Northern Lights by Tim O’Brien Read Free Book Online

Addie was still with her crowd, they were all dancing. He stood alone until the music ended and Addie came up.
    “Hey,” she said. Her face was brown and wet. “Not awfully fond of dancing, are you?”
    “No. Where did you get all those jolly young friends?”
    “Oh, them. They’re all right. The whole lot is from Silver Bay and they love to dance. Franz is going to play his accordion and we’re all going to dance polkas.”
    “Wonderful.”
    “Sure.”
    “I saw you at the lake,” he said.
    “Ah,” she smiled. “Yes. I waved. Did you see my wave?”
    “I saw.”
    “You were playing a peeping tom, weren’t you? You were out there spying.”
    “I happened along.”
    Addie took his arm.
    “How’s the dancing?”
    “It’s okay. You haven’t been in the library. You’re going to go illiterate. I’ve been saving all these books for you.”
    “I haven’t felt much like reading. I don’t know.”
    She leaned against him. “I’ve been drinking, Paul. I have to go to my friends. I’ll make an excuse and come to your table.” She turned, jerked a thumb towards Harvey. “Is that your brother the war hero? He looks like some fine war hero.”
    “That’s him.”
    “He must be a pirate. He looks like a pirate.”
    “I guess he does.”
    “All right,” she said. “You hang tight. I’ll make my excuses and come to your table. But you can’t feel my legs and you have to promise to dance the polkas. You promise?” She released his arm and it felt red where she’d been holding it. The tavern was thumping. “And you must stop spying,” she said.
    “Oh, it’s not …”
    “Promise?”
    “Sure.”
    “I’ll hurry over.”
    Harvey was wooing his young waitress. He was getting drunk and the girl watched him carefully.
    “Hey, Paul! You met my classy friend, Linda?”
    “Lorna.”
    “Lorna, Linda, no matter. Have I told anyone how classy you are? Imagine finding a classy person such as yourself in such an unclassy part of the world. Imagine that. I’m boggled by it. Paul, aren’t you boggled by all the classy people you meet in unclassy places?”
    “Always.” Addie was still talking with her young friends. She had her hands on her hips, palms in. It was her odd way of standing, her pelvis forward and her eyes black and bright. Sometimes her eyes looked Indian, sometimes Asian, and she wore a white scarf on her hair. She wore sandals and white shorts.
    “This is Linda,” Harvey said. “Linda’s going to get us more beer.”
    “Lorna,” she whined. Her brown hair was strung in a great nest towards the rafters.
    “Linda, Lorna. Something like that. Am I close?”
    “Lorna.”
    “Yes, that’s it. And this is my brother. Together we’re a classy group, don’t you think? My brother is my assistant, you know. He thinks I don’t behave sometimes. He keeps me reined in, so to speak. Isn’t that right, brother? I’m a quite famous and reputable dentist.”
    “I hate dentists,” the girl said.
    Her mouth snapped shut. She snuffed out a cigarette.
    Harvey kept after her. “Don’t take it wrong now. You’re classy. It’s just the teeth. Here, open up.” He touched her lips with a finger. “Come on, honey, open up. That’s it.”
    Tentatively, the girl’s mouth opened. Harvey touched her front teeth. Her eyes rolled down. She held an unlit cigarette in one hand.
    “Not so classy in here,” said Harvey. “We’ll need some time. Atta girl, hold still now. See here, Paul? Cap this baby. Build a bridge here.”
    “Stop it,” Lorna grunted. She spoke between her teeth, holding them bared, but Harvey had her by the neck, craning over and pivoting.
    “Easy does it,” Harvey purred. “Ack! These things. Have to yank ’em, no question. Then drill a nice hole right … here … and do a canal job on the nerve, no problem. Open up now. What do you think, doctor?”
    Harvey kept after the girl. She had a great red mouth.
    “Infected,” Harvey said solemnly. “Right here. Does