Free The Moon Around Sarah by Paul Lederer

of people like Sarah,’ he said at last.
    ‘A hospital, is that what you call it!’ Eric said hotly. ‘“People like Sarah!” What do you know about people like Sarah? Except that they get in the way of everyone else’s little plans.’
    ‘You’re one to talk, Eric,’ Edward said, loosening his tie with one hand, ‘we at least tried to take care of her, not carve her up psychologically as you did!’
    ‘Oh, sure! I did it! Not you and Mother and Dad … you were always so concerned about Sarah! You always had her best interests at heart. What do you think put her in the strangled little world she lives in? It wasn’t
me
, Edward.’ He shook his head heavily, ‘No, it wasn’t me.’
    ‘The hell it wasn’t, you son-of-a-bitch!’ Edward took a step toward his brother, half-raising his briefcase as if he wanted to hit Eric with it and all the weight it contained. Don watched them in astonishment.
    ‘Jesus!’ he said, not loudly. ‘I don’t know what happened, what all of this is about, but I can look at you two and see what a lovely family you are. What a pleasant home Sarah must have had.’
    ‘That’s right,’ Edward shot back, ‘you don’t know, so keep your opinions to yourself. You’re right, though. Sarah’s home life is a mess and always has been. Which is exactly why she’s going to be institutionalized – don’t let the word put you off – put in some place where the people, if anonymous , are kinder to her.’ Edward smiled as if his point had been made and taken, ‘You see, Mister … the house we grewup in and the surrounding one hundred and eighty acres is being sold. Is sold. Within thirty days there will be no
home
for Sarah to return to.’
    ‘As if she ever had one!’ Eric yelled, his words muffled behind his hands. ‘As if any of us ever did! They never gave us that simple thing. Home.’
    ‘I admire you, Eric,’ his brother said sarcastically, ‘I really do.’ His suit continued to drip on the floor, he was bedraggled-looking, but his confidence had returned. ‘You have a unique capacity for blaming everything that has happened to you on everyone but yourself.’
    Now it was Eric who became angry again. His hands dropped from his bruised face and he stepped forward, hotly flushed. He halted his movement abruptly and turned back toward the steam-fogged window and muttered, ‘Screw you, Edward.’
    ‘Fine,’ his brother said with audible tension, ‘screw me, screw us all and you go on your way – that’s your pattern isn’t it?’
    ‘Just sign these goddamned papers, please!’ Edward continued, ‘I’ll see that you get some money today if I have to advance it out of my own pocket. You have to get out of this town, out of our lives and this time, stay out.’
    Don March stared at his two unwelcome visitors with blank disbelief. They were going to deal with business matters now and look for Sarah later!
    Edward had placed his alligator briefcase on the table, thumbed the gold-plated latches open and produced a set of blue-backed contracts and a mother-of-pearl fountain pen,shoving Don’s cameras aside. Eric, his jaw set, went to the table and signed the contracts in three places without reading a word on them.
    March couldn’t contain himself, ‘
That
is what you’re concerned about now?’ he said, gesturing toward the contracts, ‘not Sarah, but your paperwork? It’s all becoming quite clear to me now. Now I
am
beginning to see why she is like she is.’
    ‘You don’t know,’ Edward said. ‘You don’t know a god-damned thing. Just butt out. Forget it; it doesn’t concern you Mr.…’
    ‘March, Donald March,’ the photographer said, ‘and no, I won’t butt out, pal. I’ve known your sister only for a bit of one morning, but apparently I care about her more than you do. You sign your contracts, whatever you have to do,’ he said, putting his cap back on. ‘Close the door when you go out, please.’
    ‘Where are you going…?’
    ‘Take a