Chapter six the deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late afternoon already the Sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the gabilan mountains and the hilltops rosy in the Sun but by the pool among the mottled sycamores pleasant shade had fallen a water snake glided smoothly up the pool twisting its periscope head from side to side and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless Heron that stood in the shallows a silent head and beak Lance down and plucked it out by the head and the beak swallowed little snake while its tail waved frantically a far Russia wind sounded and the gust drove through the tops of the trees like a wave Sycamore leaves turned up their silver sides and the brown dry leaves on the ground scudded a few feet and row on row of tiny wind waves flowed up the pools green surface as quickly as it had come the wind died and the clearing was quiet again the herons stood in the shallows motionless and waiting another little water snake swam up the pool turning its periscope head from side to side suddenly Lennie appeared out of the brush and he came as silently as a creeping bear moves the Heron pounded the air with its wings jacked itself clear of the water and flew off downriver the little snakes led in among the reeds at the poolside Lenny came quietly to the pools edge he knelt down and drank barely touching his lips to the water when a little bird skidded over the dry leaves behind him his head jerked up and he strained toward the sound with eyes and ears until he saw the bird then he dropped his head and drank again when he finished he sat down on the bank with his side to the pool so that he could watch the trails entrance he embraced his knees and laid his chin down on his knees the light climbed on out of the valley and as it went the tops of the mountains seemed to blaze with increasing brightness Lenny said softly I didn't forget you bat goddamn high didn't a brush and wait for George he pulled his hat down low over his eyes George gonna give me hell he said George gonna wish he was alone and not have me bothering him he turned his head and looked at the bright mountaintops I can go right off Darrin find a cave he said and he continued sadly never have no ketchup but I won't care if George don't want me I'll go away I'll go away and then from out of Lenny's head there came a little fat old woman she wore thick bullseye glasses and she wore a huge gingham apron with pockets and she was starched and clean she stood in front of Lenny and put her hands on her hips and she frowned disapprovingly at him and when she spoke it was in Lenny's voice I told you and told you she said I told you mine George cause he's such a nice fella and good to you but you don't never take no care you do bad things and Lenny answered her I tie that Clara ma'am I tried and tried I couldn't help it you never give a thought to George she went on in Lenny's voice he been doing nice things for you all the time when he got a piece of pie you always got half or more in half and if David's any ketchup why he'd give it all to you I know said Lenny miserably I try that Clara ma'am I tried then tried she interrupted him all the time he could have had such a good time if it wasn't for you he woulda took his pay and raised hell in the whorehouse and he could have said in a pool room and played snooker but he got to take care of you Lenny moaned with grief I know Aunt Clara ma'am I'll go right off in the Hills and I'll find a cave and they lived there so I won't be no more trouble to George you just say that she said sharply you're always saying that and you know son-of-a-bitching well you ain't never gonna do it you just stick around and stood the bejeezus Ida George all the time Lennie said I might just as well go away George ain't going to let me ten no rabbits now Aunt Clara was gone and from out of Lenny's head there came a gigantic rabbit it sat on its haunches in front of him and it wiggled its ears and crinkled its nose at him and it spoke in Lenny's voice to tend rabbits it said scornfully you crazy bastard you ain't fit to lick the boots no rabbit you'd forget them and let him go hungry that's what you do and then what would George stink I would not forget when he said loudly the hell you wouldn't said the rabbit you ain't worth the grease Jack Pinter immune to hell Christ knows doors done everything he could to Jack you out to the sewer but it don't do no good if you think George gonna let you turn rabbit's you're even crazier than usual he ain't he's gonna beat the hell out of you with the stick that's what he's gonna do now Lenny retorted belligerently he ain't neither George won't do nothin like that I've knew George since I forget when and he ain't never raised his hand to me with a stick he's nice to me he ain't gonna be me well he's sick of you said the rabbit he's gonna beat the hell out of you and then go away and leave you he won't let me cried frantically he won't do nothin like that I know George me and him travels together but the rabbit repeated softly over and over he's gonna leave you you crazy bastard he's gonna leave y'all alone he's gonna leave ya crazy bastard Lennie put his hands over his ears he ain't I tell you he ain't and he cried Oh George George George George came quietly out of the brush and the rabbit scuttled back into Lenny's brain George said quietly the hell you yelling about Lennie got up on his knees you ain't going to leave me are you George I know you ain't George came stiffly near and sat down beside him no I know that when he