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lub so early in the day； they stopped in to see what was up。 It turned out to be a Gumbo sound check in full swing。
Terry Buckett was onstage with two other guys； a skinny kid with a bowl haircut and Lennon glasses playing bass and a devilish…looking bleached blond on guitar。 The blond； Trevor observed； had a tattoo of Mr。 Natural on his left biceps and looked as if he'd been born with a Stratocaster in his hands。 He was handsome； too； with a sybaritic face and a lanky； muscular build。 Trevor caught himself wondering if Zach had noticed。 How stupid； he thought； but the thought didn't go away。
The song in progress sounded like a cross between the Cramps and some kind of old surf music。 When it ended； Terry got up from behind the drums and crossed the stage to greet them。 〃I lost my voice！〃 he said in a hoarse； dramatic whisper。
〃Guess we're playing an instrumental set tonight；〃 added the boy with the Lennon specs。 〃Me and Calvin cain't sing。〃
〃Why don't you cancel the show？〃 Zach asked。
Terry rolled his eyes ruefully。 〃Kinsey needs the money real bad。 We do too。 Trevor； Zach； this here is R。J。 He's a nerd； but he's my oldest buddy。 And this is Calvin。〃
R。J。 said 〃Hey〃 and started tuning his bass。 He didn't seem especially bothered at being called a nerd。 Calvin looked right at Zach and his face split in a delighted； dazzling grin。 He looked as if he would like to eat Zach up right there on the spot。 〃Howdy；〃 he said。 〃You new in town？〃
Zach started to grin right back； but seemed to catch himself。 He gave Calvin an unfortable half…smile。 〃Yeah；〃 he said。 〃We both are。〃
〃Well； let me know if you need anyone to show you the sights； hear？〃 Calvin laid a slight emphasis on the you； which was obviously meant to be singular。
Trevor wanted to drag him off the stage and smash his head like a melon on the sticky floor。 Surely he could see that the two of them were together。 Could he also see how clueless Trevor was about sex？ Could he read some nameless longing in Zach's eyes？
〃Uh； thanks； but I think I've already seen the important ones。〃 Zach turned to Trevor； put an arm around him。 〃e on；〃 he urged； 〃let's see what Kinsey's up to。〃
They walked toward the back of the club； but in Trevor's mind； Calvin had already suffered all the torments of a particularly cruel hell。
Onstage； Calvin watched them walk away； and Terry watched him watching。 Those evil eyes devoured Zach from the top of his tangled hair to the soles of his hightop sneakers。 He was just Calvin's type； Terry knew： skinny bones and deathsome pallor； but spiced up with a smartass twist to his lips。 〃You leave him alone；〃 Terry warned。
〃Who's that with him？〃
〃Bobby McGee's kid。〃
Calvin's eyes widened。 〃Is the urge to kill hereditary？〃
〃You never know。 I wouldn't fuck with him。 Goddamn； my throat hurts。〃 Terry grimaced as he picked up his drumsticks。 〃You wanna run through 'Bad Reaction' again？〃
In the bar； Kinsey greeted Trevor and Zach； then went back to his ledger。 Zach ducked behind the bar and helped himself to a National Bohemian and a Coke from the cooler。 He tossed the Coke to Trevor； popped open the beer； and dropped three dollars on the bar。
Kinsey looked up at the sound of the drinks opening； glanced from the open beer to Zach's face。 〃How old are you？〃 he asked。
〃Uh； nineteen。 Why？〃
〃You can drink that because we're closed。 But during club hours； you don't drink alcohol here。 Understand？〃
〃Huh？〃 Zach's face registered utter shock。 〃Why？ What did I do？〃
〃Nothing。 You're just too young。 I don't know what the drinking age is where you e from； but here it's twenty…one。 I could get shut down for serving you。〃
〃But…〃
〃If you want to drink； you can bring in a flask。 Don't flash it around； and don't tell anyone I said you could。 Those are the rules。〃
〃Rules？〃
〃Don't they have rules in New York？〃
