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¨What are you going to do to him？〃
¨Nothing。 Use your head； bright boy。 What would we do to a nigger？〃
George opened the slip that opened back into the kitchen。 ¨Sam；〃 he called。 ¨Come in here a minute。〃
The door of the kitchen opened and the nigger came in。 ¨What was it？〃 he asked。 The two men at the counter took a look at him。
¨All right； nigger。 You stand right there；〃 Al said。
Sam； the nigger； standing in his apron； looked at the two men sitting at the counter。 ¨Yes； sir；〃 he said。 Al got down from his stool。
¨Iˇm going back to the kitchen with the nigger and bright boy；〃 he said。 ¨Go back to the kitchen； nigger。 You go with him； bright boy。〃 The little man walked after Nick and Sam； the cook； back into the kitchen。 The door shut after them。 The man called Max sat at the counter opposite George。 He didnˇt look at George but looked in the mirror that ran along back of the counter。 Henryˇs had been made over from a saloon into a lunch…counter。
¨Well； bright boy；〃 Max said； looking into the mirror； ¨why donˇt you say something？〃
¨Whatˇs it all about？〃
¨Hey； Al；〃 Max called； ¨bright boy wants to know what itˇs all about。〃
¨Why donˇt you tell him？〃 Alˇs voice came from the kitchen。
¨What do you think itˇs all about？〃
¨I donˇt know。〃
¨What do you think？〃
Max looked into the mirror all the time he was talking。
¨I wouldnˇt say。〃
¨Hey； Al； bright boy says he wouldnˇt say what he thinks itˇs all about。〃
¨I can hear you； all right；〃 Al said from the kitchen。 He had propped open the slit that dishes passed through into the kitchen with a catsup bottle。 ¨Listen； bright boy；〃 he said from the kitchen to George。 ¨Stand a little further along the bar。 You move a little to the left； Max。〃 He was like a photographer arranging for a group picture。
¨Talk to me； bright boy；〃 Max said。 ¨What do you thinkˇs going to happen？〃
George did not say anything。
¨Iˇll tell you；〃 Max said。 ¨Weˇre going to kill a Swede。 Do you know a big Swede named Ole Andreson？〃
¨Yes。〃
¨He comes in here to eat every night； donˇt he？〃
¨Sometimes he comes here。〃
¨He comes here at six oˇclock； donˇt he？〃
¨If he comes。〃
¨We know all that； bright boy；〃 Max said。 ¨Talk about something else。 Ever go to the movies？〃
¨Once in a while。〃
¨You ought to go to the movies more。 The movies are fine for a bright boy like you。〃
¨What are you going to kill Ole Andreson for？ What did he ever do to you？〃
¨He never had a chance to do anything to us。 He never even seen us。
¨And heˇs only going to see us once；〃 Al said from the kitchen。
¨What are you going to kill him for； then？〃 George asked。
¨Weˇre killing him for a friend。 Just to oblige a friend； bright boy。〃
¨Shut up；〃 said Al from the kitchen。 ¨You talk too goddam much。〃
¨Well； I got to keep bright boy amused。 Donˇt I； bright boy？〃
¨You talk too damn much；〃 Al said。 ¨The nigger and my bright boy are amused by themselves。 I got them tied up like a couple of girl friends in the convent。〃
¨I suppose you were in a convent。〃
¨You never know。〃
¨You were in a kosher convent。 Thatˇs where you were。〃
George looked up at the clock。
¨If anybody comes in you tell them the cook is off； and if they keep after it； you tell them youˇll go back and cook yourself。 Do you get that； bright boy？〃
¨All right；〃 George said。 ¨What you going to do with us afterwards？〃
¨Thatˇll depend；〃 Max said。 ¨Thatˇs one of those things you never know at the time。〃
George looked up at the clock。 It was a quarter past six。 The door from the street opened。 A street…car motorman came in。
¨Hello； George；〃 he said。 ¨Can I get supper？〃
¨Samˇs gone out；〃 George said。 ¨Heˇll be back in about half an hour。〃
¨Iˇd better go up the street；〃 the motorman said。 George looked at the clock。 It was twenty minutes past six。
¨That was nice； bright boy；〃 Max said。 ¨Youˇre a regular little gentleman。〃
¨He knew Iˇd blow his head off。〃 Al said from the kitchen。
¨No；〃 said Max。 ¨It ainˇt that。 Bright boy is nice。 Heˇs a nice boy。 I like him。〃
At six…fifty…five George said： ¨Heˇs not coming。〃
Two other people had been in the lunch…room。 Once George had gone out to the kitchen and made a ham…and…egg sandwich ˉto goˇ that a man wanted to take with him。 Inside the kitchen he saw Al； his derby hat tilted back； sitting on a stool beside the wicket with the muzzle of a sawed…off shotgun resting on the ledge。 Nick and the cook were back to back in the corner； a towel tied in each of their mouths。 George had cooked the sandwich； wrapped it up in oiled paper； put it in a bag； brought it in； and the man had paid for it and gone out。
¨Bright boy can do everything；〃 Max said。 ¨He can cook and everything。 Youˇd make some girl a nice wife； bright boy。〃
¨Yes？〃 George said。 ¨Your friend； Ole Andreson； isnˇt going to come。
¨Weˇll give him ten minutes；〃 Max said。
Max watched the mirror and the clock。 The hands of the clock marked seven oˇclock； and then five minutes past seven。
¨Come on； Al；〃 said Max。 ¨We better go。 Heˇs not coming。〃
¨Better give him five minutes；〃 Al said from the kitchen。
In the five minutes a man came in； and George explained that the cook was sick。
¨Why the hell donˇt you get another cook？〃 the man asked。 ¨Arenˇt you running a lunch…counter？〃 He went out。
¨Come on； Al；〃 Max said。
¨What about the two bright boys and the nigger？〃
¨Theyˇre all right。〃
¨You think so？〃
¨Sure。 Weˇre through with it。〃
¨I donˇt like it；〃 said Al。 ¨Itˇs sloppy。 You talk too much。〃
¨Oh； what the hell；〃 said Max。 ¨We got to keep amused； havenˇt we？〃
¨You talk too much； all the same；〃 Al said。 He came out from the kitchen。 The cut…off barrels of the shotgun made a slight bulge under the waist of his too tight…fitting overcoat。 He straightened his coat with his gloved hands。
¨So long； bright boy；〃 he said to George。 ¨You got a lot of luck。〃
¨Thatˇs the truth；〃 Max said。 ¨You ought to play the races； bright boy。〃
The two of them went out of the door。 George watched them； through the window； pass under the arc…light； and cross the street。 In their tight overcoats and derby hats they looked like a vaudeville team。 George went back through the swinging…door into the kitchen and untied Nick and the cook。
¨I donˇt want any more of that；〃 said Sam； the cook。 ¨I donˇt want any more of that。〃
Nick stood up。 He had never had a towel in his mouth before。
¨Say；〃 he said。 ¨What the hell？〃 He was trying to swagger it off。
¨They were going to kill Ole Andreson；〃 George said。 ¨They were going to shoot him when he came in to eat。〃
¨Ole Andreson？〃
¨Sure。〃
The cook felt the corners of his mouth with his thumbs。
¨They all gone？〃 he asked。
¨Yeah；〃 said George。 ¨Theyˇre gone now。〃
¨I donˇt like it；〃 said the cook。 ¨I donˇt like any of it at all。〃
¨Listen；〃 George said to Nic