It was all planned out, practically preordained, but now here they were,
with the embodied shame sitting on their mother, his torn thumb gleaming
with the wire he'd used to attach it back to his hand.
"That's very generous, *brother*," Danny said. "You're a prince among
*men*."
"Let's go," Alan said. "Breakfast in town. I'm buying."
They filed out and Alan spared Davey a look over his shoulder as they
slipped away, head down on his knees, rocking in time with their mother.
#
Krishna grinned at him from the front porch as he staggered home from
Kurt's storefront. He was dressed in a hoodie and huge, outsized raver
pants that dangled with straps and reflectors meant to add kinetic
reflections on the dance floor.
"Hello, neighbor," he said as Alan came up the walkway. "Good evening?"
Alan stopped and put his hands on his hips, straightened his head out on
his neck so that he was standing tall. "I understand what he gets out of
*you*," Alan said. "I understand that perfectly well. Who couldn't use a
little servant and errand boy?
"But what I don't understand, what I can't understand, what I'd like to
understand is: What can you get out of the arrangement?"
Krishna shrugged elaborately. "I have no idea what you're talking
about."
"We had gold, in the old days. Is that what's bought you? Maybe you
should ask me for a counteroffer.
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