The Quirk (42 page)

“Who’s Christian?”

“My friend. He’s at Gérard’s too.”

Competition. Just what he’d suspected. A bus thundered up to them, and they jumped onto the rear platform. It was crowded, and they stayed outside wedged up against each other. The boy’s hands stirred on him. One of his hands worked its way under Rod’s coat and found what he was interested in and moved along it. He lifted himself almost to Rod’s ear. “It
is
enormous,” he whispered delightedly.

“You better wait till we get home,” Rod said. Not home, of course. It wouldn’t work somehow to go there. The hotel. Surprise him. He was a cheerful presence, largely faceless. He didn’t want to scrutinize too closely the confusing differences. In a few minutes they came rattling and lurching to the rue du Bac, and they jumped off. Rod led the way around corners and along narrow streets to the hotel. He found his key hanging on a hook, and they mounted the stairs. When they were nearing his landing, they met the youth who had cruised him the day before. He spoke, and Rod nodded curtly. Mather’s man? Let him put it in a report.

He unlocked the door and stood aside to let Georges in and locked the door behind them. The boy remained close to him. When Rod straightened and turned from the door, arms lifted around him, and his head was pulled down for a kiss. He was mildly shocked by the experienced rapaciousness of the young mouth. He shook his coat off and removed the boy’s cape and dropped them both on a chair while the kiss continued. A hand ran along his fly. He seized it and broke away and moved the boy to the bed and sat him down beside him on the edge of it. The boy pulled off his beret.

“How come you decided you were queer when you were so young,” Rod asked.

“Queer? You mean gay? I guess I’ve always wanted to be. I’m lucky, don’t you think? Some men don’t find out until they’re married and have children. When did you?”

“When did I what?”

“Find out you were gay.”

“Oh, you know me. I’ve never found out. Except for you–actually, I went to bed with the prince last night, not exactly intentionally, but it happened.”

“The prince?”

“You know, Beauty Lussigny.”

“You know him? He is beautiful, isn’t he? I’ve had him. That’s something we have in common. He’s crazy about Christian, but he says Christian’s thing is too big. Everybody says that. You should see it. He finally found a boy who wasn’t afraid of it just the other day.”

“Good for him, but you haven’t answered my question.”

“About being gay? I don’t know. Gérard expects us to be, and I like it.” He slipped a hand along the inside of Rod’s thigh. “Now that this is happening, I can see what it would be like to have one person to care about. You’re so handsome. I think I’m going to fall in love with you.”

“Can you come back later?”

“You mean today? I don’t see how I can. Maybe I could get out of lunch with my mother.”

“I thought it was your grandmother. Never mind. I wouldn’t want you to do that. Can’t you come back afterward? I want you to spend the night with me. Here. We don’t have to go home.”

“You’re so exciting. It doesn’t matter where. Maybe I can think of an excuse, something to do with my mother. They wouldn’t find out right away. It’ll cause a horrible row, but it would be worth it for a night with you.”

“I’m thinking of going to the States soon myself. I’ll marry Nicole. Naturally, I want you to come with me.”

“You’re amazing. We haven’t even made love together. You mean you want to keep me?”

“Well, we have the money. I’ll help you find a job. That shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I’m all mixed up. Don’t you want me to get undressed?”

“Sure. Go ahead. You’ll come back later? There’s something you could help me do.” He thought about home. Something to do with his pictures? He didn’t want to think about it now.

“I’ll see what I can arrange if you really want me to.” The boy rose.

Rod stared at the floor. He was tired. Sleep. It was nice having company. He took off his shoes and socks. He looked up just as the boy was pulling his legs out of his trousers. Funny catching him so young. A sturdy body but overgrown in an adolescent way. He couldn’t believe he had been this young when he had repulsed the advances of the senior at college. The boy turned to fold his trousers over a chair. A plump round bottom. He returned to the bed in a few quick paces and dropped down beside Rod and nudged his arm. Rod put it around him.

“Do you like me?” He took Rod’s hand and put it on his erection. It’s pretty big, isn’t it? Christian says it’s still growing.”

“It seems to have grown quite a lot recently.”

