Opus 21
章节目录
共 346 题- BOOKS BY _Philip Wylie_
- THE ARMY WAY
- OPUS 21
- SIX ARIAS FOR SOAP OPERAS
- COPYRIGHT, 1949, BY PHILIP WYLIE
- PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
- WARNING
- PART ONE: _Scherzo_: 3
- PART TWO: _Tarantella_: 79
- PART THREE: _Andante_: 124
- PART FOUR: _Rondo_: 225
- PART FIVE: _Coda_: 361
- PART ONE
- He said, "Hunh."
- I would soon be on morphine myself....
- I said, "Swell. When will I have the report?"
- I lit a cigarette when I got outdoors.
- I hailed a cab.
- What I said was, "Just noticed it today."
- I thought of telling the driver to turn off the lush woe.
- It got him. He glanced back appreciatively. "You said it!"
- I took it off.
- I took that off.
- I wanted to call Ricky--in the country.
- I put the phone back on the table.
- I rang for the elevator.
- I must plan, I thought.
- I pushed Congress out of my mind.
- I leaned back and verified it.
- That made her smile a little. "You might be asking quite a question."
- She thought awhile. "You meet a lot of woman."
- She laughed. "Do you live here?"
- She was struggling. "Shouldn't it be a beer?"
- I told her.
- I got it, then. "Not--other women, Yvonne. Men, huh?"
- She turned quickly, unbelievingly. "You do not!"
- I had expected it would.
- I said hello to the Ghoul.
- I knew the bastard.
- I lay back on the divan, smoking.
- I know.
- His tender passion became tenderer still. "Would you be afraid to, son?"
- I sent the cables.
- I had therefore been careful to exhibit none.
- I thought, finally, about a palm frond.
- I would frustrate every specialist in Poland.
- I had enjoyed writing it.
- I did not enjoy the cutting.
- I give you my death-wish--and the atom bomb for its consummation.
- I was surprised it hadn't rung sooner.
- Paul chuckled. "Goody! Go ahead."
- Paul chuckled. "The picture is beyond imagining."
- He would, too, I thought. Get rich and pay back--Ricky. "Hundred bucks?"
- I shook my head.
- He was silent for so long that I said, "And then?"
- He seemed surprised. "How'd you know?"
- Paul looked at me thoughtfully. "You are upset."
- I knew Paul pretty well, and loved him.
- The operator says, "One moment, please. Rushford calling."
- She giggled. "In the tub, I bet."
- Rickey said, "Did you see her?"
- Women's ears! "Yeah."
- I thought about her.
- I shaved, then.
- She began, "Say it with music--"
- I knew then because I was doing it.
- I looked at my old friend, The Typewriter.
- I got dressed fast.
- PART TWO
- I hung up and looked at the doors.
- I rang for the elevator.
- I ordered our dinner.
- Her eyes fixed on me, dilated, and she laughed. "Rol."
- She exhaled with gentle violence. "Try it!"
- The blush came again. She spoke in a low voice, "Mostly."
- Yvonne shook her head. "Let's talk about me."
- I said, "Charming."
- I felt that way.
- I would say hello to God.
- I laughed at that. "Sometimes." A sad confession.
- I took her over to the Amigo.
- She danced quietly for a while. "Did they teach you--?"
- She said, "I think I better sit down."
- I looked at her.
- Her gray eyes kept looking. "Was it exciting?"
- I tossed the key of 1601 and caught it. "Me, too."
- I picked up the telephone.
- The colored girl had a soft voice. "Hello?"
- Hattie was unruffled. "Sometimes they do. How are you?"
- I knew what she meant. Everybody knows.
- I did.
- I laughed.
- She left the window and sat down. "Relax."
- Hattie nodded. "I hate thousands of them. Some, I adore."
- I stood and shook her hand.
- I shook my head. "Sometime--"
- She looked at me and smiled. "I hope!"
- I got a cab.
- I didn't want to see any more of Yvonne at the moment.
- I slept like a log.
- PART THREE
- I finally caught my animal--a real beast and not a dream.
- I ordered coffee and stepped into the sitting room.
- I ripped it open and read it hungrily.
- Ricky
- I had a second little beast to chase, then.
- I fancied myself as a teacher.
- I was mostly a ham.
- Phil Wylie
- She laughed. "What is it really about?"
- I looked at her again--at her opalescent hair and her blue eyes.
- I wanted to go, even more.
- A bull-voiced beldame roared, "Send the manager!"
- The man, barred by the long leg, said, "Good Gad!"
- Paul turned again to the standing man and hissed, "Kittenpitches!"
- Paul scowled. "Nikerpole," he said, sadly now. "Oose."
- I was wrong.
- Paul's head shook. "On what grounds?"
- I didn't mind Marcia's libido.
- I rode up to my room and began dilatorily to strip once again.
