Lanark_ a life in 4 books - Alasdair Gray [209]
“Yes,” said Lanark. “He said you were no longer profitable, and scrapping you would bring some kind of energy gain. He said his people were used to eating towns and villages, but Unthank would be their first city since Carthage.”
A howl of laughter went up from different parts of the room. A voice behind the pillar cried, “Carthage? What about Coventry?” and others shouted “Leningrad!” “Berlin!” “Warsaw!” “Dresden!” “Hiroshima!”
“I would like also to menshun,” said a slow-voiced, white-haired lady, “Münster in 1535, Gonstantinoble in 1453 and 1204, ant Hierusalem more vrequently than vun cares to rememper.”
“Please, please! A little more moderation!” cried Ritchie-Smollet. “These unhappy rationalizations took place when the council was split in two or menaced by sectarian extremists. I am sure Lanark is not lying when he tells us what he heard. I do suggest his informant misled him.”
“The peaceful destruction of a modern city would be something new,” said Sludden thoughtfully. “It would have to be a city with no effective government. And the creature would have to provide a lot of powerful new machinery. And the destruction would have to be approved by a full meeting of the council, a meeting where Unthank was represented.”
“Wilkins said a meeting of council delegates would approve the action in eight days,” said Lanark. “That was a while ago. The creature has delivered large suction delvers to something called the expansion project. I saw one. As for your government, you know it better than I do.”
“Utter nonsense!” cried Gow. “The council has no heartier opponent in Unthank than myself. As the oldest and most active member of the committee I have wrestled with it since the last world war, and never till recently have we obtained from it such enormous concessions. A short while ago our roads and buildings were a century out of date. Now look at them! Modern motorways. High-rise housing. A city centre full of towering office blocks. We could have done none of this without council aid. Yet you suggest the council plans to smash us!” “These new developments do not greatly veigh with me,” said the slow-voiced lady. “The profits of this building vork haf gone to the creature. A city lives by its industry ant ours still declines. But ve cannot, on the vort of von man, assume the vorst. Ve neet documentary corroboration.”
Gow said, “I have no wish to stoop to personal invective but—” “Excuse me, Gow, Jack would like a chance to speak,” said Sludden, indicating Ritchie-Smollet’s helper who was waving from a corner.
“I was cleaning the guest speaker’s suit,” said Jack, “and I noticed a council paper in the pocket. Maybe that could tell us something.”
Lanark pulled out the newspaper he had lifted in the council café. Sludden took it and started reading. Gow said, “I don’t like using insulting language, but the welfare of the community drives me to it. This guest speaker of ours, this would-be plenipotentiary, is no stranger to me. On a recent delegation to the council I saw this so-called Lanark sniffing around Monboddo’s throne with his long-haired girlfriend and his shabby little rucksack. He made no very creditable impression on the powers that be, I don’t mind telling you. Is it likely, if there was a plot to dismantle this city, that they would trust the details to someone like this?”
“Give him laldy, Gow!” yelled a voice behind the pillar. Lanark gaped and stood up. He heard Grant at his side murmuring, “Careful now!” but a growing unease in his stomach had nothing to do with the debate. He said sharply, “Nobody trusted me with details. Wilkins would have told anybody these plans; he said only a revolution could change them. I don’t care if you believe me or not.”
He walked toward the door he had entered by.
Before he reached it Sludden cried, “Wait, everyone should hear this!” so he paused by the pillar. Sludden said, “This is from the chronology section of the