The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove

back here last night."
    "Neither was I. What did you feel back then? Before and after the thing came after you."
    "Not like I'm feelin now."
    "And how is that?"
    "I'm feelin real good to be here talkin to you."
    "No kidding.Me too.How about back then?"
    "Stop doggin me, girl. I'll tell you. But I gots to go play in an hour and I don't know that I can."
    "Why not?"
    "The Blues ain't on me. You done chased 'em off."
    "I can throw you out in the cold without a shirt if you think it will help."
    Catfish squirmed in his chair."Maybe some coffee."
    Catfish's Story After we gets some distance from whatever chasin us, we stop the Model T Ford and me and Smiley put that big ol' catfish thing in the backseat – his tail hangin out one side an' his head out t'other. Now this ain't at all what I expected, and Smiley ain't got the Blues on him, but I'm gettin me a grand case myself.
    Then Irealizes we got us five hundred dollar coming, and them ol' Blues done melt right away.
    I say, "Smiley, Ibelieves we should have us some celebratin, startin with some liquor and endin up with some fine Delta pussy. What you say?"
    Ol' Smiley, like usual, don't wanna piss on the parade, but bein who he is, he point out we aint got no money and Ida May don't approve of no pussy more'en a hundred yard from the house. But he feelin it too, I can tell, and before long we headed down a back road to find a bootlegger I know down there name of Elmore that sells to colored folk.
    That ol' white boy ain't got but two teeth, buthe grindin 'em when we pulls up, all mad and wavin his shotgun like we come to bust up his still. I say, "Hey, Elmore, how your lovely wife and sister?"
    He say she fine, but lessin we shows some money quick, he gonna shoot him some niggers and get back to her before she cool off.
    "We a little short," I say. "But we have us five hundred dollar come morning iffin you kind enough to give us a jug on credit." An' then Ishows him the catfish.
    That boy liked to shit his pants, and I was hopin he would, just to cover the smell comin off him natural, but instead he say, "I ain't waitin 'til mornin'. You want ajug, you give me a hunk o' that catfish right now.A big hunk."
    Smiley and I thinks it over, and before long we got us a half-gallon of corn mash and ol' Elmore got hisself enough catfish to feed his wives and children and them -thats both for a week or more.
    Up the road a spell and this old whore name of Okra givin us the same speech about money, plus she sayin we need to take us a bath before she let us anywhere near her girls. And I comes back with the five-hundred-dollar story, but she say with the five-hundred-dollar we come in tomorrow, but if we want some pussy tonight, she want a hunk of that old catfish in the back. Them hos can eat some catfish too, I'm tellin you. I thought Smiley finally gettin the Blues on him when I hears him sayin how he give up a hundred dollar worth of catfish just for a bath. But that his choice. Hewait in the car 'til I'm done and we head off to find a place to sleep till morning when we can cash in the fish.
    We pulls down a side road into some bushes, and we commencin' to get us some sleep after a drink or two, when who come out the woods but a whole bunch of boys wearin them white sheets and pointy hoods, sayin, "Nigger, I guess you didn't read the sign."
    And they tie us up to that ol' catfish and make us drag it back in the woods to a big ol' fire they got goin.
    That sho' a chill, I gots to tell you.To this day I can't walk by sheets hangin on a line without my backbone freeze up. I knows we sho' gonna die now, sayin my prayers and all best I can, while them boys kickin me in the mouth an' such while eatin catfish pieces what they roasted on sticks.
    Then Ifeels it and the kickin stops. I see ol' Smiley lyin in the dirt coverin his head with his arms, one ol' bloody eye lookin' over at me. Hefeel it too.
    Them Klansmen staring into the woods like they long-lost momma gonna come out, big ol' grins on they faces, half of 'em rubbin they dicks through they pants. And shecome out all right. Big as a train,a howl like to make your ears bust and bleed. Shetake two of them in the first bite.
    I don't have to write Smiley no letter. Before we can say somethin, we up and runnin, still tied up to what left of that catfish carcass, running back for the road. Wefinds us a knife in the car and we gets loose lickety-split – Smiley crankin that ol' Model T and me behind the wheel workin the choke.