Lincoln in the Bardo(23)
My father was here and has promised to return, the boy said. I am trying to last.
All best Wishes with that, said Mr. Lippert, raising an eyebrow.
Mind your leg there, kiddo, said Mr. Kane.
Distracted by our guests, we had been remiss: the boy’s left leg was now webbed to the roof by several stout new tendrils, each the width of a wrist.
Goodness, the boy said, blushing.
The labor required to get him free was not insignificant, roughly equivalent to that required to uproot a tangle of blackberry roots. He bore the considerable discomfort of that procedure with a soldierly fixity of mind for one so young, letting out only a stoic grunt at each tug, and then, exhausted, fell back into that earlier state of disassociated torpor.
This father of his, said Mr. Fuller in an undertone. Long-legged fellow?
Somewhat dolorous in aspect? said Mr. Lippert.
Tall, a bit raggedy-seeming? said Mr. Kane.
Yes, I said.
Just passed him, said Mr. Fuller.
I beg your pardon? I said.
Just passed him, said Mr. Kane.
Here? Mr. Vollman said incredulously. Still here?
Out near Bellingwether, Husband, Father, Shipwright, said Mr. Lippert.
Sitting all quiet-like, said Mr. Fuller.
Just passed him, said Mr. Kane.
the reverend everly thomas Toodle-oo, said Mr. Fuller.
You will Excuse us, said Mr. Lippert. This is the time of night when we must rapidly Circumnavigate the entire Premises, hovering only inches away from that Dread fence, to see which of us may come the Closest, even while experiencing those nauseating Effects convey’d via Proximity to same.
hans vollman
And off they went, emitting a perfect major triad via fart-noises with their mouths, sending down, as if in farewell, a rain of celebratory hats: flared Tops, Turkish house caps; kepis of various colors; a flower-bedecked Straw, falling rather more slowly than the rest, a lovely thing, redolent of summer.
roger bevins iii
This revelation left us dumbstruck.
hans vollman
Strange that the gentleman had come here in the first place; stranger still that he lingered.
the reverend everly thomas The Bachelors were not entirely trustworthy.
hans vollman
Terrified of boredom, they were prone to pranks.
roger bevins iii
Had once convinced Mrs. Tessenbaum she was manifesting in lingerie.
hans vollman
After which she spent several years cowering behind a tree.
roger bevins iii
Occasionally hid tiny Mrs. Blass’s dead-bird parts, twigs, pebbles, and motes.
the reverend everly thomas Causing her to race frantically about the premises while they hovered above, encouraging her, with false suggestions, to leap over fallen branches and cross narrow rivulets, which did not seem narrow to her, poor thing, but like great rushing streams.
roger bevins iii
Any assertion by the Bachelors must therefore be regarded with suspicion.
hans vollman
Still, this was intriguing.
roger bevins iii
Merited further investigation.
hans vollman
I think not, the Reverend said sharply, as if intuiting our intention.
Then indicated, with a meaning glance, that he wished a confidential word.
roger bevins iii
XXXVI.
We three sank through the roof, into the white stone home.
hans vollman
It was several degrees cooler there, and smelled of old leaves and mold.
roger bevins iii
And of the gentleman, slightly.
hans vollman
We are here by grace, the Reverend said. Our ability to abide far from assured. Therefore, we must conserve our strength, restricting our activities to only those which directly serve our central purpose. We would not wish, through profligate activity, to appear ungrateful for the mysterious blessing of our continued abiding. For we are here, but for how long, or by what special dispensation, it is not ours to— roger bevins iii
Several of Mr. Bevins’s many eyes, I noted, were rolling.
hans vollman
Waiting for the Reverend to dismount from his high horse, Mr. Vollman was amusing himself by repeatedly placing a pebble on his tremendous member and watching it tumble down.
roger bevins iii
We must look out for ourselves, the Reverend said. And, by doing so, we protect the boy as well. He must hear nothing of this rumor, which would only serve to raise his hopes. As we know, only utter hopelessness will lead him to do what he must. Therefore, not a word. Are we in agreement?
We mumbled our assent.
hans vollman
Lacking the necessary spring in his (ancient) legs (he had come here already quite old), the Reverend began clawing his way up one wall and soon (although not that soon) vanished through the ceiling.
roger bevins iii
Leaving Mr. Bevins and me there below, alone.
hans vollman
In truth, we were bored, so very bored, so continually bored.
roger bevins iii
Each night passed with a devastating sameness.
hans vollman
We had sat every branch on every tree. Had read and re-read every stone. Had walked down (run down, crawled down, laid upon) every walk, path, and weedy trail, had waded every brook; possessed a comprehensive knowledge of the textures and tastes of the four distinct soil types here; had made a thorough inventory of every hairstyle, costume, hair-pin, watch-fob, sock-brace, and belt worn by our compatriots; I had heard Mr. Vollman’s story many thousands of times, and had, I fear, told him my own at least as many times.