Florence Green Is 81
Florence Green Is 81 (第2/3页)
verthere."Surelytheverykidneysofwisdom,FlorenceGreenhasonlyonekidney,Ihaveakidneystone,BaskervillewasstonedbythemassedfacultyoftheFamousWritersSchooluponpresentationofhisfirstlesson:hewasaccusedofformalism.ItiswellknownthatFlorenceadoresdoctors,whydidntIannouncemyself,inthebeginning,fromtheveryfirst,asadoctor?ThenIcouldsaythatthemoneywasforaveryimportantresearchproject(useofradioactivetracersinreptiles)withveryimportantramificationsinstomachcancer(thesmallintestineisverylikeareptile).ThenIwouldgetthemoneywithmuchlessdifficulty,cancerfrightensFlorence,themoneywouldraindownlikefalloutinNewMexico.Iamayoungmanbutverybrilliant,veryingratiating,IeditwithmylefthandasmallmagazinecalleddidIexplainthat?Andyouacceptedmyexplanation?HernameisnotreallyKathleen,itisJoanGraham,whenwewereintroducedshesaid,"OhareyouanativeofDallasMr.Baskerville?"NoJoanbabyIamanativeofBengazisentherebytheUNtoscrewyourbeautifulassrightdownintotheground,thatisnotwhatIsaidbutwhatIshouldhavesaid,itwouldhavebeenbrilliant.WhensheaskedhimwhathedidBaskervilleidentifiedhimselfasanAmericanweightlifterandpoet(thatistosay:amanstrongerandmoreeloquentthanothermen)."Itmoves,"Mandrakesaid,pointingtothepiano,andalthoughnooneelsecoulddetecttheslightestmovement,theforceofhispersonalitywassomagicalthathewasnotcontradicted(theinstrumentsatinthesalon,Florencesays,assolidlyasGibraltarinthesea).
ThemanwhohasbeensettlingthehashofthemainlandChinesesearchesthebackofhisneck,wherethereiswhatappearstobeasebaceouscyst(Icanclearthatupforyou;myinstrumentwillbeapaperonthetheoryofgames).WhatifMandrakehadplayed,though,whatifhehadseatedhimselfbeforetheinstrument,raisedhishands,andwhat?ThePrincipalSeas,doyouwanttohearaboutthePrincipalSeas?Florencehasbeenproddedawake;peoplearebeginningtoaskquestions.Ifnotthiscountry,thenwhatcountry?Italy?"No,"Florencesayssmilingthroughheremeralds,"notItaly.IvebeentoItaly.AlthoughMr.GreenwasveryfondofItaly.""Toborethedoctoristobecome,forthispatient,acasesimilartoothercases;thepatientstrivesmightilytoestablishhisuniqueness.Thisisalso,ofcourse,atacticforevadingthepsychoanalyticissue."ThefirstthingtheAll-AmericanBoysaidtoFlorenceGreenattheverybrinkoftheiracquaintanceshipwas"ItisclosingtimeinthegardensoftheWestCyrilConnolly."Thisremarkpleasedher,itwasapleasingremark,onthestrengthofthisremarkBaskervillewasinvitedagain,onthesecondoccasionhemadeasecondremark,whichwas"BeforetheflowersoffriendshipfadedfriendshipfadedGertrudeStein."JoanislikeoneofthosemarvelousVoguegirls,ateaseinahalf-sliponMykonos,barefromthebellyupontherocks."Itmoves,"Mandrakesaid,andthepianoraiseditselfafewinches,magically,andswayedfromsidetosideinacarefulBaldwindance."Itmoves,"theotherpassengersagreed,underthespellofposthypnoticsuggestion."Itmoves,"Joansays,pointingatthegazpacho,whichswaysfromsidetosidewithasecretHeinztremblingmovement.Igivethesoupaseriouswarning,couchedinthestrongestpossibleterms,andJoangrinsgratefullynotatmebutatPamelaHansfordJohnson.TheVirginIslandsmaybe?"Weweretherein1925,Mr.Greenhadindigestion,Isatupallnightwithhisstomachandtheflies,thefliesweresomethingyouwouldntbelieve."TheyareaskingIthinkthewrongquestions,thequestionisnotwherebutwhy?"IwasreadingtheotherdaythattheaverageageofChiangsenlistedmenisthirty-seven.Youcantdomuchwithanoutfitlikethat."Thisistrue,Imyselfamthirty-sevenandifChiangmustrelyonmenofmysortthenhemightaswellkissthemainlandgoodbye.Oh,thereisnothingbetterthanintelligentconversationexceptthrashingaboutinbedwithanakedgirlandEgmontLightItalic.
