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Show THE EXTERMINATOR-74 cosmic chaos he had created. Then she showed him how to outline his hands in red by holding them up into the shaft. "If you look hard," she said, "you can see right through your hands when the sun's real strong. They laughed some more, until she was suddenly quiet, and her eyes filled up with tears. "You've made me so hungry, Daddy." He lowered his hand to cover hers, which were twisting on her lap, white now, no longer illuminated. His hand was warm from the sunlight. Then he swept his other hand to the floor, scooped up a small handful of the curled-up bugs. He cradled them in his hollowed hand like wheat nuts, lifted them into the sun to see better, sorted through them, selected one, pinched it between his thumb and forefinger, and said, "Let me see your mouth. Ellie, Ellie." Then he fed them to her, one by one, with great tenderness, his eyes moist with love. They awakened, tangled up together on the four-poster like the branches outside the window. The flickers tapped at the windowsill with their long curving beaks, then fluttered back to the tree with loud rushes of wings. The man tenderly fingered a bruise on her thin, pale-nippled breast. "Surprised?" "No. But I wish you had come to me a long time ago." "But I did. Don't you remember? I made you promise not to tell Mama." She sat up quickly, the gray sheet pulled around her tightly. "I remember no such thing, Mr. McClintock. Don't try to drive me mad." Later, he left, leaving the cylinder and hose on the hallway floor where he'd dropped them earlier. "For when you're ready," he said. When he shut the door, she ran to it, pressed herself against it for a long time. Later, she curled up to sleep in the dark part of the house. |
