The Thanatos Syndrome

also looking a little poorly, Doc.”
    â€œI’m fine. Thank you, Elmo. Give my best to Miss Maude when you see her.”
    â€œI’ll surely do that. She thinks the world and all of you.”
    â€œOne last thing, Doc.”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œIf you ain’t back here by two, it’s my ass.”
    â€œI’ll be back.”
    â€œIt’s your ass, too.”
    â€œI understand.”
    Breakfast is at least four scrambled eggs, fried ham, a mountain of grits—the “big hominy” kind, which I haven’t seen for years—and hot chicoried coffee.
    I eat it all. There is a glass of water. It reminds me of something. I call Elmo.
    â€œOne little question, Elmo. I’ll explain later.”
    â€œSho, Doc.”
    â€œThe breakfast was delicious. Where does the water come from?”
    Elmo Jenkins laughs. “You noticed. Don’t worry about it, Doc. You not drinking river water. That’s Abita Springs water, right from our back yard, the best in the world, as you know.”
    â€œI know. What do the prisoners on the farm drink?”
    â€œThat’s river water, treated so it’s safe, but I can taste the chemicals.”
    â€œYou mean from the Ratliff intake?”
    â€œRight, Doc. Seems like you know this country around here.”
    â€œA little.”
    â€œEnjoy your walk, Doc.”
    I call Lucy. She picks it up on the first ring. “Yes?” she says breathlessly. She’s ready. “Is that you?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œYou all right?”
    â€œI’m fine. Is Vergil there?”
    â€œRight here.”
    â€œDoc?” says Vergil.
    â€œYou all right?”
    â€œI’m fine.”
    â€œWhat are we going to do, Doc?”
    â€œWe’re going to get Claude.”
    â€œFine. How are we going to do that? I already tried. They’re all locked up and don’t answer the phone. You think we ought to call the police again?”
    â€œNo. Here’s what we’re going to do. You know where Tunica Landing is?”
    â€œI surely do. That’s where my daddy used to put in to cross over to Raccourci Island.”
    â€œGood. I want you to meet me there in forty minutes.”
    Pause. “Doc, you in Angola. How we going to do that?”
    â€œDon’t worry. I have a—like a pass. Does your daddy still have his pirogue?”
    â€œNo, sir. He got a new one, a light fiberglass one , just before he got sick. He only could use it once or twice. It’s good as new.”
    â€œWill it hold three people?”
    â€œThree people. Well, it will hold me and my daddy and two hundred pounds of nutria.”
    â€œCan you get it in Lucy’s truck?”
    â€œWith one hand.”
    â€œGood. Is Uncle Hugh Bob there?”
    â€œYes, sir. You want to talk to him?”
    â€œNo, that’s not necessary. Just tell him to come with you. He’ll be glad to. And tell him one more thing.”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œYou know that old long-barrel Colt Woodsman he’s got?”
    â€œI sure do.”
    â€œTell him to bring it.”
    â€œTell him to bring it,” Vergil repeats.
    â€œFor dogs.”
    â€œFor dogs,” Vergil repeats.
    â€œThey might have guard dogs at Belle Ame.”
    â€œAll right, Doc.” He seems relieved.
    â€œWe not going to kill them. We probably won’t even need it.”
    â€œRight Doc.”
    â€œI figure it will take you forty-five minutes or so to get up to Tunica Landing. I’ll probably be there by then. If not, wait.”
    â€œWe’ll be there.”
    â€œAnd Vergil.”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œDon’t worry about Claude. I feel sure he’s all right. But I don’t want my kids in that place and I’m sure you feel the same way.”
    â€œI sure do. But what—”
    â€œWe’re just going to ease down the river to the old landing at Belle Ame and pick up Claude and maybe have a little talk with those folks. Later we’ll call the police. But I want Claude out first. We can’t go by car because the gate’s locked and they’d be expecting us. They’re not going to be expecting anybody from the landing. So we’ll have a look around, and a little surprise won’t hurt them. They can’t lock the landing. But there might be some dogs.”
    â€œWe’ll be there in thirty minutes, Doc.”
    â€œGood. Let me talk to