STATELY,PLUMPBUCKMULLIGANCAMEFROMTHESTAIRHEAD,bearingabowloflatheronwhichamirrorandarazorlaycrossed。Ayellowdressinggown,ungirdled,wassustainedgently-behindhimbythemildmorningair。Heheldthebowlaloftandintoned:——
IntroiboadaltareDei。
Halted,hepeereddownthedarkwindingstairsandcalledupcoarsely:——
Comeup,Kinch。Comeup,youfearfuljesuit。
Solemnlyhecameforwardandmountedtheroundgunrest。Hefacedaboutandblessedgravelythricethetower,thesurroundingcountryandtheawakingmountains。Then,catchingsightofStephenDedalus,hebenttowardshimandmaderapidcrossesintheair,gurglinginhisthroatandshakinghishead。StephenDedalus,displeasedandsleepy,leanedhisarmsonthetopofthestaircaseandlookedcoldlyattheshakinggurglingfacethatblessedhim,equineinitslength,andatthelightuntonsuredhair,grainedandhuedlikepaleoak。
BuckMulliganpeepedaninstantunderthemirrorandthencoveredthebowlsmartly——
Backtobarracks,hesaidsternly。
Headdedinapreacher’stone:——
Forthis,Odearlybeloved,isthegenuineChristine:bodyandsoulandbloodandouns。Slowmusic,please。Shutyoureyes,gents。Onemoment。Alittletroubleaboutthosewhitecorpuscles。Silence,all。
Hepeeredsidewaysupandgavealonglowwhistleofcall,thenpausedawhileinraptattention,hisevenwhiteteethglisteninghereandtherewithgoldpoints。Chrysostomos。Twostrongshrillwhistlesansweredthroughthecalm——
Thanks,oldchap,hecriedbriskly。Thatwilldonicely。Switchoffthecurrent,willyou?
Heskippedoffthegunrestandlookedgravelyathiswatcher,gatheringabouthislegstheloosefoldsofhisgown。Theplumpshadowedfaceandsullenovaljowlrecalledaprelate,patronofartsinthemiddleages。Apleasantsmilebrokequietlyoverhislips——
Themockeryofit,hesaidgaily。Yourabsurdname,anancientGreek。
Hepointedhisfingerinfriendlyjestandwentovertotheparapet,laughingtohimself。StephenDedalussteppedup,followedhimwearilyhalfwayandsatdownontheedgeofthegunrest,watchinghimstillasheproppedhismirrorontheparapet,dippedthebrushinthebowlandlatheredcheeksandneck。
BuckMulligan’sgayvoicewenton——
Mynameisabsurdtoo:MalachiMulligan,twodactyls。ButithasaHellenicring,hasn’tit?Trippingandsunnylikethebuckhimself。WemustgotoAthens。WillyoucomeifIcangettheaunttoforkouttwentyquid?
Helaidthebrushasideand,laughingwithdelight,cried:——
Willhecome?Thejejunejesuit。
Ceasing,hebegantoshavewithcare——
Tellme,Mulligan,Stephensaidquietly——
Yes,mylove?——
HowlongisHainesgoingtostayinthistower?
BuckMulliganshowedashavencheekoverhisrightshoulder——
God,isn’thedreadful?hesaidfrankly。AponderousSaxon。Hethinksyou’renotagentleman。God,thesebloodyEnglish。Burstingwithmoneyandindigestion。BecausehecomesfromOxford。Youknow,Dedalus;youhavetherealOxfordmanner。Hecan’tmakeyouout。O,mynameforyouisthebest:Kinch,theknife-blade。
Heshavedwarilyoverhischin——
Hewasravingallnightaboutablackpanther,Stephensaid。Whereishisguncase?——
Awofullunatic,Mulligansaid。Wereyouinafunk?——
Iwas,Stephensaidwithenergyandgrowingfear。OuthereinthedarkwithamanIdon’tknowravingandmoaningtohimselfaboutshootingablackpanther。Yousavedmenfromdrowning。I’mnotahero,however。IfhestaysonhereIamoff。
BuckMulliganfrownedatthelatheronhisrazorblade。Hehoppeddownfromhisperchandbegantosearchhistrouserpocketshastily——
Scutter,hecriedthickly。
Hecameovertothegunrestand,thrustingahandintoStephen’supperpocket,said:——
Lendusaloanofyournoseragtowipemyrazor。
Stephensufferedhimtopulloutandholduponshowbyitscorneradirtycrumpledhandkerchief。BuckMulliganwipedtherazorbladeneatly。Then,gazingoverthehandkerchief,hesaid:——
Thebard’snoserag。AnewartcolourforourIrishpoets:snotgreen。Youcanalmosttasteit,can’tyou?
