"No, Richard. It is impossible. You are different, I am different. You haff cold cream on your penis — "
"But — !"
"My makeup is gone, there are stains on the carpet. And I would need the pistol — how could we effer find it in the dark? No, it's useless, Richard. Belief me. Time goes by."
"But maybe that's just it "
"Or what about your tsigarette? Eh? Can you imagine going through that without your tsigarette? Richard? I am laughing! Where are you, Richard ?"
"Take it easy, I'm over here. By the balcony. Just lemme think."
"Efen the airport light has stopped."
"Yeah. I can't see a fucking thing out there."
"Well, you always said you wanted a wow finish Maybe "
"What?"
"What?"
"What did you say?"
"I said, maybe this is you know, what we always wanted Like a dream come true "
"Speak up, kid. It's getting hard to hear you."
"I said, when we are fokking — "
"Nah, that won't do any good, sweetheart, I know that now. We gotta get back into the goddamn world somehow. If we don't, we'll regret it. Maybe not today — "
"What? We'll forget it?"
"No, I said — "
"What?"
"Never mind."
"Forget what, Richard?"
"I said I think I shoulda gone fishing with Sam when I had the chance."
"I can't seem to hear you "
"No, wait a minute! Maybe you're right! Maybe going back isn't the right idea "
"Richard ?"
"Instead, maybe we gotta think ahead "
"Richard, I am afraid "
"Yeah, like you could sit there on the couch, see, we've been fucking, that's all right, who cares, now we're having some champagne — "
"I think I am already forgetting "
"And you can tell me that story you've been wanting to tell — are you listening? A good story, that may do it — anything that moves! And meanwhile, lemme think, I'll, let's see, I'll sit down — no, I'll sort of lean here in the doorway and — oof! — — shit! I think they moved it!"
"Richard ?"
"Who the hell rearranged the — ungh! — — goddamn geography?"
"Richard, it's a crazy world "
"Ah, here! this feels like it. Something like it. Now what was I — ? Right! You're telling a story, so, uh, I'll say "
"But wherever you are "
"And then — ? Yeah, that's good. It's almost like I'm remembering this. You've stopped, see, but I want you to go on, I want you to keep spilling what's on your mind, I'm filling in all the blanks "
" whatever happens "
"So I say: And then — -? C'mon, kid, can you hear me? Remember all those people downstairs! They're depending on us! Just think it: if you think it, you'll do it! And then — -?"
" I want you to know "
"And then ? Oh shit, Ilsa ? Where are you? And then ?"
" I luff you "
"And then ? Ilsa ? And then ?"
About the Author
Robert Coover was born in Iowa in 1932. His first novel, The Origin of the Brunists, was the winner of the 1966 William Faulkner Award. His other works include The Universal Baseball Association, J. Henry Waugh, Prop.; Pricksongs A Theological Position; The Public Burning; A Political Fable; Spanking the Maid; Gerald's Party; and most recently, Whatever Happened to Gloomy Gus of the Chicago Bears? A Night at the Movies was the 1987 winner of the Rea Award, the highest literary award for short fiction in America. In that same year, Coover was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He lives with his wife in Providence, Rhode Island, where he teaches at Brown University.
Scan Notes, v3.0: Proofed carefully against DT, italics and special characters intact. As with most postmodern fiction, things that may look incorrect are actually the way the author intended so please do not make any changes to the file without first consulting a Dead Tree.