Зима тревоги нашей

           "Youthinkthey’lleatfive?"

           "Theythinktheywill.Isitapicnic?"

           "Uh-huh."

           "Thengetfiveextrafordroppinginthefire."

           "WheredoyoukeepthePlug-Oforsinks?"

           "Backtherewiththecleansersandammonia."

           Itwasbrokenuplikethatandwasboundtobe.Editedofcustomers,itwaslikethis:

           "IguessI’minastateofshock.Ijustdomyjobandit’swithmugsforthemostpart.Ifyougetconditionedbycrooksandliarsandcheats,why,anhonestmancanshockthehelloutofyou."

           "Whatdoyoumean,honest?Mybossnevergaveawayanything.He’satoughmonkey."

           "Iknowheis.Wemadehimthatway.HetoldmeandIbelievehim.BeforehecameoverheknewthewordsonthebottomoftheStatueofLiberty.He’dmemorizedtheDeclarationofIndependenceindialect.TheBillofRightswaswordsoffire.Andthenhecouldn’tgetin.Sohecameanyway.Anicemanhelpedhim—tookeverythinghehadanddroppedhiminthesurftowadeashore.ItwasquiteawhilebeforeheunderstoodtheAmericanway,buthelearned—helearned.‘Aguygottomakeabuck!Lookoutfornumberone!’Buthelearned.He’snotdumb.Hetookcareofnumberone."

           Thiswasinterspersedwithcustomerssoitdidn’tbuildtoadramaticclimax—justaseriesofshortstatements.

           "That’swhyhewasn’thurtwhensomebodyturnedhimin."

           "Turnedhimin?"

           "Sure.Allittakesisatelephonecall."

           "Whodidthat?"

           "Whoknows?Thedepartment’samachine.