ATD question about Lake's speech (217)

[bandwraith at aol.com]

Lake harbors a resentment for the way she
was treated by Web when she was so inap-
propriately attacked by him for her innocent
encounter with the son of one of the "owners.'
At this point she is not referring specifically
to Deuce, but to the "old world o'  family ven-
gence" and "that kind of 'business'" that
motivated his reflexive vituperation, which
caused her so much pain. Her passion is
understandable.

The whole episode begs the question-
What would Web have done, how would
he have reacted, if Reef, say, had become
smitten by the daughter of some upper class
family- and she him- under similar circum-
stances? Not quite the same way as he did
with Lake, I would venture. The working class
struggle is all fine and well, but "woman" is
still the "nigger" of the world.


-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Post <jonfpost at gmail.com>
To: pynchon-l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Thu, Apr 26, 2012 4:03 pm
Subject: ATD question about Lake's speech (217)


On page 217 we find Lake's speech to Reef:
"How long before she'll see you or Frank again? You're off into that 
old world o' family vengeance, it has its claim on you now, you're both 
out lost in country you don't know how to get back in from. What do you 
think it's like for her, that kind of 'business'? Might just as well be 
dead already, the both of you. Damn fools."
   He didn't know yet what was behind that passionate speech, nobody 
did, not quite yet.

Here is my confusion. This speech seems to be implying that Lake is 
protecting Webb's killers, especially Deuce, but the burial takes place 
before Lake even meets Deuce, right? Is my chronology wrong, or do I 
just not understand the implications of that final sentence.