HemountedtotheparapetagainandgazedoutoverDublinbay,hisfairoakpalehairstirringslightly——
God,hesaidquietly。Isn’ttheseawhatAlgycallsit:agreysweetmother?Thesnotgreensea。Thescrotumtighteningsea。Epioinopaponton。Ah,Dedalus,theGreeks。Imustteachyou。Youmustreadthemintheoriginal。Thalatta!Thalatta!Sheisourgreatsweetmother。Comeandlook。
Stephenstoodupandwentovertotheparapet。LeaningonithelookeddownonthewaterandonthemailboatclearingtheharbourmouthofKingstown——
Ourmightymother,BuckMulligansaid。
HeturnedabruptlyhisgreatsearchingeyesfromtheseatoStephen’sface——
Theauntthinksyoukilledyourmother,hesaid。That’swhyshewon’tletmehaveanythingtodowithyou——
Someonekilledher,Stephensaidgloomily——
Youcouldhavekneltdown,damnit,Kinch,whenyourdyingmotheraskedyou,BuckMulligansaid。I’mhyperboreanasmuchasyou。Buttothinkofyourmotherbeggingyouwithherlastbreathtokneeldownandprayforher。Andyourefused。Thereissomethingsinisterinyou。
Hebrokeoffandlatheredagainlightlyhisfarthercheek。Atolerantsmilecurledhislips——
Butalovelymummer,hemurmuredtohimself。Kinch,theloveliestmummerofthemall。
Heshavedevenlyandwithcare,insilence,seriously。
Stephen,anelbowrestedonthejaggedgranite,leanedhispalmagainsthisbrowandgazedatthefrayingedgeofhisshinyblackcoat-sleeve。Pain,thatwasnotyetthepainoflove,frettedhisheart。Silently,inadreamshehadcometohimafterherdeath,herwastedbodywithinitsloosebrowngrave-clothesgivingoffanodourofwaxandrosewood,herbreath,thathadbentuponhim,mute,reproachful,afaintodourofwettedashes。Acrossthethreadbarecuffedgehesawtheseahailedasagreatsweetmotherbythewell-fedvoicebesidehim。Theringofbayandskylineheldadullgreenmassofliquid。Abowlofwhitechinahadstoodbesideherdeathbedholdingthegreensluggishbilewhichshehadtornupfromherrottingliverbyfitsofloudgroaningvomiting。
BuckMulliganwipedagainhisrazorblade——
Ah,poordogsbody,hesaidinakindvoice。Imustgiveyouashirtandfewnoserags。Howarethesecondhandbreeks?——
Theyfitwellenough,Stephenanswered。
BuckMulliganattackedthehollowbeneathhisunderlip——
Themockeryofit,hesaidcontentedly,secondlegtheyshouldbe。Godknowswhatpoxybowsyleftthemoff。Ihavealovelypairwithahairstripe,grey。You’lllookspiffinginthem。I’mnotjoking,Kinch。Youlookdamnwellwhenyou’redressed——
Thanks,Stephensaid。Ican’twearthemiftheyaregrey——
Hecan’twearthem,BuckMulligantoldhisfaceinthemirror。Etiquetteisetiquette。Hekillshismotherbuthecan’tweargreytrousers。
Hefoldedhisrazorneatlyandwithstrokingpalpsoffingersfeltthesmoothskin。
Stephenturnedhisgazefromtheseaandtotheplumpfacewithitssmokebluemobileeyes——
ThatfellowIwaswithintheShiplastnight,saidBuckMulligan,saysyouhaveg。p。i。He’supinDottyvillewithConollyNorman。Generalparalysisoftheinsane。
Hesweptthemirrorahalfcircleintheairtoflashthetidingsabroadinsunlightnowradiantonthesea。Hiscurlingshavenlipslaughedandtheedgesofhiswhiteglitteringteeth。Laughterseizedallhisstrongwellknittrunk——
Lookatyourself,hesaid,youdreadfulbard。
Stephenbentforwardandpeeredatthemirrorheldouttohim,cleftbyacrookedcrack,haironend。Asheandothersseeme。Whochosethisfaceforme?Thisdogsbodytoridofvermin。Itasksmetoo——
Ipincheditoutoftheskivvy’sroom,BuckMulligansaid。Itdoesherallright。Theauntalwayskeepsplain-lookingservantsforMalachi。Leadhimnotintotemptation。AndhernameisUrsula。
