Part 39 (1/2)

--T is viceregal lodge. C is where murder took place. K is Knockmaroon gate.

The loose flesh of his neck shook like a c.o.c.k's wattles. An illstarched d.i.c.ky jutted up and with a rude gesture he thrust it back into his waistcoat.

--h.e.l.lo? _Evening Telegraph_ here... h.e.l.lo?... Who's there?... Yes...

Yes... Yes.

--F to P is the route Skin-the-Goat drove the car for an alibi, Inchicore, Roundtown, Windy Arbour, Palmerston Park, Ranelagh. F.A.B.P.

Got that? X is Davy's publichouse in upper Leeson street.

The professor came to the inner door.

--Bloom is at the telephone, he said.

--Tell him go to h.e.l.l, the editor said promptly. X is Davy's publichouse, see? CLEVER, VERY

--Clever, Lenehan said. Very.

--Gave it to them on a hot plate, Myles Crawford said, the whole b.l.o.o.d.y history.

Nightmare from which you will never awake.

--I saw it, the editor said proudly. I was present. d.i.c.k Adams, the besthearted b.l.o.o.d.y Corkman the Lord ever put the breath of life in, and myself.

Lenehan bowed to a shape of air, announcing:

--Madam, I'm Adam. And Able was I ere I saw Elba.

--History! Myles Crawford cried. The Old Woman of Prince's street was there first. There was weeping and gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth over that. Out of an advertis.e.m.e.nt. Gregor Grey made the design for it. That gave him the leg up. Then Paddy Hooper worked Tay Pay who took him on to the _Star._ Now he's got in with Blumenfeld. That's press. That's talent. Pyatt! He was all their daddies!

--The father of scare journalism, Lenehan confirmed, and the brother-in-law of Chris Callinan.

--h.e.l.lo?... Are you there?... Yes, he's here still. Come across yourself.

--Where do you find a pressman like that now, eh? the editor cried. He flung the pages down.

--Clamn dever, Lenehan said to Mr O'Madden Burke.

--Very smart, Mr O'Madden Burke said.

Professor MacHugh came from the inner office.

--Talking about the invincibles, he said, did you see that some hawkers were up before the recorder?

--O yes, J. J. O'Molloy said eagerly. Lady Dudley was walking home through the park to see all the trees that were blown down by that cyclone last year and thought she'd buy a view of Dublin. And it turned out to be a commemoration postcard of Joe Brady or Number One or Skin-the-Goat. Right outside the viceregal lodge, imagine!

--They're only in the hook and eye department, Myles Crawford said.