章节目录 Overnight to Many Distant Cities

(88106 www.88106.info)    AgroupofChineseinbrownjacketsprecededusthroughthehallsofVersailles.Theyweremiddle-agedmen,weighty,obviouslyimportant,perhapsthirtyofthem.Attheentrancetoeachroomaguardstoppedus,heldusbackuntiltheChinesehadfinishedinspectingit.AfleetofblackgovernmentCitro?nshadbroughtthem,theyweremuchateasewithVersaillesandwitheachother,itwasclearthattheywerebeingrewardedformanyyearsofgoodbehavior.

    AskedheropinionofVersailles,mydaughtersaidshethoughtitwasoverdecorated.

    Well,yes.

    AgaininParis,yearsearlier,withoutAnna,wehadahotelroomopeningonacourtyard,andlateatnightthroughanopenwindowheardawomanexpressingintenseandrisingpleasure.Weblushedandfelluponeachother.

    Rightnowsunnyskiesinmid-Manhattan,thetemperatureisforty-twodegrees.

    InStockholmweatereindeersteakandItoldthePrimeMinisterThatthepriceofboozewastoohigh.TwentydollarsforabottleofJ&B!He(OlofPalme)agreed,mostpolitely,andsaidthattheyfinancedthearmythatway.Theconferencewewereattendingwasheldataworkersvacationcentersomewhatoutsidethecity.Shamelessly,Iaskedforadoublebed,therewerenone,wepushedtwosinglebedstogether.AnIsraelijournalistsatonthetwosinglebedsdrinkingourcostlywhiskeyandexplainingthedevilishpoliciesoftheLikud.ThenitwastimetogoplaywiththeAfricans.ApoetwhohadbeenforatimeaMinisterofCultureexplainedwhyhehadburnedagrandpianoonthelawninfrontoftheMinistry."Thepiano,"hesaid,"isnotthenationalinstrumentofUganda."

    Aboatridethroughthescatteredislands.AWarsawPactnovelistaskedmetocarryapackageofpapertoNewYorkforhim.

    WomanissilentfortwodaysinSanFrancisco.Andwalkedthroughthestreetswithherarmsraisedhightouchingtheleavesofthetrees.

    "Butyouremarried!"

    "Butthatsnotmyfault!"

    TearingintocoldcrabatScomaswesawChillWillsatanothertable,doingthesamething.Wewavedtohim.

    InTaegutheairwasfullofthenoiseofhelicopters.Thehelicopterlandedonapad,GeneralAjumpedoutandwalkedwithafirm,manlystridetothespotwhereGeneralBwaited——generalsvisitingeachother.Theyshookhands,thehonorguardwithitsbluescarvesandchromedriflespoppedto,thebandplayed,picturesweretaken.GeneralAfollowedby

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    withagoodbook,Rilke,asIremember,andresolvednevertofindmyselfinasituationasdireashis.

    InSanAntoniowewalkedbythelittleriver.AndendedupinHelensBar,whereJohnfoundapoolplayerwhowas,likeJohn,anex-Marine.Howtheseex-Marinesloveeachother!Itisaflatscandal.TheCongressshoulddosomethingaboutit.TheIRSshoulddosomethingaboutit.YouandItalkedtoeachotherwhileJohntalkedtohisParrisIslandfriend,andthatwasnttoobad,wasnttoobad.Wediscussedtwenty-fournovelsofnormativeadultery."Canthavenoadulterywithoutadults,"Isaid,andyouagreedthatthiswastrue.Wethoughtaboutit,ourhandsoneachothersknees,underthetable.

    InthecaronthewaybackfromSanAntoniotheladiestalkedabouttherumpofanotedpoet."Toobig,"theysaid,"toobigtoobigtoobig.""Canyouimaginegoingtobedwithhim?"theysaid,andthenallsaid"Nonononono,"andlaughedandlaughedandlaughedandlaughedandlaughed.

    Iofferedtogetoutandrunalongsidethecar,ifthatwouldallowthemtoconversemorefreely.

    InCopenhagenIwentshoppingwithtwoHungarians.Ihadthoughttheymerelywantedtobuypresentsfortheirwives.Theyboughtleathergloves,chesssets,frozenfish,babyfood,lawnmowers,airconditioners,kayaksWeweresixhoursinthedepartmentstore.

