Part 36 (1/2)
”I'm offering it. But it's your body, most dear one. Your life.”
She stared out the window. ” 'More than half of them,' you said.”
”With the percentage increasing. Our kids breed like cats. And so do their kids.”
”Lazarus, truly we settled this many, many years ago. But it is even more so now. I don't want to leave our valley even to visit the outside. I don't want to leave our children. Nor our children's children, nor their their children. And I certainly would not want to come back looking like a young girl . . to watch the births of our great-great-grandchildren. You're right; I've earned my gray hairs. And now I'll wear them!” children. And I certainly would not want to come back looking like a young girl . . to watch the births of our great-great-grandchildren. You're right; I've earned my gray hairs. And now I'll wear them!”
”That's the girl I married! That's my durable Dora!” He moved his hand up higher, cupped a breast and tickled a nipple. She jumped, then relaxed to it. ”I knew your answer, but I had to ask. My darling, age cannot wither you, nor custom stale your infinite variety. Where other women satiate, you most make hungry!”
She smiled. ”I'm not Cleopatra, Woodrow.”
”Wench, that's your opinion. But what's your opinion against mine? Rangy Lil, I've seen thousands and thousands more women than you have-and I I say that you make Cleopatra look homely.” say that you make Cleopatra look homely.”
”Blarney tongue,” she said softly. ”I'm sure you've never had a woman turn you down.”
”True only because I never risk being turned down; I wait to be asked. Always.”
”Are you waiting to be asked? All right, I'm asking. Then I'd better start dinner.”
”Don't be in such a hurry, Lil. First I'm going to dump you on that bed. Then I'm going to flip your skirt up. Then I'm going to see if I can find any gray hair at that that end. If so, I'll pluck them for you.” end. If so, I'll pluck them for you.”
”Beast. Scoundrel. Lecherous old goat.” She smiled in delight. ”I thought we weren't going to bother anymore with plucking gray hairs?”
”We were speaking of hair on your head head, Great-Grandmother. But this other end is as young as ever-and better than ever-so we'll most carefully pluck any gray from your pretty-your pretty brown curls.”
”Sweetest old goat. If you can find any, you're welcome. But I've been plucking that end even more carefully than my scalp. Let me slip this dress off.”
”Wups! Hold it. That's Rangy Lil, the h.o.r.n.i.e.s.t b.i.t.c.h in Happy Valley, always in a hurry. Get your dress off if you wish, but I'm going to find Lurton and tell him to saddle up Best Boy and go beg supper and a shakedown from his sister Marje and Lyle. Then I'll be back to pluck those disgraceful gray curls. Supper will be late, I'm afraid.”
”I don't mind if you don't, beloved.”
”That's my Lil. Darling, there isn't a man in the valley who wouldn't grab you and try to find another valley if you gave him the slightest encouragement-that includes your own sons and your sons-in-law-every male here down to fourteen.”
”Oh, not true! Blarney again.”
”Want to bet? On second thought we won't waste time plucking gray hairs at either end. When I get back from telling our youngest son to get lost for the night, I want to find you wearing just rubies and a smile. Because you're not going to cook supper; we're going to sc.r.a.pe up a cold picnic instead and take it and a blanket up on the roof . . and enjoy the sunset.”
”Yes, sir. Oh, darling, I love you! E.F.? Or F.F.?”
”I'll leave that choice to Rangy Lil.”
(Circa 39,000 words omitted) Lazarus opened the bedroom door very quietly, looked in, looked inquiringly at his daughter Elf-a strikingly beautiful middle-aged woman with flaming red curls shot slightly with gray. She said, ”Come in, Papa; Mama's awake.”
She stood up to leave, taking with her a supper tray.
He glanced at it, subtracted in his mind what was still on it from what he had seen leave the kitchen on it-got a sum which was too near zero to please him. But he said nothing, simply went to the bedside, smiled down at his wife. Dora smiled back. He leaned over and kissed her, then sat down where Elf had been. ”How is my darling?”
”Just fine, Woodrow. Ginny-no, Elf. Elf brought me the tastiest supper. I enjoyed it so much. But I asked her to put my rubies on me before she fed me-did you notice?”
”Of course I did, Beautiful. When did Rangy Lil ever eat supper without her rubies?”
She didn't answer, her eyes closed. Lazarus kept quiet, watched her respiration, counted her heartbeats by watching a pulse in her neck.
”Do you hear them, Lazarus?” Her eyes were open again.
”Hear what, Dorable?”
”The wild geese. They must be right over the house.”
”Oh. Yes, certainly.”
”They're early this year.” That seemed to tire her; she closed her eyes again. He waited.
”Sweetheart? Will you sing 'Buck's Song'?”
”Certainly, 'dorable Dora.” Lazarus cleared his throat and started in: ” 'There's a schoolhouse By the p.a.w.nshop Where Dora has her lessons.
” 'By the schoolhouse There's a mule yard Where Dora's friend Buck lives.' ”
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She closed her eyes again, so he sang the other verses very softly. But when he finished, she smiled at him. ”Thank you, darling; that was lovely. It's always been lovely. But I'm a little tired-if I drop off to sleep, will you still be here?”
”I'll always be here, dearest. You sleep now.”
She smiled again, and her eyes closed. Presently her breathing grew slower as she slept.
Her breathing stopped.
Lazarus waited a long time before he called in Ginny and Elf.
SECOND INTERMISSION.
More from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long
Always tell her she is beautiful, especially if she is not.
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If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There may be no candidates and no measures you want to vote for but there are certain to be ones you want to vote against. against. In case of doubt, vote In case of doubt, vote against. against. By this rule you will rarely go wrong. By this rule you will rarely go wrong.
If this is too blind for your taste, consult some well-meaning fool (there is always one around) and ask his advice. Then vote the other way. This enables you to be a good citizen (if such is your wish) without spending the enormous amount of time on it that truly intelligent exercise of franchise requires.
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Sovereign ingredient for a happy marriage: Pay cash or do without. Interest charges not only eat up a household budget; awareness of debt eats up domestic felicity.