Zach looked helplessly at Trevor。 He ought to say something； Trevor guessed。 Zach was evidently so poleaxed by the concept of an enforced legal drinking age that his silver tongue had deserted him。 But he never should have told that stupid New York story in the first place； he was about as much a native New Yorker as Trevor was a Hindu from Calcutta。 And anyway； he had smiled back at that guitarist。 Kinsey could keep him squirming。
But Kinsey relented。 〃You're in the heart of the Bible Belt；〃 he told Zach。 〃Just be glad you didn't end up in one of the dry counties。〃
Zach shook his head in silent wonder。 Kinsey finished adding a column of numbers； unfolded himself from his bar stool； and headed for the back door。 Trevor and Zach were left alone in the bar。
〃I bet you won't even buy for me；〃 said Zach。
〃You got that right。〃
〃Shit。〃
The sound check was winding down。 Zach went off to the rest room； and Terry and R。J。 passed him on their way into the bar。 They grabbed frosty bottles from the cooler and sprawled in a booth； looking as if they had done all this millions of times。 〃Where's Calvin？〃 Trevor asked； unable to help himself。
Terry pointed down the street； then clutched his throat。 〃He went to the store to get cigarettes；〃 R。J。 translated。
Good； let him die of lung cancer。 〃Is he ing back？〃
Terry looked searchingly at Trevor； then beckoned him over。 Trevor slid into the booth beside him； and Terry put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in close to whisper。 A few days ago Trevor would have shrunk from the touch out of pure reflex； but now he was able to restrain himself。
〃Calvin's all right；〃 Terry said。 〃He thinks he has to flirt with every good…looking kid he sees； but he's all right。 Don't let him bother you。〃
〃He's not bothering me。〃
〃Well； look； if you have to kick his ass； don't break any of his fingers。 All the other decent guitarists are out of town。〃
R。J。 snorted into his beer。 Terry nodded serenely at Trevor。 Kinsey came back in carrying a bushel basket of zucchini labeled FREE and set it on the bar。 Trevor wondered whether anyone in this town maintained so much as a passing acquaintance with sanity。 But he supposed that was the pot calling the kettle black。
Suddenly； from the rest room； they heard Zach's voice raised in song。 Apparently he didn't know how flimsy the walls were； or didn't care。 All four heads turned as his clear； strong tenor came soaring through the pipes and particleboard：
〃OLD MAN RIVVERRRR 。。。 HE DON'T LIKE COTTON 。 。 。 TIRED O'LIVINNN'； SCARED O'ROTTIN' 。 。 。〃
Then they heard the toilet flush； and Zach came back into the bar； saw them all looking at him。 〃What？〃
〃I didn't know you could sing；〃 said Trevor。
Zach shrugged； trying and failing to hide his pleasure at being the center of attention。 〃Cajun blood。 You're lucky I don't play the accordion。〃
Trevor winced； and Zach realized that he had just given away an important piece of his background in front of Terry； R。J。； and Kinsey。 He couldn't tell if the others had caught it； but Kinsey looked surprised； then vaguely pleased； as if Zach had only confirmed a suspicion he'd harbored all along。
Well； Kinsey hardly seemed likely to call the feds on him。 Of course Clifford Stoll was an aging hippie too； and he had busted the Chaos puter Club； a group of German hackers who weren't doing anything but breaking into mickey…mouse American systems and trying rather half…assedly to sell the information to the KGB。
Zach swallowed hard； decided to pretend his slip of the tongue had never happened； and slid into the booth next to R。J。 His sneaker found Trevor's under the table and nudged up against it。 〃I can't really sing；〃 he said airily。 〃I mean； I've never been in a band or anything。〃
〃Would you like to？〃 rasped Terry。
〃Well…〃 He looked across the table at Trevor； who was drawing patterns in the moisture left by the beer bottles on the tabletop。 〃I don't know how long I'm going to be in town；〃 he said； and Trevor looked up。
〃How about just for tonight？〃 R。J。 asked。 〃Think you could learn a few songs that fast？〃
〃Sure； if you wrote the words out for me and let me look at them for a few minutes。〃
