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Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll
richardg49:
This extract from Chapter 69 prompts another minutiae-type question:
"He stood, stretching a bit once more, and as he did, there was a small explosion of glass behind him and to the right, and a hard thunk as something hit the wall opposite the front window. Ellery dropped to his knees, hand over his head, ducking below the level of the sofa. “Get DOWN! Ennis!”
“What?” Ennis crouched. “What the fuck was that?”
“Somebody shootin! Stay down, below the window. In fact, get in the hall, back up, back up!” He dropped his voice to a harsh whisper. “I got ta get in there an get my gun.” Ellery crawled across the living room as another tinkle of glass and another harsh thud into the wall, a second shot, rammed into the living room wall, causing a picture to fall and shatter."
There have been a number of attacks like this one on Ellery's property in the course of the Saga. Is it possible that Ellery deliberately provokes these attacks from members of the criminal underworld? By doing this it would dispense with any need to find time for that tedious chore of regularly washing the windows - all he needs to do is call in a glazier to put in replacements! :D
louisev:
actually, if you reread more carefully you will know that it was Ennis who replaced the windows!
MaineWriter:
--- Quote from: louisev on January 08, 2007, 04:50:38 pm ---actually, if you reread more carefully you will know that it was Ennis who replaced the windows!
--- End quote ---
It hasn't happened, yet, so it isn't a matter or re-reading more carefully, just a matter of the re-readers haven't gotten there yet. LOL
L
MaineWriter:
Hola, re-readers! Today, 71-75...
http://louisev.livejournal.com/46573.html
Interestingly, this answers a question from the other day...Ellery's usual side of the bed is on the right.
Ennis was surprised to find the guest bedroom contained a single double bed, but Ellery, apparently, was not. “Stayed here for a while after I got out a the hospital, Edna waited on me hand an foot.”
“Glad you ain’t in the hospital now, darlin,” Ennis said, closing the door and going over to him, plucking at the thick fabric of the vest, slipping a hand around his neck and pulling him close.
“So am I, sweetheart, so am I…”
They clung together for a long time, Ennis hand smoothing Ellery’s hair, Ellery’s long fingers gripping Ennis’s back, head down on his shoulder, saying nothing. Finally, Ennis plucked at the straps holding his vest, and Ellery began to unbuckle it bit by bit, and they undressed for bed, reluctantly, both of them clearly awkward in Wes and Edna’s house. Ellery climbed into the bed first, taking the usual right hand side, and Ennis after him, reaching for him, and once again they clinched in a chaste, desperate embrace, as if the power of Ennis’s arms could somehow shield Ellery from the next bullet that could smash through the next window he walked past. He whispered in his ear… “wish we coulda been makin love instead a this, darlin,” and was answered with an acknowledging sigh.
“Yeah… I’ll get the windows fixed tomorrow… we can do it tomorrow.”
They clung together, soothing one another with caresses and soft kisses, until hours later, it seemed, as the sky began to lighten, they finally fell asleep in each other’s arms.
L
yb:
Allow me to go ahead and quote chapter 74:
Ellery sat in ominous silence as Ennis gave his report to Wes directly, sitting with Dupree, Edna, and Joe Tooey at the dining room table after he managed to herd Nellie back to her stall once Worrell had been moved and taken by the ambulance.
“So I asked em why he killed em... was it because he was gonna tell his secret -- you know, about bein queer.... an he said yeah, he was a loud mouth salesman an he warned em to keep his mouth shut.”
Wes was not writing... just listening. Ellery stood, abruptly, and paced the length of the room, not smoking his cigar as much as crushing it in his fingers, face pale. “And that’s when you sprung the door open an Nellie kicked em.”
Ennis nodded. "The rifle went off too. I’m real sorry, Wes. I know he could a shot Nellie, but I didn’t know what else ta do.”
Ellery turned, face white, and stared at Ennis. “Coulda shot Nellie? Ennis what the fuck were you thinkin?”
“I was thinkin that we couldn’t just let him take shots at us wherever we go, Ellery, an wait for the next shot ta come, so I went in the barn ta get my rifle.”
“Ennis –“ Ellery said, his voice strangled, and cut himself off at Wes’s warning look.
then,
Ellery looked at him, grey eyes steely. “What a you think?”
“I dunno. Yer upset.” He sat down on the bed. “I’m okay Ellery.”
“Yeah. You know you were so hell bent on my not stickin my neck out lookin for this guy an puttin myself in danger, did it ever occur to you it went the other way too?”
Ennis dropped his eyes, looking at his hands. “Well yeah... but not till after.”
“Didn’t Edna tell ya ta stay in the house? We coulda got the guy Ennis. He was careless an he was comin after us, we coulda got em without you goin out an gettin in the line a fire.” His voice was tight, a voice Ennis had never heard before, and his eyes stung as Ellery let loose on him.
“I’m sorry, Ellery.”
“I can just see all this. A shoot out in a bar when I go ta try to arrest the guy. I’ve got a gun, a vest, a warrant, an you yellin at me because I coulda got killed. I listened ta you, Ennis. I heard ya when you said you couldn’t go through this because a losin Jack.”
“Ellery...”
“But I don’t think you were listenin.” He sat up, his eyes wide, tears wet on his face. “You coulda died today, Ennis. You probably woulda died today, but fate had other ideas. Now I got ta live with that. I love you, Ennis. An my heart aches because a this now.”
“Please, Ellery, I’m sorry...” Ennis said, kneeling on the bed, pulling him into his arms in a tight embrace. “It was... stupid.”
“It was stupid, sweetheart. I ... I can’t stand ta lose you either ya know.”
“I know. I just couldn’t stand the idea a that guy shootin at us.”
Ellery drew back. “Neither could I, but ya handle that a certain way Ennis!”
“I know... but, I saw red.”
“When you see red next time maybe ya can just stop..” Ellery’s voice broke into a sob.
Ennis tightened his arms around him, pulling him down to the bed, letting the violence of Ellery’s grief wash over him, kissing his neck and cheek softly, murmuring to him, “it’s all right, it’s all right darlin, I’m here, I’m sorry...” but he could tell by the hard pang in his chest, that it would take more than hugs and kisses for Ellery to get over what he had done today. Eventually, the sobs ended, and when Ennis looked down at his face, Ellery had finally fallen asleep again, a sleep born of exhaustion and excess stress, and he made a quiet prayer that when he woke again, Ellery would trust him once more.
Oops, it's almost the whole chapter but I like this one very much.
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