Very simple demo for ebook wing

book.h

const char * book001 [] = 
{"They were raised on small, poor",
"ranches in opposite corners of the",
"state, Jack Twist in Lightning Flat,",
"up on the Montana border, Ennis del",
"Mar from around Sage, near the Utah",
"line, both high-school drop-out",
"country boys with no prospects,",
"brought up to hard work and",
"privation, both rough-mannered,",
"rough-spoken, inured to the stoic",
"life. Ennis, reared by his older",
"brother and sister after their",
"parents drove off the only curve on",
"Dead Horse Road, leaving them",
"twenty-four dollars in cash and a",
"two-mortgage ranch, applied at age",
"fourteen for a hardship license that",
"let him make the hour-long trip from",
"the ranch to the high school. The",
"pickup was old, no heater, one",
"windshield wiper, and bad tires; when",
"the transmission went, there was no",
"money to fix it. He had wanted to be",
"a sophomore, felt the word carried a",
"kind of distinction, but the truck",
"broke down short of it, pitching him",
"directly into ranch work.",
"",
"In 1963, when he met Jack Twist,",
"Ennis was engaged to Alma Beers. Both",
"Jack and Ennis claimed to be saving",
"money for a small spread; in Ennis’s",
"case that meant a tobacco can with",
"two five-dollar bills inside. That",
"spring, hungry for any job, each had",
"signed up with Farm and Ranch",
"Employment—they came together on",
"paper as herder and camp tender for",
"the same sheep operation north of",
"Signal. The summer range lay above",
"the tree line on Forest Service land",
"on Brokeback Mountain. It would be",
"Jack Twist’s second summer on the",
"mountain, Ennis’s first. Neither of",
"them was twenty.",
"",
"They shook hands in the choky little",
"trailer office in front of a table",
"littered with scribbled papers, a",
"Bakelite ashtray brimming with stubs.",
"The venetian blinds hung askew and",
"admitted a triangle of white light,",
"the shadow of the foreman’s hand",
"moving into it. Joe Aguirre, wavy",
"hair the color of cigarette ash and",
"parted down the middle, gave them his",
"point of view.",
"",
"“Forest Service got designated",
"campsites on the allotments. Them",
"camps can be a couple a miles from",
"where we pasture the sheep. Bad",
"predator loss, nobody near lookin",
"after em at night. What I want—camp",
"tender in the main camp where the",
"Forest Service says, but the",
"herder”—pointing at Jack with a chop",
"of his hand—“pitch a pup tent on the",
"Q.T. with the sheep, out a sight, and",
"he’s goin a sleep there. Eat supper,",
"breakfast in camp, but sleep with the",
"sheep, hundred percent, no fire,",
"don’t leave no sign. Roll up that",
"tent every mornin case Forest Service",
"snoops around. Got the dogs, your",
".30-.30, sleep there. Last summer had",
"goddam near twenty-five-percent loss.",
"I don’t want that again. You,” he",
"said to Ennis, taking in the ragged",
"hair, the big nicked hands, the jeans",
"torn, button-gaping shirt, “Fridays",
"twelve noon be down at the bridge",
"with your next-week list and mules.",
"Somebody with supplies’ll be there in",
"a pickup.” He didn’t ask if Ennis had",
"a watch but took a cheap round ticker",
"on a braided cord from a box on a",
"high shelf, wound and set it, tossed",
"it to him as if he weren’t worth the",
"reach. “Tomorrow mornin we’ll truck",
"you up the jump-off.” Pair of deuces",
"going nowhere.",
"",
"They found a bar and drank beer",
"through the afternoon, Jack telling",
"Ennis about a lightning storm on the",
"mountain the year before that killed",
"forty-two sheep, the peculiar stink",
"of them and the way they bloated, the",
"need for plenty of whiskey up there.",
"At first glance Jack seemed fair",
"enough, with his curly hair and quick",
"laugh, but for a small man he carried",
"some weight in the haunch and his",
"smile disclosed buckteeth, not",
"pronounced enough to let him eat",
"popcorn out of the neck of a jug, but",
"noticeable. He was infatuated with",
"the rodeo life and fastened his belt",
"with a minor bull-riding buckle, but",
"his boots were worn to the quick,",
"holed beyond repair, and he was crazy",
"to be somewhere, anywhere, else than",
"Lightning Flat.",
"",
"Ennis, high-arched nose and narrow",
"face, was scruffy and a little",
"cave-chested, balanced a small torso",
"on long, caliper legs, and possessed",
"a muscular and supple body made for",
"the horse and for fighting. His",
"reflexes were uncommonly quick, and",
"he was farsighted enough to dislike",
"reading anything except Hamley’s",
"saddle catalogue.",
"",
"The sheep trucks and horse trailers",
"unloaded at the trailhead, and a",
"bandy-legged Basque showed Ennis how",
"to pack the mules—two packs and a",
"riding load on each animal,",
"ring-lashed with double diamonds and",
"secured with half hitches—telling",
"him, “Don’t never order soup. Them",
"boxes a soup are real bad to pack.”",
"Three puppies belonging to one of the",
"blue heelers went in a pack basket,",
"the runt inside Jack’s coat, for he",
"loved a little dog. Ennis picked out",
"a big chestnut called Cigar Butt to",
"ride, Jack a bay mare that turned out",
"to have a low startle point. The",
"string of spare horses included a",
"mouse-colored grullo whose looks",
"Ennis liked. Ennis and Jack, the",
"dogs, the horses and mules, a",
"thousand ewes and their lambs flowed",
"up the trail like dirty water through",
"the timber and out above the tree",
"line into the great flowery meadows",
"and the coursing, endless wind.",
"",
"They got the big tent up on the",
"Forest Service’s platform, the",
"kitchen and grub boxes secured. Both",
"slept in camp that first night, Jack",
"already bitching about Joe Aguirre’s",
"sleep-with-the-sheep-and-no-fire",
"order, though he saddled the bay mare",
"in the dark morning without saying",
"much. Dawn came glassy-orange,",
"stained from below by a gelatinous",
"band of pale green. The sooty bulk of",
"the mountain paled slowly until it",
"was the same color as the smoke from",
"Ennis’s breakfast fire. The cold air",
"sweetened, banded pebbles and crumbs",
"of soil cast sudden pencil-long",
"shadows, and the rearing lodgepole",
"pines below them massed in slabs of",
"somber malachite.",
"",
"During the day Ennis looked across a",
"great gulf and sometimes saw Jack, a",
"small dot moving across a high",
"meadow, as an insect moves across a",
"tablecloth; Jack, in his dark camp,",
"saw Ennis as night fire, a red spark",
"on the huge black mass of mountain.",
"",
"",
"Jack came lagging in late one",
"afternoon, drank his two bottles of",
"beer cooled in a wet sack on the",
"shady side of the tent, ate two bowls",
"of stew, four of Ennis’s stone",
"biscuits, a can of peaches, rolled a",
"smoke, watched the sun drop.",
"",
"“I’m commutin four hours a day,” he",
"said morosely. “Come in for",
"breakfast, go back to the sheep,",
"evenin get em bedded down, come in",
"for supper, go back to the sheep,",
"spend half the night jumpin up and",
"checkin for coyotes. By rights I",
"should be spendin the night here.",
"Aguirre got no right a make me do",
"this.”",
"",
"“You want a switch?” said Ennis. “I",
"wouldn’t mind herdin. I wouldn’t mind",
"sleepin out there.”",
"",
"“That ain’t the point. Point is, we",
"both should be in this camp. And that",
"goddam pup tent smells like cat piss",
"or worse.”",
"",
"“Wouldn’t mind bein out there.”",
"",
"“Tell you what, you got a get up a",
"dozen times in the night out there",
"over them coyotes. Happy to switch",
"but give you warnin I can’t cook",
"worth a shit. Pretty good with a can",
"opener.”",
"",
"“Can’t be no worse than me, then.",
"Sure, I wouldn’t mind a do it.”",
"",
"They fended off the night for an hour",
"with the yellow kerosene lamp, and",
"around ten Ennis rode Cigar Butt, a",
"good night horse, through the",
"glimmering frost back to the sheep,",
"carrying leftover biscuits, a jar of",
"jam, and a jar of coffee with him for",
"the next day, saying he’d save a",
"trip, stay out until supper.",
"",
"“Shot a coyote just first light,” he",
"told Jack the next evening, sloshing",
"his face with hot water, lathering up",
"soap, and hoping his razor had some",
"cut left in it, while Jack peeled",
"potatoes. “Big son of a bitch. Balls",
"on him size a apples. I bet he’d took",
"a few lambs. Looked like he could a",
"eat a camel. You want some a this hot",
"water? There’s plenty.”",
"",
"“It’s all yours.”",
"",
"“Well, I’m goin a warsh everthing I",
"can reach,” he said, pulling off his",
"boots and jeans (no drawers, no",
"socks, Jack noticed), slopping the",
"green washcloth around until the fire",
"spat.",
"",
"They had a high-time supper by the",
