The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner.mobi [5]
“Is you all seen anything of a quarter down here.” Luster said.
“What quarter.”
“The one I had here this morning.” Luster said. “I lost it somewhere. It fell through this here hole in my pocket. If I dont find it I cant go to the show tonight.”
“Where’d you get a quarter, boy. Find it in white folks’ pocket while they aint looking.”
“Got it at the getting place.” Luster said. “Plenty more where that one come from. Only I got to find that one. Is you all found it yet.”
“I aint studying no quarter. I got my own business to tend to.”
“Come on here.” Luster said. “Help me look for it.”
“He wouldn’t know a quarter if he was to see it, would he.”
“He can help look just the same.” Luster said. “You all going to the show tonight.”
“Dont talk to me about no show. Time I get done over this here tub I be too tired to lift my hand to do nothing.”
“I bet you be there.” Luster said. “I bet you was there last night. I bet you all be right there when that tent open.”
“Be enough niggers there without me. Was last night.”
“Nigger’s money good as white folks, I reckon.”
“White folks gives nigger money because know first white man comes along with a band going to get it all back, so nigger can go to work for some more.”
“Aint nobody going make you go to that show.”
“Aint yet. Aint thought of it, I reckon.”
“What you got against white folks.”
“Aint got nothing against them. I goes my way and lets white folks go theirs. I aint studying that show.”
“Got a man in it can play a tune on a saw. Play it like a banjo.”
“You go last night.” Luster said. “I going tonight. If I can find where I lost that quarter.”
“You going take him with you, I reckon.”
“Me.” Luster said. “You reckon I be found anywhere with him, time he start bellering.”
“What does you do when he start bellering.”
“I whips him.” Luster said. He sat down and rolled up his overalls. They played in the branch.
“You all found any balls yet.” Luster said.
“Aint you talking biggity. I bet you better not let your grandmammy hear you talking like that.”
Luster got into the branch, where they were playing. He hunted in the water, along the bank.
“I had it when we was down here this morning.” Luster said.
“Where bouts you lose it.”
“Right out this here hole in my pocket.” Luster said. They hunted in the branch. Then they all stood up quick and stopped, then they splashed and fought in the branch. Luster got it and they squatted in the water, looking up the hill through the bushes.
“Where is they.” Luster said.
“Aint in sight yet.”
Luster put it in his pocket. They came down the hill.
“Did a ball come down here.”
“It ought to be in the water. Didn’t any of you boys see it or hear it.”
“Aint heard nothing come down here.” Luster said. “Heard something hit that tree up yonder. Dont know which way it went.”
They looked in the branch.
“Hell. Look along the branch. It came down here. I saw it.”
They looked along the branch. Then they went back up the hill.
“Have you got that ball.” the boy said.
“What I want with it.” Luster said. “I aint seen no ball.”
The boy got in the water. He went on. He turned and looked at Luster again. He went on down the branch.
The man said “Caddie” up the hill. The boy got out of the water and went up the hill.
“Now, just listen at you.” Luster said. “Hush up.”
“What he moaning about now.”
“Lawd knows.” Luster said. “He just starts like that. He been at it all morning. Cause it his birthday, I reckon.”
“How old he.”
“He thirty three.” Luster said. “Thirty three this morning.”