly waiting to see what he was going to do next.

‘He was breathing fast, looking at me like he was thinking just as quick, and then he lowered his fist and grabbed me by the hair still sitting on my chest. Then he said, real quietly, “You think you be so fuckin’ smart. Don’t ya? Huh? Well so fuck if I can’t be makin’ this fuckin’ thing work none for me. You’re goin’ to make it work. You be making it work right now or I kill you.” I looked at him like he was mad. He was meaning the Isksaksin of course, and when I realized suddenly what all that tea, and the stove and his being naked was all about, I couldn’t stop myself. I just burst out laughing again, even though my face was so swollen I could hardly move my mouth.

‘He went crazy then. He tore at my hair with one hand and then started hitting me again with his other hand. He was shouting at me, just guttural noises this time, like he was too angry to form words. And then …’