"fire, a can of beans each, fried",
"potatoes, and a quart of whiskey on",
"shares, sat with their backs against",
"a log, boot soles and copper jeans",
"rivets hot, swapping the bottle while",
"the lavender sky emptied of color and",
"the chill air drained down, drinking,",
"smoking cigarettes, getting up every",
"now and then to piss, firelight",
"throwing a sparkle in the arched",
"stream, tossing sticks on the fire to",
"keep the talk going, talking horses",
"and rodeo, roughstock events, wrecks",
"and injuries sustained, the submarine",
"Thresher lost two months earlier with",
"all hands and how it must have been",
"in the last doomed minutes, dogs each",
"had owned and known, the military",
"service, Jack’s home ranch, where his",
"father and mother held on, Ennis’s",
"family place, folded years ago after",
"his folks died, the older brother in",
"Signal and a married sister in",
"Casper. Jack said his father had been",
"a pretty well-known bull rider years",
"back but kept his secrets to himself,",
"never gave Jack a word of advice,",
"never came once to see Jack ride,",
"though he had put him on the woollies",
"when he was a little kid. Ennis said",
"the kind of riding that interested",
"him lasted longer than eight seconds",
"and had some point to it. Money’s a",
"good point, said Jack, and Ennis had",
"to agree. They were respectful of",
"each other’s opinions, each glad to",
"have a companion where none had been",
"expected. Ennis, riding against the",
"wind back to the sheep in the",
"treacherous, drunken light, thought",
"he’d never had such a good time, felt",
"he could paw the white out of the",
"moon.",
"",
"The summer went on and they moved the",
"herd to new pasture, shifted the",
"camp; the distance between the sheep",
"and the new camp was greater and the",
"night ride longer. Ennis rode easy,",
"sleeping with his eyes open, but the",
"hours he was away from the sheep",
"stretched out and out. Jack pulled a",
"squalling burr out of the harmonica,",
"flattened a little from a fall off",
"the skittish bay mare, and Ennis had",
"a good raspy voice; a few nights they",
"mangled their way through some songs.",
"Ennis knew the salty words to",
"“Strawberry Roan.” Jack tried a Carl",
"Perkins song, bawling “What I",
"say-ay-ay,” but he favored a sad",
"hymn, “Water-Walking Jesus,” learned",
"from his mother, who believed in the",
"Pentecost, and that he sang at dirge",
"slowness, setting off distant coyote",
"yips.",
"",
"“Too late to go out to them damn",
"sheep,” said Ennis, dizzy drunk on",
"all fours one cold hour when the moon",
"had notched past two. The meadow",
"stones glowed white-green and a",
"flinty wind worked over the meadow,",
"scraped the fire low, then ruffled it",
"into yellow silk sashes. “Got you a",
"extra blanket I’ll roll up out here",
"and grab forty winks, ride out at",
"first light.”",
"",
"“Freeze your ass off when that fire",
"dies down. Better off sleepin in the",
"tent.”",
"",
"“Doubt I’ll feel nothin.” But he",
"staggered under canvas, pulled his",
"boots off, snored on the ground cloth",
"for a while, woke Jack with the",
"clacking of his jaw.",
"",
"“Jesus Christ, quit hammerin and get",
"over here. Bedroll’s big enough,”",
"said Jack in an irritable",
"sleep-clogged voice. It was big",
"enough, warm enough, and in a little",
"while they deepened their intimacy",
"considerably. Ennis ran full throttle",
"on all roads whether fence mending or",
"money spending, and he wanted none of",
"it when Jack seized his left hand and",
"brought it to his erect cock. Ennis",
"jerked his hand away as though he’d",
"touched fire, got to his knees,",
"unbuckled his belt, shoved his pants",
"down, hauled Jack onto all fours,",
"and, with the help of the clear slick",
"and a little spit, entered him,",
"nothing he’d done before but no",
"instruction manual needed. They went",
"at it in silence except for a few",
"sharp intakes of breath and Jack’s",
"choked “Gun’s goin off,” then out,",
"down, and asleep.",
"",
"Ennis woke in red dawn with his pants",
"around his knees, a top-grade",
"headache, and Jack butted against",
"him; without saying anything about",
"it, both knew how it would go for the",
"rest of the summer, sheep be damned.",
"",
"As it did go. They never talked about",
"the sex, let it happen, at first only",
"in the tent at night, then in the",
"full daylight with the hot sun",
"striking down, and at evening in the",
"fire glow, quick, rough, laughing and",
"snorting, no lack of noises, but",
"saying not a goddam word except once",
"Ennis said, “I’m not no queer,” and",
"Jack jumped in with “Me neither. A",
"one-shot thing. Nobody’s business but",
"ours.” There were only the two of",
"them on the mountain, flying in the",
"euphoric, bitter air, looking down on",
"the hawk’s back and the crawling",
"lights of vehicles on the plain",
"below, suspended above ordinary",
"affairs and distant from tame ranch",
"dogs barking in the dark hours. They",
"believed themselves invisible, not",
"knowing Joe Aguirre had watched them",
"through his 10x42 binoculars for ten",
"minutes one day, waiting until they’d",
"buttoned up their jeans, waiting",
"until Ennis rode back to the sheep,",
"before bringing up the message that",
"Jack’s people had sent word that his",
"uncle Harold was in the hospital with",
"pneumonia and expected not to make",
"it. Though he did, and Aguirre came",
"up again to say so, fixing Jack with",
"his bold stare, not bothering to",
"dismount.",
"",
"In August Ennis spent the whole night",
"with Jack in the main camp, and in a",
"blowy hailstorm the sheep took off",
"west and got among a herd in another",
"allotment. There was a damn miserable",
"time for five days, Ennis and a",
"Chilean herder with no English trying",
"to sort them out, the task almost",
"impossible as the paint brands were",
"worn and faint at this late season.",
"Even when the numbers were right",
"Ennis knew the sheep were mixed. In a",
"disquieting way everything seemed",
"mixed.",
"",
"The first snow came early, on August",
"13th, piling up a foot, but was",
"followed by a quick melt. The next",
"week Joe Aguirre sent word to bring",
"them down, another, bigger storm was",
"moving in from the Pacific, and they",
"packed in the game and moved off the",
"mountain with the sheep, stones",
"rolling at their heels, purple cloud",
"crowding in from the west and the",
"metal smell of coming snow pressing",
"them on. The mountain boiled with",
"demonic energy, glazed with",
"flickering broken-cloud light; the",
"wind combed the grass and drew from",
"the damaged krummholz and slit rock a",
"bestial drone. As they descended the",
"slope Ennis felt he was in a",
"slow-motion, but headlong,",
"irreversible fall.",
"",
"Joe Aguirre paid them, said little.",
"He had looked at the milling sheep",
"with a sour expression, said, “Some a",
"these never went up there with you.”",
"The count was not what he’d hoped",
"for, either. Ranch stiffs never did",
"much of a job.",
"",
"",
"“You goin a do this next summer?”",
"said Jack to Ennis in the street, one",
"leg already up in his green pickup.",
"The wind was gusting hard and cold.",
"",
"“Maybe not.” A dust plume rose and",
"hazed the air with fine grit and he",
"squinted against it. “Like I said,",
"Alma and me’s gettin married in",
"December. Try to get somethin on a",
"ranch. You?” He looked away from",
"Jack’s jaw, bruised blue from the",
"hard punch Ennis had thrown him on",
"the last day.",
"",
"“If nothin better comes along.",
"Thought some about going back up to",
"my daddy’s place, give him a hand",
"over the winter, then maybe head out",
"for Texas in the spring. If the draft",
"don’t get me.”",
"",
"“Well, see you around, I guess.” The",
"wind tumbled an empty feed bag down",
"the street until it fetched up under",
"the truck.",
"",
"“Right,” said Jack, and they shook",
"hands, hit each other on the",
"shoulder; then there was forty feet",
"of distance between them and nothing",
"to do but drive away in opposite",
"directions. Within a mile Ennis felt",
"like someone was pulling his guts out",
"hand over hand a yard at a time. He",
"stopped at the side of the road and,",
"in the whirling new snow, tried to",
"puke but nothing came up. He felt",
"about as bad as he ever had and it",
"took a long time for the feeling to",
"wear off.",
"",
"",
"In December Ennis married Alma Beers",
"and had her pregnant by mid-January.",
"He picked up a few short-lived ranch",
"jobs, then settled in as a wrangler",
"on the old Elwood Hi-Top place, north",
"of Lost Cabin, in Washakie County. He",
"was still working there in September",