Despitehisslownessalreadyremarkeduponwhichperhapsinhibitedhisingestionofthesplendidcurriculumthathadbeenpreparedforhim,Baskervilleneverfailedtobe"promoted,"butonthecontrarywasalways"promoted,"thereasonforthisbeingperhapsthathisseatwasneededforanotherchild(Baskervillethenbeingclassified,inspiteofhismarkedgrowthandgorgeouspotential,asachild).Thereweresomeitwastruewhoneverthoughthewouldextendhimselftosixfeet,stillhelearnedaboutAndrewJackson,helium-hydrogen,andabortions,wherearemymotherandfathernow?answermethat.OnacircularafternooninJune1945——itwasraining,Florencesays,hardenoughtofilltheBrazenSea——shewassittinguntidilyonachaiseinthenorthbedroom(onthewallofthenorthbedroomtherearetwentyidenticallyframedphotographsofFlorencefromeighteentoeighty-one,shewasabeautyateighteen)readingacopyofLife.ItwastheissuecontainingthefirstpicturesfromBuchenwald,shecouldnotlookaway,shereadthetext,oralittleofthetext,thenshevomited.Whensherecoveredshereadthearticleagain,butwithoutunderstandingit.Whatdidexterminatedmean?Itmeantnothing,aneyewitnessaccountmentionedalittlegirlwithonelegthrownaliveontopofatruckloadofcorpsestobeburned.Florencewassick.ShewentimmediatelytotheGreenbrier,aresortinWestVirginia.LatershepermittedmetotellheraboutthePrincipalSeas,theSouthChina,theYellow,theAndaman,theSeaofOkhotsk."Ispottedyouforaweightlifter,"Joansays."Butnotforapoet,"Baskervillereplies."Whathaveyouwritten?"sheasks."MostlyImakeremarks,"Isay."Remarksarenotliterature,"shesays."Thentheresmynovel,"Isay,"itwillbetwelveyearsoldTuesday.""Published?"sheasks."Notfinished,"Isay,"howeveritsveryviolentandnecessary.IthastodowiththisArmysee,madeupofchildren,youngchildrenbutImeanreallywellarmedwithM-1s,carbines,.30and.50calibermachineguns,105mortars,recoillessrifles,thewholeworks.ThecentralfigureistheGeneral,whoisfifteen.OnedaytheArmyappearsinthecity,inapark,andtakesuppositions.Thenitbeginskillingthepeople.Doyouunderstand?""IdontthinkIdlikeit,"Joansays."Idontlikeiteither,"Baskervillesays,"butitdoesntmakeanydifferencethatIdontlikeit.Mr.HenryJameswritesfictionasthoughitwereapainfuldutyOscarWilde."
DoesFlorenceworryaboutherlife?"Hesaidminewasold-fashionedandtheydidntmakepartsforthatkindanymore."LastyearFlorencetriedtojointhePeaceCorpsandwhenshewasrefused,telephonedthePresidenttocomplain."IhavealwaysadmiredtheworkoftheAndrewsSisters,"Joansays.Ifeelfeverish;willyoutakemytemperaturedoctor?BaskervillethatsimplepreliteratesoaksupalltheTaylorsNewYorkStatemalmseyinreachmeanwhilewonderingabouthisGrandDesign.France?Japan?"NotJapandear,wehadalovelytimetherebutIwouldntwanttogobacknow.Franceiswheremylittlenieceis,theyhavetwenty-twoacresnearVersailles,hesacountandabiochemist,isntthatwonderful?"Theothersnod,theyknowwhatiswonderful.ThePrincipalSeasarewonderful,theImportantLakesoftheWorldarewonderful,theMetricSystemiswonderful,letusmeasuresomethingtogetherFlorenceGreenbaby.Iwilltradeyouawalleyedhectometerforasinglegoldenmicron.Thetableishushed,likeacrowdadmiring300milliondollars.DidIsaythatFlorencehas300milliondollars?FlorenceGreeniseighty-onewithbluelegsandhas300milliondollarsandin1932wasinlove,airily,witharadioannouncernamedNormanBrokenshire,withhisvoice."MeanwhileEdnaGathershusbandwhotakesmetochurch,hesgotaverygoodjobwiththePort,Ithinkhedoesverywell,heshersecondhusband,thefirstwasPeteDuffwhogotintoallthattrouble,wherewasI?OhyeswhenPaulcalledupandsaidhewouldntcomebecauseofhishernia——youheardabouthishernia——Johnsaidhedcomeoverandlookatit.MindyouIvebeenusingthedownstaicsbathroomallthistime."InfactthewholehistoryofFlorencesradiolistenershipisofinterest.I
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