MAX Eleanor.
ELEANOR He was sucking on a lozenge, he offered me one, gazing into my eyes and breathing eucalyptus at me like a koala caught in the headlights.
Max perhaps touches her face.
MAX He was probably staring for the same reason as me the first time I … It was never your, your breast, it was always your face. I love your face.
ELEANOR You loved my tits, that’s why breasts is plural.
MAX It makes no difference, you know.
ELEANOR Well, it does to me!
MAX Yes—yes, of course it does, I only meant … you know, it makes no (difference).
He makes to hold her, Eleanor fights him off, tearfully angry.
ELEANOR If it makes no difference, Max, you don’t have to stop making love to me from behind, it’s all right—all right?
Suddenly infreefall, they clutch, competing in apology and comfort.
MAX (finally) My Amazon. Just don’t lose half your bum, that’s all.
She wipes her eyes, fails at a laugh, blows her nose.
ELEANOR I had Amazons in my doctorate … false etymologies. Mazos, a breast; amazos, breastless. It makes sense if you’re Greek, but the Amazons weren’t Greek and didn’t speak Greek, so I said the one-breast thing was a language glitch and quite late—nothing about being a tit short in Homer, only killer feminists all round, and vase painters did two-breasted Amazons—case proved, done and dusted. And now this. It makes you wonder. Anyway, I’ve got my Sapphist showing up …
MAX (protests) You’re on sick leave.
ELEANOR So she’s coming here, (a quick kiss) It’s all right now.
MAX Eleanor. Um, why did he ask you, the eucalyptuslozenge man?
ELEANOR You weren’t here.
MAX Why would I be here?
ELEANOR Oh, and someone from BBC Radio—
MAX I’d be in College.
ELEANOR The Czechs have agreed to a temporary occupation, and did you want to comment et cetera?
MAX (laughs) I bet they have.
ELEANOR Anyway, I said no, you didn’t.
MAX I wouldn’t have minded.
ELEANOR You would. Max Morrow putting the other side … it’d be Christmas come early for every ex-Communist who dreams about you.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.