"when Alma, Jr., as he called his",
"daughter, was born and their bedroom",
"was full of the smell of old blood",
"and milk and baby shit, and the",
"sounds were of squalling and sucking",
"and Alma’s sleepy groans, all",
"reassuring of fecundity and life’s",
"continuance to one who worked with",
"livestock.",
"",
"When the Hi-Top folded they moved to",
"a small apartment in Riverton, up",
"over a laundry. Ennis got on the",
"highway crew, tolerating it but",
"working weekends at the Rafter B in",
"exchange for keeping his horses out",
"there. A second girl was born and",
"Alma wanted to stay in town near the",
"clinic because the child had an",
"asthmatic wheeze.",
"",
"“Ennis, please, no more damn lonesome",
"ranches for us,” she said, sitting on",
"his lap, wrapping her thin, freckled",
"arms around him. “Let’s get a place",
"here in town.”",
"",
"“I guess,” said Ennis, slipping his",
"hand up her blouse sleeve and",
"stirring the silky armpit hair,",
"fingers moving down her ribs to the",
"jelly breast, the round belly and",
"knee and up into the wet gap all the",
"way to the north pole or the equator",
"depending which way you thought you",
"were sailing, working at it until she",
"shuddered and bucked against his hand",
"and he rolled her over, did quickly",
"what she hated. They stayed in the",
"little apartment, which he favored",
"because it could be left at any time.",
"",
"",
"The fourth summer since Brokeback",
"Mountain came on and in June Ennis",
"had a general-delivery letter from",
"Jack Twist, the first sign of life in",
"all that time.",
"",
"> Friend this letter is a long time",
"> over due. Hope you get it. Heard",
"> you was in Riverton. I’m coming",
"> thru on the 24th, thought I’d stop",
"> and buy you a beer. Drop me a line",
"> if you can, say if your there.",
"> ",
"The return address was Childress,",
"Texas. Ennis wrote back, “You bet,”",
"gave the Riverton address.",
"",
"The day was hot and clear in the",
"morning, but by noon the clouds had",
"pushed up out of the west rolling a",
"little sultry air before them. Ennis,",
"wearing his best shirt, white with",
"wide black stripes, didn’t know what",
"time Jack would get there and so had",
"taken the day off, paced back and",
"forth, looking down into a street",
"pale with dust. Alma was saying",
"something about taking his friend to",
"the Knife & Fork for supper instead",
"of cooking it was so hot, if they",
"could get a babysitter, but Ennis",
"said more likely he’d just go out",
"with Jack and get drunk. Jack was not",
"a restaurant type, he said, thinking",
"of the dirty spoons sticking out of",
"the cans of cold beans balanced on",
"the log.",
"",
"Late in the afternoon, thunder",
"growling, that same old green pickup",
"rolled in and he saw Jack get out of",
"the truck, beat-up Resistol tilted",
"back. A hot jolt scalded Ennis and he",
"was out on the landing pulling the",
"door closed behind him. Jack took the",
"stairs two and two. They seized each",
"other by the shoulders, hugged",
"mightily, squeezing the breath out of",
"each other, saying son of a bitch,",
"son of a bitch; then, and as easily",
"as the right key turns the lock",
"tumblers, their mouths came together,",
"and hard, Jack’s big teeth bringing",
"blood, his hat falling to the floor,",
"stubble rasping, wet saliva welling,",
"and the door opening and Alma looking",
"out for a few seconds at Ennis’s",
"straining shoulders and shutting the",
"door again and still they clinched,",
"pressing chest and groin and thigh",
"and leg together, treading on each",
"other’s toes until they pulled apart",
"to breathe and Ennis, not big on",
"endearments, said what he said to his",
"horses and daughters, “Little",
"darlin.”",
"",
"The door opened again a few inches",
"and Alma stood in the narrow light.",
"",
"What could he say? “Alma, this is",
"Jack Twist. Jack, my wife, Alma.” His",
"chest was heaving. He could smell",
"Jack—the intensely familiar odor of",
"cigarettes, musky sweat, and a faint",
"sweetness like grass, and with it the",
"rushing cold of the mountain. “Alma,”",
"he said, “Jack and me ain’t seen each",
"other in four years.” As if it were a",
"reason. He was glad the light was dim",
"on the landing but did not turn away",
"from her.",
"",
"“Sure enough,” said Alma in a low",
"voice. She had seen what she had",
"seen. Behind her in the room,",
"lightning lit the window like a white",
"sheet waving and the baby cried.",
"",
"“You got a kid?” said Jack. His",
"shaking hand grazed Ennis’s hand,",
"electrical current snapped between",
"them.",
"",
"“Two little girls,” Ennis said.",
"“Alma, Jr., and Francine. Love them",
"to pieces.” Alma’s mouth twitched.",
"",
"“I got a boy,” said Jack. “Eight",
"months old. Tell you what, I married",
"a cute little old Texas girl down in",
"Childress—Lureen.” From the vibration",
"of the floorboard on which they both",
"stood Ennis could feel how hard Jack",
"was shaking.",
"",
"“Alma,” he said. “Jack and me is goin",
"out and get a drink. Might not get",
"back tonight, we get drinkin and",
"talkin.”",
"",
"“Sure enough,” Alma said, taking a",
"dollar bill from her pocket. Ennis",
"guessed she was going to ask him to",
"get her a pack of cigarettes, bring",
"him back sooner.",
"",
"“Please to meet you,” said Jack,",
"trembling like a run-out horse.",
"",
"“Ennis—” said Alma in her misery",
"voice, but that didn’t slow him down",
"on the stairs and he called back,",
"“Alma, you want smokes there’s some",
"in the pocket a my blue shirt in the",
"bedroom.”",
"",
"They went off in Jack’s truck, bought",
"a bottle of whiskey, and within",
"twenty minutes were in the Motel",
"Siesta jouncing a bed. A few handfuls",
"of hail rattled against the window,",
"followed by rain and a slippery wind",
"banging the unsecured door of the",
"next room then and through the night.",
"",
"",
"The room stank of semen and smoke and",
"sweat and whiskey, of old carpet and",
"sour hay, saddle leather, shit and",
"cheap soap. Ennis lay spread-eagled,",
"spent and wet, breathing deep, still",
"half tumescent; Jack blew forceful",
"cigarette clouds like whale spouts,",
"and said, “Christ, it got to be all",
"that time a yours a-horseback makes",
"it so goddam good. We got to talk",
"about this. Swear to God I didn’t",
"know we was goin a get into this",
"again—yeah, I did. Why I’m here. I",
"fuckin knew it. Red-lined all the",
"way, couldn’t get here fast enough.”",
"",
"“I didn’t know where in the hell you",
"was,” said Ennis. “Four years. I",
"about give up on you. I figured you",
"was sore about that punch.”",
"",
"“Friend,” said Jack, “I was in Texas",
"rodeoin. How I met Lureen. Look over",
"on that chair.”",
"",
"On the back of a soiled orange chair",
"he saw the shine of a buckle. “Bull",
"ridin?”",
"",
"“Yeah. I made three fuckin thousand",
"dollars that year. Fuckin starved.",
"Had to borrow everthing but a",
"toothbrush from other guys. Drove",
"grooves across Texas. Half the time",
"under that cunt truck fixin it.",
"Anyway, I didn’t never think about",
"losin. Lureen? There’s some serious",
"money there. Her old man’s got it.",
"Got this farm-machinery business.",
"Course he don’t let her have none a",
"the money, and he hates my fuckin",
"guts, so it’s a hard go now but one a",
"these days—”",
"",
"“Well, you’re goin a go where you",
"look. Army didn’t get you?” The",
"thunder sounded far to the east,",
"moving from them in its red wreaths",
"of light.",
"",
"“They can’t get no use out a me. Got",
"some crushed vertebrates. And a",
"stress fracture, the arm bone here,",
"you know how bull ridin you’re always",
"leverin it off your thigh?—she gives",
"a little ever time you do it. Even if",
"you tape it good you break it a",
"little goddam bit at a time. Tell you",
"what, hurts like a bitch afterward.",
"Had a busted leg. Busted in three",
"places. Come off the bull and it was",
"a big bull with a lot a drop, he got",
"rid a me in about three flat and he",
"come after me and he was sure faster.",
"Lucky enough. Friend a mine got his",
"oil checked with a horn dipstick and",
"that was all she wrote. Bunch a other",
"things, fuckin busted ribs, sprains",
"and pains, torn ligaments. See, it",
"ain’t like it was in my daddy’s time.",
"It’s guys with money go to college,",
"trained athaletes. You got to have",
"some money to rodeo now. Lureen’s old",
"man wouldn’t give me a dime if I",
"dropped it, except one way. And I",
"know enough about the game now so I",
"see that I ain’t never goin a be on",
"the bubble. Other reasons. I’m gettin",
"out while I still can walk.”",
"",
"Ennis pulled Jack’s hand to his",
"mouth, took a hit from the cigarette,",
