Part 136 (1/2)
BLOOM: I was just going home by Gardiner street when I happened to...
CORNY KELLEHER: _(Laughs)_ Sure they wanted me to join in with the mots.
No, by G.o.d, says I. Not for old stagers like myself and yourself. _(He laughs again and leers with lackl.u.s.tre eye)_ Thanks be to G.o.d we have it in the house, what, eh, do you follow me? Hah, hah, hah!
BLOOM: _(Tries to laugh)_ He, he, he! Yes. Matter of fact I was just visiting an old friend of mine there, Virag, you don't know him (poor fellow, he's laid up for the past week) and we had a liquor together and I was just making my way home...
_(The horse neighs.)_
THE HORSE: Hohohohohohoh! Hohohohome!
CORNY KELLEHER: Sure it was Behan our jarvey there that told me after we left the two commercials in Mrs Cohen's and I told him to pull up and got off to see. _(He laughs)_ Sober hea.r.s.edrivers a speciality. Will I give him a lift home? Where does he hang out? Somewhere in Cabra, what?
BLOOM: No, in Sandycove, I believe, from what he let drop.
_(Stephen, p.r.o.ne, breathes to the stars. Corny Kelleher, asquint, drawls at the horse. Bloom, in gloom, looms down.)_
CORNY KELLEHER: _(Scratches his nape)_ Sandycove! _(He bends down and calls to Stephen)_ Eh! _(He calls again)_ Eh! He's covered with shavings anyhow. Take care they didn't lift anything off him.
BLOOM: No, no, no. I have his money and his hat here and stick.
CORNY KELLEHER: Ah, well, he'll get over it. No bones broken. Well, I'll shove along. _(He laughs)_ I've a rendezvous in the morning. Burying the dead. Safe home!
THE HORSE: _(Neighs)_ Hohohohohome.
BLOOM: Good night. I'll just wait and take him along in a few...
_(Corny Kelleher returns to the outside car and mounts it. The horse harness jingles.)_
CORNY KELLEHER: _(From the car, standing)_ Night.
BLOOM: Night.
_(The jarvey chucks the reins and raises his whip encouragingly. The car and horse back slowly, awkwardly, and turn. Corny Kelleher on the sideseat sways his head to and fro in sign of mirth at Bloom's plight.
The jarvey joins in the mute pantomimic merriment nodding from the farther seat. Bloom shakes his head in mute mirthful reply. With thumb and palm Corny Kelleher rea.s.sures that the two bobbies will allow the sleep to continue for what else is to be done. With a slow nod Bloom conveys his grat.i.tude as that is exactly what Stephen needs. The car jingles tooraloom round the corner of the tooraloom lane. Corny Kelleher again rea.s.suralooms with his hand. Bloom with his hand a.s.suralooms Corny Kelleher that he is rea.s.suraloomtay. The tinkling hoofs and jingling harness grow fainter with their tooralooloo looloo lay. Bloom, holding in his hand Stephen's hat, festooned with shavings, and ashplant, stands irresolute. Then he bends to him and shakes him by the shoulder.)_
BLOOM: Eh! Ho! _(There is no answer; he bends again)_ Mr Dedalus!
_(There is no answer)_ The name if you call. Somnambulist. _(He bends again and hesitating, brings his mouth near the face of the prostrate form)_ Stephen! _(There is no answer. He calls again.)_ Stephen!
STEPHEN: _(Groans)_ Who? Black panther. Vampire. _(He sighs and stretches himself, then murmurs thickly with prolonged vowels)_
Who... drive... Fergus now And pierce... wood's woven shade?...
_(He turns on his left side, sighing, doubling himself together.)_
BLOOM: Poetry. Well educated. Pity. _(He bends again and undoes the b.u.t.tons of Stephen's waistcoat)_ To breathe. _(He brushes the woodshavings from Stephen's clothes with light hand and fingers)_ One pound seven. Not hurt anyhow. _(He listens)_ What?
STEPHEN: _(Murmurs)_
... shadows... the woods ... white breast... dim sea.