In Flames Read Online Free PDF

spells for you, señor, the Anathema of the Archangel Michael against evil eye, the Names on King Solomon’s Ring, the Anathema of Shalita against malevolent spirits. By the power of the voice of Our Lord Who cuts the flames of fire I bind, expel, anathematize bullets of war and shells of our wicked enemies away from you, señor, but only when you bear the charms I give you. I don’t do this for all my clients, except for you now, yes, a member of the Saint Ignatius. God bless you, señor, may His peace be your peace so you always go well in His light. And now excuse me,
por favor
, I’ve got to move on and get the next table interested. Enjoy the saint’s party. And never forget, God is all loving only if you remember you are His perfect reflection, don’t let anyone mislead you into anything that’s not right in His sight…”

Drunk
    How many drinks…
    Things were slipping out of control, my glass was full again, more breakfast of champions. I was accepting no substitutes and I could see, or I thought I could see, some strange movement behind the bar.
    Christ almighty, what’s she doing…
    Elaine had an empty beer bottle in her hand, and she was swinging the bottle at Delgado Vinny, repeatedly, until catching the back of his head with a glancing blow.
What the hell is this
…her idea of fooling around? How did he piss her off? Vinny didn’t recoil, he took the hit without even turning to see where it came from, simply kept right on walking out from behind the bar and looking straight ahead. Immune. The island band played louder. Faster. Some couples danced, many guests had already left or were leaving. Vinny walked off into the dark, lurching toward the beach before disappearing in a grove of palm trees.
    Ferg stayed seated by the side of the terrace, foot tapping out of rhythm, glassy eyes on the band, his features so drained his face resembled a rotted wooden mask. He was oblivious with drink, body flopping over the chair like a sack of wet mud. Not that I could absorb or judge with any accuracy much of what was happening, as I was myself getting bombed on Irish whiskey.
    Elaine
…she’d enlighten me, I only had to steady myself, work up the courage, and talk to her straight. Attention must be paid, isn’t that what they say. I stared hard at her working behind the bar. She stepped out and walked across the terrace passing close to me, and I screwed up the nerve to reach over and touch her dress and it clung to my hand.
    She stopped and brushed away my fingers. “You still sitting here? Get off your butt and dance. The ambassador’s wife is all alone over there, go do yourself a favor.”
    Christ, she was tough. I wondered, through the whiskey mist, what I’d done to tick her off, even worse what damningly accurate drollery had Delgado Vinny launched that earned him a whack on his head with a beer bottle. Pausing to say good night to some of her guests, Elaine chatted amiably, if quickly, as she worked her way around to the edge of the terrace closer by the beach where she lingered, listening and watching as though sure she wasn’t being watched. But she was, I had my boozy eye on her. Emboldened by whiskey I’d have given all the world to embrace her, walk her off under those palms and ease her down on the sand. Incredible, but Ferg began throwing money at the band. Real bills were flying. “Don’t stop!” he shouted. “Keep playing. Louder, Goddamn it…”
    The ambassador held his wife’s arm, and without saying good night to anyone they rushed from the club, speeding away in the embassy’s armored limo.
    I turned, and Elaine was no longer by the edge of the palm grove. She’d disappeared. I grabbed a chair for balance and stood…
caramba,
the band was loud. I walked, determined and careful, toward the spot by the palm trees where Elaine had paused only a moment before, and from the darkness she reemerged and ran right past me. “Get out of my way.” The green dress vanished inside the