"exhaled. “Sure as hell seem in one",
"piece to me. You know, I was sittin",
"up here all that time tryin to figure",
"out if I was—? I know I ain’t. I",
"mean, here we both got wives and",
"kids, right? I like doin it with",
"women, yeah, but Jesus H., ain’t",
"nothin like this. I never had no",
"thoughts a doin it with another guy",
"except I sure wrang it out a hunderd",
"times thinkin about you. You do it",
"with other guys, Jack?”",
"",
"“Shit no,” said Jack, who had been",
"riding more than bulls, not rolling",
"his own. “You know that. Old",
"Brokeback got us good and it sure",
"ain’t over. We got to work out what",
"the fuck we’re goin a do now”",
"",
"“That summer,” said Ennis. “When we",
"split up after we got paid out I had",
"gut cramps so bad I pulled over and",
"tried to puke, thought I ate somethin",
"bad at that place in Dubois. Took me",
"about a year to figure out it was",
"that I shouldn’t a let you out a my",
"sights. Too late then by a long, long",
"while.”",
"",
"“Friend,” said Jack. “We got us a",
"fuckin situation here. Got a figure",
"out what to do.”",
"",
"“I doubt there’s nothin now we can",
"do,” said Ennis. “What I’m sayin,",
"Jack, I built a life up in them",
"years. Love my little girls. Alma? It",
"ain’t her fault. You got your baby",
"and wife, that place in Texas. You",
"and me can’t hardly be decent",
"together if what happened back",
"there”—he jerked his head in the",
"direction of the apartment—“grabs” on",
"us like that. We do that in the wrong",
"place we’ll be dead. There’s no reins",
"on this one. It scares the piss out a",
"me.”",
"",
"“Got to tell you, friend, maybe",
"somebody seen us that summer. I was",
"back there the next June, thinkin",
"about goin back—I didn’t, lit out for",
"Texas instead—and Joe Aguirre’s in",
"the office and he says to me, he",
"says, ‘You boys found a way to make",
"the time pass up there, didn’t you,’",
"and I gave him a look but when I went",
"out I seen he had a big-ass pair a",
"binoculars hangin off his rearview.”",
"He neglected to add that the foreman",
"had leaned back in his squeaky wooden",
"tilt chair and said, “Twist, you guys",
"wasn’t gettin paid to leave the dogs",
"baby-sit the sheep while you stemmed",
"the rose,” and declined to rehire",
"him. Jack went on, “Yeah, that little",
"punch a yours surprised me. I never",
"figured you to throw a dirty punch.”",
"",
"“I come up under my brother K.E.,",
"three years older’n me, slugged me",
"silly every day. Dad got tired a me",
"come bawlin in the house and when I",
"was about six he set me down and",
"says, Ennis, you got a problem and",
"you got a fix it or it’s goin a be",
"with you until you’re ninety and",
"K.E.’s ninety-three. Well, I says,",
"he’s bigger’n me. Dad says, You got a",
"take him unawares, don’t say nothin",
"to him, make him feel some pain, get",
"out fast and keep doin it until he",
"takes the message. Nothin like hurtin",
"somebody to make him hear good. So I",
"did. I got him in the outhouse,",
"jumped him on the stairs, come over",
"to his pillow in the night while he",
"was sleepin and pasted him damn good.",
"Took about two days. Never had",
"trouble with K.E. since. The lesson",
"was, Don’t say nothin and get it over",
"with quick.” A telephone rang in the",
"next room, rang on and on, stopped",
"abruptly in mid-peal.",
"",
"“You won’t catch me again,” said",
"Jack. “Listen. I’m thinkin, tell you",
"what, if you and me had a little",
"ranch together, little cow-and-calf",
"operation, your horses, it’d be some",
"sweet life. Like I said, I’m gettin",
"out a rodeo. I ain’t no broke dick",
"rider but I don’t got the bucks a",
"ride out this slump I’m in and I",
"don’t got the bones a keep gettin",
"wrecked. I got it figured, got this",
"plan Ennis, how we can do it, you and",
"me. Lureen’s old man, you bet he’d",
"give me a bunch if I’d get lost.",
"Already more or less said it—”",
"",
"“Whoa, whoa, whoa. It ain’t goin a be",
"that way. We can’t. I’m stuck with",
"what I got, caught in my own loop.",
"Can’t get out of it. Jack, I don’t",
"want a be like them guys you see",
"around sometimes. And I don’t want a",
"be dead. There was these two old guys",
"ranched together down home, Earl and",
"Rich—Dad would pass a remark when he",
"seen them. They was a joke even",
"though they was pretty tough old",
"birds. I was what, nine years old,",
"and they found Earl dead in a",
"irrigation ditch. They’d took a tire",
"iron to him, spurred him up, drug him",
"around by his dick until it pulled",
"off, just bloody pulp. What the tire",
"iron done looked like pieces a burned",
"tomatoes all over him, nose tore down",
"from skiddin on gravel.”",
"",
"“You seen that?”",
"",
"“Dad made sure I seen it. Took me to",
"see it. Me and K.E. Dad laughed about",
"it. Hell, for all I know he done the",
"job. If he was alive and was to put",
"his head in that door right now you",
"bet he’d go get his tire iron. Two",
"guys livin together? No. All I can",
"see is we get together once in a",
"while way the hell out in the back a",
"nowhere—”",
"",
"“How much is once in a while?” said",
"Jack. “Once in a while ever four",
"fuckin years?”",
"",
"“No,” said Ennis, forbearing to ask",
"whose fault that was. “I goddam hate",
"it that you’re goin a drive away in",
"the mornin and I’m goin back to work.",
"But if you can’t fix it you got a",
"stand it,” he said. “Shit. I been",
"lookin at people on the street. This",
"happen a other people? What the hell",
"do they do?”",
"",
"“It don’t happen in Wyomin and if it",
"does I don’t know what they do, maybe",
"go to Denver,” said Jack, sitting up,",
"turning away from him, “and I don’t",
"give a flyin fuck. Son of a bitch,",
"Ennis, take a couple days off. Right",
"now. Get us out a here. Throw your",
"stuff in the back a my truck and",
"let’s get up in the mountains. Couple",
"a days. Call Alma up and tell her",
"you’re goin. Come on, Ennis, you just",
"shot my airplane out a the sky—give",
"me somethin a go on. This ain’t no",
"little thing that’s happenin here.”",
"",
"The hollow ringing began again in the",
"next room, and as if he were",
"answering it Ennis picked up the",
"phone on the bedside table, dialled",
"his own number.",
"",
"",
"slow corrosion worked between Ennis",
"and Alma, no real trouble, just",
"widening water. She was working at a",
"grocery-store clerk job, saw she’d",
"always have to work to keep ahead of",
"the bills on what Ennis made. Alma",
"asked Ennis to use rubbers because",
"she dreaded another pregnancy. He",
"said no to that, said he would be",
"happy to leave her alone if she",
"didn’t want any more of his kids.",
"Under her breath she said, “I’d have",
"em if you’d support em.” And under",
"that thought, Anyway, what you like",
"to do don’t make too many babies.",
"",
"Her resentment opened out a little",
"every year: the embrace she had",
"glimpsed, Ennis’s fishing trips once",
"or twice a year with Jack Twist and",
"never a vacation with her and the",
"girls, his disinclination to step out",
"and have any fun, his yearning for",
"low-paid, long-houred ranch work, his",
"propensity to roll to the wall and",
"sleep as soon as he hit the bed, his",
"failure to look for a decent",
"permanent job with the county or the",
"power company put her in a long, slow",
"dive, and when Alma, Jr., was nine",
"and Francine seven she said, What am",
"I doin, hangin around with him,",
"divorced Ennis, and married the",
"Riverton grocer.",
"",
"Ennis went back to ranch work, hired",
"on here and there, not getting much",
"ahead but glad enough to be around",
"stock again, free to drop things,",
"quit if he had to, and go into the",
"mountains at short notice. He had no",
"serious hard feelings, just a vague",
"sense of getting short-changed, and",
"showed it was all right by taking",
"Thanksgiving dinner with Alma and her",
"grocer and the kids, sitting between",
"his girls and talking horses to them,",
"telling jokes, trying not to be a sad",
"daddy. After the pie Alma got him off",
"in the kitchen, scraped the plates",
"and said she worried about him and he",
"ought to get married again. He saw",
"she was pregnant, about four, five",
"months, he guessed.",
"",
"“Once burned,” he said, leaning",
"against the counter, feeling too big",
"for the room.",
"",
"“You still go fishin with that Jack",
"Twist?”",
"",
"“Some.” He thought she’d take the",
"pattern off the plate with the",
"scraping.",
"",
"“You know,” she said, and from her",
"tone he knew something was coming, “I",
"used to wonder how come you never",
"brought any trouts home. Always said",
"you caught plenty. So one time I got",
"your creel case open the night before",
