Pagan Babies

"That's presumption, my son. And presumption itself is a sin. You can't win, Vito."

"You either. Move."

Terry said, "I'm staying," and waited to get dragged across the table.

But what Vito did, he came around to Terry's end of the banquette, put his hand on Terry's shoulder and pinched that muscle between the neck and the shoulder blade, kept pressure on it, and the sudden pain, Christ, made his arm go limp. He tried to twist away, but the guy's fingers were clamped on tight. Debbie was yelling, "Leave him alone," trying to hold on to his arm as the guy took hold of the front of Terry's suit and pulled him up out of the booth by his lapels.

Now he was patting Terry on the shoulder, straightening the front of his suit, Vito saying, "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Terry had to agree, it wasn't. It needed to be a lot worse and he needed witnesses. So he said to Vito, up close, eye to eye and in a low voice:

"You pinch, huh? Why is that, Vito, 'cause you're a fuckin guinea faggot with no balls?"

Said it and got what he wanted, the body punch, Vito driving a fist into him with weight behind it and it rocked Terry, punched the air out of him, hunched him over to grab hold of his stomach-Debbie screaming now-and he couldn't get his breath, couldn't straighten until the guy brought up his knee to catch him in the chest, the guy's thigh ironing his face and Terry went down, landed flat on his back and lay there gasping, trying to suck air into his lungs.

He saw Debbie close to him pulling his collar off. It didn't help. He saw Randy looking down at him and then away, Randy saying to somebody, "Tony's go

Now a guy with a crew cut it looked like the bouncer who told Joh

They were in Randy's office now in lamplight, Debbie helping Terry into the leather chair facing the desk, Randy watching.

"I want to know what he said to Vito Genoa."

Debbie's back was to him, hunched over Terry, touching his hair, his face, their voices low as Terry asked if Joh

Debbie said no, he was still at the table. Terry said good, lying back to rest his head against the cushion. Debbie straightened. She took the chair beneath Soupy Sales and got out her cigarettes. Randy remained on his feet, restless. He turned to Debbie.

"He said something that pissed Vito off."

Debbie said, "You mean it's okay then to beat him up, a priest, a man of God-"

"Just shut up. I want to know what he said."

"Ask him."

"Who is he? What're you doing with a priest?"

"He's a very dear friend of mine."

"You never told me about any priests."

"What're you talking about I went to Catholic schools, didn't I?

I told you, he's Fr. Terry Du

Terry turned his head on the cushion. "Not too bad. But when I move, oh boy, it's like somebody's sticking a knife in my back.

From the way I hit the floor. I don't think I'll be able to say Mass tomorrow."

Beautiful. Just right. Debbie wanted to kiss him but had to hang on to her anguished look. She said, "I think you should go to a hospital."

It hooked Randy. He turned to her saying, "Shit," and moved about without going anywhere. He seemed to be thinking for a moment, plotting, and said, "Who's the other guy?"

"Father's friend Joh

Terry turned his head on the cushion. "I asked him what parish he was in. He didn't say, but I thought maybe he was in Our Lady Star of the Sea." Terry groaned and closed his eyes. "Oh, boy, I never had a pain like this before."

"He has to leave," Randy said, turning to Debbie. "Where's he staying?"

"With his brother, in Bloomfield Hills."

"Oh? The brother must do pretty well."

"He does, he's a personal iniury lawyer."

Randy said, "Fuck!" turning away again.

"Or," Debbie said, "we can settle it right here."

She watched Randy put on a half-assed sly look, narrowing his eyes. "That's why you took the booth isn't it? You set the whole thing up."

"Right," Debbie said. "I found out a couple of gangsters had reserved the booth, so we took it with the idea of pissing them off and Fr. Du

"Jesus Christ," Randy said, "come on when did you start hanging out with priests?"

"While I was inside, Randy, I saw the light and was saved. You know who my boss is now, a Jewish carpenter."

Randy said it again, "Jesus Christ-"

And Debbie came back with "My Lord and Savior." She said,

"Randy, did you know there was a well-known TV anchorman sitting at the bar? Carlo pointed him out to us. Bill Bonds with his wife. You must know him. Carlo said he was drinking Perrier and saw the whole thing. Of course, everyone in the place saw it if they weren't blind.

You want to settle or go to court?"

Randy took his time. Debbie believed he was facing the fact of the situation now, a priest assaulted in his restaurant, and knew she was right when he said, "How much are we talking about?"

She said, "Two-fifty."

"And you didn't set this up."

"I swear, Randy, it was our Savior looking out for us."

"All right, if you want a carpenter for a lawyer, bring him to court." Randy paused, getting that narrow look in his eyes again.

"You said, '… looking out for us,' didn't you? What does his falling down, maybe drunk-I don't know have to do with you?"

"Fr. Du

"When did I say I owed you anything?"

"Randy, see if you can keep your mouth shut for a minute. I'm go

Joh

He was i

"You see what happened?"

" 'Course I did."

"Why'd you let him deck the priest? You're the bouncer, aren't you?"

"I'm Mr. Agley's bodyguard. One of those two fellas was here? He loaned me to Mr. Agley."

"You're a mob guy, uh?"

"I told you what I do."

The Mutt raised his hand to look at his watch and Joh

"You ink that tat yourself?"

The Mutt raised his hand again. "This? No, I had it done. I was a fighter."

The tattoo was crude and ugly enough for Joh

"Guy in the yard. How'd you know?"

"Takes one to know one," Joh

"Southern Ohio."

"For what?"

"Killed a guy. Shot him."

"That what you are, a hit man?"

"You could say, on the side."

"Yeah? You've whacked guys?"

"Three so far. Was a truck driver, a convict and a Chaldean."