第102章

(Viragtruculent，hisjowlset，staresatthelamp。GraveBloomregardsZoe’sneck。Henrygallantturnswithpendentdewlaptothepiano。)

STEPHEN(Tohimself。)Playwithyoureyesshut。Imitatepa。Fillingmybellywithhusksofswine。Toomuchofthis。Iwillariseandgotomy。Expectthisisthe。Steve，thouartinaparlousway。MustvisitoldDeasyortelegraph。Ourinterviewofthismorninghasleftonmeadeepimpression。Thoughourages。Willwritefullytomorrow。I’mpartiallydrunk，bytheway。(Hetouchesthekeysagain。)Minorchordcomesnow。

Yes。Notmuchhowever。

(AlmidanoArtifoniholdsoutabatonrollofmusicwithvigorousmoustachework。)

ARTIFONICirifletta。Leirovinatutto。

FLORRYSingussomething。Love’soldsweetsong。

STEPHENNovoice。Iamamostfinishedartist。Lynch，didIshowyoutheletteraboutthelute？

FLORRY(Smirking。)Thebirdthatcansingandwon’tsing。

(TheSiamesetwins，PhilipDrunkandPhilipSobertwoOxforddonswithlawnmowers，appearinthewindowembrasure。BotharemaskedwithMatthewArnold’sface。)

PHILIPSOBERTakeafool’sadvice。Allisnotwell。Workitoutwiththebuttendofapencil，likeagoodyoungidiot。Threepoundstwelveyougot，twonotes，onesovereign，twocrowns，ifyouthbutknew。Mooney’senville，Mooney’ssurmer，theMoira，Larchet’s，Hollesstreethospital，Burke’s。Eh？Iamwatchingyou。

PHILIPDRUNK(Impatiently。)Ah，bosh，man。Gotohell！Ipaidmyway。IfIcouldonlyfindoutaboutoctaves。Reduplicationofpersonality。

Whowasittoldmehisname？

(Hislawnmowerbeginstopurr。)Aha，yes。Zoemousasagapo。

HaveanotionIwasherebefore。WhenwasitnotAtkinsonhiscardIhavesomewhere？Macsomebody。UnmackIhaveit。Hetoldmeabout，holdon，Swinburne，wasit，no？

FLORRYAndthesong？

STEPHENSpiritiswillingbutthefleshisweak。

FLORRYAreyououtofMaynooth？You’relikesomeoneIknewonce。

STEPHENOutofitnow。(Tohimself。)Clever。

PHILIPDRUNKANDPHILIPSOBER(Theirlawnmowerspurringwitharigadoonofgrasshalms。)Cleverever。Outofit。Outofit。Bythebyhaveyouthebook，thething，theashplant？Yes，thereit，yes。Clevereveroutofitnow。

Keepincondition。Dolikeus。

ZOETherewasapriestdownheretwonightsagotodohisbitofbusinesswithhiscoatbuttonedup。Youneedn’ttrytohide，Isaystohim。Iknowyou’veaRomancollar。

VIRAGPerfectlylogicalfromhisstandpoint。Fallofman。(Harshly，hispupilswaxing。)Tohellwiththepope！Nothingnewunderthesun。

IamtheViragwhodisclosedthesexsecretsofmonksandmaidens。WhyIlefttheChurchofRome。ReadthePriest，theWomanandtheConfessional。

Penrose。FlippertyJippert。(Hewriggles。)Woman，undoingwithsweetpudorherbeltofrushrope，offersherallmoistyonitoman’slingam。Shorttimeaftermanpresentswomanwithpiecesofjunglemeat。Womanshowsjoyandcoversherselfwithfeatherskins。Manlovesheryonifiercelywithbiglingam，thestiffone。(Hecries。)Coactusvolui。Thengiddywomanwillrunabout。Strongmangraspswoman’swrist。Womansqueals，bites，spucks。Man，nowfierceangry，strikeswoman’sfatyadgana。(Hechaseshistail。)Piffpaff！Popo！(Hestops，sneezes。)Pchp！(Heworrieshisbutt。)Prrrrrht！

LYNCHIhopeyougavethegoodfatherapenance。Ninegloriasforshootingabishop。

ZOE(Spoutswalrussmokethroughhernostrils。)Hecouldn’tgetaconnection。Only，youknow，sensation。Adryrush。

BLOOMPoorman！

ZOE(Lightly。)Onlyforwhathappenedhim。

BLOOMHow？

VIRAG(Adiabolicrictusofblackluminositycontractinghisvisage，craneshisscraggyneckforward。Heliftsamoonca