The Magus - John Fowles [243]
in the Best Society. London. 1901_. I flicked through it. _How to make an elegant billet_. A note folded into a star. There were a dozen or so Edwardian novels. Someone had pencilled notes on the flyleaves. _Good dialogue, or Useful cliche's at 98 and 164_. _See scene at 203_, said one. "_Are you asking me to commit osculation?' laughed the ever-playful Fanny._" There was a chest, but it was empty. In fact the whole room was disappointingly empty of anything personal. I searched next door. The desk was empty. In the wardrobe there I found the horn that the Apollo figure had called with; the Robert Foulkes costume; a chef's white overall and drum hat; a Lapp smock; and the entire uniform of a First World War captain with Rifle Brigade badges. I began to go more carefully through the drawers, pockets, to see if I could find something. At last I came back to the shelf of books. In irritation I pulled down the whole lot and out of one of the books, an old bound copy of _Punch_, 1914 (in which various pictures had been ticked in red crayon), spilled a little folded pile of what I thought at first were letters. But they were not. They were pieces of paper used by Lily to scribble on. They had apparently originally been orders. None was dated. 1. _The Drowned Italian Airman_ We have decided to omit this episode. 2. _Norway_ We have decided to omit the visits with this episode. 3. _Hirondelle_ Has arrived. Treat with caution. Still tender. 4. _If Subject discovers Earth_ Please be sure you know the new procedure for this eventuality by next weekend. Lily considers the subject likely to force such a situation on us. I wondered why they had bothered to keep up the pretence of the false name. 5. _Hirondelle_ Avoid all mention with the subject. 6. _New Phase_ Termination by end of July for all except nucleus. 7. _State of subject_ Maurice considers that the subject has now reached the malleable stage. Remember that for the subject any play is now better than no play. Change modes, intensify withdrawals. The eighth sheet was a typewritten copy of the _Frog_ verses Lily had recited to me. Finally, on different paper, a scrawled message: _Tell Bo not to forget the unmentionables and the books. Oh and tissues, please._ Each of these nine pieces of paper had writing on the back, obviously (or obviously intended to look like) Lily's rough draughts. 1. _What is it?_ _If you were told its name_ _You would not understand._ _Why is it?_ _If you were told its reasons_ _You would not understand._ _Is it?_ _You are not even sure of that,_ _Poor footsteps in an empty room._ 2. _Love is the course of the experiment._ _Is to the limit of imagination._ _Love is your manhood in my orchards._ _The nigger lurks my thin green leaves;_ _The white bitch wanders all your jungle._ _Love is your dark face reading this._ _Your dark, your gentle face and hands._ _Did Desdemona_ This was evidently unfinished. 3. _The Choice_ _Spare him till he dies._ _Torment him till he lives._ 4. _ominus dominus_ _Nicholas_ _homullus est_ _ridiculus_ _igitur meus_ _parvus pediculus_ _multo vult dare_ _sine morari_ _in culus illius_ _ridiculus_ _Nicholas_ _colossicus ciculus_ 5. _Mr. von Masoch sat on a pin;_ _Then sat again, to push it in._ _"How exquisite," cried Plato,_ _"The idea of a baked potato."_ _But exquisiter to some_ _Is potato in the tum._ _"My dear, you must often be frightened,"_ _Said a friend to Madame de Sade._ _"Oh not exactly frightened,_ _But just a little bit scarred."_ _Give me my cardigan,_ _Let me think hardigan._ This was evidently a game between the sisters; alternate different handwritings. 6. _Mystery enough at noon._ _The blinding unfrequented paths_ _Above the too frequented sea_ _Hold labyrinth and mask enough._ _No need to twist beneath the moon_ _Or multiply the midnight rite._ _Here on the rising secret cliff_ _In this white fury of the light_ _Is mystery enough at noon._ The last three sheets had a fairy story on them. THE PRINCE AND THE MAGICIAN _Once upon a time there was a young prince, who believed in all things but three. He did not believe