Murphy. Samuel Beckett

did she know anything of his heart attacks, which had not troubled him while she was with him. He now told her all about them, keeping back nothing that might alarm her.

      “So you see,” he said, “what a difference your staying with me makes.”

      Celia turned her face to the window. Clouds were moving rapidly across the sky. Mr. Kelly would be crowing.

      “My bag is on the floor your side,” she said.

      The fall on the landing had cracked the mirror set in the flap. She stifled a cry, averted her head and handed him a large black envelope with the title in letters of various colours.

      “What you told me to get,” she said.

      She felt him take it from her. When after some little time he still had not spoken nor made any movement she turned her head to see was anything amiss. All the colour (yellow) had ebbed from his face, leaving it ashen. A pale strand of blood scoring the jaw illustrated this neap. He kept her waiting a little longer and then said, in a voice unfamiliar to her:

      “My life-warrant. Thank you.”

      It struck her that a merely indolent man would not be so affected by the prospect of employment.

      “My little bull of incommunication,” he said, “signed not with lead but with a jossy’s spittle. Thank you.”

      Celia, hardening her heart, passed him a hairpin. Murphy’s instinct was to treat this dun as he had those showered upon him in the days when he used to enjoy an income, namely, steam it open, marvel at its extravagance and return it undelivered. But then he had not been in bed with the collector.

      “Why the black envelope,” she said, “and the different-coloured letters?”

      “Because Mercury,” said Murphy, “god of thieves, planet par excellence and mine, has no fixed colour.” He spread out the sheet folded in sixteen. “And because this is blackmail.”

      THEMA COELI

       With Delineations

       Compiled

       By

      RAMASWAMI KRISHNASWAMI NARAYANASWAMI SUK

       Genethliac

       Famous throughout Civilised World and Irish Free State

       “Then I defy you, Stars.”

      THE GOAT

      At time of Birth of this Native four degrees of the GOAT was rising, his highest attributes being Soul, Emotion, Clairaudience and Silence. Few Minds are better concocted than this Native’s.

      The Moon twenty-three degrees of the Serpent promotes great Magical Ability of the Eye, to which the lunatic would easy succumb. Avoid exhaustion by speech. Intense Love nature prominent, rarely suspicioning the Nasty, with inclinations to Purity. When Sensuality rules there is danger of Fits.

      Mars having just set in the East denotes a great desire to engage in some pursuit, yet not. There has been persons of this description known to have expressed a wish to be in two places at a time.

      When Health is below par, Regret may be entertained. May be termed a law-abiding character having a superior appearance. Should avoid drugs and resort to Harmony. Great care should be used in dealing with publishers, quadrupeds and tropical swamps, as these may terminate unprofitably for the Native.

      Mercury sesquiquadrate with the Anarete is most malefic and will greatly conduce to Success terminating in the height of Glory, which may injure Native’s prospects.

      The Square of Moon and Solar Orb afflicts the Hyleg. Herschel in Aquarius stops the Water and he should guard against this. Neptune and Venus in the Bull denotes dealings with the Females only medium developed or of low organic quality. Companions or matrimonial Mate are recommended to be born under a fiery triplicity, when the Bowman should permit of a small family.

      With regards to a Career, the Native should inspire and lead, as go between, promoter, detective, custodian, pioneer or, if possible, explorer, his motto in business being large profits and a quick turnover.

      The Native should guard against Bright’s disease and Grave’s disease, also pains in the neck and feet.

      Lucky Gems. Amethyst and Diamond. To ensure Success the Native should sport.

      Lucky Colours. Lemon. To avert Calamity the Native should have a dash in apparel, also a squeeze in home decorations.

      Lucky Days. Sunday. To attract the maximum Success the Native should begin new ventures.

      Lucky Numbers. 4. The Native should commence new enterprises, for in so doing lies just that difference between Success and Calamity.

      Lucky Years. 1936 and 1990. Successful and prosperous, though not without calamities and setbacks.

      “Is it even so,” said Murphy, his yellow all revived by these prognostications. “Pandit Suk has never done anything better.”

      “Can you work now after that?” said Celia.

      “Certainly I can,” said Murphy. “The very first fourth to fall on a Sunday in 1936 I begin. I put on my gems and off I go, to custode, detect, explore, pioneer, promote or pimp, as occasion may arise.”

      “And in the meantime?” said Celia.

      “In the meantime,” said Murphy, “I must just watch out for fits, publishers, quadrupeds, the stone, Bright’s—”

      She gave a cry of despair intense while it lasted, then finished and done with, like an infant’s.

      “How you can be such a fool and a brute,” she said, and did not bother to finish.

      “But you wouldn’t have me go against the diagram,” said Murphy, “surely to God.”

      “A fool and a brute,” she said.

      “Surely that is rather severe,” said Murphy.

      “You tell me to get you this … this…”

      “Corpus of deterrents,” said Murphy.

      “So that we can be together, and then you go and twist it into a… into a…”

      “Separation order,” said Murphy. Few minds were better concocted than this native’s.

      Celia opened her mouth to proceed, closed it without having done so. She despatched her hands on the gesture that Neary had made such a botch of at the thought of Miss Dwyer, and resolved it quite legitimately, as it seemed to Murphy, by dropping them back into their original position. Now she had nobody, except possibly Mr. Kelly. She again opened and closed her mouth, then began the slow business of going.

      “You are not going,” said Murphy.

      “Before I’m kicked out,” said Celia.

      “But what is the good of going merely in body?” said Murphy, thereby giving the conversation a twist that brought it within her powers of comment.

      “You are too modest,” she said.

      “Oh, do not let us fence,” said Murphy, “at least let it never be said that we fenced.”

      “I go as best I can,” she said, “the same as I went last time.”

      It really did look as though she were going, at her present rate of adjustment she would be gone in twenty minutes or half an hour. Already she was at work on her face.

      “I won’t come back,” she said. “I won’t open your letters. I’ll move my pitch.”

      Convinced he had hardened his heart and would let her go, she was taking her time.

      “I’ll be sorry I met you,” she said.

      “Met me!” said