第92章

BLOOMEh！Ho！(Thereisnoanswerhebendsagain。)MrDedalus！

(Thereisnoanswer。)Thenameifyoucall。Somnambulist。(Hebendsagainand，hesitating，bringshismouthnearthefaceoftheprostrateform。)Stephen！(Thereisnoanswer。Hecallsagain。)Stephen！

STEPHEN(Groans。)Who？Blackpanthervampire。(Hesighsandstretcheshimselfthenmurmursthicklywithprolongedvowels。)Who……

drive……Fergusnow。Andpierce……wood’swovenshade？……

(Heturnsonhisleftside，sighing，doublinghimselftogether。)

BLOOMPoetry。Welleducated。Pity。(HebendsagainandundoesthebuttonsofStephen’swaistcoat。)Tobreathe。(HebrushesthewoodshavingsfromStephen’sclotheswithlighthandsandfingers。)Onepoundseven。Nothurtanyhow。(Helistens。)What！

(Murmurs。)……shadows……thewoods……whitebreast……dim……(Hestretchesouthisarms，sighsagainandcurlshisbody。Bloomholdinghishatandashplantstandserect。Adogbarksinthedistance。Bloomtightensandloosenshisgripontheashplant。HelooksdownonStephen’sfaceandform。)

BLOOM(Communeswiththenight。)Faceremindsmeofhispoormother。Intheshadywood。Thedeepwhitebreast。Ferguson，IthinkIcaught。

Agirl。Somegirl。Bestthingcouldhappenhim……(Hemurmurs。)……

swearthatIwillalwayshail，everconceal，neverreveal，anypartorparts，artorarts……(Hemurmurs。)intheroughsandsofthesea。

acabletow’slengthfromtheshore……wherethetideebbs……andflows……

(Silent，thoughtful，alert，hestandsonguard，hisfingersathislipsintheattitudeofsecretmaster。Againstthedarkwallafigureappearsslowly，afairyboyofeleven，achangeling，kidnapped，dressedinanEtonsuitwithglassshoesandalittlebronzehelmet，holdingabookinhishand。Hereadsfromrighttoleftinaudibly，smiling，kissingthepage。)

BLOOM(Wonderstruck，callsinaudibly。)Rudy！

RUDY(GazesunseeingintoBloom’seyesandgoesonreading，kissing，smiling。Hehasadelicatemauveface。Onhissuithehasdiamondandrubybuttons。Inhisfreelefthandheholdsaslimivorycanewithaviolethowknot。Awhitelambkinpeepsoutofhiswaistcoatpocket。)

JOYCE：Ulysses，CirceCirceTheMabbotstreetentranceofnighttown，beforewhichstretchesanuncobbledtransidingsetwithskeletontracks，redandgreenwill-o’-the-wispsanddangersignals。Rowsofflimsyhouseswithgapingdoors。Rarelampswithfaintrainbowfans。RoundRabaiotti’shaltedicegondolastuntedmenandwomensquabble。Theygrabwafersbetweenwhicharewedgedlumpsofcoalandcoppersnow。Sucking，theyscatterslowly。Children。Theswancombofthegondola，highreared，forgesonthroughthemurk，whiteandblueunderalighthouse。Whistlescallandanswer。

THECALLSWait，mylove，andI’llbewithyou。

THEANSWERSRoundbehindthestable。

(Adeafmuteidiotwithgoggleeyes，hisshapelessmouthdribbling，jerkspast，shakeninSaintVitus’dance。Achainofchildren’shandsimprisonshim。)

THECHILDRENKithoguelSalute。

THEIDIOT(Liftsapalsiedleftarmandgurgles。)Grhahute！

THECHILDRENWhere’sthegreatlight？

THEIDIOT(Gobbing。)Ghaghahest。

(Theyreleasehim。Hejerkson。Apygmywomanswingsonaropeslungbetweentherailings，counting。Aformsprawledagainstadustbinandmuffledbyitsarmandhatmoves，groans，grindinggrowlingteeth，andsnoresagain。

Onastepagnometottingamongarubbishtipcrouchestoshoulderasackofragsandbones。Acronestandingbywithasmokyoillampramsthelastbottleinthemawofhissack。Heheaveshisbooty，tugsaskewhispeakedcapandhobblesoffmutely。Thecronemakesbackforherlairswayingherlamp。Abandychild，asquatonthedoorstepwithapapershuttlecock，crawlssidlingafterherinspurts，clutchesherskirt，scramblesup。Adrunkennavvyupswithbothhandstherailingsofanarea，lurchingheavily。Atacornertwonightwatchinshouldercapes，theirhandsupontheirstaffholsters，loomtall。Aplatecrashes；awomanscreams；achildwails。Oathsofamanroar，mutter，cease。Figureswander，lurk，peerfromwarrens。Inaroomlitbyacandlestuckinabottleneckaslutcombsoutthetattsfromthehairofascrofulouschild。CissyCaffrey’svoice，stillyoung，singsshrillfromalane。)

CISSYCAFFREYIgaveittoMollyBecauseshewasjolly