"you went on one a your little",
"trips—price tag still on it after",
"five years—and I tied a note on the",
"end of the line. It said, ‘Hello,",
"Ennis, bring some fish home, love,",
"Alma.’ And then you come back and",
"said you’d caught a bunch a browns",
"and ate them up. Remember? I looked",
"in the case when I got a chance and",
"there was my note still tied there",
"and that line hadn’t touched water in",
"its life.” As though the word “water”",
"had called out its domestic cousin,",
"she twisted the faucet, sluiced the",
"plates.",
"",
"“That don’t mean nothin.”",
"",
"“Don’t lie, don’t try to fool me,",
"Ennis. I know what it means. Jack",
"Twist? Jack Nasty. You and him—”",
"",
"She’d overstepped his line. He seized",
"her wrist and twisted; tears sprang",
"and rolled, a dish clattered.",
"",
"“Shut up,” he said. “Mind your own",
"business. You don’t know nothin about",
"it.”",
"",
"“I’m goin a yell for Bill.”",
"",
"“You fuckin go right ahead. Go on and",
"fuckin yell. I’ll make him eat the",
"fuckin floor and you too.” He gave",
"another wrench that left her with a",
"burning bracelet, shoved his hat on",
"backward and slammed out. He went to",
"the Black and Blue Eagle bar that",
"night, got drunk, had a short dirty",
"fight, and left. He didn’t try to see",
"his girls for a long time, figuring",
"they would look him up when they got",
"the sense and years to move out from",
"Alma.",
"",
"",
"They were no longer young men with",
"all of it before them. Jack had",
"filled out through the shoulders and",
"hams; Ennis stayed as lean as a",
"clothespole, stepped around in worn",
"boots, jeans, and shirts summer and",
"winter, added a canvas coat in cold",
"weather. A benign growth appeared on",
"his eyelid and gave it a drooping",
"appearance; a broken nose healed",
"crooked.",
"",
"Years on years they worked their way",
"through the high meadows and mountain",
"drainages, horse-packing into the Big",
"Horns, the Medicine Bows, the south",
"end of the Gallatins, the Absarokas,",
"the Granites, the Owl Creeks, the",
"Bridger-Teton Range, the Freezeouts",
"and the Shirleys, the Ferrrises and",
"the Rattlesnakes, the Salt River",
"range, into the Wind Rivers over and",
"again, the Sierra Madres, the Gros",
"Ventres, the Washakies, the Laramies,",
"but never returning to Brokeback.",
"",
"Down in Texas Jack’s father-in-law",
"died and Lureen, who inherited the",
"farm-equipment business, showed a",
"skill for management and hard deals.",
"Jack found himself with a vague",
"managerial title, travelling to stock",
"and agricultural machinery shows. He",
"had some money now and found ways to",
"spend it on his buying trips. A",
"little Texas accent flavored his",
"sentences, “cow” twisted into “kyow”",
"and “wife” coming out as “waf.” He’d",
"had his front teeth filed down, set",
"with steel plugs, and capped, said",
"he’d felt no pain, wore Texas suits",
"and a tall white hat.",
"",
"",
"In May of 1983 they spent a few cold",
"days at a series of little icebound,",
"no-name high lakes, then worked",
"across into the Hail Strew River",
"drainage.",
"",
"Going up, the day was fine, but the",
"trail deep-drifted and slopping wet",
"at the margins. They left it to wind",
"through a slashy cut, leading the",
"horses through brittle branch wood,",
"Jack lifting his head in the heated",
"noon to take the air scented with",
"resinous lodgepole, the dry needle",
"duff and hot rock, bitter juniper",
"crushed beneath the horses’ hooves.",
"Ennis, weather-eyed, looked west for",
"the heated cumulus that might come up",
"on such a day, but the boneless blue",
"was so deep, said Jack, that he might",
"drown looking up.",
"",
"Around three they swung through a",
"narrow pass to a southeast slope",
"where the strong spring sun had had a",
"chance to work, dropped down to the",
"trail again, which lay snowless below",
"them. They could hear the river",
"muttering and making a distant train",
"sound a long way off. Twenty minutes",
"on they surprised a black bear on the",
"bank above them rolling a log over",
"for grubs, and Jack’s horse shied and",
"reared, Jack saying “Wo! Wo!” and",
"Ennis’s bay dancing and snorting but",
"holding. Jack reached for the .30-.06",
"but there was no need; the startled",
"bear galloped into the trees with the",
"lumpish gait that made it seem it was",
"falling apart.",
"",
"The tea-colored river ran fast with",
"snowmelt, a scarf of bubbles at every",
"high rock, pools and setbacks",
"streaming. The ochre-branched willows",
"swayed stiffly, pollened catkins like",
"yellow thumbprints. The horses drank",
"and Jack dismounted, scooped icy",
"water up in his hand, crystalline",
"drops falling from his fingers, his",
"mouth and chin glistening with wet.",
"",
"“Get beaver fever doin that,” said",
"Ennis, then, “Good enough place,”",
"looking at the level bench above the",
"river, two or three fire rings from",
"old hunting camps. A sloping meadow",
"rose behind the bench, protected by a",
"stand of lodgepole. There was plenty",
"of dry wood. They set up camp without",
"saying much, picketed the horses in",
"the meadow. Jack broke the seal on a",
"bottle of whiskey, took a long, hot",
"swallow, exhaled forcefully, said,",
"“That’s one a the two things I need",
"right now,” capped it and tossed it",
"to Ennis.",
"",
"On the third morning there were the",
"clouds Ennis had expected, a gray",
"racer out of the West, a bar of",
"darkness driving wind before it and",
"small flakes. It faded after an hour",
"into tender spring snow that heaped",
"wet and heavy. By nightfall it had",
"turned colder. Jack and Ennis passed",
"a joint back and forth, the fire",
"burning late, Jack restless and",
"bitching about the cold, poking the",
"flames with a stick, twisting the",
"dial of the transistor radio until",
"the batteries died.",
"",
"Ennis said he’d been putting the",
"blocks to a woman who worked",
"part-time at the Wolf Ears bar in",
"Signal where he was working now for",
"Car Scrope’s cow-and-calf outfit, but",
"it wasn’t going anywhere and she had",
"some problems he didn’t want. Jack",
"said he’d had a thing going with the",
"wife of a rancher down the road in",
"Childress and for the last few months",
"he’d slank around expecting to get",
"shot by Lureen or the husband, one.",
"Ennis laughed a little and said he",
"probably deserved it. Jack said he",
"was doing all right but he missed",
"Ennis bad enough sometimes to make",
"him whip babies.",
"",
"The horses nickered in the darkness",
"beyond the fire’s circle of light.",
"Ennis put his arm around Jack, pulled",
"him close, said he saw his girls",
"about once a month, Alma, Jr., a shy",
"seventeen-year-old with his beanpole",
"length, Francine a little live wire.",
"Jack slid his cold hand between",
"Ennis’s legs, said he was worried",
"about his boy who was, no doubt about",
"it, dyslexic or something, couldn’t",
"get anything right, fifteen years old",
"and couldn’t hardly read, he could",
"see it though goddam Lureen wouldn’t",
"admit to it and pretended the kid was",
"O.K., refused to get any bitchin kind",
"a help about it. He didn’t know what",
"the fuck the answer was. Lureen had",
"the money and called the shots.",
"",
"“I used a want a boy for a kid,” said",
"Ennis, undoing buttons, “but just got",
"little girls.”",
"",
"“I didn’t want none a either kind,”",
"said Jack. “But fuck-all has worked",
"the way I wanted. Nothin never come",
"to my hand the right way.” Without",
"getting up he threw deadwood on the",
"fire, the sparks flying up with their",
"truths and lies, a few hot points of",
"fire landing on their hands and",
"faces, not for the first time, and",
"they rolled down into the dirt. One",
"thing never changed: the brilliant",
"charge of their infrequent couplings",
"was darkened by the sense of time",
"flying, never enough time, never",
"enough.",
"",
"A day or two later in the trailhead",
"parking lot, horses loaded into the",
"trailer, Ennis was ready to head back",
"to Signal, Jack up to Lightning Flat",
"to see the old man. Ennis leaned into",
"Jack’s window, said what he’d been",
"putting off the whole week, that",
"likely he couldn’t get away again",
"until November, after they’d shipped",
"stock and before winter feeding",
"started.",
"",
"“November. What in hell happened a",
"August? Tell you what, we said",
"August, nine, ten days. Christ,",
"Ennis! Whyn’t you tell me this",
"before? You had a fuckin week to say",
"some little word about it. And why’s",
"it we’re always in the friggin cold",
"weather? We ought a do somethin. We",
"ought a go South. We ought a go to",
"Mexico one day.”",
"",