- I am told the female of ruff is reeve.
- I am told the kurbash is a whip.
- I am told that Soviet fighter planes are buzzing our airlift.
- I am told that Paris is unchanged this summer.
- I am told that Truman reads Keats.
- I throw the papers and magazines on my coffee table and go to work.
- I watched the bright horns and the dull guns.
- I pushed along.
- I reached the edge.
- I wiped it and went, somewhat shakily, to the hotel.
- I turned on my radio and found a cello solo amongst the predinner music.
- His pale eyes fixed on me. "Let me have another look at the throat."
- He shrugged and put his tools away. "Wishful thinking."
- I told him that.
- I remembered.
- I took a long breath.
- I laughed and he relaxed--visibly.
- Tom sat stiff for a minute or so. "Essays?"
- Tom looked at his watch--and sighed. "Gotta go."
- I wanted to spit in them.
- I supposed he'd put them in his pocket to give to his dentist.
- I didn't feel so lonely after that.
- I stripped off my clothes and put in two hours of work.
- I was sure it would be Ricky.
- I jumped over to the phone.
- I said, "All right."
- I gave her the number and went out to the elevator.
- She laughed, then, and sat down. "I was fussed, I guess. Some men--"
- I juggled the breathless doubt in my mind.
- She watched me. "They get a kick out of it."
- I said, "Scram."
- I raised my voice. "Come on in, Yvonne!"
- I had never relocked the door on my side.
- I would have expected Yvonne to be embarrassed--who would not?
- I carried my glass to the bathroom, rinsed it, and made a highball.
- Gwen said, "She knows. She's been listening."
- I ignored that. "Lemme see, then. Just where the hell were we?"
- Gwen came over to my chair. "Come on."
- I sprawled back on the divan.
- When they stopped, Yvonne said softly, "That was wonderful!"
- I shook my head.
- I switched off my radio.
- I stretched out on my divan, lighted a cigarette and cogitated.
- I came close, again, to calling Ricky, at that point.
- She laughed. "Join us?"
- I shook my head.
- I wondered how the great-grandchildren of critics would view it.
- I put out my light and listened to the seismic nocturne of the city.
- NUT
- NUTS!
- CRAP!
- WRITING IN SKY PANICS CHI
- MERDE, ALORS!
- Ultimately, it was decided that
- I grabbed in the dark. "Yeahhhh?"
- I thanked her.
- PART FOUR
- I did not need to see my face.
- I considered Johann Brink.
- I couldn't remember.
- I dialed Dave Berne.
- I told him about Paul.
- I hadn't been able to find my car in the sepulcher parking yard.
- You see
- I pointed.
- I told him about Gwen and Yvonne.
- I shouldn't have done it that way. He turned sheet-white.
- Dave grinned feebly. "Ricky?"
- I shook my head.
- I worked along--not minding much.
- I got dressed. The gabardine was like wet newsprint.
- I ordered some cold salmon and potato salad and iced coffee.
- She considered that and her curls moved. "I doubt it. I'm--cured."
- I waited while she ate a little and formulated.
- I left her in that subdued, shiny-eyed jizzle.
- I told him.
- I opened the door, being careful to cling to the knob.
- I propped the door open.
- He was shaking his head. "I feel puzzled--"
- He moved impatiently. "Spiritual love--"
- He flushed. "I'm not sure I'd want you to talk to my young people."
- Suddenly he was sore. "Who in hell do you think you are?"
- I filled my tub, instead, with the coolest water in the tap.
- Father, bring insight to this sincerely mistaken man--
- Spare us the ineffable harm of the intellectual, the Antichrist--
- Our organ cost thirty-six thousand dollars and has five keyboards
- I got out of the tub, scattering water, and turned the radio loud.
- But--
- I yelled, "Come in!" relieved--thinking it might be Paul.
- I realized it was the door in the bedroom.
- I said nothing.
- I kissed her once.
- She said, "Again."
- She stepped away, afterwhile. "I'm not so scared now."
- She stood there, looking at me through the murk. "Not even--prettier?"
- I laughed. "Guess so."
- I stood there, rooted with the comprehension.
- She gasped. "Guy!"
- I wondered what they'd think if they knew the truth.
- Paul turned to her. "Are you serious?"
- I wondered how he'd put it.
- Paul's expression became vague. "Never mind. It wasn't important."
- He gave both of us a dark, defiant stare. "Yes."
- Paul said, "Nuts."
- Paul looked at the girl with a mock sneer. "Phil hates the common man."
- Paul snorted. "I'm for training them better. Education."
- Paul grinned a little. "You _are_ a hard case. We admit that."
- Yvonne laughed. "If he means dancing lessons--he's done all right."
- Paul grinned and said, "_Touché_--a little."
- I thought of gardens.
- I put a call through.
- I said, "How's Rushford?"
