Lanark_ a life in 4 books - Alasdair Gray [280]
He was deafened by a babel of laughter and talk. A row of black-clad men stood behind Weems and Lanark saw two of them walk around the tent toward him. His legs trembled so much that he sat down. Voices were shouting for silence somewhere on his left. Silence fell. He saw Multan of Zimbabwe standing up, smiling at Monboddo, who said shortly, “Speak, by all means.”
Multan looked round the table then said, “The Unthank delegate says this assembly has not held free and open debates. That’s not news to the black bloc. Is it news to anybody?”
He chuckled and shrugged. “Everybody knows three or four big boys run the whole show. The rest of us don’t complain, why should we? Words by themselves are no good. When we get organized big, we’ll complain and you’ll listen. You’ll have to listen. So this Lanark is very foolish to speak like he does. But he tells the truth. So on this side of the table we watch what happens. We laugh because it don’t matter to us how you claw each other. But we watch closely what happens, all the same.”
He sat down. Monboddo sighed and scratched his head. At last he said, “I will answer the Zimbabwe delegate first. He has told us, with admirable modesty, that he and his friends are not yet able to share the work of the council but will do so when they can. That is very good news; may the day come soon. The Unthank delegate’s case is less clear. I gather the police arrested him in the circumstances where his exalted rank was not apparent. He has missed our debates, but what can I do? I leave Provan one decimal hour from now. I can grant him a brief personal interview. I can promise that anything he says will be recorded in the assembly minutes for everyone to read. It is all I can offer. Is it sufficient?”
Lanark felt everyone watching him and wanted to hide his face again. He glanced over his shoulder and shivered at the sight of two black-suited men. One nodded and winked. It was Wilkins. Monboddo said loudly “If you wish this interview, my secretaries will escort you to a convenient place. Otherwise the matter must be dropped. Answer, please, there is not much time.”
Lanark nodded. He stood and walked from the tent between the secretaries, feeling old and defeated.
CHAPTER 44.
End
As they crossed the wide dim floor Wilkins said cheerily, “That was great fun; you scared the shits out of old M.”
The other man said, “These intellectuals have no staying power.”
“Lanark has been around for a long, long time.” said Wilkins, “I think he deserves a three-syllable name, don’t you?”
“Oh, he certainly deserves it,” said the other man. “There’s nothing wrong with a two-syllable name, I’m called Uxbridge, but Lanark has earned something more melodious. Like Blair-dardie.”
“Rutherglen, Garscaden,” said Wilkins.
“Gargunnock, Carmunnock, Auchenshuggle,” said the other man.
“Auchenshuggle has four syllables,” said Wilkins.
They went through a narrow door, climbed a dingy stair and crossed a small office into a slightly larger office. It was lit by a neon tube and the walls were hidden by metal filing cabinets, some piled on others. There was a metal desk in the corner. Without much surprise Lanark saw Monboddo sitting behind it with hands clasped patiently on the waistcoat over his stomach. “Bilocation,” said Monboddo. “I would be nothing if I did not duplicate. Sit down.”
Wilkins placed a straight wooden chair before the desk and Lanark sat.
“Wilkins, Uxbridge, go away. Miss Thing will record us,” said Monboddo. Lanark saw a girl exactly like Miss Maheen sitting between two filing cabinets. Wilkins and Uxbridge left. Monboddo tilted his chair back, looked at the ceiling and sighed. He said, “At last the Common Man confronts the Powerful Lord of this World. Except that you are not very common and I am not very powerful. We can change nothing, you and I. But talk to me. Talk to me.”
“I am here to speak for the people of Unthank.”
“Yes. You wish to tell me they have too few jobs and homes and social services so stupidity, cruelty, disease