Whores for Gloria

29. The end of the story

One night Riley hopped a freight into town, and because he had been living the life of himself he was in bad shape. He had been in Code Six's platoon. Pretty soon he found him on Sixth Street.

Well fucking guy! cried Code Six, delighted. (He stank worse than ever; his odor illuminated the darkness of the alley.) — I thought you was long buried and full of worms! — Pretty soon, said Riley. I got cirrhosis; liver's gonna pop any time now. — Well die like a soldier is all I say! Code Six exclaimed. You was always the bravest of us three, Riley— meaning, you, Jimmy and me — and I count on you to do honors to the fuckin' flag and keep it flyin' high! — How is old James? said Riley, and Code Six said you mean you never heard? and Riley said heard what? and Code Six said buy me a jug and I'll tell you all about it.

Well, said Code Six, I was down on Turk Street about eight years ago. No, about six years ago, actually. An' this was on check day, y'know, the day everybody gets their check. And there was some kinda outburst outside, by this restaurant. — Which restaurant? said Riley. — The Chink's, the Chink's, the Chink's! said Code Six, the chop suey house, you idiot. — Yeah, I got that, said Riley in a dry voice. — Yeah, fuckin' slopes! said Code Six, slope food! An' all the sudden I hear a gunfire! And I been in Nam just like you, and I know gunfire when I hear it, rather than a Polish Jew!*

* This cynical name for a firecracker comes about, I presume, from German days, because when you set fire to one it leaves the world with a harmless bang, scarcely ever injuring its murderers.

You know, gunfire has a distinct sound to it; once you hear it in a combat situation, no, you'll never forgit it. And I look up, man I look around — I'm kinda jittery; only been back in the States about maybe ten or twenty years, still got that shit on my mind — I hear gunfire, and I know it. I turn around, man, and here comes Jimmy with his whore chasin' him! Usually were the other way around, weren't it? Damn! And she drilled his motherfuckin' ass, good and proper. Oh, man! — Code Six chuckled until poor Riley thought he must dissolve under the stench. — Jimmy comes in, the bitch comes in, just lit him up, right there! And she killed him dead right in front of the whole goddamned restaurant, and there were about twenty people in there, cooks and all — right bare-ass from my eyes! I said, motherfucker, I was safer back in Nippon, man, 'cause at least that way I know where the field of fire is! And that was how Jimmy died. Died like a hero. I never did find out what he had done. But you might 'a' knowed his ass, man. And might 'a' knowed her! It was old Gloria!

Damned right I knew Gloria, said Riley. I remember that chick. Fucked her once. God but she was free with her cunt. So she turned pro, huh? And she killed Jimmy, right on Turk Street?

That's right where he got lit up, man, right in front of the goddamned Ching's Chop Suey, whatever the fuck the name's of the Chink! Right next to Fred's, you know what I'm talkin' about. And I loved that bastard. He coulda saved the world. Lit him up, man, right in front of my eyes! And she knew her shit! She had some kinda training or somethin' like that. She knew how to kill. She had a.38. She didn't miss 'im. She come blazin' and blood was blastin', and the Chinamen were fuckin' splittin'! You know how a motherfuckin' slope is, man!