〃Just a few minutes？〃
〃Well； then I could rehearse with you and really learn the songs。 But I can memorize the words real fast。〃
〃Cool。〃 R。J。 and Terry nodded at each other。 〃So you wanna do it？〃
〃What kind of music is it mostly？〃
〃It's Gumbo；〃 said R。J。 〃A little of this； a little of that； and a whole lot of good。〃
〃Uh…〃 Zach looked again at Trevor； who just shrugged and looked away with a small smile。 Probably he thought the whole thing was pretty silly； maybe even stupid。 Zach knew that fronting a locally popular rock band； even for a single night in a club way off the beaten track； might not be the smartest course of action for a wanted fugitive。 But he couldn't help it： the idea of clutching a microphone； dressed all in black； getting to slink and snarl around the stage for an hour or two in front of his new lover and a big crowd of hipster freaks had already seduced him。
〃Yeah；〃 he said。 〃I want to do it。〃
The bar phone rang。 Kinsey looked up from his account books to answer it； spoke for a moment； then put the receiver down on the bar。 〃Trevor？ It's for you。〃
Trevor got up from the booth frowning。 No one knew he was here。 〃Who is it？〃 he asked； but Kinsey just shook his head。 Trevor picked up the receiver。 〃Hello。〃
〃Hi； Trevor？ This is Steve Bissette from Taboo。〃
〃Uh； hi。〃 Taboo was his favorite ics anthology； the one he had meant to submit the Bird story to。 Stephen Bissette； a very tasty writer and artist himself； was also its editor/publisher。 Trevor had no idea how he could have gotten the Sacred Yew's phone number； or why he would have wanted it。
〃Listen； thanks for sending me 'Incident in Birdland。' I think it's a really twisted story and I like your artwork a lot。〃
〃Thank you；〃 Trevor said dazedly。 He had never drawn a story called 〃Incident in Birdland；〃 and to the best of his memory had never yet sent anything to Taboo。 He'd thought of calling the Bird story 〃Incident in Jackson；〃 but had discarded that name as too boring； and hadn't titled it at all before it got shredded。
〃I really love the ending； where the zombie musicians crucify the sheriffs and burn 'em。 I have to admit I didn't see that ing。〃
〃Thanks；〃 Trevor said again。 He glanced over at the booth。 Calvin had e back and was leaning against the table peeling the cellophane off his Marlboros with elaborate casualness； but Zach was looking at Trevor。 He raised his eyebrows questioningly。
〃Anyway；〃 said Bissette； 〃I'd like to buy the story。 I just wanted to make sure I should still send your contract and check to this address。〃
〃Could you read it back to me？〃
He heard papers rustling。 〃Rural Box 17； Violin Road 。 。 。〃
〃No。 Send it care of the Sacred Yew。〃 Trevor read the address off a past…due water bill on the bartop。
〃Great。 And listen； I'd like to see more of your work。 But don't send your originals by surface mail next time； okay？ It's not reliable。 Send me copies or FedEx。 Or fax 'em if you want。 I can give you the number。〃
〃That's okay。 I'll send copies。〃
They said good…bye； and Trevor hung up feeling as if he'd just smoked two or three of Zach's joints all by himself： dizzy； slightly elated； and disoriented as hell。
He went back to the table and leaned over to speak in Zach's ear。 〃Can I talk to you for a minute？〃
They walked out through the silent gloom of the club； past the softly gleaming graffiti that said WE ARE NOT AFRAID。 Trevor wished it were true。 The sun was high in the sky overhead； but the sidewalk shimmered with the heat of the day。 The sky was the color of bleached denim； heavy with unshed rain。
Trevor recounted the surreal conversation。 Zach's eyes grew larger behind his glasses； and he leaned against the building shaking his head。 〃This just gets more and more fucked up。〃
〃Did you see the pieces of the story after that morning？〃
〃I thought you picked them up and threw them away。〃
〃I thought you did。〃
They stared at each other； confusion and fear writ large on their faces。 At last Zach said； 〃Are you sure you want to stay there？〃
〃No。 But I hav