章节目录 8

(88106 www.88106.info)    SIMONisamazedbywhathedoesntcareabout.Hesboughtnothingbutacoupleofnewshirtsandafewbooks.Hesthoughtofnonewprojects.HereadsProgressiveArchitectureandcritiqueswhatheseesthereinamoodofamiablecolleagueship.Heddoneabuildingin1981thathadpleasedhim,aCath?olicchurchinanot-goodareanearTempleUniversity,wheretheliquorstoresgaveyouyourbottlebyrequestoveraformidablecounter,nobrowsinginthestacks.Theparishwassopoorthathedcuthisfeetoalmostnothing;theotherpartnerswerenothappyaboutitbuthadaccommodatedhim.Thechurchwasabare-bonessteelbuildingwithinsetsofglassblockasitsonlyde?signflourish,thesehoweverstackedeighteenfeethighintwelvebaysoneithersideofthesanctuary——theglassblockwasthelight-givingelement,andresistedthiev?ery,too.Ithadbeenpopularinthe30s,consideredadesignclicheinthe40s,50s,60sand70s,andpre?senteditselfagaininthe80s,freshasnewdung.Some?thingtobesaidforbeingfifty-three,youcouldenjoytheturningofthewheel.Hefeelseveryadditionaldayagreatboon.Hedoesntunderstandpeoplewhohavefutures,palpablefutures.Hetakesaninterestintheobituarypagesofthenewspapers,thesummations,tidypackages,So-and-sogetsthreeincheswhereasTra-la-lagotseven.Hehasapainwherehisliverispresumedtobeandisvomitingrathertoomuch.Hespaid$35,107inFederaltaxesforlastyearandhasbeforehimare?questfromtheIRSforanadditional$41.09.Thesepeoplearewonderful,hethinks,theywantthelastforty-onebucksandninecents.Youdthinkwiththethirty-fivethoutheydsayletshaveabeerandforgetaboutit.

    Doreisbrusqueuponawakening,Annecheerfulasazinnia.Veronicafrequentlycomestothebreakfasttable(hardlyatable,aslabofbutcherblockontopofsomecabswithfourstoolsaroundit)palewithde?spair,thenisovertakenwithgreatgustsofenthusiasm,forLohengrinoroystermushroomsorPierreTrudeau.Theyresolovelythathisheadwhipsaroundwhenoneofthementerstheroom,exactlyinthewayonenoticesastrangewomaninacrowdandcantavoid,cantphys?icallyavoid,loudandoutrageousstaring.Mysensesarebeingsystematicallydérégled,hethinks,forgiveme,Rimbaud.Doreisrelativelytall,Annenotsotall(buttheyarealltall),Veronicaagainthemiddleterm.Breastswaveranddipandswayfromsidetosideundert-shirtswithmessagessomuchofthemomentthatSimondoesntunderstandatenthofthem:ALLYSHEEDYLIVES!WhoisAllySheedy?Inwhatsensedoesshelive,andwhyisthefactworthyofcomment?Theyknow,hedoesnt.SimonhasactuallymetPierreTru?deau(atathree-daycity-planningconferenceinOt?tawa)andfoundhimacharmingandthoughtfulman.Thisearnshimaboutacrayonsworthofcreditwithhisguests.

    Heattemptsgeneralizations.Doreiscrusty,Veron?icaisvolatile,Anneisaworrier.Thegeneralizationsarebanalbutcomforting,likeothershesbeenfaithfultoovermanyyears,architectureisfrozenmusicandartisasourceoflife.

    Inthemiddleofthenighthesensessomeonestand?ingoverhisbed.

    "Whosthat?"

    "Itsme.Dore."

    Heswitchesonthebedsidelamp.

    "Whatsup?"

    "Doyouhaveanymoney?"

    "Youmeancash?Inthehouse?"

    "Ineedacoupleofhundred."

    "Rightnow?"

    Sheswearingawhitelacepeignoirwithlongfiligreesleeves.

    "Rightnow.Twohundred,ifyouhaveit."

    "Letmelook."

    Simongetsoutofbedandopensabook,OnAdamsHouseinParadise.Hetakesoutastackofbillsandcountsouttwohundredintwenties.

    "Itsmybadbrother,"Doresays."Hesdownstairs.Healwaysarriveswithoutwarning.Oneofhisendear?ingtraits.Thanks.Illpayyouback."

    Shegiveshimaquickkissandstartstoleave,thenpauses.

    "Whatsyourwifesname,Simon?"

    "Whatsmywifesname?"

