Exit Kingdom

again,
and runs out the front door. Now others appear, men and women commoted from sleep.
    And his brother, Abraham, at the top of the steps, naked also, his filthy unwashed hands and face like gloves and mask on a pale, chalky skeleton.

    We had a deal, Abraham says.
    Get in your clothes, Moses says.
    It was bought and paid for with services, Abraham says.
    Get in your goddamned clothes.
    Abraham disappears and returns a moment later. Half wrappered in his pants and shirt, he stumbles down the staircase as the men of the community begin to circle, looking angry.
    What’s going on? they say.
    We’re leaving, Mosessays.
    And the two brothers open the front door to find a man with a shotgun aimed directly at them. He is a skinny old man with white hair and red-rimmed eyes. He is decrepit, and the shotgun shakes
in his hands.
    What did you do to my granddaughter? the old man says.
    It was bought—, Abraham begins, but then Moses seizes his brother by the back of the neck as you would pluck a kittenfrom a litter. Abraham winces with pain and hushes.
    We’re leaving, Moses says to the old man.
    My granddaughter, you filthied her.
    I got no truck with you, old man, Moses says.
    Others from the community gather round. They wonder what devils they have invited into their midst for the price of a few supplies.
    You got truck with this, the old man says, gesturing to the shotgunwith shaky hands.
    Moses quickly unsheathes his knife and thrusts it at the man’s face, the point of the blade an inch from the old man’s nose. The old man quakes and shrinks away but keeps the gun
pointed at Moses.
    Stand down, Moses says. I ain’t so sure you can pull that trigger. But I’m damn sure I can use this knife. I am repentant about the agitation we caused, but we’re gonna beon
our way now. Understood?
    The old man hesitates a moment longer then lowers the gun and steps aside miserably.
    Filth, he says as Moses passes by dragging his brother along by the neck.
    The brothers climb into their car. Most of the residents of the community watch quietly as they leave. And a few gather around the old man to hold him back as he starts to run after the car,
crying,You go to hell! You go straight to hell!
    Some fun, eh? Abraham says.
    Shut up, Moses says, and his voice must be a gavel of some sort, because it works to keep his brother hushed for the next half-hour.
    *
    And when they are out in the desert, Moses pulls the car to the shoulder of the road and brings it to a stop. In the far distance there are two slugs walking slowly, knockingtogether clownishly as they move. When they see the car, they begin to amble towards it – but they are desiccated and slow.
    What are we stoppin for? Abraham asks.
    Moses climbs out of the car and walks around to open the passenger-side door. Then he reaches in, grabs his brother by the upper arm, drags him out of the seat and tosses him to the hard pebbled
earth.
    What did you doto that girl? Moses says.
    It was bought and paid for, Abraham says.
    Say it again. Just say it again. Now what did you do to her?
    Nothin. I didn’t do nothin. I barely touched her, her just laying there like a stinkin mackerel.
    Moses wants to strike him, but he turns and brings his heavy fist down on the hood of the car instead. The metal warbles with the violence.
    You betterget right, Moses tells his brother.
    Get right? Mose, we’re fuckin mercenaries.
    Who is?
    We all are. Everybody is. Ain’t you noticed?
    Get right or you’re gonna get made right.
    Get made right by who? You?
    Not me.
    How come not you?
    I’m your brother. You got one fate by me but another fate by the world.
    Don’t get mystical, Mose. Ain’t but one man could stop me doinanything, and that’s you. You don’t stop me, that makes you complicit.
    That ain’t how it works.
    According to whose laws? Theirs?
    Abraham points to the two slugs drawing closer.
    There’s plenty in the world to stop you, Moses says, but only one to stand beside you. Whether I like it or not.
    Abraham stands and brushes off the seat of his pants.
    That’s a touching thing youjust said, big brother. Now I’m all filled with grief and contrition. Come on, that girl, it was just a little fun I was havin is all.
    Moses looks at him, his younger brother. There are forces working on forces, there must be, and so they must converge on every moment, every place, every person – even his brother. There
must be born somewhere the force to take care of the problem of