Mood Indigo

Mood Indigo by Boris Vian Read Free Book Online

Book: Mood Indigo by Boris Vian Read Free Book Online
Authors: Boris Vian
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

Similar Books

The Tangled Web

Lacey Dearie

The Storm Witch

Violette Malan

The Ideas Pirates

Hazel Edwards

Uncaged

Alisha Paige

The Secret Bedroom

R.L. Stine, Bill Schmidt

Anchor of Hope

Kiah Stephens

Buried Alive!

Jacqueline Wilson