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og was beginning to lift。 What in the world had she done？ She pushed the awful question out of her mind； and when she did she was able to hear Palmer's voice again。
〃Some creepo was tailing me；〃 he was saying； 〃for like a hundred miles。〃
〃Why？〃
Her husband snorted。 〃To rob my lily…white ass； that's why。〃
〃This was a black guy？〃 Desie asked。
〃Or a Cuban。 I couldn't see which；〃 Stoat said； 〃but I tell you what； sweets； I was ready for the sonofabitch。 Senor Glock was in my lap； locked and loaded。〃
〃On the turnpike。 Palmer？〃
〃He would have been one stone…dead mother。〃
〃Just like your rhino；〃 Desie said。 〃By the way； are you getting her stuffed like the others？〃
〃Mounted；〃 Stoat corrected。 〃And just the head。〃
〃Lovely。 We can hang it over the bed。〃
〃Speaking of which； guess what they're doing with rhinoceros horns。〃
〃Who's they？〃 Desie asked。
〃Asians and such。〃
Desie knew； but she let Palmer tell the story。 He concluded with Durgess's fanciful rumor of two…day erections。
〃Can you imagine！〃 Stoat hooted。
Desie shook her head。 〃Who'd even want one of those？〃
〃Maybe you might； someday。〃 He winked。
Desie glanced around for the waiter。 Where was dinner？ How could it take so long to boil pasta？
Stoat poured himself another glass of wine。 〃Rhino horns； Holy Christ on a ten…speed。 What next； huh？〃
〃That's why poachers are killing them off；〃 his wife said。
〃Yeah？〃
〃That's why they're almost extinct。 God； Palmer； where have you been？〃
〃Working for a living。 So you can sit home； paint your toenails and learn all about endangered species on the Discovery Channel。〃
Desie said； 〃Try the New York Times。〃
〃Well； pardon me。〃 Stoat sniffed sarcastically。 〃I read the newspaper today； oh boy。〃
This was one of her husband's most annoying habits； dropping the lyrics of old rock songs into everyday conversation。 Palmer thought it clever； and perhaps it wouldn't have bothered Desie so much if occasionally he got the words right； but he never did。 Though Desie was much younger； she was familiar with the work of Dylan and the Beatles and the Stones； and so on。 In college she had worked two summers at a Sam Goody outlet。
To change the subject； she said： 〃So what did Dick Artemus want？〃
〃A new bridge。〃 Stoat took a sideways bite from a sourdough roll。 〃No big deal。〃
〃A bridge to what？〃
〃Some nowhere bird island over on the Gulf。 How about passing the butter？〃
Desie said； 〃Why would the governor want a bridge to nowhere？〃
Her husband chuckled； spraying crumbs。 〃Why does the governor want anything？ It's not for me to question； darling。 I just take the calls and work my magic。〃
〃A day in the life；〃 said Desie。
〃You got it。〃
Once； as a condition of a probation； Twilly Spree had been ordered to attend a course on 〃anger management。〃 The class was made up of men and women who had been arrested for outbursts of violence； mostly in domestic situations。 There were husbands who'd clobbered their wives； wives who'd clobbered their husbands； and even one grandmother who had clobbered her sixty…two…year…old son for blaspheming during Thanksgiving supper。 Others of Twilly's classmates had been in bar fights； gambling frays and bleacher brawls at Miami Dolphins games。 Three had shot guns at strangers during traffic altercations and； of those； two had been wounded by return fire。 Then there was Twilly。
The instructor of the anger…management course presented himself as a trained psychotherapist。 Dr。 Boston was his name。 On the first day he asked everyone in class to pose a short essay titled 〃What Makes Me Really； Really Mad。〃 While the students wrote； Dr。 Boston went through the stack of manila file folders that had been sent to him by the court。 After reading the file of Twilly Spree； Dr。 Boston set it aside on a corner of the desk。 〃Mr。 Spree；〃 he said in a level tone。 〃We're going to take turns sharing our stories。 Would you mind going first？〃
Twilly stood up and said： 〃I'm not done with my assignment。〃
〃You may finish it later。〃
〃It's a question of focus； sir。 I'm in the middle of a sentence。〃
Dr。 Boston paused。 Inadvertently he flicked his eyes to Twilly's folder。 〃All right； let's promise。 You go ahead and finish the sentence； and then you can address the class。〃
Twilly sat down and ended the passage with the words ankle…deep in the blood of fools！ After a moment's thought； he changed it to ankle…deep in the evanescing blood of fools！
He stuck the pencil behind one ear and rose。
Dr。 Boston said： 〃Done？ Good。 Now please share your story with the rest of us。〃
〃That'll take some time； the whole story will。〃
〃Mr。 Spree； just tell us why you're here。〃
〃I blew up my uncle's bank。〃
Twilly's classmates straightened and turned in their seats。
〃A branch；〃 Twilly added； 〃not the main office。〃
Dr。 Boston said； 〃Why do you think you did it？〃
〃Well； I'd found out some things。〃
〃About your uncle。〃
〃About a loan he'd made。 A very large loan to some very rotten people。〃
〃Did you try discussing it with your uncle？〃 asked Dr。 Boston。
〃About the loan？ Several times。 He wasn't particularly interested。〃
〃And that made you angry？〃
〃No； discouraged。〃 Twilly squinted his eyes and locked his hands around the back of his neck。 〃Disappointed； frustrated； insulted； ashamed…〃
〃But isn't it fair to say you were angry； too？ Wouldn't a person need to be pretty angry to blow up a bank building？〃
〃No。 A person would need to be resolved。 That I was。〃
Dr。 Boston felt the amused gaze of the other students； who were awaiting his reaction。 He said； 〃I believe what I'm hearing is some denial。 What do the rest of you think？〃
Twilly cut in： 〃I'm not denying anything。 I purchased the dynamite。 I cut the fuses。 I take full responsibility。〃
Another student asked： 〃Did anybody get kilt？〃
〃Of course not；〃 Twilly snapped。 〃I did it on a Sunday； when the bank was closed。 That's my point…if I was really pissed； I would've done it on a Monday morning； and I would've made damn sure my uncle was inside at the time。〃
Several other probationers nodded in agreement。 Dr。 Boston said： 〃Mr。 Spree； a person can be very mad without pitching a fit or flying off the handle。 Anger is one of those plicated emotions that can be close to the surface or buried deeply； so deeply we often don't recognize it for what it is。 What I'm suggesting is that at some subconscious level you must've been extremely angry with your uncle； and probably for reasons that had nothing to do with his banking practices。〃
Twilly frowned。 〃You're saying that's not enough？〃
〃I'm saying…〃
〃Loaning fourteen million dollars to a rock…mining pany that's digging craters in the Amazon River basin。 What more did I need？〃
Dr。 Boston said； 〃It sounds like you might've had a difficult relationship with your uncle。〃
〃I barely know the man。 He lives in Chicago。 That's where the bank is。〃
〃How about when you were a boy？〃
〃Once he took me to a football game。〃
〃Ah。 Did something happen that day？〃
〃Yeah；〃 said Twilly。 〃One team scored more points than the other team； and then we went home。〃
Now the class was snickering and it was Dr。 Boston's turn to manage