Atdtda23: Neighbors, 646-648

[Paul Nightingale]

Leaving the hotel, confronted by "two local reps from some metropolis of the
bad". If the chapter started with transformation characterised by "these
damned little tearooms" (644), the current section begins by confirming a
residual violence. According to Stray, Hatch and friend are "a long way from
the old neighbourhood" (647); subsequently there is a reference to the OK
Corral (648), the spell broken by the sudden appearance of Ewball, at which
point "[e]verybody ... [goes] about relocating their everyday selves".

Ewball's appearance might be considered a surprising turn of events, given
his parting--if not, in retrospective, ironic--words to Frank at the end of
the previous chapter (643). The confrontation perhaps invokes the showdown
(of sorts) between Kit and Gunther (600) and Gunther's subsequent account
when he meets Frank in Tampico (637). On that occasion wonders if he is
indeed hearing a description of his brother; so Jesse isn't the only
Traverse who has learned to "[play] with the dynamite".

The narrative doesn't built to the scene in the street; nor is there any
'motivation', for want of a better word. We aren't provided with any
explanation for the conflict between Stray and Hatch-&-friend (beyond
Stray's enigmatic "simple damn thievery", 647). The purpose of the scene is
to confirm Stray's active role, in contrast to the passive role assigned her
as Reef's wife, eg: waiting "sure ain't for me" (646) at the end of the
previous section.