    "Youdonthavetotellme."

    "Carol."

    "Prettyname."

    Theysay,repeatedly:

    "SeewhatImsaying?"

    "SeewhatImsaying?"

    "SeewhatImsaying?"

    A:Inthedream,myfatherwasplayingthepiano,aBeethovensomething,inalargeconcerthallwhichwasfilledwithpeople.IwasintheaudienceandIwasreadingabook.Isuddenlyrealizedthatthiswasthewrongthingtodowhenmyfatherwasper?forming,soIsatupandpaidattention.Hewasplayingverywell,Ithought.Suddenlytheconductorstoppedtheperformanceandbegantosingapassageformyfa?ther,apassagethatmyfatherhadevidentlybotched.Myfatherlistenedattentively,smilingattheconduc?tor.

    Q:Doesyourfatherplay?Inactuality?

    A:Notanote.

    Q:Didtheconductorresembleanyoneyouknow?

    A:No.

    Q:Whatdidyoudo,afterwork,intheeveningsoronweekends,inPhiladelphia?

    A:Justordinarythings.

    Q:Nospecialinterests?

    A:Iwasveryinterestedinbow-hunting.Thesenewbowstheyhavenow,whattheycallacompoundbow——Also,ImamemberoftheGalapagosSociety,weworkfortheenvironment,itsreallyaveryeffective——

    Q:Andwhatelse?

    A:Well,adultery.IwouldsaythatshowIspentmostofmyfreetime.Inadultery.

    Q:Youmeanregularadultery.

    A:Yes.Sleepingwithpeoplealthoughlegallyboundtosomeoneelse.

    Q:Thesewerewomen.

    A:Invariably.

    Q:Andsothatswhatyoudid,intheeveningsoronweekends

    A:Ihadthisstrangeexperience.TodayisSaturday,right?IcalledupthishaircutterIgoto,hernameisRuth,andaskedherforanappointment.Ineededahaircut.Soshesaidshehadopeningsatten,ten-thirty,eleven,eleven-thirty,twelve,twelve-thirty——onaSatur?day.DoyouthinktheworldknowssomethingIdontknow?

    Q:Itspossible.

    A:Whatifshestabsmeintheearwiththescissors?

    Q:Unlikely,Iwouldthink.

    A:Stabsmeintheearwiththescissorsinanexcessofrage?

    Q:Yourguilt.Irecognizeit.Clearly,guilt.

    A:Nonsense.Theprudentmanguardshiseardrums.Theprudentmanavoidsanomalouscircumstances.

    Q:Youregardyourselfasprudent.

    A:Iregardmyselfasasleep.Igoalong,thingshap?pentome,therearedisturbances,onecopes,thinkingofthegoldenpillow,Idontmeanliterallygoldenbutgoldeninmyesteem——

    Q:Letmeplaythistrackhereforyou,itsbyEchoandtheBunnymen——

    A:Illpass.

    Q:IalsohaveavideooftheTetoffensivewithWalterCronkite

    "HESnotpotentmorethanforty-twoper?centofthetime."

    "Maybewecouldfeedhimnourishingbroths."

    "TheysaythatvitaminEisgoodforthat."

    "ThatswhatIheartoo."

    "WhatifwegivehimtoomuchvitaminEanditpoisonshim?"

    "Idontthinkyoucangivesomebodytoomuchofanyparticularvitamin.ThebodytakeswhatitneedsandrejectstherestIreadaboutit."

    "Itsbecausehessoold."

    "IdontthinksoIreadaboutthisguywhowasny-threeandstillwasfatheringchildrenwhenhewasny-three."

    "PerhapsatlongintervalsafterhehadbeencarefullyfedwithvitaminEandnourishingbroths."

    "Maybeweshouldofferstimulatingphotographs."

    "Ofwhat?"

    "Potentiallyarousingscenes."

    "Youmeanthephotographswouldbemorearousingthanweare?"

    "WellIdontknowhowtheirmindswork."

    "Maybeweshouldofferhimpotentiallyarousingscenesthatarenotphotographs."

    "Youmeanlikereallife."

    "ThatswhatImean."

    "Consistingofwhat?"

    "IdontknowIdhavetolookinsomebooks."

    "Hesdoingthebesthecan."

    "Thatsyouropinion."

    "Ithinkheworksquitehardatit,spendshoursandhours."

    "Ijustthinkwevegottenourselvesintoafunda?mentallyfalsepositionhere,Idontblamethepoorbastarditsjustmorethanthemalemechanismisequippedtodo."

