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h militant disarmed and menaced her heresiarchs。 A horde of heresies fleeing with mitres awry: Photius and the brood of mockers of whom Mulligan was one; and Arius; warring his life long upon the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father; and Valentine; spurning Christ's terrene body; and the subtle African heresiarch Sabellius who held that the Father was Himself His own Son。 Words Mulligan had spoken a moment since in mockery to the stranger。 Idle mockery。 The void awaits surely all them that weave the wind: a menace; a disarming and a worsting from those embattled angels of the church; Michael's host; who defend her ever in the hour of conflict with their lances and their shields。
Hear; hear。 Prolonged applause。 Zut! Nom de Dieu!
Of course I'm a Britisher; Haines' voice said; and I feel as one。 I don't want to see my country fall into the hands of German jews either。 That's our national problem; I'm afraid; just now。
Two men stood at the verge of the cliff; watching: businessman; boatman。
She's making for Bullock harbour。
The boatman nodded towards the north of the bay with some disdain。
There's five fathoms out there; he said。 It'll be swept up that way when the tide es in about one。 It's nine days today。
The man that was drowned。 A sail veering about the blank bay waiting for a swollen bundle to bob up; roll over to the sun a puffy face; salt white。 Here I am。
They followed the winding path down to the creek。 Buck Mulligan stood on a stone; in shirtsleeves; his unclipped tie rippling over his shoulder。 A young man clinging to a spur of rock near him moved slowly frogwise his green legs in the deep jelly of the water。
Is the brother with you; Malachi?
Down in Westmeath。 With the Bannons。
Still there? I got a card from Bannon。 Says he found a sweet young thing down there。 Photo girl he calls her。
Snapshot; eh? Brief exposure。
Buck Mulligan sat down to unlace his boots。 An elderly man shot up near the spur of rock a blowing red face。 He scrambled up by the stones; water glistening on his pate and on its garland of grey hair; water rilling over his chest and paunch and spilling jets out of his black sagging loincloth。
Buck Mulligan made way for him to scramble past and; glancing at Haines and Stephen; crossed himself piously with his thumbnail at brow and lips and breastbone。
Seymour's back in town; the young man said; grasping again his spur of rock。 Chucked medicine and going in for the army。
Ah; go to God; Buck Mulligan said。
Going over next week to stew。 You know that red Carlisle girl; Lily?
Yes。
Spooning with him last night on the pier。 The father is rotto with money。
Is she up the pole?
Better ask Seymour that。
Seymour a bleeding officer; Buck Mulligan said。
He nodded to himself as he drew off his trousers and stood up; saying tritely:
Redheaded women buck like goats。
He broke off in alarm; feeling his side under his flapping shirt。
My twelfth rib is gone; he cried。 I'm the Uebermensch。 Toothless Kinch and I; the supermen。
He struggled out of his shirt and flung it behind him to where his clothes lay。
Are you going in here; Malachi?
Yes。 Make room in !he bed。
The young man shoved himself backward through the water and reached the middle of the creek in two long clean strokes。 Haines sat down on a stone; smoking。
Are you not ing in? Buck Mulligan asked。
Later on; Haines said。 Not on my breakfast。 Stephen turned away。
I'm going; Mulligan; he said。
Give us that key; Kinch; Buck Mulligan said; to keep my chemise flat。
Stephen handed him the key。 Buck Mulligan laid it across his heaped clothes。
And twopence; he said; for a pint。 Throw it there。
Stephen threw two pennies on the soft heap。 Dressing; undressing。 Buck Mulligan erect; with joined hands before him; said solemnly:
He who stealeth from the poor lendeth to the Lord。 Thus spake Zarathustra。
His plump body plunged。
We'll see you again; Haines said; turning as Stephen walked up the path and smiling at wild Irish。
Horn of a bull; hoof of a horse; smile of a Saxon。
The Ship; Buck Mulligan cried。 Half twelve。
Good; Stephen said。
He walked along the upwardcurving path。
Liliata rutilantium。
Turnia circumdet。
Iubilantium te virginum
The priest's grey nimbus in a niche where he dressed discreetly。 I will not sleep here tonight。 Home also I cannot go。
A voice; sweettoned and sustained; called to him from the sea。 Turning the curve he waved his hand。 It called again。 A sleek brown head; a seal's; far out on the water; round。
Usurper。
Nestor
YOU; COCHRANE; WHAT CITY SENT FOR HIM?
Tarentum; sir。
Very good。 Well?
There was a battle; sir。
Very good。 Where?
The boy's blank face asked the blank window。
Fabled by the daughters of memory。 And yet it was in some way if not as memory fabled it。 A phrase; then; of impatience; thud of Blake's wings of excess。 I hear the ruin of all space; shattered glass and toppling masonry; and time one livid final flame。 What's left us then?
I forgot the place; sir。 279 B。C。
Asculum; Stephen said; glancing at the name and date in the gorescarred book。
Yes; sir。 And he said: Another victory like that and we are done for。
That phrase the world had remembered。 A dull ease of the mind。 From a hill above a corpsestrewn plain a general speaking to his officers; leaned upon his spear。 Any general to any officers。 They lend ear。
You; Armstrong; Stephen said。 What was the end of Pyrrhus?
End of Pyrrhus; sir?
I know; sir。 Ask me; sir; yn said。
Wait。 You; Armstrong。 Do you know anything about Pyrrhus?
A bag of figrolls lay snugly in Armstrong's satchel。 He curled them between his palms at whiles and swallowed them softly。 Crumbs adhered to the tissues of his lips。 A sweetened boy's breath。 Welloff people; proud that their eldest son was in the navy。 Vico Road; Dalkey。
Pyrrhus; sir? Pyrrhus; a pier。
All laughed。 Mirthless high malicious laughter。 Armstrong looked round at his classmates; silly glee in profile。 In a moment they will laugh more loudly; aware of my lack of rule and of the fees their papas pay。
Tell me now; Stephen said; poking the boy's shoulder with the book; what is a pier。
A pier; sir; Armstrong said。 A thing out in the waves。 A kind of bridge。 Kingstown pier; sir。
Some laughed again: mirthless but with meaning。 Two in the back bench whispered。 Yes。 They knew: had never learned nor ever been innocent。 All。 With envy he watched their faces。 Edith; Ethel; Gerty; Lily。 Their likes: their breaths; too; sweetened with tea and jam; their bracelets tittering in the struggle。
Kingstown pier; Stephen said。 Yes; a disappointed bridge。 The words troubled their gaze。
How; sir? yn asked。 A bridge is across a river。
For Haines's chapbook。 No…one here to hear。 Tonight deftly amid wild drink and talk; to pierce the polished mail of his mind。 What then? A jester at the court of his master; indulged and disesteemed; winning a clement master's praise。 Why had they chosen all that part? Not wholly for the smooth caress。 For them too history was a tale like any other too often heard; their land a pawnshop。
Had Pyrrhus not fallen by a beldam's hand in Argos or Julius Caesar not been