568
PARTISAN REVIEW
balance. His world was perilous enough without people playing
games, tampering with words, merging concepts, and saying
things like "elk tree." Thus his scowling appearance on the
upstairs deck, thus his pronouncement that his father was an
"old drun k."
23.
That's w hat happened?
Excuse me?
24. That's what happened when Roy identified the tree?
Yes .
"You old drunk!" said Ricky.
Rita looked up from her nail polish and turned to the two
guests
to
reveal her wondrously mild expression: "Isn't this
pleasant," it seemed to say, "wouldn't it be excellent to hear this
day in and day out, as I do?"
Henrietta squeezed Henry 's hand.
Roy said: "What. Did. You. Say?"
"You heard me," said Ricky, tittering a bit with excitement.
"WHAT?"
"An elk tree," said Ricky derisively, trying
to
expand the
dialogue.
"Did you call me what I think you did?" asked Roy.
Ricky got the upper hand. "Probably," he said. " Hi Cousin
Henrietta, hi Cousin Henry ."
The cousins looked to Rita for directions on how to reply.
Her face was wondrously mild and blank. "G'morning," they
said.
"It's not morning," thundered Roy, "it's one o'clock in the
afternoon. That's what time this big man gets up to take his
breakfast! "
"Did you have a nice ride out here, Cousin Henry?" asked
Ricky.
"Leave them out of it!"
Ricky's expression slowly changed from one of concern to
one of grief. ''I'm just trying
to
talk to my 'relati ves,' " he told his
father mournfully. "Goodbye Henry and Henrietta, " he said,
turning to shuffle into the house.
"Ricky!" said Roy. "I would like an apology this minute."
