The Frumious Bandersnatch Read Free

actually. And a brother, too. My older sister went to Australia with her husband, and I think it was Adelaide where…”
    â€œIs that your sister’s name?”
    â€œNo, that’s the name of the town. At least, I think that was the name of the town. Where she had this great chocolate dessert. They have this shop sells chocolate desserts there, you know? And it’s called ‘The Chocolate Slut.’ Isn’t that a terrific name?”
    â€œGreat,” Ollie said. “The Chocolate Slut. Perfect. What is your sister’s name?”
    â€œThe one who went to Australia?”
    â€œWell, yes. Well, both of them, actually.”
    â€œShe’s called Isabella. The other one, my younger…”
    â€œCome on, ” Ollie said, and almost dropped a piece of cake off his fork.
    â€œWhat?” Patricia asked, puzzled.
    â€œThat’s my sister’s name!”
    â€œGet out of here!”
    â€œI mean it. Well, not Isabell- a, but it’s Isabelle. Yes.”
    â€œHow about that?” Patricia said, grinning.
    â€œWhat’s the other one’s name?”
    â€œWhy? Do you have two sisters, too?”
    â€œNo, just the one. But I’m curious.”
    â€œEnriqueta. It means ‘Henrietta.’ ”
    â€œDo you know what Patricia means?”
    â€œWell…Patricia, I guess. I think it’s the same in Spanish as in English.”
    â€œ I know what it means,” Ollie said, and grinned knowingly.
    â€œHow do you know what…?”
    â€œI looked it up.”
    â€œGet out!”
    â€œIt means ‘one of noble descent.’ It’s from the Latin.”
    â€œNo kidding?”
    â€œThat’s what the book said.”
    â€œGee,” Patricia said.
    â€œI think it suits you,” Ollie said. “Would you care for another soufflé?”
    Â 
    IF THE THREE people on the boat had been hired by Central Casting, they’d have been labeled The Hunk, The Pretty One, and The Nerd.
    The Hunk was driving the boat.
    His name was Avery Hanes.
    Tall and somber looking, with curly black hair and dark brown eyes, he was muscularly built—not because he’d ever done time but simply because he worked out regularly. Like the other two, Avery was wearing black jeans, a black sweatshirt, and black running shoes. Later tonight, he would put on one of the masks. But for now he was enjoying the mild May breezes that blew in off the stern of the boat, riffling his hair, touching his face like a kiss. Avery had once worked for the telephone company and then had sold electronics at The Wiz. Then he’d got the job at Lorelei Records on St. John’s Av. The gig tonight was sort of related.
    The Pretty One was Avery’s girlfriend.
    Some five-feet-six-inches tall, twenty-four years old, redheaded and green-eyed and freckled and lithe and lean and wearing for the job tonight the same black jeans and Reeboks and black sweatshirt without a bra. Her name was Kellie Morgan, and she was here because this had to look like a nice little boating party cruising up the river and not some people intent on mischief. She was here because a pretty face in the crowd had a way of stilling the most dire fears. She was here because her boyfriend Avery had told her this would be a piece of cake that would be over and done with by Tuesday night at this time, and there was nothing to worry about because it was all planned to the minute and no one would get hurt and there’d be a quarter of a million bucks for the three of them to split when all was said and done.
    The Nerd had straggly blond hair and intense blue eyes and contact lenses over those eyes. He looked like a man who might be an accountant for a small private firm, while actually he was an excon who’d been paroled only five and a bit more months ago after having done time for 1st Degree Robbery, a Class-B felony punishable by a prison term not to exceed twenty-five years. That