The Grasshopper King (35 page)
Read The Grasshopper King Online
Authors: Jordan Ellenberg
“Sir? Or Ma'am? Can you tell us where you are? Is someone threatening you? If you can make a sound safely, please make it once for yes and twice for no. Sir? If you can stay on the line another minute or so we can trace the call and we'll have police there. Ma'am? Can you tell us where you are?”
A man came on the line.
“If you're saying something, we can't hear you. Please bring your mouth closer to the receiver if you can safely do so. If you can't safely make a sound, just stay on the line and we'll find you.”
The woman: “Larry . . .”
“It's
OK
. It's probably just a prank call.”
Was I supposed to hear that? Beyond the fence, to the east, the sun was an innocuous white spot on a sky as blue and blank as pool water.
Behind me, a shout; the others had seen me. Here came their footsteps now, squelching in the mud.
“Are you still there?” the man said. I hung up the phone.
RECENT FICTION FROM COFFEE HOUSE PRESS
MINIATURES
A NOVEL BY NORAH LABINER
BINGO UNDER THE CRUCIFIX
A NOVEL BY LAURIE FOOS
THE WHITE PALAZZO
A NOVEL BY ELLEN COONEY
THE LAKESTOWN REBELLION
A NOVEL BY KRISTIN LATTANY
MY LOVE, MY LOVE
A NOVEL BY ROSA GUY
THE MERMAID THAT CAME BETWEEN THEM
A NOVEL BY CAROL ANN SIMA
LITTLE CASINO
A NOVEL BY GILBERT SORRENTINO
SOME OF HER FRIENDS THAT YEAR
STORIES BY MAXINE CHERNOFF
THE IMPOSSIBLY
A NOVEL BY LAIRD HUNT
CLUB REVELATION
A NOVEL BY ALLAN APPEL
THE COTILLION
A NOVEL BY JOHN OLIVER KILLENS
THE COMPLEXITIES OF INTIMACY
STORIES BY MARY CAPONEGRO
Good books are brewing at
coffeehousepress.org
Coffee House Press is an independent nonprofit literary publisher. Our books are made possible through the generous support of grants and gifts from many foundations, corporate giving programs, individuals, and through state and federal support. Coffee House Press also receives support from the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts; and from grants from the Elmer and Eleanor Andersen Foundation; the Beim Foundation; Buuck Family Foundation; the Bush Foundation; the Butler Family Foundation; Lerner Family Foundation; the McKnight Foundation; the law firm of Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth,
P
.
A
.; St. Paul Companies; Target, Marshall Field's, and Mervyn's with support from the Target Foundation; James R. Thorpe Foundation; The Walker Foundation; Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota; West Group; the Woessner Freeman Foundation; and many individual donors.
To you and our many readers across the country, we send our thanks for your continuing support.
Good books are brewing at
coffeehousepress.org