“I’m cold with nothing on. I want to be in bed with you. We can keep each other warm.” He began to busy himself with Rod’s clothes. He took his jacket off and hung it on the end of the bed. He unbuttoned his shirt.

“You don’t seem surprised about going to New York,” Rod said to the floor, “but I’ve been thinking about it. It’s been wonderful here, and I know I should work full time, but it’s not that simple. I don’t guess anybody can really get away from where they come from. That means having a job and making money and getting married and all the rest of it. When I’m a success in New York, then I can really make my own rules.” He felt his shirt being removed and shifted his arms to cooperate. When he was being threatened, going back to the States seemed reasonable, perhaps necessary, but putting it into words made it sound like quitting. Patrice hated for him to think that way. Patrice believed in him, believed in his ability to triumph over all the odds. “I don’t know,” he added. “Maybe I’m just tired. When I get rested up I’ll probably be ready to carry on the battle here. There may be problems. We have a lot to talk about.”

“What a terrific body.” The boy’s voice still sounded curiously distant. “I’d go anywhere in the world with you.” He was pushed back flat on the bed, and the boy knelt over him and went to work on his trousers. “Oh, Rod. How amazing. Christian may be bigger, but this is more exciting somehow. Wait till I make it all the way hard.”

Rod lay with his eyes closed while the rest of his clothes were removed, and the boy performed his effective tricks. It was soothing to be with him again, but the beast still prowled. Something was wrong. Hadn’t they gone beyond these technical exercises?

“There,” the distant voice exclaimed. “It’s all ready to take me. I hope that’s what you’re going to do.”

The boy stretched out and offered his mouth to be kissed again. Rod obliged. It was all right this time. The expected generous delight. Rod pulled away. “It wasn’t good with the prince, in case you’re wondering. It was exciting at first, but then it turned into an orgy–we were at a party–I was disgusted by it. Still, you’re not exactly a quirk anymore. I can be tempted. I won’t let myself be taken by surprise in the future.”

“If you mean you won’t want other boys, that’s fine with me. I want to be the best lover you’ve ever had. Where do you keep what you use?”

“I don’t know. Do we have some in the bag? I’ll look.”

“No. Don’t move. You mean the bag over there? Just a second.” The boy sprang up and was back in a moment. Rod felt himself being efficiently prepared. “What a cock. I’ve dreamed of something like this happening. A handsome naked boy I found for myself about to make love to me. Now.”

Rod moved to the bidding of the indistinct voice. He remembered his resolution as he was rushing from the party, but he hadn’t meant it to include his boy. He shifted into his customary position and gripped a strangely ample body and drove into it swiftly as he was accustomed to do.

“Oh, God, you’re hurting me,” the boy cried out. “It hurts. No. Go on. Hurt me.”

“What is it?” The beast was clawing at the cage, rattling the bars to be free. He got a precarious grip on violence and lay on the boy, trembling slightly. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I love it. Oh, Rod, it’s so exciting.” His voice altered with astonishment as he repeated the name. “Rod? I remember now. I’ll bet I know who you are. Are you a painter? Do you have a girl? You must be Patrice’s American.”

“Who did you think I was?”

“How amazing. Now you’ve both had me. Did he tell you? That’s something else we have in common.”

“What’re you talking about?” His hearing had cleared. The boy’s voice was loud and taunting in his ears.

“Last week, when he came to see us. He had us both, Christian and me. And we had him. I told you. He’s the first boy Christian ever had that way. He was fabulous.”

Rod looked down at the head on the pillow and saw an unknown evil child, lips parted with depraved remembered pleasure. How had he gotten here? His head seemed to split in two, separating him from his controls. The cage collapsed. The beast sprang free. He wrenched himself from the boy and lifted himself and struck with all his force. His fist smashed deceit and corruption. His tears began to flow. There was a cry and a brief struggle. He swung both fists in quick succession, and the body subsided. His fists flailed. Blood spurted. He was blinded by tears. He grunted with his exertions while his fists continued to pound soft flesh. A tooth fell from the battered mouth. Chest and stomach became a target for his blows. He felt bone snap. He struck a glancing blow to the groin, and the body jerked up and lay lifeless and inert. Patrice was dead. He deserved to die. Deception and betrayal. He thought he saw an eye glittering at him through an ooze of blood.

