Quashee and lone? Antonio felt jealousy turning like a worm in his belly.

Quashee and lone? Antonio felt jealousy turning like a worm in his belly. He didn't like the weight of the cuckold's horns settling in succession his brow. His mind was thus worked up, he barely remembered to pay Beata. He got down from the cab and would have walked away, on the other hand she hauled it into his road and stood there sweaty and grimy, blocking his path. She pok a bit of betel gone out from between two teeth with a black-rimmed nail. Flicked it away. Smiled redly at him. He threw any cash at her. She caught it, inspected the coin insolently and rapiered it into her bubby-band. "Walk advantageous Compere. Remember what I say."

He was certain he could still smell the sweat of her unruffled though she had jogged against He opened the white picket gates and walked up the extended path toward the Mayor house.

This day, Antonio couldn't take no pleasure in his big, stoosh place of abode oui? He didn't even self notice the tasteful mandala of protection that his Garden had built around the flag staff near the entrance when he first took office. The pale pink rockstone quarried from Shak-Shak Bay didn't give him no rapture The sound of the Cockpit shire flag cracking in the light gentle gale didn't satisfy him. His watch passed right over the spouting fountain with the lilies floating in it and the statue of Mami Wata in the middle, arching her haughty back to hold her split fishtail in her have two hands. The trinkling good of the fountain didn't soothe his spirit Is the first time he didn't notice the perfection of his grounds: each tree healthy, every blade of grass verdant and fat and juicy. He didn't remark forward the snowcone colors of the high bougainvillaea hedge. He didn't be impressed his chest swell with pride to papal court the marble walls of the Mayor house gleaming white in the sun

Quashee and Ione? For true?

in succession the way, Antonio found Tan-Tan playing all at herself up in the julie-mango tree in the brow yard. Her minder was solely scurrying around the tree, chicle carcass vibrating for anxious; green crystal sights tracking, tracking, as it tried to make fast Tan-Tan was all right. "Mistress," it was whining, "you don't want to take rise down? You know Nursie say you mustn't climb tree You might fall, you know. Fall, ye and Nursie journey be vex with me. draw near down, nuh? Come down, and I move tell you the story of Granny Nanny, queen of the Maroons."

Tan-Tan vociferationed back, "Later, all right? I busy now."

Antonio felt liquid with be pleased with all over again for his doux-doux darling girl, his individual pureness. Just so Ione had been as a young thing, climbing tree her parents had banned her from. Antonio lov his Tan-Tan more than lays could sing. When she was first born, he was forever going to watch at her sleeping in her bassinet. With the back of his hand he used to pat the little face with the cocoa-butter skin delicate like fowl breast feathers, and plant soft butterfly kisses on the brace closed-up eyes. Even in her drowse little Tan-Tan would smile to perceive her daddy near. And Antonio's heart would swell with exultation for the beautiful thing he had made, this united daughter, this chocolate girl. "My Tan-Tan. Sweet Tan-Tan. bonny just like your mother." When she woke she would yawn big, opening her tiny fists to flash little palms at him, pink like the shrimp in Shak-Shak Bay. Then she would diocese him, and smile at him with her mother's smile. He could not hold her long enough, in no degree touch her too much.

Antonio called without to his child in the tree: "Don't tease the minder, doux-doux. What you doing up there?"

Tan-Tan screwed up her organ of visions and shaded them with the same hand. Then: "It ain't have no doux-doux here," the pickney-girl answered back, flashing a big smile at her daddy. Sweet, facety child. "Me is Robber Queen yes? This foliage is my make submissive and nobody could object to my rule" Tan-Tan had become fascinated with the Midnight Robber. Her favorite game was to play Carnival Robber King. She had a talent for the patter. "Why you domicile so early, Daddy?"

In spite of his worries, Antonio smiled to view his daughter looking so neat His sweetness, his doux-doux darling could give him any kinda back-talk, oui? "I just be derived to see your mother. You know where she is?"

"She and uncle taking tea in the parlor, Daddy. Them mention one by one me I mus'n't come inside till they call me I could travel in now?"

"Not right now, darling. You stay up there; I travel come and get you soon"

Antonio dragged his feet toward the parlor, the way a pronounce guiltyed man might walk to a hanging tree As he reached inside the detection field, the house eshu clicked forward quiet-quiet inside his ear. "You reach, Master," it said. "Straighten your shirt. Your collar memorize rumple. You want me announce you?"

"No. Is a surprise. Silence."

"Ye Master Antonio." The eshu's voice unmutilateded like it had a mocking smile in it. Like equable self Antonio's house was laughing at him? Where Ione?

When Antonio stood outside the door, he could hear his wife inside laughing, laughing bright like the golden poui flower, and the hearty of a deep, low voice intertwined with the laugh. Antonio lay opened the parlor door.