Oliver Benjamin
Partment’s own expression crumbled. Behind him Bean Unbearable
spun on his boots and dove out the window. The transparent lattice
shattered and rained down after him into the bushes below.
Partment could see the wooden box on the table without looking
at it. There it was, on the television screen in front of him. He turned
leisurely around, put a hand in his pocket and laughed openly.
“Oh well, I guess the jig is up,” he said.
“Show us your hands, Hollander,” Spada said.
“Why? You want to read my palm?” Partment joked, pulling a
scarred and trembling hand out of his empty pocket, “Not much of a
fortune left, I’m afraid. I guess it’s time for a cigar, then, to celebrate.
It’s all over. The fat lady has sung. As it were.”
He shuffled calmly over to the glass coffee table and flipped open
the box of antique pistols.
An old ordnance, once earmarked for Roy, then Bidden and now
for Spada, flew from its chamber with a thunderclap and struck the
heart of the law. Other newer, shinier, more accurate bullets flew in
the other direction, hurling the old man against the television set and
into the eyes of the world. Blood splashed upon the camera and over
countless faraway screens. Viewers at home now saw through the
rosy glass that evil met its match and order was ultimately secured.
As Partment slid down the giant mirror of his own sweeping
blues he wailed in agony. It almost looked like he was laughing.
2. Still Waters
Bean Unbearable ran through the enormous backyard. The police
were not there, they were in the front.
He came upon the trees and the fence and with great physical
power catapulted himself over into the yard of the sightless former
rock star. Though it was nighttime, Bean found the man sitting out
by an empty pool in bathing suit and sunglasses.
“Is that you, kid?” the rock star said.
Bean froze. “Um, yes,” he said, noticing at once that the guy was
blind. He could not see the blood streaming down Bean’s face and
arms.
“How ‘bout a beer?” the man offered. He stuck a hand into a
cooler and threw a bottle towards the voice. Bean caught it easily and
cracked it open with a pop.
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