Page 80 - Demo

%u00a9Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights ReservedHOW TO LEGALLY QUOTE FROM THIS BOOK68 Jack Fritscher%u201cTank,%u201d Ski said, %u201cwhat you doing?%u201d%u201cWriting a note to the kitchen.%u201d He licked the pencil again.%u201cChills, thrills, and vibrations,%u201d I said.%u201cWhat%u2019s it say?%u201d Ski asked. %u201cLet%u2019s see.%u201d%u201cWe want food,%u201d Hank read, %u201creal food%u2014no more of this crap Kraut Schweinscheit, German pigshit.%u201d He held the lettered plate up to view. %u201cSign it, Ski.%u201dSki looked at us. This was about choosing sides.%u201cGo ahead, chicken-dick, sign it.%u201d Hank the Tank shoved the plate at him. %u201cI signed it.%u201d Ski took the pencil and signed it. He handed it with the pencil to Porky. They looked at each other, then laughed. The plate passed hand to hand around the whole table, gathering signatures, even Dempsey%u2019s. Lock set the plate down, decisively, unsigned. His good example was enough for me.%u201cHell, %u201c Hank said, knowing better than to push more than his match. He picked up the plate from where Lock had placed it. %u201cGo on, Ryanus. You chicken-dick to sign?%u201d%u201cI won%u2019t,%u201d I said.%u201cWhy not?%u201d%u201cBecause if you all jumped off a bridge, I wouldn%u2019t jump.%u201d%u201cWhy not?%u201d%u201cBecause someone has to applaud.%u201d%u201cCome on, Ryanus,%u201d Ski entered in, %u201cYou chicken to do something for a change?%u201d%u201cSay %u2018chicky-dick,%u2019%u201d I said. %u201cThat%u2019s the way Hank the Tank says it. %u2018Chicky-dick.%u2019%u201d%u201cWhy won%u2019t Baby Ryanus sign it, why not?%u201d Hank patted my arm.I arched my elbow sharply at him, clipping his shoulder.%u201cWatch it, Ryanus.%u201d Hank held out the plate. %u201cYou sign this or I%u2019ll pound the living shit out of you.%u201dDeep inside my chest, my vagus nerve twitched, the way my dad said his twitched, full with adrenalin. I half rose. %u201cTry it,%u201d I said, %u201cand die!%u201dEverybody laughed.%u201cTry it,%u201d I repeated.%u201cSign it.%u201d%u201cNo.%u201d%u201cWhy not?%u201d Hank the Tank knew full well I would sign nothing he had cooked up, not even a good idea. %u201cYou%u2019re nothing but an ass-kisser,%u201d he said, %u201cGunn%u2019s ass-kisser.%u201d