art by Stephen James Kiniry
Junk Silver
by Michael Canfield
Albe ignored Tic, who exclaimed "huh!" after stabbing another Wikipedia article in his usual overly-enthusiastic way. Albe then watched Tic push the article off the sharp end of his poker into the bag. Tic wiped his hand on his leg, as he did every time he cleared his poker of trash.
Albe had gotten himself knee-deep in Myspace pages, which had started to seep through his garments and cling to his skin, so he didn't care what Tic chose to vociferate about.
"Junk silver," said Tic, unswayed by Albe's lack of response. "That one was about junk silver. Know what that is?"
Albe didn't, and he didn't care.
He knew Tic would tell him anyway.
"Silver coins which are in fair condition but don't have any collectible value," said Tic, almost certainly quoting or paraphrasing the very Wikipedia article he had just shoved in his trash sack.
"I don't know why you bother to read any of this shit," said Albe.
Tic shrugged.
"Your head, fill it with any garbage you want," said Albe.
"Junk silver isn't necessarily scrap silver."
"What!"
"Just means the coins aren't unique enough to interest collectors."
Albe rolled his eyes, realizing Tic was still blathering on about the trashed article.
"Now here's something!" cried Tic.
Albe looked over in spite of himself. Hmm. Now Tic did have something interesting. "What is that?"
"That's the point of the tattoo needle that did the work on Angelina Jolie's left shoulder blade."
"Oh yeah."
"Recognize it?"
"Yeah."
Tic stuffed the needle's point into his trash sack.
Albe put his hand down the front of his garment and scratched vigorously. "Lousy Myspace crud!"
"Lousy comes from the word louse. A single lice," said Tic.
"Quit reading me damn Wikipedia articles!"
"That's from Wiktionary," said Tic, sheepishly.
Sheepishly. From the animal called the sheep. Obviously.
