第87章

LYNCHHoopla！(Heliftshercarriesherandbumpsherdownonthesofa。)

STEPHENThefoxcrew，thecocksflew，ThebellsinheavenWerestrikingeleven。’TistimeforherpoorsoulTogetoutofheaven。

BLOOM(QuietlylaysahalfsovereignonthetablebetweenBellaandFlorry。)So。Allowme。(Hetakesupthepoundnote。)Threetimesten。We’resquare。

BELLA(Admiringly。)You’resuchaslyboots，oldcocky。Icouldkissyou。

ZOE(Points。)Hum？Deepasadrawwell。(LynchbendsKittybackoverthesofaandkissesher。BloomgoeswiththepoundnotetoStephen。)

BLOOMThisisyours。

STEPHENHowisthat？Ledistraitorabsentmindedbeggar。(Hefumblesagaininhispocketanddrawsoutahandfulofcoins。Anobjectfalls。)Thatfell。

BLOOM(Stooping，picksupandhandsaboxofmatches。)This。

STEPHENLucifer。Thanks。

BLOOM(Quietly。)Youhadbetterhandoverthatcashtometotakecareof。Whypaymore？

STEPHEN(Handshimallhiscoins。)Bejustbeforeyouaregenerous。

BLOOMIwillbutisitwise？(Hecounts。)One，seven，eleven，andfive。Six。Eleven。Idon’tanswerforwhatyoumayhavelost。

STEPHENWhystrikingeleven？Proparoxyton。MomentbeforethenextLessingsays。Thirstyfox。(Helaughsloudly。)Buryinghisgrandmother。

Probablyhekilledher。

BLOOMThatisonepoundsixandeleven。Onepoundseven，say。

STEPHENDoesn’tmatteraramblingdamn。

BLOOMNo，but……

STEPHEN(Comestothetable。)Cigarette，please。(Lynchtossesacigarettefromthesofatothetable。)AndsoGeorginaJohnsonisdeadandmarried。(Acigaretteappearsonthetable。Stephenlooksatit。)Wonder。Parlourmagic。Married。Hm。(Hestrikesamatchandproceedstolightthecigarettewithenigmaticmelancholy。)

LYNCH(Watchinghim。)Youwouldhaveabetterchanceoflightingitifyouheldthematchnearer。

STEPHEN(Bringsthematchnearerhiseye。)Lynxeye。Mustgetglasses。Brokethemyesterday。Sixteenyearsago。Distance。Theeyeseesallflat。(Hedrawsthematchaway。Itgoesout。)Brainthinks。

Near：far。Ineluctablemodalityofthevisible。(Hefrownsmysteriously。)

Hm。Sphinx。Thebeastthathastwobacksatmidnight。Married。

ZOEItwasacommercialtravellermarriedherandtookherawaywithhim。

FLORRY(Nods。)MrLambefromLondon。

STEPHENLambofLondon，whotakestawaythesinsofourworld。

LYNCH(EmbracingKittyonthesofa，chantsdeeply。)Donanobispacem。

(ThecigaretteslipsfromStephensfingers。Bloompicksitupandthrowsitintothegrate。)

BLOOMDon’tsmoke。Yououghttoeat。CurseddogImet。(ToZoe。)

Youhavenothing？

ZOEIshehungry？

STEPHEN(ExtendshishandtohersmilingandchantstotheairofthebloodoathintheDuskoftheGods。)HangendeHunger，FragendeFrau，Machtunsallekaput。ZOE(Tragically。)Hamlet，Iamthyfather’sgimlet！(Shetakeshishand。)Blueeyedbeauty，I’llreadyourhand。(Shepointstohisforehead。)Nowit，nowrinkles。(Shecounts。)Two，three，Mars，that’scourage。(Stephenshakeshishead。)Nokid。

LYNCHSheetlightningcourage。Theyouthwhocouldnotshiverandshake。

(ToZoe。)Whotaughtyoupalmistry？

ZOE(Turns。)AskmyballocksthatIhaven’tgot。(ToStephen。)

Iseeitinyourface。Theeye，likethat。(Shefrownswithloweredhead。)

LYNCH(Laughing，slapsKittybehindtwice。)Likethat。Pandybat。

(Twiceloudlyapandybatcracks，thecoffinofthepianolafliesopen，thebaldlittleroundjack-in-the-boxheadofFatherDolanspringsup。)

FATHERDOLANAnyboywantflogging？Brokehisglasses？Lazyidlelittleschemer。Seeitinyo