"“Mexico? Jack, you know me. All the",
"travellin I ever done is goin around",
"the coffeepot lookin for the handle.",
"And I’ll be runnin the baler all",
"August, that’s what’s the matter with",
"August. Lighten up, Jack. We can hunt",
"in November, kill a nice elk. Try if",
"I can get Don Wroe’s cabin again. We",
"had a good time that year.”",
"",
"“You know, friend, this is a goddam",
"bitch of a unsatisfactory situation.",
"You used a come away easy. It’s like",
"seein the Pope now.”",
"",
"“Jack, I got a work. Them earlier",
"days I used a quit the jobs. You got",
"a wife with money, a good job. You",
"forget how it is bein broke all the",
"time. You ever hear a child support?",
"I been payin out for years and got",
"more to go. Let me tell you, I can’t",
"quit this one. And I can’t get the",
"time off. It was tough gettin this",
"time—some a them late heifers is",
"still calvin. You don’t leave then.",
"You don’t. Scrope is a hell-raiser",
"and he raised hell about me takin the",
"week. I don’t blame him. He probly",
"ain’t got a night’s sleep since I",
"left. The trade-off was August. You",
"got a better idea?”",
"",
"“I did once.” The tone was bitter and",
"accusatory.",
"",
"Ennis said nothing, straightened up",
"slowly, rubbed at his forehead; a",
"horse stamped inside the trailer. He",
"walked to his truck, put his hand on",
"the trailer, said something that only",
"the horses could hear, turned and",
"walked back at a deliberate pace.",
"",
"“You been a Mexico, Jack?” Mexico was",
"the place. He’d heard. He was cutting",
"fence now, trespassing in the",
"shoot-em zone.",
"",
"“Hell yes, I been. Where’s the fuckin",
"problem?” Braced for it all these",
"years and here it came, late and",
"unexpected.",
"",
"“I got a say this to you one time,",
"Jack, and I ain’t foolin. What I",
"don’t know,” said Ennis, “all them",
"things I don’t know could get you",
"killed if I should come to know",
"them.”",
"",
"“Try this one,” said Jack, “and I’ll",
"say it just one time. Tell you what,",
"we could a had a good life together,",
"a fuckin real good life. You wouldn’t",
"do it, Ennis, so what we got now is",
"Brokeback Mountain. Everything built",
"on that. It’s all we got, boy, fuckin",
"all, so I hope you know that if you",
"don’t never know the rest. Count the",
"damn few times we been together in",
"twenty years. Measure the fuckin",
"short leash you keep me on, then ask",
"me about Mexico and then tell me",
"you’ll kill me for needin it and not",
"hardly never gettin it. You got no",
"fuckin idea how bad it gets. I’m not",
"you. I can’t make it on a couple a",
"high-altitude fucks once or twice a",
"year. You’re too much for me, Ennis,",
"you son of a whoreson bitch. I wish I",
"knew how to quit you.”",
"",
"Like vast clouds of steam from",
"thermal springs in winter the years",
"of things unsaid and now",
"unsayable—admissions, declarations,",
"shames, guilts, fears—rose around",
"them. Ennis stood as if heart-shot,",
"face gray and deep-lined, grimacing,",
"eyes screwed shut, fists clenched,",
"legs caving, hit the ground on his",
"knees.",
"",
"“Jesus,” said Jack. “Ennis?” But",
"before he was out of the truck,",
"trying to guess if it was a heart",
"attack or the overflow of an",
"incendiary rage, Ennis was back on",
"his feet, and somehow, as a coat",
"hanger is straightened to open a",
"locked car and then bent again to its",
"original shape, they torqued things",
"almost to where they had been, for",
"what they’d said was no news. Nothing",
"ended, nothing begun, nothing",
"resolved.",
"",
"",
"What Jack remembered and craved in a",
"way he could neither help nor",
"understand was the time that distant",
"summer on Brokeback when Ennis had",
"come up behind him and pulled him",
"close, the silent embrace satisfying",
"some shared and sexless hunger.",
"",
"They had stood that way for a long",
"time in front of the fire, its",
"burning tossing ruddy chunks of",
"light, the shadow of their bodies a",
"single column against the rock. The",
"minutes ticked by from the round",
"watch in Ennis’s pocket, from the",
"sticks in the fire settling into",
"coals. Stars bit through the wavy",
"heat layers above the fire. Ennis’s",
"breath came slow and quiet, he",
"hummed, rocked a little in the",
"sparklight, and Jack leaned against",
"the steady heartbeat, the vibrations",
"of the humming like faint electricity",
"and, standing, he fell into sleep",
"that was not sleep but something else",
"drowsy and tranced until Ennis,",
"dredging up a rusty but still usable",
"phrase from the childhood time before",
"his mother died, said, “Time to hit",
"the hay, cowboy. I got a go. Come on,",
"you’re sleepin on your feet like a",
"horse,” and gave Jack a shake, a",
"push, and went off in the darkness.",
"Jack heard his spurs tremble as he",
"mounted, the words “See you",
"tomorrow,” and the horse’s shuddering",
"snort, grind of hoof on stone.",
"",
"Later, that dozy embrace solidified",
"in his memory as the single moment of",
"artless, charmed happiness in their",
"separate and difficult lives. Nothing",
"marred it, even the knowledge that",
"Ennis would not then embrace him face",
"to face because he did not want to",
"see or feel that it was Jack he held.",
"And maybe, he thought, they’d never",
"got much farther than that. Let be,",
"let be.",
"",
"",
"Ennis didn’t know about the accident",
"for months until his postcard to Jack",
"saying that November still looked",
"like the first chance came back",
"stamped “deceased.” He called Jack’s",
"number in Childress, something he had",
"done only once before, when Alma",
"divorced him, and Jack had",
"misunderstood the reason for the",
"call, had driven twelve hundred miles",
"north for nothing. This would be all",
"right; Jack would answer, had to",
"answer. But he did not. It was Lureen",
"and she said who? who is this? and",
"when he told her again she said in a",
"level voice yes, Jack was pumping up",
"a flat on the truck out on a back",
"road when the tire blew up. The bead",
"was damaged somehow and the force of",
"the explosion slammed the rim into",
"his face, broke his nose and jaw and",
"knocked him unconscious on his back.",
"By the time someone came along he had",
"drowned in his own blood.",
"",
"No, he thought, they got him with the",
"tire iron.",
"",
"“Jack used to mention you,” she said.",
"“You’re the fishing buddy or the",
"hunting buddy, I know that. Would",
"have let you know,” she said, “but I",
"wasn’t sure about your name and",
"address. Jack kept most a his",
"friends’ addresses in his head. It",
"was a terrible thing. He was only",
"thirty-nine years old.”",
"",
"The huge sadness of the Northern",
"plains rolled down on him. He didn’t",
"know which way it was, the tire iron",
"or a real accident, blood choking",
"down Jack’s throat and nobody to turn",
"him over. Under the wind drone he",
"heard steel slamming off bone, the",
"hollow chatter of a settling tire",
"rim.",
"",
"“He buried down there?” He wanted to",
"curse her for letting Jack die on the",
"dirt road.",
"",
"The little Texas voice came",
"slip-sliding down the wire, “We put a",
"stone up. He use to say he wanted to",
"be cremated, ashes scattered on",
"Brokeback Mountain. I didn’t know",
"where that was. So he was cremated,",
"like he wanted, and, like I say, half",
"his ashes was interred here, and the",
"rest I sent up to his folks. I",
"thought Brokeback Mountain was around",
"where he grew up. But knowing Jack,",
"it might be some pretend place where",
"the bluebirds sing and there’s a",
"whiskey spring.”",
"",
"“We herded sheep on Brokeback one",
"summer,” said Ennis. He could hardly",
"speak.",
"",
"“Well, he said it was his place. I",
"thought he meant to get drunk. Drink",
"whiskey up there. He drank a lot.”",
"",
"“His folks still up in Lightnin",
"Flat?”",
"",
"“Oh yeah. They’ll be there until they",
"die. I never met them. They didn’t",
"come down for the funeral. You get in",
"touch with them. I suppose they’d",
"appreciate it if his wishes was",
"carried out.”",
"",
"No doubt about it, she was polite but",
"the little voice was as cold as snow.",
"",
"",
"The road to Lightning Flat went",
"through desolate country past a dozen",
"abandoned ranches distributed over",
"the plain at eight- and ten-mile",
"intervals, houses sitting blank-eyed",
"in the weeds, corral fences down. The",
"mailbox read “John C. Twist.” The",
"ranch was a meagre little place,",
"leafy spurge taking over. The stock",
"was too far distant for him to see",
"their condition, only that they were",
"black baldies. A porch stretched",
"across the front of the tiny brown",
"stucco house, four rooms, two down,",
