ARNOSCHMIDT
83
find your own footprints 3 days later. Merry-indigent little
farmer's-woods on both sides : (they never ever gave anything a
chance to grow, did the Messrs. Granger; more than enough of them
in our village alone who never bought an ounce of coal - "but they
all own a TV of course !" - on the contrary , during the winter they
dispatch half a grove through their sooty stoves in the most
invegetane-barbarian fashion . "The other half in summer then : in
point of fact, axe & saw ought to be available only with a 'license' !").
Fields (how do Bindings & Company put it ?) "swelling lightly on out
into the blue distance." (And, even bluer, far off to the rear, in the
east presumably, some "fell" or other.)
: What was buzzing away so impertinently ? ! - Ernst turned
to me again now reproachfully : "I told you so : you
are
allowed to
drive your car up to it, you see ." But I, shaking my head: "Nooo
you're not. That's some guy from "Behind the Curtain." A techni–
cian , I'll bet. - Aha: see? !". For the fellow in question had the key
to one of those galvanized enclosures ; he diddled, glanced cursorily–
intensely our way; (and then by way of decoration took an even
longer time locking up : you, too, my friend . They were all visibly
grateful for the change of scene we provided .) / And nevertheless
glances sliding down, nefarious-&-nimble . And we approached
playfully -; -. For behind the privileged gentleman a disembarka–
tion was in progress, a chic curio, (our wives likewise sauntered over
inconspicuously) : a white-violet burnous , a ditto shawl, (for up
here, on this naked rise at the foot of the tower, it was drafty as a
barn !). "Odalisque" I heard Ernst mutter : her skin pale reddish &
chapped; a nose for picking up distant odors; mother-of-pearl but–
tons that seemed to grow from her wrists; she set her eyes for dis–
tance & snow, and submitted herself for approval. (And more and
more
wrinkles, the closer you came! Even Ernst quoted now his dis–
appointment: "'Ah well, a fair maid perhaps , when trimmed.''' And
then the little boy, who also climbed out of the car, did a few rounds
as go-between, and then crowed: "You'll have to wait, Mom; your
husband isn't ready yet." ("Irrational -" I heard Ella murmur
critically. )
And back to the camperette. / Ella, awakening with the unlock–
ing : "How late is it, Ernst ?" : "12; on the dot." ("Pan sleeps ." And
we chat away.) / And puffy
(to
all appearances, hollow) clouds,
beneath which we swiftly drove on.
