Deep Black

7

Rubens stepped back as the sparks continued to arc above the bamboo of his cousin’s swimming pool. He saw immediately what had happened and realized the grisly consequences — the guitarist had jumped into the water still connected to his amp, freakishly electrocuting himself and the congressman in what would undoubtedly become the lead item on the evening’s news broadcasts. Rubens saw headlines and news magazines, articles and pictures, video interviews, innuendo, rumors, Nightline specials, and debates on Crossfire.

It was time to leave.

As discreetly as possible, he walked through the house to the front door, down the long driveway to his car at the curb, got in, and started away. As he turned onto the main road, he thought he heard a siren in the distance. He punched the CD selector, calling up a collection of piano sonatas from Mozart.

Hours later, resting at home in his den, he put on the television. CNN greeted him with a special graphic and musical interlude, just coming back from commercial break during a half hour devoted to what it called Congressman Greene’s Unique Life. Rubens flicked the remote to MSNBC, where a pair of talking heads argued about whether guitars should be banned from poolsides. FoxNews used the occasion to roll out clips from other bizarre deaths, including one where a man had been gored by a rhino and carried for a mile, impaled on his horn.

The local television station showed a shot of police interrogating witnesses. His cousin Greta was being comforted by her husband in the background. Rubens felt a slight pang of sympathy — it was unfortunate that anyone had to be connected with such a bizarre media parade. As for Greene — well, he hadn’t been the agency’s most reliable supporter; hopefully his successor would prove more pliant.

Rubens pushed the remote again. A&E was just beginning a broadcast of Carmen, the opera based on Prosper Me´rime ´e’s classic story of love and betrayal. He settled back to watch.