DANIEL ASA ROSE
579
48. Did time stand sti ll?
Yes. No.
It
seemed to, but slowly, gracef ull y, it reasserted
itself. The a ft ernoon h ad n ea rl y p assed.
49. A nd H enry and H enriett a?
After a whil e th ey began to ta lk abou t go ing. T he h ea t was
breaking up. The sun was going down . Still they sat amid th e
bits o f broken crys ta l. T he sunse t was seen through the leaves o f
th e elk tree. You mi ght think the sun set aft er th at inferna l
weekend was gh ouli sh , green , like a mon ster bubbl e. But it was
radi ant, pink . . . .
It
was their las t sun set in th e Sta tes. Next day they would
leave fo r En gland forever.
50. Th e sky radiant, ab laze wi th dea th , with new life, a hex
broken , a baby on its way, arrival and depar ture! Isn't the world
rich?
The farewell s too k pl ace in semi-darkn ess. Ri ck did no t
troubl e to come out o f hi s fa ther's den wh ere he was engrossed in
wa tching baseba ll on hi s fa th er's la rge, and ra ther loud , televi–
sion . Rita and Roy qui etl y walked their g ues ts to th e car. There
was much solemn hugging, ki ssing and wav ing . A mil e down
the road Henri etta di scovered sh e h ad left her purse behind.
T hey drove back
to
the hou se and Henri etta wa lked inside. No
one was around. Sh e loca ted her purse. She stood around a
moment and then ca ll ed: " Goodbye aga in !" Roy came out of the
den with a drink in hi s h and and a fin ger to hi s lips. "Shh ," he
sa id , " Rita's taking a res t. " Then he hugged Henri etta once
more, say ing: " It'll be good. Don ' t worry. Even after every–
thing . . .. " Qui etl y h e wa lked her to th e front door and pressed
th eir fo reheads toge ther under the lamp li ght. Hi s eyes well ed
up . " I wi sh the wo rld were dead ," h e to ld h er.
