Lanark_ a life in 4 books - Alasdair Gray [231]
“Tell Sandy I’ll see him soon and I’ll visit him often. Goodbye.” She stood, lifted the case, hesitated and said, “I’m sure you would be happier if you complained more about things.”
“Would complaining make you like me and want to stay? No, it would make it easier for you to leave. So don’t think—”
He stopped with open mouth, for heavy grief came swelling up his throat till it broke out in loud, dry choking sobs like big hiccups or the slow ticking of a wooden clock. Wetness flooded his eyes and cheeks. He stretched a hand toward her and she said softly, “Poor Lanark! You really are suffering,” and went softly out and softly closed the door behind her. Eventually the sobbing stopped. He lay flat with a leaden weight in his chest. He thought wistfully of getting drunk or smashing furniture, but all activity seemed too tiring. The leaden weight kept him flat on his back till he fell asleep.
Later someone laid a hand on his shoulder and he opened his eyes sharply saying, “Rima?”
Frankie stood by the bed with food on a tray. He sighed and thanked her and she watched him eat. She said, “I’ve taken your clothes away—they were terribly dirty. But there’s a new suit and underthings laid out for you downstairs in the vestry.”
“Oh.”
“I think you need a shave and a haircut. Jack was a barber, once. Will I ask him to see to it?”
“No.”
“Can Sludden speak to you?”
He stared at her.
She flushed and said, “I mean, if he comes to see you, you won’t lose your temper or attack him, will you?”
“I certainly won’t lose my dignity because I’m faced by someone with none of his own.”
She giggled and said, “Good. I’ll tell him that.”
She removed the tray and later Sludden entered and sat by the bed, saying, “How do you feel?”
“I don’t like you, Sludden, but the only people I do like depend on you. Tell me what you want.”
“Yes, in a minute. I’m glad you agreed to see me, but of course I knew you would. What Rima and I admire in you is your instinctive self-control. That makes you a very, very valuable man.”
“Tell me what you want, Sludden.”
“We’re sensible modern men, after all, not knights who’ve been jousting for the love of a fair lady. I dare say the fair lady picked you up somewhere, but you were too weighty for her so she dropped you and picked me up instead. I’m a lightweight. Women enjoy lifting me. But you’re made of sterner stuff, which is why I’m here.”
“Please tell me what you want.”
“I want you to stop pitying yourself and get out of bed. I want you to do a difficult, important job. The committee sent me here. They ask you to go to Provan and speak for Unthank in the general assembly of council states.”
“You’re joking!” said Lanark, sitting up. Sludden said nothing.
“Why should they ask me?”
“We want someone who’s been through the institute and knows the council corridors. You’ve worked for Ozenfant. You’ve spoken to Monboddo.”
“I’ve quarrelled with the first and I don’t like the second.”
“Good. Stand up in Provan and denounce them for us. We don’t want to be represented by a diplomat now, we want someone tactless, someone who will tell delegates from other states exactly what is happening here. Use your nose and take back some of our stink to its source.”
Lanark sniffed. The air had an unpleasant familiar smell. He said, “Send Grant. He understands politics.”
“Nobody trusts Grant. He understands politics, yes, but he wants to change them.”
“Ritchie-Smollet.”
“He doesn’t understand politics at all. He believes everyone he meets is honestly doing their best.”
“Gow.”
“Gow owns shares in Cortexin, the company that fouled us up. He makes belligerent noises but he would only pretend to fight the council.”
“And you?”
“If I left the city for more than a week our administration would collapse. There would be nobody in control but a lot of civil servants who want to clear out as soon as they can. We’re under very strong attack, inside and out.”
“So I’ve been chosen because nobody else trusts one another,” said Lanark. An intoxicating excitement began