Thousand: Four Hundred Thirty-Four

one sustained gulp gets it down. Then he pushes it back and says, “Water now, please.” The man chuckles, which sounds to Bernie rather the thumping of apples in a barrel. An apple. One could eat an apple. The man is drawing Bernie from the seat, rubbing his buttocks with a soft cloth. He takes Bernie to the tub and eases him in. “Didn’t I just drink more of that laxative?” Bernie says. The man is shaking his head. And as the water closes around Bernie’s body, he loses interest in speaking. The man gently lifts Bernie’s arms and slips