By golly, we off the road.”
“No we’re not.
I know where I am.
It takes us to Malibu Beach.
Don’t you remember?
I told you I wanted to see it.”
“You go slow.”
“I’m going slow.”
“You go plenty slow.
Maybe all get killed.”
We got to the top and started into the down-grade.
She cut the motor.
They heat fast for a few minutes, when the fan stops.
Down at the bottom she started the motor again.
I looked at the temp gauge.
It was 200.
She started into the next up-grade and the temp gauge kept climbing.
“Yes sir, yes sir.”
It was our signal.
It was one of those dumb things a guy can say any time, and nobody will pay any attention to it.
She pulled off to one side.
Under us was a drop so deep you couldn’t see the bottom of it.
It must have been 500 feet.
“I think I’ll let it cool off a bit.”
“By golly, you bet.
Frank, look a that.
Look what it says.”
“Whassit say?”
“Two hundred a five.
Would be boiling in minute.”
“Letta boil.”
I picked up the wrench.
I had it between my feet.
But just then, way up the grade, I saw the lights of a car.
I had to stall.
I had to stall for a minute, until that car went by.
“C’me on, Nick.
Sing’s a song.”
He looked out on those bad lands, but he didn’t seem to feel like singing.
Then he opened the door and got out.
We could hear him back there, sick.
That was where he was when the car went by.
I looked at the number to burn it in my brain.
Then I burst out laughing.
She looked back at me.
“ ’S all right.
Give them something to remember.
Both guys alive when they went by.”
“Did you get the number?”
“2R-58-01.”