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ulled out onto the blacktop and turned on the lights and shifted into second gear and went up the road with the car squatting on the big rear tires and fishtailing and the tires whining and unspooling clouds of rubbersmoke behind him。
。。
No Country for Old MenVIII
～
ive lost a lot of friends over these last few years。 not all of em older than me neither。 one of the things you realize about gettin older is that not everbody is goin to get older with you。 you try to help the people thatre payin your salary and of course you cant help but think about the kind of record you leave。 this county has not had a unsolved homicide in forty…one years。 now we got nine of em in one week。 will they be solved？ i dont know。 ever day is against you。 time is not on your side。 i dont know as itd be any pliment if you was known for second guessin a bunch of dopedealers。
not that they have all that much trouble second guessin us。 they dont have no respect for the law？ that aint half of it。 they dont even think about the law。 it dont seem to even concern em。 of course here a while back in san antonio they shot and killed a federal judge。 i guess he concerned em。 add to that that theres peace officers along this border gettin rich off of narcotics。 thats a painful thing to know。 or it is for me。 i dont believe that was true even ten years ago。 a crooked peace officer is just a damned abomination。
thats all you can say about it。 hes ten times worse than the criminal。 and this aint goin away。 and thats about the only thing i do know。 it aint goin away。 where would it go to？
and this may sound ignorant but i think for me the worst of it is knowin that probably the only reason im even still alive is that they have no respect for me。 and thats very painful。 very painful。 it has done got way beyond anything you might of thought about even a few years ago。 here a while back they found a dc…4 over in presidio county。
just settin out in the desert。 they had e in there of a night and graded out a sort of landin strip and set out rows of tarbarrels for lights but there was no way you could of flown that thing back out of there。 it was stripped out to the walls。 just had a pilots seat in it。 you could smell the marijuana； you didnt need no dog。 well the sheriff over there — and i wont say his name — he wanted to get set up and nail em when they e back for the plane and finally somebody told him that they wasnt nobody in back。 never had been。 when he finally understood what it was they was tellin him he just got real quiet and then he turned around and got in his car and left。
when they was havin them dope wars down across the border you could not buy a half quart masonjar nowheres。 to put up your preserves and such。 your chow chow。 they wasnt none to be had。 what it was they was usin them jars to put handgrenades in。 if you flew over somebodys house or pound and you dropped grenades on em theyd go off fore they hit the ground。 so what they done was theyd pull the pin and stick em down in the jar and screw the lid back on。 then whenever they hit the ground the glassd break and release the spoon。 the lever。 they would preload cases of them things。
hard to believe that a man would ride around at night in a small plane with a cargo such as that； but they done it。
i think if you were satan and you were settin around tryin to think up somethin that would just bring the human race to its knees what you would probably e up with is narcotics。 maybe he did。 i told that to somebody at breakfast the other mornin and they asked me if i believed in satan。 i said well that aint the point。 and they said i know but do you？ i had to think about that。 i guess as a boy i did。 e the middle years my belief i reckon had waned somewhat。 now im startin to lean back the other way。 he explains a lot of things that otherwise dont have no explanation。 or not to me they dont。
moss set the case in the booth and eased himself in after it。 he lifted the menu from the wire rack where it stood along with the mustard and ketchup。 she scooted into the booth opposite。 he didnt look up。 what are you havin； he said。
i dont know。 i aint looked at the menu。
he spun the menu around and slid it in front of her and turned and looked for the waitress。
what are you？ the girl said。
what am i havin？
no。 what are you。 are you a character？
he studied her。 the only people i know that know what a character is； he said； is other characters。
i might just be a fellow traveler。
fellow traveler。
yeah。
well you are now。
youre hurt； aint you？
what makes you say that？
you cant hardly walk。
maybe its just a old war injury。
i dont think so。 what happened to you？
you mean lately？
yeah。 lately。
you dont need to know。
why not？
i dont want you gettin all excited on me。
what makes you think id get excited？
cause bad girls like bad boys。 what are you goin to have？
i dont know。 what is it you do？
three weeks ago i was a law abidin citizen。 workin a nine to five job。 eight to four； anyways。 things happen to you they happen。 they dont ask first。 they dont require your permission。
thats the truth if i ever heard it told； she said。
you hang around me youll hear some more of it。
you think im a bad girl？
i think youd like to be。
whats in that briefcase？
briefs。
whats in it。
i could tell you； but then id have to kill you。
you aint supposed to carry a gun in a public place。 did you not know that？ in particular a gun such as that。
let me ask you somethin。
go ahead。
when the shootin starts would you rather be armed or be legal？
i dont want to be around no shootin。
yes you do。 its wrote all over you。 you just dont want to get shot。 what are you havin？
what are you？
cheeseburger and a chocolate milk。
the waitress came and they ordered。 she got the hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy。 you aint even asked me where i was goin； she said。
i know where youre goin。
where am i goin then。
down the road。
that aint no answer。
its more than just a answer。
you dont know everthing。
no i dont。
you ever kill anybody？
yeah； he said。 you？
she looked embarrassed。 you know i aint never killed nobody。
i dont know that。
well i aint。
you aint； then。
you aint done； either。 are you？
done what。
what i just said。
killin people？
she looked around to see if they might be overheard。
yes； she said。
be hard to say。
after a while the waitress brought their plates。 he bit the corner off a packet of mayonnaise and squeezed out the contents over his cheeseburger and reached for the ketchup。 where you from？ he said。
she took a drink of her iced tea and wiped her mouth with the paper napkin。 port arthur； she said。
he nodded。 he took up the cheeseburger in both hands and bit into it and sat back； chewing。 i aint never been to port arthur。
i aint never seen you there。
how could you of seen me there if i aint never been there？
i couldnt。 i was just sayin i aint。 i was agreein with you。
moss shook his head。
they ate。 he watched her。
i reckon youre on your way to california。
how did you know that？
thats the direction youre headed in。
well thats where im goin。
you got any money？
whats it to you？
it aint nothin to me。 do you？
i got some。
he finished the cheeseburger and wiped his hands on the paper napkin and drank the rest of the milk。 then he reached in his pocket and took out the roll of hundreds and unfolded them。 he counted out a thousand dollars onto the formica and pushed it toward her and put the roll back in his pocket。 lets go； he said。
whats that for？
to go to california on。
what do i gotta do for it？
you dont have to do nothin。 even a blind sow finds a acorn ever once in a while。 put that up and lets go。
they paid and walked out to the truck。 you wasnt callin me a sow back yonder was you？
moss ignored her。 give me the keys； he said。
she took the keys from her pocket and handed them over。 i thought maybe youd forgot i had em； she said。
i dont forget much。
i could of just slipped off like i was goin to the ladies room