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those eyes except to say that they looked impossibly old； older than eyes could be。 There was some pain in them； sure … most people that Fate leads to Callahan's Place have anguished eyes when they first arrive … but beyond the pain was a kind of unspeakable weariness； a terrible and ancient knowledge that had no brought satisfaction。 My memory churned； and produced the only remotely similar pair of eyes I have ever seen： my grandmother； dead of cancer these twenty years。
〃I beg your pardon？〃 she said politely； and I tried hard to climb back up out of her eyes。 Tom Flannery sensed my distress and came to my aid。
〃Jake's right； Rachel；〃 he said。 〃Callahan doesn't believe in cash registers either。 He only deals in singles。〃
〃You mean everything in the house costs a dollar？〃 she asked in surprise。
〃Oh； no；〃 Tom demurred。 〃Everything in the house costs fifty cents。 There's a cigar box full of quarters down there … see？ … and you pick up your change on the way out。。。 if you've left your glass on the bar。〃
〃What's the alternative？〃 she asked with a puzzled frown； as Callahan set her drink down before her。
〃Smash your glass in the fireplace；〃 Callahan said cheerfully。 〃Does you a world of good sometimes。 It's worth fifty cents； easy。〃
Her whole face brightened。 〃A long time ago；〃 she said thoughtfully； 〃I bought an entire house for the single purpose of smashing crockery in it。 I think I like your place； Mike。〃
〃That makes two of us；〃 he said fortably； and poured himself a beer mug of Bushmill's best。
〃To Callahan's Place；〃 she said； draining her glass in one easy motion and holding it high。 Callahan didn't bat an eye。 He inhaled his own whiskey as fast as it'd pour and raised his glass too。 Two arms fell as one。
Glass shattered in the fireplace； and a spontaneous cheer went up from all around。 Long…Drink McGonnigle began singing； 〃For She's a Jolly Good Fellow；〃 and was stifled without ceremony。
She turned to face us。 〃Lots of bars make a woman feel wele；〃 she said。 〃This is the first one that ever made me feel at home。 Thank you all。〃
Ever see a whole bar blush？
Fast Eddie came in the door … no one had seen him leave … with change of a five from the all…night deli across the street and gave it to her gravely； a solemn look on his wrinkled face。 But Callahan refused the single she offered。 One exquisite eyebrow rose quizzically。
〃Rachel；〃 he said； 〃this here is Punday Night at my Place； and the champeen punster doesn't have to pay his or her。。。 bar bill。 From what I've heard already； I'd say you've got a shot at the title。〃 Her face lit with a merry smile。 Callahan explained the format and the subject we were using and built her another drink。
She paused a moment in thought。 〃The Middle East；〃 she began at last； 〃finally achieved a kind of uneasy stability in the late 1970's。 Israel and the Pan…Arabian nations maintaining a fragile truce。 Then one day the Arabian ambassador to Israel； Opinh Bom Bay； chanced to spy a carousel in the market place and； being intrigued by this Westernish recreation； decided to try it。 Being a neophyte； he became extremely dizzy； dismounted from his wooden steed with great difficulty； and reeled out of the square。 A Chinese shepherd called Ewe Hu was passing through Jerusalem at that time with three fine sheep； and Bom Bey staggered into their midst。 The middle sheep promptly ate him。
〃Horrific visions of the war that would inevitably ensue racing through his mind； Ewe Hu flung up his hands and cried； ‘Middle lamb； you've had a dizzy Bey！'〃
There was a ghastly ；silence； such as must exist on the airless wastes of the Moon； and Callahan's ever…present cigar fell from his lips； landing with an absurdly loud splash in his glass。 Oblivious； he lifted the glass and drank。 When he set it down again； the cigar was back in his teeth； soggy and drooping。
Long…Drink made a face。 〃You didn't keep to the subject；〃 he plained feebly； and Fast Eddie began to cloud up。
But she stood her ground； deadpan。 〃The story；〃 she maintained； 〃was clearly about Zion's friction。〃
And the silence fell in a million shards； whoops of laughter； blending in with groans and the volley of breaking glass on the hearth。
Tom Flannery entered a forfeit about the same time Long…Drink and the Doc conceded defeat； and that was Rachel's first night at Callahan's Place。 She returned on the following night； and then on the following Tuesday； and soon became something of a regular。 She was there when Tommy Janssen got married right in front of the fireplace； and the night the Place caught fire； and that sad night when gentle； softly smiling Tom Flannery finally failed to show up （Tom's doctors had given him nine months to live； the day before he happened into Callahan's Place）； and she just seemed to fit。 Although she was never by any stretch of the imagination One Of The Boys； she fit in a way that reminded me very faintly of Wendy in Never…Never Land。 But she was not disturbed by the hooliganry of her Lost Boys； nor dismayed by their occasional ribaldry … once when Doc Webster； slightly jealous of her superior puns； tried to embarrass her with an offcolor joke； she responded with a gag so steamy and so hilarious that the Doc blushed clear down to his ankles and laughed himself silly。 And she was incredibly gentle with Fast Eddie； who came to display the classic signs of a man goofy with love。 Suddenly all he knew how to play was torch songs； and while she always praised them； she pointedly missed the point； yet somehow allowed him to keep his self…respect。
Curiously； Eddie was the only one of us to fall for her。 Certainly； all of us at Callahan's were heir to the tradition of the B…movie … and the A…movie for that matter … that any female who enters your life in a dramatic manner must be your fated love。 But somehow Rachel didn't elicit that reflex of imagined desire in us。 She was never cold … you retained at all times an impression of vibrant feminity … but she never projected either the air of receptivity which provokes passes； or the studied indifference which is the same thing in disguise。 We never even learned much about her； where she lived and that sort of thing。 All we knew was that she was fun to be with： she was a note of nearly pure cheer even in a place where good cheer was monplace。
But only nearly pure。 There were those eyes。 They reminded me in many ways of Mickey Finn's eyes when he first came around； and I knew it was only a matter of time before the right toast would unlock her heart and let out all that pain。 Hell； we all knew it … but she had to do it herself。 You don't pry in Callahan's Place。
It was nearly four months before she finally opened up； a Thursday I believe it was。 She'd been abstracted lately； still taking part in convivial banter but strangely distant too； and I was half…expecting what happened。
Doc Webster had e bustling in about nine； later than usual for him on a Thursday since he has no hospital duties that night。 So he bought a round for the house and explained。 If asked； the Doc will assist at home birthings； a practice he's been at some pains to keep from the attention of both the