They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Read Online Free PDF

feel the ocean quivering against the pilings below. It rose and fell, rose and fell, went out and came back, went out and came back …
    I was glad when the siren blew, waking us up, calling us back to the floor.

… carrying with it the extreme penalty of the law …

chapter seven
    T HE PAINTERS HAD FINISHED. They had painted a thick white line around the floor in the shape of an oval. This was the track for the derby.
    ‘Freddy’s gone,’ I said to Gloria, as we walked to the table where the sandwiches and coffee had been set up. (This was called a light lunch. We had our big meal at ten o’clock at night.)
    ‘So is the Manski girl,’ Gloria said. ‘Two welfare workers came and got her. I bet her old lady burns her cute little bottom.’
    ‘I hate to say it,’ I said, ‘but Freddy’s leaving was the brightest spot of my life.’
    ‘What had he ever done to you?’ she asked.
    ‘Oh, I don’t mean that,’ I said. ‘But if he hadn’t left I wouldn’t have got to see the sunset.’
    ‘My God,’ Gloria said, looking at her sandwich. ‘Ain’t there nothing in the world but ham?’
    ‘To you that’s turkey,’ said Mack Aston, who was in line behind me. He was kidding.
    ‘Here’s a beef,’ said the nurse. ‘Would you rather have a beef?’
    Gloria took the beef sandwich, but kept the ham too. ‘Put four lumps in mine,’ she said to Rollo, who was pouring the coffee. ‘And lots of cream.’
    ‘She’s got a little horse in her,’ said Mack Aston.
    ‘Black,’ I said to Rollo.
    Gloria took her food over to the master of ceremonies’ platform where the musicians were tuning up their instruments. When Rocky Gravo saw her he jumped down on the floor and began talking to her. There wasn’t room there for me, so I went around to the opposite side.
    ‘Hello,’ said a girl. The shield on her back said: 7. She had black hair and black eyes and was rather pretty. I didn’t know her name.
    ‘Hello,’ I said, looking around, trying to see whose partner she was. He was talking to a couple of women in a front row box.
    ‘How are you making out?’ No. 7 asked. Her voice sounded as if she had been well educated.
    ‘What is she doing in this thing?’ I asked myself. ‘I guess I’m doing all right,’ I replied. ‘Only I wish it was all over and I was the winner.’
    ‘What would you do with the money if you won?’ she asked, laughing.
    ‘I’d make a picture,’ I said.
    ‘You couldn’t make much of a picture for a thousand dollars, could you?’ she asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.
    ‘Oh, I don’t mean a big picture,’ I explained. ‘I mean a short. I could make a two-reeler for that, maybe three.’
    ‘You interest me,’ she said. ‘I’ve been watching you for two weeks.’
    ‘You have?’ I said, surprised.
    ‘Yes, I’ve seen you stand over there in the sun every afternoon and I’ve seen you with a thousand different expressions on your face. Sometimes I got the idea you were badly frightened.’
    ‘You must be wrong,’ I said. ‘What’s there to be frightened about?’
    ‘I overheard what you said to your partner about seeing the sunset this afternoon,’ she said, smiling.
    ‘That doesn’t prove anything,’ I said.
    ‘Suppose …’ she said, glancing around. She looked at the clock, frowning. ‘We’ve still got four minutes. Would you like to do something for me?’
    ‘Well … sure,’ I said.
    She motioned with her head and I followed her behind the master of ceremonies’ platform. This platform was about four feet high, draped with heavy, decorated canvas that fell to the floor. We were standing alone in a sort of cave that was formed by the back of the platform and a lot of signs. Except for the noise she and I might have been the only people left in the world. We were both a little excited.
    ‘Come on,’ she said. She dropped to the floor and lifted the canvas, crawling under the platform. My heart was beating rapidly and I felt the blood leave my face.