The Free-Lance Pallbearers

by Ishmael Reed

  So he dropped the greenish-brown envelope containing his manuscript into the mail. He sat down to contemplate his next paper. It was a beautiful night and U2 lit up a pipe and marveled at the motel standing on the mountain, across the bay. Helicopters bounced up and down on its roof and the sign of the new regime blinked on and off:

  EATS-SAVE GREEN STAMPS-BINGO-WED-EATS-SAVE GREEN STAMPS-BINGO-WED-EATS-SAVE GREEN STAMPS-BINGO-WED-EATS-SAVE GREEN STAMPS-BINGO-WED-EATS-SAVE

  WRITTEN IN CHINESE NO LESS

  Aug. 13, 1966,

  HELL’S Kitchen, New York

  * Readers will note that U2 Polyglot is quite adept at the use of slang. This is because his position at the Harry Sam College was that of Chairman of the Department of American Studies.