The Nervous System Read Online Free PDF

molasses, “and this was before half the floor was burned up, destroyed by fire? You missed that part, young man, if I hear you correctly. Because that’s what got us thinking. The fire. And that’s what brings you uptown tonight.”
    Goddamnit. Project confusion.
    â€œHow do you mean? A fire down at 100 Centre?”
    â€œIndeed. And it’s just the strangest thing, as this must have been around the time you were on the premises yourself. Me, I got the call about a quarter to nine. I will admit, working on a Sunday … the work of this Union is much like the Lord’s work … it ain’t nine-to-five, mister, it’s a twenty-four-hour thing.”
    He winks at me. Fuck’s sake.
    â€œOff topic, Grandpa,” I say, “but aren’t congressional sessions suspended … like, indefinitely, sir? On account of complete—”
    Howard sniffs, fusses with his tie, the flag pin. “Well, there are those of us who continue America’s righteous work, young man. That’s about all I’m prepared to say about that, thank you very much. Now, we were discussing this fire, down at our mutual friend Mr. Rosenblatt’s office …”
    â€œA fire, one that I would surely remember. Let me think on it,” I say. “Eight-thirty, yeah, that was around the time I was there, for sure. A fire? Still, these old buildings falling apart, loose wiring and whatnot, we see it all the time now. That’s tough stuff, though … goodness me. Hope nobody got hurt.”
    The senator is humming a little tune, not buying my spiel for a sweet second. He’s far too smart. A dead man could see that. Letting me slide down the slope on my own. Sussing what I know.
    Likewise, I gotta keep poking at him, determine what he’s hip to.
    Senator Howard says, “No, nobody hurt in the fire, praise be to God, being a Sunday and all. But it’s a funny thing. And, well, it’s hardly my business now, so just pardon me for prying, but I don’t want to be making assumptions. I’m told you were seen to be carrying a stack of papers—oh, files, or some such thing—as you exited the building. Is that correct, sir?”
    I nod.
    â€œSee now,” he continues, “my men would have … spoken with you right there on the spot had we made all the connections, as I mentioned. But, again, to err is human, it took us a moment, and so we were obliged to … inconvenience you in this way.”
    Wanna tell the dude I could give two flaccid fucks about a dead hooker. Ancient history. Hand to God, no problem, lemme go home.
    Though I’d be a liar. Talk about fatal flaws, y’all: I am compelled to nurse the weak, and it’s this tendency that keeps landing my knob in shit gumbo. Thinking this. But say, “Yeah, well, about those papers, I had brought that material in with me for our meeting. Paperwork we had discussed—”
    â€œWhat kind of paperwork, son?” The senator’s eyes tighten a fraction.
    â€œA questionnaire, it was something I had circulated among the larger work sites, mostly to do with ethnic distribution of the employees.”
    â€œWho issued this questionnaire?” Mustache twitching. Flashes of the scorpion that hangs just beneath the public face of all politicians/preachers.
    â€œAs far as I know, the DA’s office, the DA himself, he was—”
    â€œSo let me understand. If I call the governor, or the Department of Labor, what do you think they’re going to tell me about this questionnaire?”
    Massage the area where I got zapped. “I don’t know, honestly. They still open for business, the Department of Labor?”
    â€œThat’s beside the point, son.”
    â€œUh-huh,” I reply. “Well, as far as I could tell, it came from Rosenblatt’s office, like I said. His letterhead. It wasn’t unusual that he would conduct his own unofficial polling, just to