Lanark: a life in 4 books by Alasdair Gray Read Free Book Online Page B

thousands would be unemployed and they’d have to cut the social security allowance. Think of that next time you feel like knocking the army.”
    “What is the Q39?”
    “You’ve seen them. They’re being assembled in the yards near the river.”
    “Do you mean these big metal constructions like bombs or bullets?”
    “You think they look like bombs, do you? Good! Good! That cheers me greatly. Actually they’re shelters to protect the civilian population. Each one is capable of housing five hundred souls when the balloon goes up.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “About the balloon? It’s a figure of speech derived from an outmoded combat system. It means, when the sign goes out that the big show is starting.”
    “What show?”
    “I can’t tell you precisely, because it could take several different forms. We could be on the receiving end of any one of sixty-eight different types of attack, and I don’t mind telling you that we’re only capable of defending ourselves against three of them.’ Hopeless! Why bother?’ you say, and miss the point entirely. The other side is as badly placed as we are. These preparations for the big show may be pretty inadequate, but if we stop them the balloon will go up. Am I depressing you?”
    “No, but I’m confused.”
    The tall man nodded sympathetically, “I know, it’s difficult. Metaphor is one of thought’s most essential tools. It illuminates what would otherwise be totally obscure. But the illumination is sometimes so bright that it dazzles instead of revealing.”
    It struck Lanark that in spite of his smooth flow of words the tall man was drunk. Somebody grunted nearby. Lanark turned and saw a stout elderly man sitting immobile in one of the chairs. He wore a dark blue suit and waistcoat. His eyes were shut but he was not asleep, for his hands were grasping his knees. Lanark gasped and said, “Who is that?”
    “That is one of our city fathers. That is Baillie Dodd.”
    The man in the chair said, “No.”
    “Well, actually he’s more than just Baillie Dodd. He’s Provost Dodd.” The tall man began to laugh. “Yes!” he said between gasps, “that’s the Lord Provost of this whole, fucking big metropopolis.”
    He silenced his chuckles by drinking what was left in the glass, then went to the sideboard to refill. The Provost said, “What does he want?”
    The tall man looked over his shoulder. “Yes, Lanark, what do you want?”
    “Nothing.”
    “He said he wants nothing, Dodd.”
    After a moment the Provost said flatly, “Then he’s no use to us.”
    The tall man returned to his seat saying, “I begin to fear you’re right.” He smiled at Lanark and sat down. “I suppose in the end you’ll join the protest people.”
    “Who are they?”
    “Oh, they’re very nice people. No bother, really. My daughter is one. We have great arguments about it all. I had hoped you were a vertebrate, but I see you’re a crustacean. You’ll be at home with the protest people because most of them are crustaceans. Now you’re going to ask what crustaceans are, so I’ll tell you. The crustacean isn’t a mere mass of sentient acquisitiveness, like your leech or your sponge. It has a distinct shape. But the shape is not based on a backbone, it derives from the insensitive shell which contains the beast. In the crustacean class you will find the scorpion, the lobster and the louse.” He smiled into his whisky. Lanark knew he had been insulted and stood up, saying sharply, “Could you tell me where the bathroom is?”
    “Third on the left as you go out.”
    Lanark went to the door but turned before reaching it. He said, “Perhaps the Provost could tell me what his city is called?”
    “Certainly he could. So could I. But for security reasons we’re not going to.”
    Lanark opened the door to step through but was arrested by a cry of “Lanark!”
    He turned and saw the man standing up gazing at him intently. “Lanark, if you ever come to feel you would like