mustard and ketchup。 she scooted into the booth opposite。 he didnt look up。 what are you havin； he said。
i dont know。 i aint looked at the menu。
he spun the menu around and slid it in front of her and turned and looked for the waitress。
what are you？ the girl said。
what am i havin？
no。 what are you。 are you a character？
he studied her。 the only people i know that know what a character is； he said； is other characters。
i might just be a fellow traveler。
fellow traveler。
yeah。
well you are now。
youre hurt； aint you？
what makes you say that？
you cant hardly walk。
maybe its just a old war injury。
i dont think so。 what happened to you？
you mean lately？
yeah。 lately。
you dont need to know。
why not？
i dont want you gettin all excited on me。
what makes you think id get excited？
cause bad girls like bad boys。 what are you goin to have？
i dont know。 what is it you do？
three weeks ago i was a law abidin citizen。 workin a nine to five job。 eight to four； anyways。 things happen to you they happen。 they dont ask first。 they dont require your permission。
thats the truth if i ever heard it told； she said。
you hang around me youll hear some more of it。
you think im a bad girl？
i think youd like to be。
whats in that briefcase？
briefs。
whats in it。
i could tell you； but then id have to kill you。
you aint supposed to carry a gun in a public place。 did you not know that？ in particular a gun such as that。
let me ask you somethin。
go ahead。
when the shootin starts would you rather be armed or be legal？
i dont want to be around no shootin。
yes you do。 its wrote all over you。 you just dont want to get shot。 what are you havin？
what are you？
cheeseburger and a chocolate milk。
the waitress came and they ordered。 she got the hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy。 you aint even asked me where i was goin； she said。
i know where youre goin。
where am i goin then。
down the road。
that aint no answer。
its more than just a answer。
you dont know everthing。
no i dont。
you ever kill anybody？
yeah； he said。 you？
she looked embarrassed。 you know i aint never killed nobody。
i dont know that。
well i aint。
you aint； then。
you aint done； either。 are you？
done what。
what i just said。
killin people？
she looked around to see if they might be overheard。
yes； she said。
be hard to say。
after a while the waitress brought their plates。 he bit the corner off a packet of mayonnaise and squeezed out the contents over his cheeseburger and reached for the ketchup。 where you from？ he said。
she took a drink of her iced tea and wiped her mouth with the paper napkin。 port arthur； she said。
he nodded。 he took up the cheeseburger in both hands and bit into it and sat back； chewing。 i aint never been to port arthur。
i aint never seen you there。
how could you of seen me there if i aint never been there？
i couldnt。 i was just sayin i aint。 i was agreein with you。
moss shook his head。
they ate。 he watched her。
i reckon youre on your way to california。
how did you know that？
thats the direction youre headed in。
well thats where im goin。
you got any money？
whats it to you？
it aint nothin to me。 do you？
i got some。
he finished the cheeseburger and wiped his hands on the paper napkin and drank the rest of the milk。 then he reached in his pocket and took out the roll of hundreds and unfolded them。 he counted out a thousand dollars onto the formica and pushed it toward her and put the roll back in his pocket。 lets go； he said。
whats that for？
to go to california on。
what do i gotta do for it？
you dont have to do nothin。 even a blind sow finds a acorn ever once in a while。 put that up and lets go。
they paid and walked out to the truck。 you wasnt callin me a sow back yonder was you？
moss ignored her。 give me the keys； he said。
she took the keys from her pocket and handed them over。 i thought maybe youd forgot i had em； she said。
i dont forget much。
i could of just slipped off like i was goin to the ladies room and took your truck and left you settin there。
no you couldnt of。
why not？
get in the truck。
they got in and he set the case between them and pulled the tec…9 out of his belt and slid it under the seat。
why not？ she said。
dont be ignorant all your life。 in the first place i could see all the way to the front door and out the parkin lot clear to the truck。 in the second place even if i was dumb…ass enough to set with my back to the door id of just called a cab and run you down and pulled you over and beat the shit out of you and left you layin there。
