There but for The_ A Novel - Ali Smith [42]
Or the smell of himself, maybe, Miles says.
Both, Bernice says.
Richard picks up on the detail about the Virgin in the sunshield and he and Hannah take turns telling, all the time giggling like children, the story of their local lady vicar coming round to visit them to talk about something Hannah is doing with her Christian Young Mothers group at the church, and how embarrassing it was when this vicar suddenly just started praying, there in their lounge, in front of the tea and the biscuits, sitting there offering thanks to God.
Mark can’t concentrate on it because he has seen Miles do something strange; he has slipped the smaller of the two salt cellars, after using it lightly over his omelette and couscous, down under the table. Nobody else has noticed. Now they’re all talking about the free market.
A false balance is a bomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight, the child says in a sonorous voice.
He doesn’t mean Greenwich Market, Brooke, Bernice says. He means the trade market, the global business market.
The whole world, Richard says. It’s, well, a more or less borderless world. And that’s as it should be.
Except for the borders where they check your passport for hours, the child’s small voice says from the other end of the table.
Yes, but everywhere needs some defence against people just coming in and overrunning the place with their terrorisms or their deficiencies, eh, sweetheart, Richard says.
That’s right, Terence says. Got to keep all those bad refugees out. The ones looking for a better life.
Couldn’t agree more, Richard says. Humankind has needed fortifications since the start of humankind started.
And all this time since the start of the start of humankind we’ve needed little helicopters with cameras in, so we can see over our neighbours’ fortifications, Terence says. It’s a triumph of civilization.
Ha! Hugo says.
Don’t knock civilization, Richard says. Personally I think it ought to be against the law to knock civilization.
It probably is, Terence says. I may need a lawyer sooner than I thought.
Nasty, British and short, Miles says.
You what, Miles? Richard says.
Team of solicitors I occasionally work for, Miles says.
Ha ha! Bernice says.
I don’t think I get your meaning, Miles, Richard says.
Who’s been to the theatre recently? Jen says. Anyone? Holidays. Terence! Bernice! Where are you going on holiday this year? Or maybe you’ve been? Where did you—
Oh, I’m really proud of being British, me, Hugo says. I’m very big on the choice of toothpaste we have these days. That’s what I call global choice. It’s great, living in such a multivalent universe and having so much choice. I am what I listen to on my iPod. And I love it that so many databases can find out at the flick of a button just exactly what my favourite toothpaste or music is, as well as all the other things they can know about me, like my date of birth, how much money I have, how I spend my money, who I phone, where I go, things like that. We’ve really used our talents well as a species, when it comes to freedom.
It’ll be Iraq, Caroline says, any minute, here we go again.
She rolls her eyes.
The fact is, the child says, that there were astrolabes in Baghdad, where the Iraq war was, probably before anywhere else in history, and definitely in 1294.
What’s an astrolabe, Brooke? Eric says.
It means an instrument for finding the positions of stars and planets, Mr. Lee, the child says.
Then she recites the names of the Astronomers Royal out loud. Flamsteed, Halley, Bradley, Bliss, Maskelyne, Pond, Airy …
Mark leans behind Richard to talk to Terence.
Is there a book you can recommend to me, maybe, about the Gershwins, or about that man you were talking about who wrote the songs? he says.
Easiest thing in the world, Terence says. With great pleasure. I can think of about four good ones off the top of my head.
They’re making a secret assignation, Richard says. Talking arty behind my back.
Oh no, don’t talk arty, Hannah says. I hate it when it comes round to the talking arty bit. I hate it.
No, you see, I