Chapter 9 Summary

John talks about Norton, a tough guy in their neighborhood, and a member of the group that they played the telephone marathon game with. He explains that Norton's mother allowed him to play with dolls, and that he became a neighborhood bully because of it. Norton is well known for shoplifting, and gained notoriety when he got caught stealing a bag of marshmallows. John is suspicious when Norton lures him to the cemetery for a beer and begins asking questions about Mr. Pignati. He asks if the old man has anything worth stealing.

John also talks about how his father, Bore, started John drinking beer. His dad would get a kick out of seeing John go around the house when he was about ten years old, emptying all of the beer glasses. Later, his father was diagnosed with sclerosis of the liver and...