Legs Read Online Free PDF

these printed up a
few years ago,” he said, "when Schultz and me weren't getting
along. He looks just like that, the greedy prick. I drew it myself."
    "You get along all right now with him?"
    "Sure. We're pals again," Jack said and he
let go with a long blast that nicked the Schultz forehead in two or
three places.
    "A little off," Jack observed, "but
he'd have noticed."
    "Let me try," Alice said. She took the gun
from Jack, who parted with it reluctantly, then fired a long burst
which roamed the wall without touching the target. With a second
burst she hit the paper's edge, but not Schultz.
    "I'm better with a rifle."
    "You're better with a frying pan," Jack
said. '"Let Marcus try it."
    "It's really out of my line," I said.
    "Go on," Jack said. "You may never get
another chance, unless you come to work for me."
    "I've got nothing against Mr. Schultz."
    "He wouldn't mind. Lotsa people shoot at him."
    Jack put the gun in my hands, and I held it like a
watermelon. Ridiculous. I put my right hand on the pistol grip,
grabbed the other handgrip with the left, and raised the stock into
my armpit. Absurd. Uncomfortable.
    "Up a little," Jack said. "Against the
shoulder."
    I touched the trigger, raised the gun. Why'? It was
wobbly, cold. I pointed it at Schultz. Sunday morning. Body of Christ
still undigested in some internal region, memory of prayer and holy
bacon grease on my tongue. I touched the trigger seriously, pulled
the gun tighter to my shoulder. Old feeling. Comfortable with a
weapon against the pectoral. Like Army days, days in the woods as a
kid. Put it down, fool.
    '" For chrissake, Marcus, give it a blast,"
Jack said.
    Really childish not to. Raising the flag of morality.
Powerful Irish Catholic magic at work that prohibits shooting
effigies on the side of a barn. Bless me Father for I have sinned. I
shot at Mr. Schultz's picture. And did you hit it, son? No, Father I
missed. For your penance say two rosaries and try again for the son
of a bitch.
    "Honest, Marcus," Alice said, "it
won't bite."
    Ladies' Auxiliary heard from. Altar Rosary Society
Member attends machine-gun outing after mass, prods lawyer to take
part. What a long distance between Marcus and Jack Diamond.
Millenniums of psychology, civilization, experience, turpitude. Man
also develops milquetoasts by natural selection. Would I defend him
if some shooters walked through the barn door? What difference from
defending him in court? And what of Jack's right to justice, freedom,
life? Is the form of defense the only differentiating factor? What a
morally confounded fellow Marcus is, perplexed by Mr. Thompson's
invention. I pressed the trigger. Bullets exploded in my ears, my
hands, my shoulders, my blood, my brain. The spew of death was a
personal tremor that even jogged my scrotum.
    "Close, off the right ear," Jack said. "Try
again."
    I let go with another burst, feeling confident. No
pain. It's easy. I leveled the weapon, squeezed off another.,
    "Got him. Eyeball high. No more Maggie's Drawers
for Marcus. You want a job riding shotgun?"
    Jack reached for the gun, but I held onto it, facing
the ease with which I had become new. Do something new and you are
new. How boring it is not to fire machine guns. I fired again and
eliminated the Schultz mouth.
    "Jesus, look at that," Jack said.
    I gave him the gun and he looked at me. Me. Sandlot
kid hits grand slam off thirty-game winner, first time at bat.
    "How the hell did you do that?" Jack asked
me.
    "It's all a matter of the eyeball," I said.
"I also shoot a pretty fair game of pool."
    "I'm impressed," Jack said. He gave me
another amazed look and put the weapon to his shoulder. But then he
decided the shooting was over. What if he missed the target now? Bum
of bums.
    "Let's have lunch and toast your sharpshooting,"
he said.
    "Oh nonsense," Alice said, "let's
toast something important, like the beautiful day and the beautiful
summer and having friends to dinner. Are you our friend, Marcus?"
    I smiled at Alice to