- I sat there, taking divots out of myself and not getting on the green.
- I looked at the roses again.
- I sent the word.
- I shook my head. "I'm going after Paul."
- I looked, listened, sniffed attentively.
- I wanted to get my nephew out of a jam before he got into one.
- Besides which
- I inhaled the many-doored hallway.
- She shook her elegant head. "He hasn't been in."
- Gwen smiled. "On guard?"
- I waited till a small shock was absorbed. "Yeah?"
- She kissed me again. "If the unfaithful mood ever comes over you--"
- I didn't say a word.
- I got up with her and set her on her feet.
- Unfortunately, He-She developed an Ego. (Serpent? Eve? The Old Adam?)
- I soon took my leave.
- I read some poetry I could not understand in _Harper's_.
- I got out the medical book on cancer and looked at throats for a while.
- I went into my bathroom and swallowed one of Tom's capsules.
- My mammy done tole me--
- Sopho grinned. "Hope so."
- The man held out his hand. "We've met. It was long ago, though."
- Chris was smiling. "My being along was arranged late."
- The man seemed to grow pale. His smile disappeared. "No."
- The soldier's eyes faltered. "Abort the mission!"
- Chris shook his head. "Thanks, Learned."
- The colonel grabbed the scientist's arm. "Is that true?"
- Chris said, "Have you that right?"
- Sopho ignored the inquiry. "--how do we change man?"
- Learned looked at the floor. "How do you tell them--now?"
- Sopho said disgustedly, "Metaphysics!"
- Finally the colonel could speak. "You ask me to be disloyal."
- Chris put his arm around the old man. "_You!_"
- But the scientist pulled away. "On one condition."
- I dialed Paul's Brooklyn number on the private line.
- I pondered for a while over those hairy comets.
- I dialed Dave.
- I looked at the flowers and the pilot was sitting amongst them.
- He considered that. "Jesus," he said. "Take it easy! Be over by and by."
- I got dressed and went downstairs.
- She spoke reproachfully. "Wouldn't you?"
- I picked up her hand and looked at the big, square diamond.
- I thought she would, maybe.
- She said, "Good-bye, Phil."
- I kissed her.
- I looked at him and compassion melted out of me.
- He nodded. "Had to. Have to keep going."
- I said, "Nuts."
- Tears filled his eyes. "I hate to make such a spectacle of myself!"
- He stared. "You know something you've kept from me!"
- He leaped to his feet. "I'll grab a cab--"
- I have to say that.
- I suppose he sat for five minutes.
- I went after the God-damned fool.
- He shrugged. "Maybe--later."
- I climbed out again with the cigarettes. Possibly--
- I went in.
- I said, "Yes."
- Mr. Harrison laughed uneasily. "Pretty dangerous--"
- I went back to the window.
- He grinned acidly. "I know. Quite a few people already."
- I smoked a couple of cigarettes.
- I nodded.
- Paul asked, when I came back, "Who was it?"
- I got outside and sat on my windowsill, about ten feet from him.
- I shook my head a few times. "Yeah. Everybody can--for blocks."
- I walked down the terrace.
- I let myself absorb the vertical drop until I was weak.
- The tough, bright-looking cop gave me the once-over. "High-shy?"
- Black swore. "Make dandy headlines. Police allow suicide of scientist."
- The cop whistled without making any sound. "Girl?"
- I nodded.
- He looked out the window and shook his head. "Jesus!"
- I sketched in a little. The men listened.
- I did that.
- The cop gazed at me with a different speculation. "Tough for you."
- Captain Black came in. "No dice."
- And so were the cops. They yelled, "Hey!"
- Paul said sneeringly, "If you want to start a self-pity contest--"
- I couldn't move.
- I waited.
- I felt wretched.
- I sat down and stared at the sky.
- And our legally innocent Yvonne has homed to Pasadena's passes, also
- Healthy, wealthy and wise.)
- I saw the point:
- I sat learning about myself.
- I thought lovingly of my country
- I sent greetings to the Chinese and the Hindus and the Africans.
- I wished that I might live to see if the bombs fell
- Then I appreciated that, following any resolution of such affairs--
- I would wish in this same fashion to live to see
- This is what I believe about them--
- I saw Excalibur and could not wrench it from the sea,
- I paced the muggy flat and cursed.
- PART FIVE
- I gave the number of the sanitarium.
- Everything was finished
- I found my magazine.
- At last
- I took his cigarette. Inauspicious token.
- I cut a smile in my face for him. "Talk it over, sometime," I said.
- I said I would, breaking my rule. And that was that.
- I was getting used to the process.
- I should exult--
- I spun the Astolat's revolving door.
- I phoned back.
- But then
- I went down to the Knight's Bar alone.
- I was hungry.
- I sent a message to the neurologists:
- I sent a message of truth to the theologists:
- A great age to be alive in