An Absence of Light

“The house was roughly the shape of a hexagon or octagon or something, you know, roundish but having straight walls. I stayed well out of the light in the irregular lawn interrupted by shrubbery. Came to the first bedroom. Stepped up on the ledge and looked over. Sure enough, laughably, a woman perched on the potty, her dress gathered up around her, looking rather defiantly, I thought, straight out the glass wall at me. I ducked reflexively and then came back up and saw her still there, still staring at me, her feet splayed, her hands resting in her lap and holding a bunch of tissue. She couldn’t see me at all, even if I’d raised my hands and waved at her. I think the glass walls were coated somehow, to make the outside more opaque. I watched her finish, dry herself, and get up, and flush the toilet.

“I watched for a bit, two more ladies. This was rather fascinating, I found, the different little ways they tended to themselves. I finished my cigarette and decided to go around to the other bedroom. I passed the next atrium, another room of guests, and was just about to round the next shallow corner when I became aware of voices ahead of me, just around the corner. I stopped, held my breath, and listened. Yes, indeed. Two men’s voices. I eased to the corner, next to which, luckily, a loquat tree was standing. Using this as a screen, I peeped around. Two men were standing on the ledge at the foot of the garden wall of the next bedroom. They were watching whatever women were in the bedroom, but they were doing so as though the action in there was rather sort of incidental entertainment Their drink glasses were sitting atop the wall, as were their raised elbows, and they were smoking and in conversation.”

Last paused to take another puff on his cigarette. He seemed to be thinking of how to proceed, maybe even, Graver thought, savoring the story.

“Now, this is weird, I know,” he said, “but I overheard this one guy expressing disbelief, believingly expressing disbelief, if you know what I mean. The second man said, no, it was true. It had been some time getting arranged, but that they finally had done it He said their ‘access’ to intelligence ‘and its processes’ was solid and had been tested several times. The first man wanted to know how long this had been going on. ‘A while,’ was all the second man said. They paused a bit, sipped their drinks, and watched someone in the loo. The second man stepped down off the ledge, lighted a cigarette, and stepped up again.

“Second man said he understood the first man was having trouble with a certain competitor. He asked what it would be worth to him to rid himself of this guy. First man said his volume would jump thirty percent. Second man asked would he be interested in eliminating him. First man asked was a pig’s ass pork.”

Last stopped at this and laughed. “American eloquence. I hadn’t heard that one. Stunning.” He smoked. “The second man said they needed to talk about that First man said he didn’t know of anything his competitor was doing that was illegal. Second man said that didn’t matter, things could be worked out” Last paused. “They got interested in someone in the loo again and then the first man wanted to talk about it some more. Just think a bit about it, the second man said. They would get together again and explore the idea some more. They polished off their drinks, very quietly watched someone in the loo for a few minutes, and then the second man said they’d better get back or they’d be missed. That was it. I had to get out of there.”

Last brought his hand to his mouth again, and the tip of the cigarette glowed and died.

“I didn’t hear anything about the police in that,” Graver said. “Everyone has intelligence capabilities now. Business, industry.”

“But when the second fellow asked the first if he wanted to eliminate his competitor, the first said his competitor wasn’t doing anything ‘illegal.’ Why would that figure into the picture at all if they weren’t cops? Who moves against illegalities? Who could use an ‘illegality’ as a means to close down a business?”

Graver shook his head, not altogether convinced. This wasn’t exactly the kind of thing he thought he was going to hear. It was too vague.

“Did you get a good look at these guys?”

“I think so. Their profiles, anyway.”

“The owner of the house wasn’t one of them?”

“No.”

“Who owned the house?”

Last shifted in his chair. “How’s that going to help you?”

“I don’t know. It sure as hell won’t help if I don’t know.”

“You want me to find out these two guys’ names? I’ll do that.”

“What’s the matter?”