She took the lid off
the tin, gave me a look...
She took the lid off the tin, gave me a look that combined slyness and confusion in a way that was hard to look at, then 369 popped the figure insideIt made a soft hollow bonkShe fumbled the lid back on, pushing my hand away when I tried to helpThen she handed it to me "Do you know what to do with this?" she asked I could see her strugglingThe word was there, but dancing just out of reachI could give it to her, but I remembered how furious it made me when people did that, and waited"Did him tell you what to do with it?" "Yes "Then what are you waiting for? Take the bitch I carried the tin up one side of the tennis court to the little imitation prada handbags pondThe fish were jumping at the surface, a lot more excited by the rain than I was There was a little pile of stones beside the bench, just as Wireman had said there would beI tossed one in ("You might not think she could hear that, but her ears are very sharp," Wireman had told me), being careful to avoid beaning one of the carp Then I took the tin, with the figurine still inside, back into the houseBut not into the China ParlorI went into the kitchen, removed the 370 lid, and pulled out the wrapped figureThis hadn't been in Wireman's set of contingency instructions, but I was curious It was a china woman, but the face had been chipped tiffany and co bracelets awayThere was only a ragged blank where it had been "Who's there?" Elizabeth shrieked, making me jump I almost dropped the creepy little thing on the floor, where it surely would have shattered on the tiles "Just me, Elizabeth," I called back, laying the figure on the counter "Edmund? Or Edgar, or whatever your name is?" "Right I went back into the parlor "Did you take care of that business of mine?" "Yes, ma'am, I sure did "Have I had my snack yet?" "Yes "Do you want something else? I'm sure I could-" "No thanks, honI'm sure the train will be here soon, and you know I don't like to travel on a full stomachI always end up in one of the backwards cartier santos 100 chronograph seats and with food in my stomach I 371 should certainly be train-sickHave you seen my tin, my Sweet Owen tin?" "I think it was in the kitchenShould I bring it?" "Not on such a wet day," she said"I thought I'd have you throw her in the pond, the pond would do, but I've changed my mindIt seems unnecessary on such a wet dayThe quality of mercy is not strained, you knowIt droppeth like the gentle rain "From heaven," I said She flapped her hand as if that part were of no matter "Why don't you arrange your chinas, Elizabeth? They're all mixed up today She cast a glance at the table, then looked at the window when an especially strong gust of chanel watch women wind slapped it with rain"I'm so fucking confused And then, with a spite I would not have guessed she had in her: "They all died and left me to this I was the last one to be repulsed by her lapse into vulgarity; I understood it too wellMaybe the quality of mercy isn't strained, there are 372 millions of us who live and die by the idea, but we have things like this waiting She said, "He never should have got that thing, but he didn't know "What thing?" "What thing," she agreed, and noddedI want to get out of here before the big boy comes After that we both lapsed into silenceElizabeth closed her eyes and appeared to doze off in speedy bag louis vuitton her wheelcha