    "IsawthisguyinamovieonceIcouldntbelieveit."

    "Theyhavethesespecialguystheyuseforthosemoviestheyrenotwhatyouusuallyruninto.Theyrespecialists."

    "Wedontwanttostresshimbeyondhiscapacityorhavehimgomadorsomething."

    "Heshowsnosignsofgoingmad."

    "Hesravelinghisclothes.Pluckingatthreads."

    "Ijustthinkthatmeanshedoesnthaveverygoodclothes.Hisclotheshavealotoflooseendsanditsnat?ural,Ithink,whenyouseealooseendtopluckatit."

    "IuseLubridermonhimsometimes,thathelps."

    "IvenoticedyouvebeenbuyingalotofLubri?derm."

    "Ishareitwhatareyougettingsohetupabout?"

    "IhaventheardthatexpressionsinceIwasachild.Hetup."

    "Wellwerematurewomenweshouldbeabletocopewiththis."

    "Hashemadeawill?"

    "Thatsanevilthought,hasheanythingtowill?"

    "BeatsmeIwouldnttakeitifhedid."

    "Sureyouwould."

    "HecouldbemoretanhisredcolorisfromdrinkingIllbetanickel."

    "Notaperfectdealhesananimatewreck."

    "WellIlltellyouIveneverhadthatmanyorgasmswithanybodyelsetogivethedevilhisdue."

    "Wellifyouwantsimplefrottage."

    "Hedoesappreciatewhathesgiven."

    "Aswellheshouldhesinhogheaven,objectivelyspeaking."

    "Wherearewe?"

    "Wereinsomesortofwaitingroom.Waiting."

    "Howoldisheactually?"

    "Hesayshesfifty-three."

    ONCEwhenhehadcomehomewithCarolearlyfromaconcertapolicecarwasparkedoutsidethehouse,sotheyhurried.Insideonthecouchwiththebabysittertherewasahalf-nakedpoliceman.Hehadretainedhisuniformtrousers.Hisgunbeltwasonthecoffeetableandthebabysittersblouseonthecoffeetable,abottleofDewarsthereaswell,"ThisisRob,"thebabysittersaid,andtheysaid,"Hi,Rob."Whatbreasts,Simonthought.HewentintothekitchenandmixedhimselfaGelusilandCarolwentsearchingforafarawayclosettohangherblack-beadedjacketin.

    Robremovedhimselfintothefelon-thicknight,Carolgavethebabysittertwelvedollars,andSimonlookedinonthesleepingSarah.Shehadkickedthecoversoffandhereplacedthem."Doyouthinkhewasonduty?"Carolasked,re-doingthecovers.

    "Yes,"Simonsaid."Didyousayanythingtoher?"

    "Ididntthinkitwasnecessary.Shewasblushingallover.Neverseenastomachblushlikethat."

    "Didheleavethebottle?"

    "No,tookit."

    "IthinkIllcallthechief.Fillhiminonthismatter."

    "Oh,comeon."

    "Whatisshe,fifteen?"

    "Fullyfifteen."

    "Aripefifteen."

    "Isaw."Sheledthewaytothekitchen."IguessthatsSarahelevenyearsfromnow."

    "Ohmiseryme."

    "Youwanttojumpthebabysitter."

    "Wheredoesthiswordjumpcomefrom?"

    "Iknowyou."

    "IdontthinkIveeversaidthattoanybody.Iknowyou."

    "Youretoowrappedupinyourownstuffeventotry.Toknowsomeone."

    "Thephraseisabittotal.Asin,ItotaledtheBuick."

    "YouworryaboutthewayIsaythingsbutyoudontworryaboutwhatImean."

    "Thatsnotso.Anyhow,Idontwanttoscrewthebabysitter."

    "Youwouldifyoucould."

    "Maybeinastateofnature.Philadelphiaisnotastateofnature."

    "Youredumb.Yourejustdumb,Simon."

    "Ididnthirethebabysitter."

    "Shewashighlyrecommended."

    "Hadthisguytodaytellmehewasthefourthgen?erationofhisfamilytolosemoneyinthecattlebusi?ness.Aclient.Whathewasreallysayingwasthathewascattlearistocracyandhemadeenoughfromhisoilleasessothathecouldruntwothousandheadofcattleasahobby.Thatsknownasself-deprecatinghumor."

    "Yourechangingthesubject."

    "Itneedschanging."

    Inbed,hewasalmostasleep.Shecameinandthrewfourquartsoficewaterathim.

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