The Bellwether Revivals Read Online Free PDF

in one of Dr Paulsen’s history books, when he’d been reading about Alexander the Great. This had led him to Aristotle, then to Plato, and then to Pythagoras. He remembered the premise, but it was a little blurry in his mind—a mathematical theory about the configuration of the planets, how they’re supposed to sound distinctive notes as they move around the sun, creating one giant harmony. He’d found the whole idea appealing, if a little contrived.
    Eden seemed impressed that he’d heard of the theory. ‘I’m not sure what it says about our college when a humble nurse knows more about the ancient Greeks than you do, Iris.’
    ‘Eden!’ she snapped back at him.
    ‘What?’
    ‘That’s an awful thing to say.’ She turned to Oscar, shaking her head. ‘I’m so sorry. I can’t take him anywhere.’
    Oscar half-smiled. ‘It’s okay.’
    ‘What are you apologising for?’ Eden rolled his eyes, thinking, as if he were hearing the minutes of their conversation being read back to him by a courtroom stenographer. ‘Oh, right, yes,
okay
. Perhaps a little condescending.’ He peered at Oscar vaguely. ‘Sorry, I can’t stop myself sometimes. No hard feelings, eh?’
    ‘No hard feelings.’ Oscar caught the sympathetic eyes of the taxi driver in the rear-view mirror. ‘I don’t know why you’re so hung up about me being a nurse,’ he said, to nobody in particular. ‘It’s not all that interesting.’
    ‘Well, that’s because you don’t see the kinds of advantages it gives you,’ Eden said. ‘It’s natural. A rocket scientist would tell you the same thing—nothing very interesting, nothing to make a fuss about. But that’s not how it really is. I bet there are all kinds of things about Cedarbrook that would fascinate someone on the outside.’ He turned to face the road. The taxi’s wipers were frantically disseminating the rain, brakelights fuzzing in the windscreen. ‘Let’s hope Jane’s got a good fire going or it’ll be freezing when we get there. Nothing spoils the mood of a party like a bitter cold.’
    ‘Didn’t you leave a note?’ Iris said.
    ‘Yes, but you know Jane. She’s so dozy sometimes it’s a wonder she can turn the lights on.’
    Iris laughed, touching Oscar gently on the arm. ‘That’s his girlfriend,’ she said. ‘He’s not being cruel. She really is away with the fairies most of the time.’
    ‘In any case,’ Eden said, ‘we’re celebrating tonight. Farewell to the chamber group, and good riddance.’
    ‘I told you, I still haven’t decided about that. You can throw as many goodbye parties as you want, it’s not going to influence my decision.’
    Eden bent forward, grinning. ‘Oh, come on, Iggy. Wise up. When I think of all the effort you put into these things, it makes me so—I was going to say
angry
, but that’s not the right word. I’m not angry; I’m embarrassed. There are so many better uses for a talent like yours.’
    ‘Right,’ Oscar said. ‘She should perform solo.’
    ‘No, it’s more fundamental than that. Her whole philosophy on music is completely misguided. It’s just—
wrong
,’ Eden said, his voice growing louder.
    Oscar was a little stunned. ‘I’m not sure I get what you’re saying.’
    ‘We’re not having this discussion again,’ Iris said. She glared at her brother. ‘I’m warning you.’
    It didn’t stop Eden from continuing his point. ‘I’ll try and put it more simply,’ he said, smirking. ‘My sister is what we music scholars like to call a Cognitivist. Broadly speaking, that means she has some very cold-hearted ideas about how music works. She’s an intelligent girl, but wrong about
so
many things on
so
many levels.’
    ‘We disagree, okay? Let’s just leave it at that.’
    But Eden ignored her. ‘She thinks that the sadness we feel when we listen to a sad piece of music—let’s say Mahler’s Ninth—isn’t real sadness at all. To her, it’s some nameless sensation, a general feeling of having been