    "Thiswillteachyou,"theysaid,"nevertogoshoppingwithHungarians."

    AgaininParis,thehotelwastheMontalembertAnnajumpedonthebedandslicedherhandopenonanopenwatercolortin,bloodeverywhere,theconciergeassuringusthat"Inthewar,Isawmuchworsethings."

    Well,yes.

    Butwecouldntstopthebleeding,inthecabtotheAmericanHospitalthedriverkeptlookingoverhisshouldertomakesurethatwewerentbleedingonhisseatcovers,handfulsofbloodypapertowelsinmyrightandlefthands

    Onanotherevening,aswewereonourwaytodinner,IkickedthekidwithcarefullycalibratedforceaswewerecrossingthePontMirabeau,shehadbeenpissyallday,drivinguscrazy,hercharacterimprovedinstantly,wonderfully,thisisatacticthatcanbeusedexactlyonce.

    InMexicoCitywelaywiththegorgeousdaughteroftheAmericanambassadorbyaclear,coldmountainstream.Well,thatwastheplan,itdidntworkoutthatway.Wewerearoundsixteenandhadrunawayfromhome,inthegreattradition,hitchedvariouslongrideswithvarioussinisterfolk,andtherewewereinthegreatcitywithabouttwot-shirtstoournames.MyfriendHermanfoundusjobsinajukeboxfactory.OurassignmentwastofiletheslotsinAmericanjukeboxessothattheywouldacceptthebig,thickMexicancoins.Alldaylong.Nogloves.

    AfteraboutaweekofthiswewerewalkingonedayonthestreetonwhichtheHotelReformaistobefoundandthereweremyfatherandgrandfather,smiling."Theboyshaverunaway,"myfatherhadtoldmygrandfather,andmygrandfatherhadsaid,"Hotdamn,letsgogetem."Ihaverarelyseentwogrownmenenjoyingthemselvessomuch.

    Ny-twothisafternoon,thestockmarketupinheavytrading.

    InBerlineveryonestared,andIcouldnotblamethem.Youwerespectacular,yourlongskirts,yourlongdarkhair.Iwasupsetbythestaring,peoplegazingathappinessandwonderingwhethertocredititornot,wonderingwhetheritwastobetrustedandforhowlong,andwhatitmeanttothem,whethertheywereinsomewayhurtbyit,insomewaydiminishedbyit,insomewaycriticizedbyit,goodGodgetitoutofmysight——

    IcorrectlyidentifiedaMatisseasaMatisseeventhoughitwasanuncharacteristicMatisse,youthoughtIwasknowledgeablewhereasIwasonlylucky,westaredattheSchwittersshowforonehourandtwentyminutes,andthenlunched.Vitellotonnato,asIrecall.

    WhenHermanwasdivorcedinBostonCarolgotthegoodbarbequepit.IputitintheBlazerforher.InthebackoftheBlazerwerecartonsofbooks,tableware,sheetsandtowels,plants,andoddly,twodozenwhitecarnationsfreshintheirbox.Ipointedtotheflowers."Herman,"shesaid,"henevergivesup."

    InBarcelonathelightswentout.Atdinner.Candleswereproducedandtheshinylangoustinesplacedbeforeus.WhydoIloveBarcelonaabovemostothercities?BecauseBarcelonaandIshareapassionforwalking?Iwashappythere?Youwerewithme?Wewerecelebratingmyhundredthmarriage?Illstandonthat.ShowmeamanwhohasnotmarriedahundredtimesandIllshowyouawretchwhodoesnotdeservetheworld.

    LunchingwiththeHolyGhostIpraisedtheworld,andtheHolyGhostwaspleased."WehavethatlittleprobleminBarcelona,"Hesaid,"thelightsgooutinthemiddleofdinner.""Ivenoticed,"Isaid."Wereworkingonit,"Hesaid,"whatawonderfulcity,oneofourbest.""Agreattown,"Iagreed.Inanecstasyofadmirationforwhatisweateoursimplesoup.

    Tomorrow,fairandwarmer,warmerandfair,mostfair

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