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%u00a9Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights ReservedHOW TO LEGALLY QUOTE FROM THIS BOOKWhat They Did to the Kid 89%u201cYeah,%u201d Rip said. %u201cChrist%u2019s in Argentina with like Hitler and Checkers and James Dean.%u201d%u201cThen what about these priests that wear wedding rings,%u201d Kenny pursued. %u201cWho are they married to?%u201d%u201cTo the Mother,%u201d Rip said, %u201cand to the Church, and, well, you know about Hitler and James Dean and Checkers.%u201d%u201cWho%u2019s Checkers?%u201d Mike pretended to regain consciousness.%u201cNixon%u2019s dead cocker,%u201d I said.They all laughed.%u201cIgnore them,%u201d Mike said. %u201cRip%u2019s got a one-track mind.%u201d%u201cDamn right,%u201d Rip said, %u201cand I think about it all the time. You read the Bible. You study it. The Bible says woman is man%u2019s helpmate. That%u2019s why I like them, plain and simple. I need lots of help.%u201d%u201cIf you understand, it%u2019s all different,%u201d I said.%u201cDifferent? You%u2019re weirdos. You know it. We know it. We all pretend not to know you%u2019re wasting yourself.%u201d Rip turned to Mike. %u201cMan, moping in a boat ain%u2019t curing the problem in your pants.%u201d%u201cHey, Rip, is it really so important to you?%u201d I asked.%u201cSex?%u201d%u201cPussy.%u201d I stared him down with the word. I had played my manly ace-in-the-hole: bad language. I was one of the boys.%u201cI don%u2019t believe it,%u201d Rip hesitated. %u201cLike I really don%u2019t believe it.%u201d%u201cLet%u2019s get out of here,%u201d Mike said. %u201cHead over to the beach. Rip could use some food.%u201d%u201cYes, let%u2019s,%u201d I said.%u201cYes, let%u2019s,%u201d Rip mimicked.%u201cGive me the keys, Rip.%u201d Mike was angry. %u201cWe%u2019ll drive both cars back to my house and go to the beach from there.%u201d%u201cLike take the damn keys.%u201d Rip threw the ring at Mike. %u201cYou had them all morning anyway.%u201dKenny went and sat in Mike%u2019s car. %u201cCome on. I%u2019m hungry.%u201dRip stalked off to the shore. He was relieving himself, writing circles in the water, reporting what a like big thrill it was.%u201cCome on, Mike,%u201d I said, %u201clet%u2019s clear this up.%u201dWe threw all the bottles into a trash barrel near the cars. Kenny set the barrel on fire.%u201cSome party,%u201d Mike said.%u201cI%u2019ll go ahead to meet you at your house,%u201d I said, crawling down into my VW Bug. I pulled out before Rip came back from the trees. I wanted