"two up.",
"",
"Ennis sat at the kitchen table with",
"Jack’s father. Jack’s mother, stout",
"and careful in her movements as",
"though recovering from an operation,",
"said, “Want some coffee, don’t you?",
"Piece a cherry cake?”",
"",
"“Thank you, Ma’am, I’ll take a cup a",
"coffee but I can’t eat no cake just",
"now.”",
"",
"The old man sat silent, his hands",
"folded on the plastic tablecloth,",
"staring at Ennis with an angry,",
"knowing expression. Ennis recognized",
"in him a not uncommon type with the",
"hard need to be the stud duck in the",
"pond. He couldn’t see much of Jack in",
"either one of them, took a breath.",
"",
"“I feel awful bad about Jack. Can’t",
"begin to say how bad I feel. I knew",
"him a long time. I come by to tell",
"you that if you want me to take his",
"ashes up there on Brokeback like his",
"wife says he wanted I’d be proud to.”",
"",
"There was a silence. Ennis cleared",
"his throat but said nothing more.",
"",
"The old man said, “Tell you what, I",
"know where Brokeback Mountain is. He",
"thought he was too goddam special to",
"be buried in the family plot.”",
"",
"Jack’s mother ignored this, said, “He",
"used a come home every year, even",
"after he was married and down in",
"Texas, and help his daddy on the",
"ranch for a week, fix the gates and",
"mow and all. I kept his room like it",
"was when he was a boy and I think he",
"appreciated that. You are welcome to",
"go up in his room if you want.”",
"",
"The old man spoke angrily. “I can’t",
"get no help out here. Jack used a",
"say, ‘Ennis del Mar,’ he used a say,",
"‘I’m goin a bring him up here one a",
"these days and we’ll lick this damn",
"ranch into shape.’ He had some",
"half-baked idea the two a you was",
"goin a move up here, build a log",
"cabin, and help me run this ranch and",
"bring it up. Then this spring he’s",
"got another one’s goin a come up here",
"with him and build a place and help",
"run the ranch, some ranch neighbor a",
"his from down in Texas. He’s goin a",
"split up with his wife and come back",
"here. So he says. But like most a",
"Jack’s ideas it never come to pass.”",
"",
"So now he knew it had been the tire",
"iron. He stood up, said you bet he’d",
"like to see Jack’s room, recalled one",
"of Jack’s stories about this old man.",
"Jack was dick-clipped and the old man",
"was not; it bothered the son, who had",
"discovered the anatomical",
"disconformity during a hard scene. He",
"had been about three or four, he",
"said, always late getting to the",
"toilet, struggling with buttons, the",
"seat, the height of the thing, and",
"often as not left the surroundings",
"sprinkled down. The old man blew up",
"about it and this one time worked",
"into a crazy rage. “Christ, he licked",
"the stuffin out a me, knocked me down",
"on the bathroom floor, whipped me",
"with his belt. I thought he was",
"killin me. Then he says, ‘You want a",
"know what it’s like with piss all",
"over the place? I’ll learn you,’ and",
"he pulls it out and lets go all over",
"me, soaked me, then he throws a towel",
"at me and makes me mop up the floor,",
"take my clothes off and warsh them in",
"the bathtub, warsh out the towel, I’m",
"bawlin and blubberin. But while he",
"was hosin me down I seen he had some",
"extra material that I was missin. I",
"seen they’d cut me different like",
"you’d crop a ear or scorch a brand.",
"No way to get it right with him after",
"that.”",
"",
"The bedroom, at the top of a steep",
"stair that had its own climbing",
"rhythm, was tiny and hot, afternoon",
"sun pounding through the west window,",
"hitting the narrow boy’s bed against",
"the wall, an ink-stained desk and",
"wooden chair, a B.B. gun in a",
"hand-whittled rack over the bed. The",
"window looked down on the gravel road",
"stretching south and it occurred to",
"him that for Jack’s growing-up years",
"that was the only road he knew. An",
"ancient magazine photograph of some",
"dark-haired movie star was taped to",
"the wall beside the bed, the skin",
"tone gone magenta. He could hear",
"Jack’s mother downstairs running",
"water, filling the kettle and setting",
"it back on the stove, asking the old",
"man a muffled question.",
"",
"The closet was a shallow cavity with",
"a wooden rod braced across, a faded",
"cretonne curtain on a string closing",
"it off from the rest of the room. In",
"the closet hung two pairs of jeans",
"crease-ironed and folded neatly over",
"wire hangers, on the floor a pair of",
"worn packer boots he thought he",
"remembered. At the north end of the",
"closet a tiny jog in the wall made a",
"slight hiding place and here, stiff",
"with long suspension from a nail,",
"hung a shirt. He lifted it off the",
"nail. Jack’s old shirt from Brokeback",
"days. The dried blood on the sleeve",
"was his own blood, a gushing",
"nosebleed on the last afternoon on",
"the mountain when Jack, in their",
"contortionistic grappling and",
"wrestling, had slammed Ennis’s nose",
"hard with his knee. He had stanched",
"the blood, which was everywhere, all",
"over both of them, with his",
"shirtsleeve, but the stanching hadn’t",
"held, because Ennis had suddenly",
"swung from the deck and laid the",
"ministering angel out in the wild",
"columbine, wings folded.",
"",
"The shirt seemed heavy until he saw",
"there was another shirt inside it,",
"the sleeves carefully worked down",
"inside Jack’s sleeves. It was his own",
"plaid shirt, lost, he’d thought, long",
"ago in some damn laundry, his dirty",
"shirt, the pocket ripped, buttons",
"missing, stolen by Jack and hidden",
"here inside Jack’s own shirt, the",
"pair like two skins, one inside the",
"other, two in one. He pressed his",
"face into the fabric and breathed in",
"slowly through his mouth and nose,",
"hoping for the faintest smoke and",
"mountain sage and salty sweet stink",
"of Jack, but there was no real scent,",
"only the memory of it, the imagined",
"power of Brokeback Mountain of which",
"nothing was left but what he held in",
"his hands.",
"",
"",
"In the end the stud duck refused to",
"let Jack’s ashes go. “Tell you what,",
"we got a family plot and he’s goin in",
"it.” Jack’s mother stood at the table",
"coring apples with a sharp, serrated",
"instrument. “You come again,” she",
"said.",
"",
"Bumping down the washboard road Ennis",
"passed the country cemetery fenced",
"with sagging sheep wire, a tiny",
"fenced square on the welling prairie,",
"a few graves bright with plastic",
"flowers, and didn’t want to know Jack",
"was going in there, to be buried on",
"the grieving plain.",
"",
"",
"A few weeks later, on the Saturday,",
"he threw all the Coffeepot’s dirty",
"horse blankets into the back of his",
"pickup and took them down to the Quik",
"Stop Car Wash to turn the",
"high-pressure spray on them. When the",
"wet clean blankets were stowed in the",
"truck bed he stepped into Higgins’",
"gift shop and busied himself with the",
"postcard rack.",
"",
"“Ennis, what are you lookin for,",
"rootin through them postcards?” said",
"Linda Higgins, throwing a sopping",
"brown coffee filter into the garbage",
"can.",
"",
"“Scene a Brokeback Mountain.”",
"",
"“Over in Fremont County?”",
"",
"“No, north a here.”",
"",
"“I didn’t order none a them. Let me",
"get the order list. They got it I can",
"get you a hunderd. I got a order some",
"more cards anyway.”",
"",
"“One’s enough,” said Ennis.",
"",
"When it came—thirty cents—he pinned",
"it up in his trailer, brass-headed",
"tack in each corner. Below it he",
"drove a nail and on the nail he hung",
"a wire hanger and the two old shirts",
"suspended from it. He stepped back",
"and looked at the ensemble through a",
"few stinging tears.",
"",
"“Jack, I swear—” he said, though Jack",
"had never asked him to swear anything",
"and was himself not the swearing",
"kind.",
"",
"",
"Around that time Jack began to appear",
"in his dreams, Jack as he had first",
"seen him, curly-headed and smiling",
"and buck-toothed, talking about",
"getting up off his pockets and into",
"the control zone, but the can of",
"beans with the spoon handle jutting",
"out and balanced on the log was there",
"as well, in a cartoon shape and lurid",
"colors that gave the dreams a flavor",
"of comic obscenity. The spoon handle",
"was the kind that could be used as a",
"tire iron. And he would wake",
"sometimes in grief, sometimes with",
"the old sense of joy and release; the",
"pillow sometimes wet, sometimes the",
"sheets.",
"",
"There was some open space between",
"what he knew and what he tried to",
"believe, but nothing could be done",
"about it, and if you can’t fix it",
"you’ve got to stand it. ♦",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
""};

