The Brass Bed
- Автор: Флора Флетчер
- Год: 1956
- Язык: английский
- Год: Lion Books
- Жанр: Романы для взрослых
Электронная книга - «The Brass Bed». Краткое содержание книги:
...and the root of it all lay hidden in the secret of THE BRASS BED.
“Five years is a long time, but not incredibly so.”
“Not nearly so long as forever, of course.”
“Not nearly.”
“That’s how long it’s been since you and I have not been married, I mean. Forever.”
“That’s not incredible, either. Lots of people have not been married since forever.”
“I fail absolutely to see what lots of people have to do with it. Speaking of you and me specifically, I certainly consider it incredible that forever should have passed without our being married sometime or other. Do you suppose we could have been married in some previous life or something?”
“No, I don’t. I don’t suppose anything of the kind.”
“Do you believe in previous lives?”
“I confess that I don’t. I’m not even sure that I believe in a subsequent life,” I added.
“That’s because you’re not religious. Sometimes I think you’re an absolute heathen, in fact. I regret it very much, because it prevents you from understanding me as you should. It’s quite difficult, of course, for a person who is not religious to understand another person who is.”
“I’m sorry that I’m a heathen and don’t understand you.”
Jolly’s eyebrows went up very slightly. “There is no necessity to apologize. One cannot be blamed for the way he thinks about such things.”
“Thank you. I’m glad to learn that your religion does not exclude tolerance.”
“Oh, no,” she said. “I am very religious, but I am also very tolerant. In my opinion, if more people were tolerant, everything would be much simpler for everyone.”
“You certainly have something there. Take Kirby, for instance. If Kirby were more tolerant of certain things, it would be much simpler for you and me.”
“Well, perhaps that’s too much to expect. I must say that Kirby shows very few signs of being exceptionally tolerant.”
“That’s the impression I get myself, and consequently it might be a good idea if you were to take your head out of my lap.”
“I don’t think we need to worry about that for the moment. As you know, Kirby is trying to catch a channel catfish, and he will consider it a great point of pride to succeed. Such things are extremely important to him, and unless he is fortunate enough to catch one quickly, he will be down there trying simply forever. Do you think he will catch one quickly?”
“I doubt it. I tried half the morning and was unable to catch one at all.”
“You see? So there is no need for the time being for me to take my head out of your lap.”
“Yes, I do see. Your point is, I believe, that it is unnecessary for him to be tolerant of things he doesn’t know anything about.”
“Well, that seems to me to go without saying. It is clearly obvious.”
“It is at that. You certainly do go straight to the crux of a problem.”
“I’m a very clear thinker. I really am.” A smile played at her lips.
“I’m convinced, however, that you were not thinking with your usual clarity when you were talking about our being married in a previous life. That seems rather foggy to me.”
She said, “I didn’t actually say we were married. I just asked if you considered it possible.”
“Nevertheless, the mere presence of the thought indicates an element of fogginess.”
Jolly pursed her lips. “Perhaps you’re right. The truth is, I don’t believe myself that we were ever married in a previous life, because if we had been married, I’m quite sure that I’d remember it. I wouldn’t be likely to forget something like that.”
“True. Now you are thinking as clearly as ever.”
“Thank you. Would you like to kiss me again?”
“In the presence of others?” I asked lamely.
“I really don’t believe they’d notice.”
“In this position, I don’t believe I could bend over for it. I’m not limber enough.”
She said, “I would be glad to come up to meet you.”
“In that case, we might accomplish it.”
We accomplished it, and apparently no one noticed, and afterward she let her head down into my lap again.
“Do you ever wonder how it happened?” she said.
“About you and me? I know perfectly well how it happened.”
“I don’t mean that. I mean about me and Kirby.”
“Oh. Well, I used to wonder, but I quit. I found it unpleasant.”
“I am willing to tell you, if you’d like to know,” Jolly said eagerly.
“Let me guess. He was handsome and gay and had a lot of money, and you were very young, and you fell desperately in love with him.”
“It was not like that at all. If I was ever in love with him, it was not desperately, and I have since gotten completely over it.”
“Perhaps it was mostly the money,” I said.
“That’s true. I’m sure it was mostly the money that appealed to me. I had never had any money, you see, and it seemed very desirable. Anyhow, it was not at all with him like it is with you. What I mean is, I am now all souped up and painful inside and cannot possibly live without you. Tell me, do you think I will someday get over being in love with you?”
“I’m certain of it,” I said firmly.
“That’s very sad. It makes me want to cry.”
“However sad it is, it is certainly true, and there is no use crying about it, however much you may feel like it. It seems to me that it would be much more sensible to do as I have tried to do more times than I can remember, and that is to start getting over it right now instead of waiting for it to start later and drearily by itself.”
“Sensible?” Her voice was shrill. “Do you call that sensible? I am utterly unable to follow you, Felix. I should think it would be much more sensible to make the most of the way we now feel while we still feel this way and the making is good.”
“There you go, thinking clearly again.”
“Well, it is a good thing for us that one of us manages to think clearly, or there would be absolutely no hope for us at all. I can’t understand why you get so befuddled.”
“Possibly it’s the beer. We have drunk quite a lot, you know.”
“You are right. We have. As a matter of fact, I am feeling rather giddy. Are you?”
“Yes, I am.”
“It’s pleasant, though. Truly a pleasant feeling. Don’t you think so?”
“In spite of associated befuddlement, I do.”
“In that case, in order to insure its continuance, I suggest that you get us a couple more cans.”
“I’ll be happy to,” I said. “Could you just lift your head enough for me to slip out from under?”
She raised her head, and I got up and went over to the ice chest. When she heard me open it, Fran turned her head and looked at me over her shoulder.
“Are you getting more beer, Felix?” she said.
“Yes.”
“Would you please get some for Harvey and me?”
“It will be a pleasure.”
“In my opinion, beer is quite good enough for any reasonable person. Of course, it is impossible to expect some people to be reasonable.”
She glared briefly at Sid, but he didn’t move. I plugged four cans and distributed them and sat down again under Jolly’s head. She took her can in both hands and set it on her stomach and lay looking at it.
“It will be difficult to drink in this position,” she said.
“Yes, it will,” I said.
“I’m not at all sure that I can accomplish it.”
“I doubt it myself. I’ve tried it in the past and have always found it sloppy.”
“What would you suggest?”
“Well, you might try sitting up.”
“That’s a solution, of course, but I hate to resort to it.”
“I can’t think of any other, unless you want to use a straw.”
“Do you have a straw handy?”