He scrambled up and backed away and hit the wall. He slid down on it and let out a pent-up shout. He huddled on the floor with his head back, and the shout rose to a scream. It broke off, and he slumped over and stared at his bloody hands. He shouted again and continued to shout He realized that his mouth was forming words.

“Help. Murder.” It roared out over the city. “Help. Murder,” as if he were the victim. He heard rapid footsteps in the hall. He shouted again. Someone was hammering on the door. Gérard? His voice choked on tears, and his shout came out as a drowning rasp. “Help. Murder.” Let them take him. He had had enough.

The body on the bed stirred.

“Yes, I understand, but I see no need to do it in this way.” Nicole was seated on the sofa that she hadn’t seen since her first afternoon with Rod. She sat stiff and upright as if resisting its associations. “You make it seem like a film or a charade.”

The American called Mather paced in front of the fireplace. He stopped and hitched up his trousers and faced her. They had talked several times on the telephone, but this was their first meeting. “I guess it does sound kind of melodramatic, but I’m hoping the place will force him to accept reality. Your being here too. I can’t make up my mind how much he’s really off his rocker and how much is playacting.”

“No. Not playacting. Not Rod. He is the most true man I have ever known.”

“Yeah, well, he’s a lucky guy to have you. You haven’t seen him since all this happened. He still says he killed Valmer. I don’t know if he means it literally or in some sort of symbolic way. He hasn’t been here since I told him the kid was dead. They lived together for six months or so. If he still thinks he killed him after he’s seen the place, I’ll know we’re in trouble.”

“But you see, you’re mistaken. He worked here. He talked about moving in, but he hadn’t decided until the last time I talked to him, the day before he went away. He lived at the hotel where–” Nicole’s voice trailed off, and she dropped her eyes.

“That’s what he told you? Interesting. He’s not the simplest guy I’ve ever met. He’s been living here, all right. He took a room at the hotel again the day he got back at Marseille.”

“But it’s impossible. I don’t understand. He’s been
living
here?”

“That’s right. Since the beginning of November.” Nicole remained silent, looking at her nails with a perplexed frown. Mather went on, “Listen, Miss–Do you object to Nicole? It’s easier than all that de la business. There are certain things in this situation I’ve got to speak plainly about. I’m sorry if it upsets you.”

“No. I understand. The boy he–the boy at the hotel–it was sexual?”

“They were both naked, but there’s more to it than that. According to one of my men, who’s a declared homosexual, Rod more or less admitted that the thing with Valmer wasn’t just friendship. We’ve checked his movements pretty carefully to make sure he’s clean as far as our interests are concerned. The evening he came back from Marseille, he went to an all-male party. While there he went to bed with a fellow called Lussigny-Forbain. There are more than half a dozen witnesses–apparently some sort of an orgy. There’s a pattern of violence that suggests he’s gotten into something he doesn’t know how to handle. Have you had any reason to suspect it might be a problem?”

Nicole gave her head a small distracted shake. “No. Lussigny-Forbain. How odd.”

“I don’t know how much to make of it. Guys fooling around. Drunk. Funny things can happen. How would you say things stand between you and Rod after all this?”

Nicole straightened her shoulders and faced the American squarely. “I don’t see how that can be any concern of yours. What do you want? Why don’t you leave him alone and let him work it out for himself?”

“Well, we know what would happen to him if I did that. You can’t go around bashing teenage youngsters without having trouble with the law. Luckily, I had my people at the hotel. They took over before anybody knew what had happened. So far, Rod’s name doesn’t figure in any of the official reports. If the kid dies, of course, there won’t be much I can do. He’s still on the critical list. The doctors are worried about a kidney complication, but they think he’ll pull through. There’s a fellow called Thillier, the boy’s guardian, who seems to be out for Rod’s blood, but there’s nothing he can do without bringing it all out in the open. I don’t think he wants that any more than we do.”