brokeback.ino

#include <GxEPD.h>
#include <SD.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_MCP23008.h>

#include "book.h"

#define ENABLE_GxEPD2_GFX 0

#include <GxEPD2_BW.h>
#include <GxEPD2_3C.h>
#define MAX_DISPAY_BUFFER_SIZE 15000ul // ~15k is a good compromise
#define MAX_HEIGHT(EPD) (EPD::HEIGHT <= MAX_DISPAY_BUFFER_SIZE / (EPD::WIDTH / 8) ? EPD::HEIGHT : MAX_DISPAY_BUFFER_SIZE / (EPD::WIDTH / 8))

#define EINK_CS        9
#define EINK_DC        10
#define EINK_BSY       A3
#define EINK_RST       A4

// Install the GxEPD2 library to use this demo.
GxEPD2_BW<GxEPD2_420, MAX_HEIGHT(GxEPD2_420)> display(GxEPD2_420(/*CS=*/ 9, /*DC=*/ 10, /*RST=*/ A4, /*BUSY=*/ A3));

// This is the GPIO expander you should have on the board.
Adafruit_MCP23008 mcp;

File myFile;

const char * title = "Brokeback\nMountain";
const char * author = "Annie Proulx";

union
{
    int value;
    unsigned char bytes[4];
} page;

void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(115200);
  

  // DEBUG: don't start sketch until Serial is up
//  delay(1000);

  pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW);   // turn the LED on at startup

  // Display
  display.init(115200); // enable diagnostic output on Serial
#if defined(ADAFRUIT_FEATHER_M4_EXPRESS) // this works on other Express boards but for the moment I'm testing on an M4 Feather
  display.loadUnifontFile();
#endif
  display.setRotation(3);

  // Buttons
  mcp.begin();      // use default address 0

  for (int i = 0; i <= 7; i++)
  {
    mcp.pinMode(i, INPUT);
    mcp.pullUp(i, HIGH);  // turn on a 100K pullup internally
  }

  display.firstPage();

// Restore or create place in book
  SD.begin(5);
  myFile = SD.open("lastpage");
  if (myFile) 
  {
    myFile.read(page.bytes, 4);
    myFile.close();
  } else {
    page.value = 0;
    myFile = SD.open("lastpage", O_TRUNC | O_WRONLY);
    myFile.write(page.bytes, 4);
    myFile.close();

    Serial.println("error opening test.txt");
  }
}

void loop()
{
  static int lastPage = -1;

  if (page.value < 0) page.value = 0;
  if (page.value != lastPage)
  {
    lastPage = max(page.value, 0);
    display.setFullWindow();
    display.setCursor(0, 0);

    if (page.value == 0)
    {
      display.fillScreen(GxEPD_BLACK);
      display.setTextColor(GxEPD_WHITE);
      display.setTextSize(3);
      display.println();
      display.printlnUTF8((char *)title);
      display.println();
      display.setTextSize(2);
      display.printlnUTF8((char *)author);
    } else
    {
      display.fillScreen(GxEPD_WHITE);
      display.setTextColor(GxEPD_BLACK);
      display.setTextSize(1);
      int start = (page.value - 1) * 25;
      for(int i = start; i < start + 25; i++)
      {
        display.printlnUTF8((char *)book001[i]);
      }
    }
    while (display.nextPage());
    myFile = SD.open("lastpage", O_TRUNC | O_WRONLY );
    myFile.write(page.bytes, 4);
    myFile.close();
  }
  if (mcp.digitalRead(5) == LOW) page.value--;
  if (mcp.digitalRead(6) == LOW) page.value++;
}