“Mr. Ellis isn’t himself today. He could not see the Senator.”
“That makes him not himself? He never sees the Senator.”
“That may be true.”
“You people have no idea how to act. You have no idea how rude you are.”
“I don’t know what Mr. Ellis thinks about these people, Ruth, but I sent them home. I thought it was too early in the morning to be dealing with the mentally handicapped.”
“It’s four o’clock in the afternoon, you prick.” Ruth liked the way that sounded. Very calm.
Cal Cooley stood behind Ruth for some time. He stood behind her like a butler, but more intimate. Polite, but too near. His nearness created a constant feeling that she did not appreciate. And she did not like speaking to him without seeing him.
“Why don’t you sit down?” she said, at last.
“You want me to sit next to you, do you?” he asked.
“That’s entirely up to you, Cal.”
“Thank you,” he said, and he did sit down. “Very hospitable of you. Thank you for the invitation.”
“It’s your property. I can’t be hospitable on your property.”
“It’s not my property, young lady. It’s Mr. Ellis’s property.”
“Really? I always forget that, Cal. I forget it’s not your property. Do you ever forget that, too?”
Cal did not answer. He asked, “What’s the little boy’s name? The little boy with the tusk.”
“He’s Webster Pommeroy.”
Which Cal Cooley knew.
Cal stared out at the water and recited dully: “Pommeroy the cabin boy was a nasty little nipper. Shoved a glass up in his ass and circumcised the skipper.”
“Cute,” Ruth said.
“He seems like a nice child.”
“He’s twenty-three years old, Cal.”
“And I believe he is in love with you. Is this true?”
“My God, Cal. That is truly relevant.”
“Listen to you, Ruth! You are so educated these days. It is such a pleasure to hear you using such big words. It is rewarding, Ruth. It makes us all so pleased to see that your expensive education is paying off.”
“I know you try to rile me, Cal, but I’m not sure what you gain from it.”
“That’s not true, Ruth. I don’t try to rile you. I’m your biggest supporter.”
Ruth laughed sharply. “You know something, Cal? That elephant tusk really is an important find.”
“Yes. You said as much.”
“You didn’t even pay attention to the story, an interesting story, about an unusual shipwreck. You didn’t ask Webster how he found it. It’s an incredible story, and you didn’t pay any attention at all. It’d be annoying if it wasn’t so damn typical.”
“That’s not true. I pay attention to everything.”
“You pay a great deal of attention to some things.”
“Old Cal Cooley is incapable of not paying attention.”
“You should have paid more attention to that tusk, then.”
“I am interested in that tusk, Ruth. I’m actually holding it for Mr. Ellis so that he can look at it later. I think he’ll be very interested indeed.”
“What do you mean, holding it?”
“I’m holding it.”
“You took it?”
“As I’ve said, I’m holding it.”
“You took it. You sent them away without their tusk. Jesus Christ. Why would a person do something like that?”
“Would you like to share a cigarette with me, young lady?”
“I think you people are all pricks.”
“If you would like to smoke a cigarette, I won’t tell anybody.”
“I don’t fucking smoke, Cal.”
“I’m sure you do lots of bad things you don’t tell anybody about.”
“You took that tusk out of Webster’s hands and sent him away? Well, that’s a downright horrible thing to do. And typical.”
“You sure do look beautiful today, Ruth. I meant to tell you that immediately, but the opportunity did not arise.”
Ruth stood up. “OK,” she said, “I’m going home.”
She started to walk off, but Cal Cooley said, “As a matter of fact, I believe you need to stay.”
Ruth stopped walking. She didn’t turn around, but she stood still, because she knew from his tone what was coming.
“If you’re not too busy today,” Cal Cooley said, “Mr. Ellis would like to see you.”
They walked toward Ellis House together. They walked silently beyond the pastures and the ancient gardens and up the steps to the back verandah and through the wide French doors. They walked through the broad and shrouded living room, down a back hall, up the modest back stairs—the servants’ stairs—along another hall, and finally reached a door.
Cal Cooley stood as though to knock, but, instead, stepped back. He walked a few more paces down the hallway and ducked into a recessed doorway. When he gestured for Ruth to follow, she did. Cal Cooley put his big hands on Ruth’s shoulders