Mood Indigo by Boris Vian Read Free Book Online

building up a collection and I must have everything he’s done.’
    â€˜But he won’t stop doing things,’ said Colin. ‘He writes at least five articles a week …’
    â€˜I know,’ said Chick.
    Colin helped him to some more pumpkin.
    â€˜What can I do to see Chloe again?’ he said.
    Chick looked at him and smiled.
    â€˜I can see I’m boring you stiff with my stories about Jean Pulse Heartre,’ he said … ‘I wish I
could
do something to help you. But what
can
I do? …’
    â€˜It’s awful,’ said Colin. ‘I’m full of despair and yet, at the same time, I’m horribly happy. It’s a nice kind of feeling to want something as badly as that.’
    â€˜I wish,’ he went on, ‘I were lying deep in lightly toasted grass, with sunshine and warm earth all around – the grass crisp and yellow as straw, you know what I mean, with hundreds of little buzzing insects, and clumps of soft dry moss too. One lies flat on one’s tummy and stares. A hedge, some pebbles, a few gnarled trees and half-a-dozen leaves complete the scene. They’re a great help.’
    â€˜And Chloe?’ said Chick.
    â€˜And Chloe, of course,’ said Colin. ‘Chloe on my mind.’
    They were quiet for a few moments. A bottle seized the opportunity presented by these moments to send out a crystalline sound that bounced backwards and forwards between the walls.
    â€˜Have some more wine,’ said Colin.
    â€˜Yes,’ said Chick. ‘Thanks.’
    Nicholas brought in the rest of the meal – pineapple shortbread with orange cream.
    â€˜Thank you, Nicholas,’ said Colin. ‘What would you do if you were me and you wanted to see a girl you were in love with again?’
    â€˜Good Lord, sir,’ said Nicholas, ‘I see what Mr Colin means … But I must confess, sir, that such a thing has never happened to me.’
    â€˜Of course,’ said Chick. ‘You’re as tough as Tarzan. But everybody isn’t like you!’
    â€˜Thank you for the compliment, sir. I’m very touched,’ said Nicholas. ‘If I were Mr Colin, sir,’ he continued, addressing himself to Colin, ‘then I would try – using as an agent the person at whose home I had met the person whose presence Mr Colin seems to be missing, sir – to gather what information I could concerning the habits and whereabouts of this said person.’
    â€˜Despite its convoluted phraseology, Nicholas,’ said Colin, ‘I think that your idea does indeed have possibilities. But you know how silly you are when you’re in love. And that’s why I didn’t tell Chick that I’d thought of doing exactly what you’ve described a long time ago.’
    Nicholas went back to the kitchen.
    â€˜He’s priceless,’ said Colin.
    â€˜Yes,’ said Chick. ‘He certainly knows how to cook.’
    They drank some more wine. Nicholas came back with an enormous cake.
    â€˜Here’s an extra dessert,’ he said.
    Colin picked up a knife, but held himself back just as he was going to cut the first slice.
    â€˜It’s too beautiful to cut,’ he said. ‘Let’s wait a moment.’
    â€˜Procrastination,’ said Chick, ‘is a prelude in a minor key.’
    â€˜What made you say that?’ said Colin.
    He took Chick’s glass and filled it with golden wine that was as heavy as syrup but flowed like trampled ether.
    â€˜I don’t know,’ said Chick. ‘It came without thinking.’
    â€˜Taste!’ said Colin.
    They both emptied their glasses.
    â€˜It’s wild! …’ said Chick, whose eyes began to glow and sparkle like traffic lights.
    Colin put his hand on his heart.
    â€˜It’s better than that,’ he said. ‘It’s out of this world.’
    â€˜Of course,’ said Chick. ‘Because you’re out of this world