Ulysses(206)

ADONAI: Dooooooooooog!

THE VOICE OF ALL THE BLESSED: Alleluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!

(FROM ON HIGH THE VOICE OF ADONAI CALLS.)

ADONAI: Goooooooooood!

(IN STRIDENT DISCORD PEASANTS AND TOWNSMEN OF ORANGE AND GREEN FACTIONS SING Kick the Pope AND Daily, daily sing to Mary.)

PRIVATE CARR: (WITH FEROCIOUS ARTICULATION) I'll do him in, so help me fucking Christ! I'll wring the bastard fucker's bleeding blasted fucking windpipe!

OLD GUMMY GRANNY: (THRUSTS A DAGGER TOWARDS STEPHEN'S HAND) Remove him, acushla. At 8.35 a.m. you will be in heaven and Ireland will be free. (SHE PRAYS) O good God, take him!

(THE RETRIEVER, NOSING ON THE FRINGE OF THE CROWD, BARKS NOISILY.)

BLOOM: (RUNS TO LYNCH) Can't you get him away?

LYNCH: He likes dialectic, the universal language. Kitty! (TO BLOOM) Get him away, you. He won't listen to me.

(HE DRAGS KITTY AWAY.)

STEPHEN: (POINTS) EXIT JUDAS. ET LAQUEO SE SUSPENDIT.

BLOOM: (RUNS TO STEPHEN) Come along with me now before worse happens. Here's your stick.

STEPHEN: Stick, no. Reason. This feast of pure reason.

CISSY CAFFREY: (PULLING PRIVATE CARR) Come on, you're boosed. He insulted me but I forgive him. (SHOUTING IN HIS EAR) I forgive him for insulting me.

BLOOM: (OVER STEPHEN'S SHOULDER) Yes, go. You see he's incapable.

PRIVATE CARR: (BREAKS LOOSE) I'll insult him.

(HE RUSHES TOWARDS STEPHEN, FIST OUTSTRETCHED, AND STRIKES HIM IN THE FACE. STEPHEN TOTTERS, COLLAPSES, FALLS, STUNNED. HE LIES PRONE, HIS FACE TO THE SKY, HIS HAT ROLLING TO THE WALL. BLOOM FOLLOWS AND PICKS IT UP.)

MAJOR TWEEDY: (LOUDLY) Carbine in bucket! Cease fire! Salute!

THE RETRIEVER: (BARKING FURIOUSLY) Ute ute ute ute ute ute ute ute.

THE CROWD: Let him up! Don't strike him when he's down! Air! Who? The soldier hit him. He's a professor. Is he hurted? Don't manhandle him! He's fainted!

A HAG: What call had the redcoat to strike the gentleman and he under the influence. Let them go and fight the Boers!

THE BAWD: Listen to who's talking! Hasn't the soldier a right to go with his girl? He gave him the coward's blow.

(THEY GRAB AT EACH OTHER'S HAIR, CLAW AT EACH OTHER AND SPIT)

THE RETRIEVER: (BARKING) Wow wow wow.

BLOOM: (SHOVES THEM BACK, LOUDLY) Get back, stand back!

PRIVATE COMPTON: (TUGGING HIS COMRADE) Here. Bugger off, Harry. Here's the cops!

(TWO RAINCAPED WATCH, TALL, STAND IN THE GROUP.)

FIRST WATCH: What's wrong here?

PRIVATE COMPTON: We were with this lady. And he insulted us. And assaulted my chum. (THE RETRIEVER BARKS) Who owns the bleeding tyke?

CISSY CAFFREY: (WITH EXPECTATION) Is he bleeding!

A MAN: (RISING FROM HIS KNEES) No. Gone off. He'll come to all right.

BLOOM: (GLANCES SHARPLY AT THE MAN) Leave him to me. I can easily ...

SECOND WATCH: Who are you? Do you know him?

PRIVATE CARR: (LURCHES TOWARDS THE WATCH) He insulted my lady friend.

BLOOM: (ANGRILY) You hit him without provocation. I'm a witness. Constable, take his regimental number.

SECOND WATCH: I don't want your instructions in the discharge of my duty.

PRIVATE COMPTON: (PULLING HIS COMRADE) Here, bugger off Harry. Or Bennett'll shove you in the lockup.

PRIVATE CARR: (STAGGERING AS HE IS PULLED AWAY) God fuck old Bennett. He's a whitearsed bugger. I don't give a shit for him.

FIRST WATCH: (TAKES OUT HIS NOTEBOOK) What's his name?

BLOOM: (PEERING OVER THE CROWD) I just see a car there. If you give me a hand a second, sergeant ...

FIRST WATCH: Name and address.

(CORNY KELLEKER, WEEPERS ROUND HIS HAT, A DEATH WREATH IN HIS HAND, APPEARS AMONG THE BYSTANDERS.)

BLOOM: (QUICKLY) O, the very man! (HE WHISPERS) Simon Dedalus' son. A bit sprung. Get those policemen to move those loafers back.

SECOND WATCH: Night, Mr Kelleher.

CORNY KELLEHER: (TO THE WATCH, WITH DRAWLING EYE) That's all right. I know him. Won a bit on the races. Gold cup. Throwaway. (HE LAUGHS) Twenty to one. Do you follow me?

FIRST WATCH: (TURNS TO THE CROWD) Here, what are you all gaping at? Move on out of that.

(THE CROWD DISPERSES SLOWLY, MUTTERING, DOWN THE LANE.)

CORNY KELLEHER: Leave it to me, sergeant. That'll be all right. (HE LAUGHS, SHAKING HIS HEAD) We were often as bad ourselves, ay or worse. What? Eh, what?

FIRST WATCH: (LAUGHS) I suppose so.

CORNY KELLEHER: (NUDGES THE SECOND WATCH) Come and wipe your name off the slate. (HE LILTS, WAGGING HIS HEAD) With my tooraloom tooraloom tooraloom tooraloom. What, eh, do you follow me?

SECOND WATCH: (GENIALLY) Ah, sure we were too.

CORNY KELLEHER: (WINKING) Boys will be boys. I've a car round there.

SECOND WATCH: All right, Mr Kelleher. Good night.

CORNY KELLEHER: I'll see to that.

BLOOM: (SHAKES HANDS WITH BOTH OF THE WATCH IN TURN) Thank you very much, gentlemen. Thank you. (HE MUMBLES CONFIDENTIALLY) We don't want any scandal, you understand. Father is a wellknown highly respected citizen. Just a little wild oats, you understand.

FIRST WATCH: O. I understand, sir.