she got real quiet。 he put the key in the ignition and started the truck and backed it out。
would you of done that？
what do you think？
when they pulled into van horn it was seven oclock at night。 shed slept a good part of the way； curled up with her knapsack for a pillow。 he pulled into a truckstop and shut off the engine and her eyes snapped open like a deers。 she sat up and looked at him and then looked out at the parking lot。 where are we？ she said。
van horn。 you hungry？
i could eat a bite。
you want some diesel fried chicken？
what？
he pointed to the sign overhead。
i aint eatin nothin like that； she said。
she was in the ladies room a long time。 when she came out she wanted to know if hed ordered。
i did。 i ordered some of that chicken for you。
you aint done it； she said。
they ordered steaks。 do you live like this all the time？ she said。
sure。 when youre a big time desperado the skys the limit。
whats that on that chain？
this？
yeah。
its a tush off of a wild boar。
what do you wear that for？
it aint mine。 im just keepin it for somebody。
a lady somebody？
no； a dead somebody。
the steaks came。 he watched her eat。 does they anybody know where youre at？ he said。
what？
i said does anybody know where youre at。
like who？
like anybody。
you。
i dont know where youre at because i dont know who you are。
well that makes two of us。
you dont know who you are？
no； silly。 i dont know who you are。
well； well just keep it that way and they wont neither of us be out nothin。 all right？
all right。 whatd you ask me that for？
moss mopped up steak gravy with a half a roll。 i just thought it was probably true。 for you its a luxury。 for me its a necessity。
why？ because theys somebody after you？
maybe。
i do like it that way； she said。 you got that part right。
it dont take long to get a taste for it； does it？
no； she said。 it dont。
well； it aint as simple as it sounds。 youll see。
why is that。
theres always somebody knows where youre at。 knows where and why。 for the most part。
are you talkin about god？
no。 im talkin about you。
she ate。 well； she said。 youd be in a fix if you didnt know where you was at。
i dont know。 would you？
i dont know。
suppose you was someplace that you didnt know where it was。 the real thing you wouldnt know was where someplace else was。 or how far it was。 it wouldnt change nothin about where you was at。
she thought about that。 i try not to think about stuff like that； she said。
you think when you get to california youll kind of start over。
thems my intentions。
i think maybe thats the point。 theres a road goin to california and theres one in back。 but the best way would be just to show up there。
show up there。
yeah。
you mean and not know how you got there？
yeah。 and not know how you got there。
i dont know how youd do that。
i dont either。 thats the point。
she ate。 she looked around。 can i get some coffee？ she said。
you can get anything you want。 you got money。
she looked at him。 i guess i aint sure what the point is； she said。
the point is there aint no point。
no。 i mean what you said。 about knowin where you are。
he looked at her。 after a while he said： its not about knowin where you are。 its about thinkin you got there without takin anything with you。 your notions about startin over。
or anybodys。 you dont start over。 thats what its about。 ever step you take is forever。
you cant make it go away。 none of it。 you understand what im sayin？
i think so。
i know you dont but let me try it one more time。 you think when you wake up in the mornin yesterday dont count。 but yesterday is all that does count。 what else is there？
your life is made out of the days its made out of。 nothin else。 you might think you could run away and change your name and i dont know what all。 start over。 and then one mornin you wake up and look at the ceilin and guess whos layin there？
she nodded。
you understand what im sayin？
i understand that。 i been there。
yeah； i know you have。
so are you sorry you bee a outlaw？
sorry i didnt start sooner。 are you ready？
when he came out of the motel office he handed her a key。
whats that？
thats your key。
she hefted it in her hand and looked at him。 well； she said。 its up to you。
yes it is。
i guess youre afraid ill see whats in that bag。
not really。
he started the truck and pulled down the parking lot b