Farewell Summer ~ Ray Bradbury - Marimarister

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waiting. ―Well, to begin . . .‖ He paused and held out his hand for Douglas‘s empty glass. ―You‘re going to need this, son.‖ Quartermain poured. Douglas took and drank. ―Life,‖ said the old man, and murmured, muttered, and murmured again. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN Calvin C. Quartermain woke because someone had said something or called out in the night air. But that was impossible. Nobody or nothing had. He looked out the window at the great face of the courthouse clock and could almost hear it clearing its throat, preparing to announce three in the morning. ―Who‘s there?‖ Quartermain said into the cool night air. Me. ―How‘s that again?‖ Quartermain lifted his head and peered left and right. Me. Remember? And now he looked down along the quilt. Without moving his hands to touch and find, he knew his old friend was there. A bare subsistence of friend, but still, friend. He did not lift his head to peer down along the sheets to the small mound there below his navel, between his legs. It was hardly more than a heartbeat, a pulse, a lost member, a ghost of flesh. But it was there. ―So you‘re back?‖ he said to the ceiling, and snorted a chopped-off laugh. ―It‘s been a long while.‖ In reply, a soft pulse of recognition. ―How long will you stay?‖ The slender mound beat its own private heart twice, three times, but showed no signs of going anywhere; it seemed it would stay awhile.
―Is this your very last visit?‖ asked Quartermain. Who can say? was the silent reply of his old friend revisiting, nested in a wirework of ancient hair. I do not so much mind my scalp turning gray, Quartermain had once said, but when you find whiteness sprouting down there, to hell with it. Let the rest of me age, but not that ! But age he did and age it did. He was all of a dead winter grayness now. Still, there was this heartbeat, this tender and incredible pulse saluting him, a promise of spring, a seedbed of memory, a touch of . . . what was the word out there in the town in this strange weather when everyone‘s juices roused again? <strong>Farewell</strong> summer. Dear God, yes. Don‘t go yet. Stay. I need a friend. His friend stayed. And they talked. At three in the morning. ―Why do I feel so happy?‖ said Quartermain. ―What‘s been going on? Was I mad? Am I cured? Is this the cure?‖ Quartermain‘s teeth chattered with an outrageous laugh. all. I just came to say goodbye, the voice whispered. ―Goodbye?‖ Quarterman‘s laughter caught in his throat. ―Does that mean—‖ It does, came the whisper. It’s been a lot of years. It’s time to move on. ―Time, yes,‖ said Quartermain, his eyes watering. ―Where are you going?‖ Can’t say. You’ll know when the time comes. ―How will I know?‖ You’ll see me. I’ll be there. ―How will I know it‘s you?‖ You’ll know. You’ve always known everything, but me above ―You‘re not leaving town?‖ No, no. I’ll be around. But when you see me, don’t embarrass anyone, all right?
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Farewell Summer ~ Ray Bradbury (Boo
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CHAPTER TWO Laid out in his bed at
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faded. ―So long, Doug, so long .
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CHAPTER FOUR There was a great rush
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―Bang!‖ Douglas jumped up the p
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CHAPTER SEVEN When Douglas walked,
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―Doug,‖ he murmured. ―Doug, b
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yup?‖ ―Good thinking, Tom.‖
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―Charlie, you‘ll spoil everythi
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―Okay!‖ everyone shouted. They
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Tom winked at him as he flipped the
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do about these infidels!‖ He coul
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Halloween gourds. ―Jesus,‖ he w
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sky. The boys sat in a circle on th
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efore his face his plan unraveled a
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There was a third strike of lightni
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How did they know it was haunted? B
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―Something like that,‖ said Gra
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―They do say that.‖ ―And they
Page 40 and 41: CHAPTER TWENTY Just before midnight
Page 42 and 43: pekoe curtain hung out on the air,
Page 44 and 45: Charlie‘s face fell. ―And anywa
Page 46 and 47: CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE The courthouse
Page 48 and 49: and opening and shutting his mouth,
Page 50 and 51: One! Two! Three! It fired its bells
Page 52 and 53: something to happen to show that we
Page 54 and 55: ―Now, Doug,‖ he said, ―I‘ve
Page 56 and 57: CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN It was getting
Page 58 and 59: Bong! CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT Calvin C
Page 60 and 61: down the hill, into the green ravin
Page 62 and 63: ―Well, here we are,‖ said Dougl
Page 64 and 65: ―Coward,‖ she cried. ―And not
Page 66 and 67: Bleak said he wasn‘t sure whether
Page 68 and 69: ―Of course not. Impossible!‖
Page 70 and 71: ―Yes, Ebenezer.‖ ―No, not Ebe
Page 72 and 73: CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO Douglas stood wi
Page 74 and 75: ―I don‘t know. I keep playin‘
Page 76 and 77: ―Heck,‖ said Tom, ―I don‘t
Page 78 and 79: Douglas fell back, afraid that she
Page 80 and 81: CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE A huge question
Page 82 and 83: ―Being dead, dummy.‖ ―Yeah, b
Page 84 and 85: jar, you could almost snap them to
Page 86 and 87: III. APPOMATOX CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX S
Page 88 and 89: ―What?!‖ ―I dunno. I mean. I
Page 92 and 93: ―Of course.‖ The quilt and the
Page 94 and 95: Give me one. We always have names.
Page 96 and 97: Afterword: The Importance of Being
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