Palafox Read Online Free PDF Page A

terrain. Together, they climb the stairs that lead to the terrarium. The porter sends them packing. Olympia presents her ticket: ah, it’s you! Olympia. The Olympian does not say a word. The hall is dark, overheated. A few families circulating in tight packs go window-shopping. A loudspeaker announces the imminent birth of a litter of vipers, and Olympia trembles. And when the lucky lady begins to eat her young two by two, jealousy eats away at Olympia to whom the simple joys of maternity were refused. On the other hand, she babies the general’s wife, dresses and undresses her, powders and corsets her, what century do we live in, washes her laundry and polishes her boots, and is given full run of the household where she attends to any domestic duty that does not endanger the life of ants, termites, roaches, and mice. One clause added to her contract denies her access to the kitchen: it is not unlikely that Olympia had a hand in the spectacular escape of one hundred and ninety-two oysters gathered, according to tradition, to celebrate the Nativity among us. The reasons for their escape remain mysterious - were they afraid of receiving in the eye, because of someone’s clumsiness, the lemon juice actually meant to rinse their fingers? But there was no doubt it was an inside job since the door to the kitchen leading to the garden was found bolted from the inside. However, searches undertaken by the sixteen guests proved in vain, or more accurately fruitless, as did the surreptitious search through Olympia’s own room. But let’s finish with her. When one serves her a calf’s foot or a shoulder of mutton, she sticks in a splint and releases them. That sums up her character. A sketch of Olympia is in order. Let us add that by way of clothing she wears an austere black dress buttoned to her collar, a gray shawl, gray stockings and, recently, by way of ornamentation, three strands of thirty-two, sixty-four, and ninety-six cheap pearls. One might add that her voice is bright and brittle, but that it softens sometimes, when Olympia no longer has to deal with her kind and invites others species to drop by. That’s her. That is Olympia. Never leaving the house without her shopping bag, wherever she might be going, a very big shopping bag, a very sturdy shopping bag, one day she’ll buy a baby elephant, she’s only waiting for the right moment, whether African or Asian, she could care less, African if you have one, or Asian actually, who cares.

    Madame Fontechevade agreed to part with her maid. Such gestures can show you who your true friends are. Olympia was given over to the care of Palafox, to feed him, wash him, brush him, change his litter. She will live day and night in his intimate company so as to be there to help him if he weakens or best him if he raises a fuss. She will be treated no differently than when she was with the Fontechevades. She will enjoy four hours of freedom per day, two in the morning, two in the evening, during which Algernon will introduce Palafox to our customs. We are all in agreement. Good. Sign here. I wish to reiterate that you will be housed, fed if you are hungry, laundered if it is not too late, that you will be authorized, yes, to keep your parakeet, that you will spend next summer with us at La Gloriette, yes, that you can bring him. You will take your position immediately, Maureen will take you to the pen.
    Palafox shows signs of stress. Three elastic strides then he twirls, three elastic strides then he twirls, three elastic strides then he twirls, seventy-one times, finally getting comfortable on his backside. Now is the time to introduce Olympia. The pen, set up behind the house, includes a garden and window-less bungalow where one enters like daylight - which then politely fades - through a low door. Neither trees nor flowers in this garden, but a pond, but a portico, from which swings, creepers, and an old truck tire are hung. The bungalow is soberly furnished. Palafox avails himself