cried you ain't that kind Gorge was silent Lennie said George yeah I'd end another bad ting it don't make no difference George said and he fell silent again only the topmost ridges were in the Sun now the shadow in the valley was blue and soft from the distance came the sound of men shouting to one another George turned his head and listened to the shouts Lenny said George yeah ain't you gonna give me he'll give you Hale sure like Joy's done before like if I didn't have you I take my 50 bucks Jesus Christ Lenny you can't remember nothing that happens but you remember every word I say well ain't you gonna do it George shook himself he said wouldn't Lee if I was alone I could live so easy his voice was monotonous had no emphasis I could get a job and not have no mess he stopped go on said Lenny and when they ended the month come on the end of the month come I could take my 50 bucks and go to a cathouse he stopped again Lenny looked eagerly at him gone George ain't you gonna give me no more health no says George well I can go away said Lenny go ride off in the Hills and find the cave if you don't want me George shook himself again no he said I won't you stay here with me then he said craftily tell me like you've done before tell you what about the other guys thing about us George said guys like us got no family make a little steak and then they blow it in and got nobody in the world gives a hoot in hell about him but not us Len he cried happily tell about us now George was quiet for a moment but not us he said because because I got you and and I got you we got each other that's what that gives a hoot in hell about us Lenny cried in triumph the little evening breeze blew over the clearing and the leaves rustled and the wind waves flowed up the green pool and the shouts of men sounded again this time much closer than before George took off his hat he said shakily take off your hat Lenny the air feels fine Lenny removed his hat dutifully and laid it on the ground in front of him the shadow in the valley was bluer and the evening came fast on the wind the sound of crashing and the brush came to them Lenny said tell how it's going to be George had been listening to the distant sounds for a moment he was business like lacrosse a river Lenny and I'll tell you so you can almost see it Lenny turned his head and looked off across the pool and up the darkening slopes of the gibbelins gonna get little place George began he reached in a side pocket and brought out Carlson's Luger he snapped off the safety in the hand and gun lay on the ground behind Lenny's back he looked at the back of Lenny's head at the place where the spine and skull were joined a man's voice called from up the river and another man answered God said Lenny George raised the gun and his hand shook and he dropped his hand to the ground again gone said Lenny how is it gonna be we're gonna get a little place we'll have a cow so George and we'll have maybe a peg in chickens and down the flat we'll have a little piece alfalfa for deer rabbits Lennie shouted for the rabbits George repeated and I get to tend the rabbits and you get to tend the rabbits Lennie giggled with happiness and live on the fat of the land yes Lennie turned his head no Lennie look down there across the river like you can almost see the place Lennie obeyed him George looked down at the gun we're crashing footsteps in the brush now George turned and looked toward them come on George when we gonna do it don't to do it soon me and you you and me everybody's gonna be nice to you ain't gonna be no more trouble nobody gonna get hurt and or steal from him Lenny said I thought you he's mad at me George no sir George no Lenny I mad I never been mad not now that's the thing I want you to know the voices came close now George raised the gun and listened to the voices Lennie begged let's do it now let's get that place now sure right now I got a we got a and George raised the gun and steadied it and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lenny's head the hands shook violently but his face set his hand steadied he pulled the trigger the crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again lenny jarred and then settled slowly forward to the sand and he lay without quivering George shivered and looked at the gun and he threw it from him back up on the bank near the pile of old ashes the brush seemed filled with cries and the sound of running feet Slim's voice shouted George where you at George but George sat stiffly on the bank and looked at his right hand that had thrown the gun away the group burst into the clearing and Curley was ahead he saw Lennie laying on the sand got him by God went over and looked down at Lennie and then he looked back at George ride in the back of the head he said softly slim came directly to George and sat down beside him sat very close to him never you mind said slim a guy got too sometimes Carlson was standing over George how'd you do it he asked I just done it George said tiredly did he have my gun yeah he had your gun you got it away from him and you took it and you killed him yeah that's how George's voice was almost a whisper he looked steadily at his right hand that had held the gun slim twitch George's elbow come on George I mean you'll go in and get a drink George let himself be helped to his feet yeah drink slim said yeah atta George I swear you had a come on with me he led George into the entrance of the trail and up toward the highway Curley and Carlson looked after them and Carlson said now what the hell you suppose is eatin them two guys