The real cool killers

"Take one, Inky," he said.

Inky took one.

Everybody put on smoked glasses. "Granny will smell it if you smoke in here," Sissie said. "She thinks they're cubebs." Choo-Choo mimicked Granny: "Ah wish you chillens would stop smokin' them coo-bebs 'cause they make a body feel moughty funny in de head." He and Sheik doubled over with laughter. The room stank with the pungent smoke. Sugartit picked up a stick, sat on the bed and lit it. "Come on, baby, strip," Sheik urged her. "Celebrate your old man's flop by getting up off of some of it." Sugartit stood up and undid her skirt zipper and began going into a slow striptease routine. Sissie clutched her by the arms. "You stop that," she said. "You'd better go on home before your old man gets there first and comes out looking for you." In a sudden rage, Sheik snatched Sissie's hands away from Sugartit and flung her across the bed. "Leave her alone," he raved. "She's going to entertain the Sheik." "If her old man's really Coffin Ed you oughta let her go on home," Sonny said soberly. "You just beggin' for trouble messin' round with his kinfolks." "Choo-Choo, go to the kitchen and get Granny's wire clothesline," Sheik ordered. Choo-Choo went out grinning. When he saw Granny staring at him with such fierce disapproval, he said guiltily, "Pay no 'tention to me, Granny," and began clowning. She didn't answer. He tiptoed with elaborate pantomime to the closet and took out her coil of clothesline. "Just wanna hang out the wash," he said. Still she didn't answer. He tiptoed close to the chair and passed his hand slowly in front of her face. She didn't bat an eyelash. His grin widened. Returning to the front room, he said, "Granny's dead asleep with her eyes wide open." "Leave her to Gabriel," Sheik said, taking the line and beginning to uncoil it. "What you gonna do with that?" Sonny asked apprehensively. Sheik made a running loop in one end. "We going to play cowboy," he said. "Look." Suddenly he threw the loop over Sonny's head and pulled on the line with all his strength. The loop tightened about Sonny's neck and jerked him off his feet. Sissie ran toward Sheik and tried to pull the wire from his hands. "You're choking him," she said. Sheik knocked her down with a backhanded blow. "You can let up on him now," Choo-Choo said. "We got 'im." "Now I'm gonna show you how to tie up a mother-raper to put him in a sack," Sheik said.

11

Grave Digger halted on the sidewalk in front of the yellow frame house next door to the Knickerbocker. It had been partitioned into offices and all of the front windows were lettered with business announcements. "Can you read that writing on those windows?" Grave Digger asked Ready Belcher. Ready glanced at him suspiciously. "Course I can read that writing." "Read it then," Grave Digger said. Ready stole another look. "Read what one?" "Take your choice." Ready squinted his good eye against the dark and read aloud, "_Joseph C. Clapp, Real Estate and Notary Public_." He looked at Grave Digger like a dog who has retrieved a stick. "That one?" "Try another." He hesitated. Passing car lights played on his pockmarked black face, brought out the white cast in his bad eye and lit up his flashy tan suit. "I haven't got much time," Grave Digger warned. He read, "_Amazing 100-year-old Gypsy Bait Oil-Makes Catfish Go Crazy_." He looked at Grave Digger again like the same dog with another stick. "Not that one," Grave Digger said. "What the hell is this, a gag?" he muttered. "Just read!" "_JOSEPH, The Only and Original Skin Lightener. I guarantee to lighten the darkest skin by twelve shades in six months_." "You don't want your skin lightened?" "My skin suit me," he said sullenly. "Then read on." "_Magic Formula For Successful PRAYER_