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d legal drinking age that his silver tongue had deserted him。 But he never should have told that stupid New York story in the first place； he was about as much a native New Yorker as Trevor was a Hindu from Calcutta。 And anyway； he had smiled back at that guitarist。 Kinsey could keep him squirming。
But Kinsey relented。 〃You're in the heart of the Bible Belt；〃 he told Zach。 〃Just be glad you didn't end up in one of the dry counties。〃
Zach shook his head in silent wonder。 Kinsey finished adding a column of numbers； unfolded himself from his bar stool； and headed for the back door。 Trevor and Zach were left alone in the bar。
〃I bet you won't even buy for me；〃 said Zach。
〃You got that right。〃
〃Shit。〃
The sound check was winding down。 Zach went off to the rest room； and Terry and R。J。 passed him on their way into the bar。 They grabbed frosty bottles from the cooler and sprawled in a booth； looking as if they had done all this millions of times。 〃Where's Calvin？〃 Trevor asked； unable to help himself。
Terry pointed down the street； then clutched his throat。 〃He went to the store to get cigarettes；〃 R。J。 translated。
Good； let him die of lung cancer。 〃Is he ing back？〃
Terry looked searchingly at Trevor； then beckoned him over。 Trevor slid into the booth beside him； and Terry put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in close to whisper。 A few days ago Trevor would have shrunk from the touch out of pure reflex； but now he was able to restrain himself。
〃Calvin's all right；〃 Terry said。 〃He thinks he has to flirt with every good…looking kid he sees； but he's all right。 Don't let him bother you。〃
〃He's not bothering me。〃
〃Well； look； if you have to kick his ass； don't break any of his fingers。 All the other decent guitarists are out of town。〃
R。J。 snorted into his beer。 Terry nodded serenely at Trevor。 Kinsey came back in carrying a bushel basket of zucchini labeled FREE and set it on the bar。 Trevor wondered whether anyone in this town maintained so much as a passing acquaintance with sanity。 But he supposed that was the pot calling the kettle black。
Suddenly； from the rest room； they heard Zach's voice raised in song。 Apparently he didn't know how flimsy the walls were； or didn't care。 All four heads turned as his clear； strong tenor came soaring through the pipes and particleboard：
〃OLD MAN RIVVERRRR 。。。 HE DON'T LIKE COTTON 。 。 。 TIRED O'LIVINNN'； SCARED O'ROTTIN' 。 。 。〃
Then they heard the toilet flush； and Zach came back into the bar； saw them all looking at him。 〃What？〃
〃I didn't know you could sing；〃 said Trevor。
Zach shrugged； trying and failing to hide his pleasure at being the center of attention。 〃Cajun blood。 You're lucky I don't play the accordion。〃
Trevor winced； and Zach realized that he had just given away an important piece of his background in front of Terry； R。J。； and Kinsey。 He couldn't tell if the others had caught it； but Kinsey looked surprised； then vaguely pleased； as if Zach had only confirmed a suspicion he'd harbored all along。
Well； Kinsey hardly seemed likely to call the feds on him。 Of course Clifford Stoll was an aging hippie too； and he had busted the Chaos puter Club； a group of German hackers who weren't doing anything but breaking into mickey…mouse American systems and trying rather half…assedly to sell the information to the KGB。
Zach swallowed hard； decided to pretend his slip of the tongue had never happened； and slid into the booth next to R。J。 His sneaker found Trevor's under the table and nudged up against it。 〃I can't really sing；〃 he said airily。 〃I mean； I've never been in a band or anything。〃
〃Would you like to？〃 rasped Terry。
〃Well…〃 He looked across the table at Trevor； who was drawing patterns in the moisture left by the beer bottles on the tabletop。 〃I don't know how long I'm going to be in town；〃 he said； and Trevor looked up。
〃How about just for tonight？〃 R。J。 asked。 〃Think you could learn a few songs that fast？〃
〃Sure； if you wrote the words out for me and let me look at them for a few minutes。〃
〃Just a few minutes？〃
〃Well； then I could rehearse with you and really learn the songs。 But I can memorize the words real fast。〃
〃Cool。〃 R。J。 and Terry nodded at each other。 〃So you wanna do it？〃
〃What kind of music is it mostly？〃
〃It's Gumbo；〃 said R。J。 〃A little of this； a little of that； and a whole lot of good。〃
〃Uh…〃 Zach looked again at Trevor； who just shrugged and looked away with a small smile。 Probably he thought the whole thing was pretty silly； maybe even stupid。 Zach knew that fronting a locally popular rock band； even for a single night in a club way off the beaten track； might not be the smartest course of action for a wanted fugitive。 But he couldn't help it： the idea of clutching a microphone； dressed all in black； getting to slink and snarl around the stage for an hour or two in front of his new lover and a big crowd of hipster freaks had already seduced him。
〃Yeah；〃 he said。 〃I want to do it。〃
The bar phone rang。 Kinsey looked up from his account books to answer it； spoke for a moment； then put the receiver down on the bar。 〃Trevor？ It's for you。〃
Trevor got up from the booth frowning。 No one knew he was here。 〃Who is it？〃 he asked； but Kinsey just shook his head。 Trevor picked up the receiver。 〃Hello。〃
〃Hi； Trevor？ This is Steve Bissette from Taboo。〃
〃Uh； hi。〃 Taboo was his favorite ics anthology； the one he had meant to submit the Bird story to。 Stephen Bissette； a very tasty writer and artist himself； was also its editor/publisher。 Trevor had no idea how he could have gotten the Sacred Yew's phone number； or why he would have wanted it。
〃Listen； thanks for sending me 'Incident in Birdland。' I think it's a really twisted story and I like your artwork a lot。〃
〃Thank you；〃 Trevor said dazedly。 He had never drawn a story called 〃Incident in Birdland；〃 and to the best of his memory had never yet sent anything to Taboo。 He'd thought of calling the Bird story 〃Incident in Jackson；〃 but had discarded that name as too boring； and hadn't titled it at all before it got shredded。
〃I really love the ending； where the zombie musicians crucify the sheriffs and burn 'em。 I have to admit I didn't see that ing。〃
〃Thanks；〃 Trevor said again。 He glanced over at the booth。 Calvin had e back and was leaning against the table peeling the cellophane off his Marlboros with elaborate casualness； but Zach was looking at Trevor。 He raised his eyebrows questioningly。
〃Anyway；〃 said Bissette； 〃I'd like to buy the story。 I just wanted to make sure I should still send your contract and check to this address。〃
〃Could you read it back to me？〃
He heard papers rustling。 〃Rural Box 17； Violin Road 。 。 。〃
〃No。 Send it care of the Sacred Yew。〃 Trevor read the address off a past…due water bill on the bartop。
〃Great。 And listen； I'd like to see more of your work。 But don't send your originals by surface mail next time； okay？ It's not reliable。 Send me copies or FedEx。 Or fax 'em if you want。 I can give you the number。〃
〃That's okay。 I'll send copies。〃
They said good…bye； and Trevor hung up f