From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [217]
“A likely story.”
“You dont believe me? Look at my eyes. Are those the eyes of a liar? Hey, pizon,” he yelled down the bar, “snap up! You ask the pizon,” he said, “are those the eyes of a liar. Me and him fought with Garibaldi.”
“That pizon aint even old enough to have fought with Mussolini, let alone Garibaldi. And you’re cock-eyed.”
“So what? What has them got to do with this? Shut up, here he comes.” He nodded at the barman, “This pizon is a pizon,” he said loudly to Prew, as the barman set down the drink. “Hi, pizon,” Prew said. “You threwn out any more queers lately?”
“Oh, no. No, no,” the barman said. He spread his arms to include the jam at the bar. “No queer today. All queer busy like hell Payday. All queer fodder here, see?”
“Pizon,” Angelo said, “it is a beautiful statue. A statue of an incredible loveliness.”
The barman shook his sweating head. “Sure like to see him.”
“How can I describe it to you?” Angelo said, “the loveliness. When I work in Gimbel’s Basement I use to put a wreath on this statue ever payday on Sataday, thats how lovely.”
“Garibaldi,” the barman grinned. “Fine man. My grandfather fight with Garibaldi.”
“There,” Angelo said to Prew. “You see?” He turned to the barman and pointed at Prew. “So did this pizon.”
“When you put on the wreath,” Prew said, “did you wash off the pigeon shit, too?”
“No,” Angelo said. “My assistant did that.”
“Garibaldi fight for liberty,” the barman said.
“Thats right, pizon,” Angelo nodded. “Shut up,” he said to Prew, as the barman moved away. “You want to spoil it? I’m trying to induce this pizon for some preparation on the house.”
“To hell with that pizon. I got thirteen-fifty we can use for preparation. Induce him with that.”
“Thats diffrnt,” Angelo said. “Why didnt you say so?”
“All I got to save out is four bits cab fare home is all. If I miss Reveille any more, now, it’ll be my ass.”
“Your bloody ass,” Angelo corrected. “Man, you are not kidding either. This Army makes me sick, you know it? Look at Garibaldi. Look at George Washington; and Abraham Lincoln. Look at F D R; and Gary Cooper. Then look at this Army.”
“Look at General MacArthur,” Prew said. “And his son, General MacArthur. Look at old Chief of Staff George C.”
“Thats right,” Angelo said. “Look at the Magna Charta. Look at the Declaration of Independence. Look at the Constitution. Look at the Bill of Rights. Look at the Fourth of July.”
“Look at Christmas,” Prew suggested.
“Thats right,” Angelo said. “Look at Alexander the Great. Then look at this fuckin Army. Dont talk about it any more. I cant stand it.”
“Not without inducing some more preparation,” Prew said.
“Thats it. Now you got it. Whynt you come out to Waikiki with me later on? This thirteen-fifty will not last forever.”
“Maybe I will, after we induce some more. I never did like queers. Every time I get around them I want to punch them in the head.”
“Aw, they all right. They just peculiar is all. They maladjusted. Besides, they’ll buy you preparation all night long. Just to get to blow you. ‘Ats a lot a preparation, friend.”
“I dont like to be blowed.”
Angelo shrugged. “Oh, sall right. I admit its nothing like a woman. But its something. Besides, old Hal treats me swell. He’s always good for a touch when I’m broke. Five bucks. Ten bucks. Comes in handy the middle of the month.”
“Comes in handy payday,” Prew said.
Angelo laughed. “This the first time I been down payday.”
“But still don’t like to be blowed.”
“Okay. You dont have to. I’ll have old Hal find one for you and then just lead her on, for the preparation. Then when you are fully prepared you just get up and stagger home, that’s all. Only reason I let Hal blow me is because I got a good thing there. If I turned him down I’d blow it sky high. And I want to hang onto that income, buddy. Hell, I never smoke nothing but tailormades now. Whynt you come on and go?