Fascinated chilly fastenOver the fresh green Eyjafj?ll fields Hei?ur extends her leg from the high door and immediately has solid ground beneath her feet. Despite her clunkiness, she tries to look sporty, wearing a light-green tracksuit with violet stripes, and aggressive sports shoes. She has on a blue headband that makes her look even sharper and emphasizes her high nose. Over her shoulder, she’s draped the strap of a terribly expensive sports bag, where she keeps her hair spray and gold flute. In this guise, the flute player Hei?ur Jensd?ttir could very well be an undernourished long-distance runner on her way to a race. Ursa’s son nodded once more, and Duncan cocked his head in confusion at the old Susquehannock. What do you mean? How do you know? Every now and then, she returned the inspected items to the wardrobe and brought new ones to the table. Love at first sight. Westminster has houses everywhere. On every new trip, I discovered them. He is far from knowing all of them: be they in Ireland, in Dalmatia, or in the Carpathians, there is a house belonging to Westminster, a house where everything is set up, where you can dine and go to bed on your arrival, with polished silverware, motor cars (I can still see the seventeen ancient Rolls in the garage at Eaton Hall!) with their batteries charged, small tankers in the harbour, fully laden with petrol, servants in livery, stewards and, on the entrance table, always scattered everywhere, newspapers, magazines and journals from all over the world. VII. THE WATCHER, WATCHED I enjoyed the scrutiny. This made me think of the pleasure Lana got when I gazed so closely at her. “What time is your flight tomorrow to San Francisco?” One night— not much later, but long enough afterwards so that my father and I had stopped pretending I cared about sports — I decided to get rid of the signed ball. Maybe the baseball was a reminder of the heteronormative boyhood my father pined after for me, but the truth is I simply thought the baseball ugly. The sloppy, illegible signatures were scrawled in a hideous green ink, and the spherical shape of the thing itself didn’t seem to belong with the rectangular shapes of my books, magazines, and video game cartridges. Even the furniture in my room was boxy and sharp, and the ball — a lone, edgeless blob — bothered me. I needed to get rid of it, and fast. ‘It saysUnknown. Is that him?’ I’ve compared my looks to the pictures of the nationalities of the world I have employed society people, not to indulge my vanity, or to humiliate them (I would take other forms of revenge, supposing I were seeking them), but, as I have said, because they were useful to me and because they got around Paris, working on my behalf; as for me, I went to bed. Thanks to them, I was well-informed about everything, just as Marcel Proust, from the depths of his bed, knew what had been said at all the previous evenings’ dinner parties. I know what work is. I have never hired layabouts. Comte Etienne actually slaved away to such an extent that he secretly poached my buyers; he sent them off to his town house where he had set up a second workshop, while still retaining, what’s more, the one he had at my house.I dismissed him, for all who are paid deserve hardship. I don’t like dilettantes who take other people’s place, be it in literature or couture. It is immoral to play at earning one’s living. “My name’s Rash,” he said. “Don’t ask me why.” Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony was playing. Lewis knew Theon well enough that he didn’t have to ask me about the music. I did this. I can understand how she has the heart to spend so much time away from Iceland, but I don’t understand how she has the heart to be separated from her golden boyfriend for such long periods. I’m not certain that I would want that. Anyone with such a boyfriend must surely be willing to sacrifice a lot for the chance to hug him as often as possible and rest in his blissful embrace, tolet her ears be stirred by his breezy baritone. The muscles of Tanaqua’s neck flexed as he glanced back and forth from the scalps to Teague. His powerful fingers opened and squeezed shut as if imagining themselves around Teague’s neck. There was death in the air, and death on the face of Tanaqua. Duncan stepped between him and the Irishman, knowing that if Tanaqua could not rein in his rage there would be no way to keep Teague alive. “You act?”. |