Lanark Read Free Page B

jokes!” said Frankie. “Good. I’ll sit beside him and make McPake jealous.”
    She sat beside Lanark and rested her hand on his thigh. He tried not to look embarrassed and managed to look confused. Frankie said, “God! He’s gone as tense as … hm. I’d better not say. Relax, son, can’t you? No, he can’t relax. Rima, I’ll change seats with you. I want to sit with McPake after all.
    He’s fat, but he responds.”
    She changed seats with Rima. Lanark felt relieved and insulted.
    Two or three conversations began around him but he lacked the confidence to join one. Rima offered a cigarette. He said, “Thank you. Is your friend drunk?”
    “Frankie? No, she’s usually like that. She’s not really my friend. Did she upset you?”
    “Yes.”
    “You’ll get used to her. She’s amusing if you don’t take her seriously.”
    Rima spoke in an odd, mewing, monotonous voice, as if no words were worth emphasis. Lanark looked sideways at her profile. He saw black glossy hair drawn back from a white brow, a large perfect eye slightly emphasized by mascara, a big straightish nose, a small straight mouth without lipstick, a small firm chin, a neat little bust under a black sweater. If she felt his glance she pretended not to but tilted her head back to breathe smoke from her nostrils. This so reminded him of a little girl trying to smoke like a woman that he felt an ache of unexpected tenderness. He said, “What was the film about?”
    “It was about people who undressed soon after the beginning and then did everything they could think of in the circumstances.”
    “Do you enjoy those films?”
    “No, but they don’t bore me. Do they bore you?”
    “I’ve never seen one.”
    “Why not?”
    “I’m afraid of enjoying them.”
    “I enjoy them,” said Sludden. “I get genuine pleasure from imagining how the actors would look wearing flannel underwear and thick tweed skirts.”
    Nan said, “I enjoy them too. Except the best bits. I can’t help closing my eyes during those, aren’t I silly?”
    Frankie said, “I find them all very disappointing. I keep hoping to see a really surprising perversion but there don’t seem to be any.”
    A discussion began about the forms a surprising perversion might take. Frankie, Toal and McPake made suggestions. Gay and Nan punctuated these with little screaming protests of horror and amusement. Sludden sometimes contributed a remark, and Lanark and Rima remained silent. Lanark was embarrassed by the conversation and thought Rima disliked it too. This made him feel nearer her.
    Later Sludden whispered to Gay and stood up. He said, “Gay and I are leaving. We’ll see you all later.”
    Nan, who had been watching him anxiously, suddenly folded her arms upon her knees and hid her face in them. Toal, who was seated beside her, put a comforting arm around her shoulders and smiled at the company in a humorous mournful way. Sludden looked at Lanark and said casually, “You’ll consider what I said?”
    “Oh, yes. You gave me a lot to think about.”
    “We’ll discuss it later. Come on, Gay.”
    They went out between the crowded tables. Frankie said mockingly, “The mystery man seems to be replacing you as court favourite, Toal. I hope not, for your sake. You’d have to take up your old job of court jester. Rima never sleeps with the court jester.”
    Without taking his arm from Nan’s trembling shoulders Toal grinned and said, “Shut up, Frankie. You’re the court jester and always will be.” He said apologetically to Lanark, “Pay no attention to what she says.”
    Rima took her handbag from the seat beside her and said,
    “I’m going.”
    Lanark said, “Wait a bit, so am I.”
    He edged round the table to where his coat hung and put it on. The others said they would see him later and as he and Rima went out Frankie shouted after them, “Have fun!”

Dawn and Lodgings
    The foyer downstairs was empty apart from the girl at the cash desk. Through the glass doors