Invisible man

            I saw his motion toward the big white pitcher on the washstand and stepped between him and Mr. Norton, guiding Mr. Norton swiftly through the doorway. Looking back, I saw him leaning against the wall making a sound that was a blending of laughter and tears.

            "Hurry, the man is as insane as the rest," Mr. Norton said.

            "Yes, sir," I said, noticing a new note in his voice.

            The balcony was now as noisy as the floor below. The girls and drunken vets were stumbling about with drinks in their hands. Just as we went past an open door Edna saw us and grabbed my arm.

            "Where you taking white-folks?" she demanded.

            "Back to school," I said, shaking her off.

            "You don't want to go up there, white-folks, baby," she said. I tried to push past her. "I ain't lying," she said. "I'm the best little home-maker in the business."

            "Okay, but please let us alone," I pleaded. "You'll get me into trouble."

            We were going down the stairs into the milling men now and she started to scream, "Pay me then! If he's too good for me, let him pay!"

            And before I could stop her she had pushed Mr. Norton, and both of us were stumbling swiftly down the stairs. I landed against a man who looked up with the anonymous familiarity of a drunk and shoved me hard away. I saw Mr. Norton spin past as I sank farther into the crowd. Somewhere I could hear the girl screaming and Halley's voice yelling, "Hey! Hey! Hey, now!" Then I was aware of fresh air and saw that I was near the door and pushed my way free and stood panting and preparing to plunge back for Mr. Norton -- when I heard Halley calling, "Make way y'all!" and saw him piloting Mr. Norton to the door.

            "Whew!" he said, releasing the white man and shaking his huge head.

            "Thanks, Halley --" I said and got no further.

            I saw Mr. Norton, his face pale again, his white suit rumpled, topple and fall, his head scraping against the screen of the door.

            "Hey!"

            I opened the door and raised him up.

            "Goddamit, out agin," Halley said. "How come you bring this white man here, school-boy?"

            "Is he dead?"

            "DEAD!" he said, stepping back indignantly. "He caint die!"

            "What'll I do, Halley?"

            "Not in my place, he caint die," he said, kneeling.

            Mr. Norton looked up. "No one is dead or dying," he said acidly. "Remove your hands!"

            Halley fell away, surprised. "I sho am glad. You sho you all right? I thought sho you was dead this time."

            "For God's sake, be quiet!" I exploded nervously. "You should be glad that he's all right."

            Mr. Norton was visibly angry now, a raw place showing on his forehead, and I hurried ahead of him to the car. He climbed in unaided, and I got under the wheel, smelling the heated odor of mints and cigar smoke. He was silent as I drove away.

Chapter 4

            The wheel felt like an alien thing in my hands as I followed the white line of the highway. Heat rays from the late afternoon sun arose from the gray concrete, shimmering like the weary tones of a distant bugle blown upon still midnight air. In the mirror I could see Mr. Norton staring out vacantly upon the empty fields, his mouth stern, his white forehead livid where it had scraped the screen. And seeing him I felt the fear balled coldly within me unfold. What would happen now? What would the school officials say? In my mind I visualized Dr. Bledsoe's face when he saw Mr. Norton. I thought of the glee certain folks at home would feel if I were expelled. Tatlock's grinning face danced through my mind. What would the white folks think who'd sent me to college? Was Mr. Norton angry at me? In the Golden Day he had seemed more curious than anything else -- until the vet had started talking wild. Damn Trueblood. It was his fault. If we hadn't sat in the sun so long Mr. Norton would not have needed whiskey and I wouldn't have gone to the Golden Day. And why would the vets act that way with a white man in the house?