Laughingagain,hebroughtthemirrorawayfromStephen’speeringeyes——
TherageofCalibanatnotseeinghisfaceinamirror,hesaid。IfWildewereonlyalivetoseeyou。
Drawingbackandpointing,Stephensaidwithbitterness:——
ItisasymbolofIrishart。ThecrackedlookingglassofaBuckMulligansuddenlylinkedhisarminStephen’sandwalkedwithhimroundthetower,hisrazorandmirrorclackinginthepocketwherehehadthrustthem——
It’snotfairtoteaseyoulikethat,Kinch,isit?hesaidkindly。Godknowsyouhavemorespiritthananyofthem。
Parriedagain。HefearsthelancetofmyartasIfearthatofhis。Thecoldsteelpen——
Crackedlookingglassofaservant。Tellthattotheoxychapdownstairsandtouchhimforaguinea。He’sstinkingwithmoneyandthinksyou’renotagentleman。HisoldfellowmadehistinbysellingjalaptoZulusorsomebloodyswindleorother。God,Kinch,ifyouandIcouldonlyworktogetherwemightdosomethingfortheisland。Helleniseit。
Cranly’sarm。Hisarm——
Andtothinkofyourhavingtobegfromtheseswine。I’mtheonlyonethatknowswhatyouare。Whydon’tyoutrustmemore?Whathaveyouupyournoseagainstme?IsitHaines?IfhemakesanynoisehereI’llbringdownSeymourandwe’llgivehimaraggingworsethantheygaveCliveKempthorpe。
YoungshoutsofmoneyedvoicesinCliveKempthorpe’srooms。Palefaces:theyholdtheirribswithlaughter,oneclaspinganother,O,Ishallexpire!Breakthenewstohergently,Aubrey!Ishalldie!Withslitribbonsofhisshirtwhippingtheairhehopsandhobblesroundthetable,withtrousersdownatheels,chasedbyAdesofMagdalenwiththetailor’sshears。Ascaredcalf’sfacegildedwithmarmalade。Idon’twanttobedebagged!Don’tyouplaythegiddyoxwithme!
Shoutsfromtheopenwindowstartlingeveninginthequadrangle。Adeafgardener,aproned,maskedwithMatthewArnold’sface,pusheshismoweronthesombrelawnwatchingnarrowlythedancingmotesofgrasshalms。
Toourselves……newpaganism……omphalos——
Lethimstay,Stephensaid。There’snothingwrongwithhimexceptatnight——
Thenwhatisit?BuckMulliganaskedimpatiently。Coughitup。I’mquitefrankwithyou。Whathaveyouagainstmenow?
Theyhalted,lookingtowardsthebluntcapeofBrayHeadthatlayonthewaterlikethesnoutofasleepingwhale。Stephenfreedhisarmquietly——
Doyouwishmetotellyou?heasked——
Yes,whatisit?BuckMulligananswered。Idon’trememberanything。
HelookedinStephen’sfaceashespoke。Alightwindpassedhisbrow,fanningsoftlyhisfairuncombedhairandstirringsilverpointsofanxietyinhiseyes。
Stephen,depressedbyhisownvoice,said:——
DoyourememberthefirstdayIwenttoyourhouseaftermymother’sdeath?
BuckMulliganfrownedquicklyandsaid:——
What?Where?Ican’trememberanything。Irememberonlyideasandsensations。Why?WhathappenedinthenameofGod?——
Youweremakingtea,Stephensaid,andIwentacrossthelandingtogetmorehotwater。Yourmotherandsomevisitorcameoutofthedrawingroom。Sheaskedyouwhowasinyourroom——
Yes?BuckMulligansaid。WhatdidIsay?Iforget——
Yousaid,Stephenanswered,O,it’sonlyDedaluswhosemotherisbeastlydead。
AflushwhichmadehimseemyoungerandmoreengagingrosetoBuckMulligan’scheek——
DidIsaythat?heasked。Well?Whatharmisthat?
Heshookhisconstraintfromhimnervously——
Andwhatisdeath,heasked,yourmother’soryoursormyown?Yousawonlyyourmotherdie。IseethempopoffeverydayintheMaterandRichmondandcutupintotripesinthedissectingroom。It’sabeastlythingandnothingelse。Itsimplydoesn’tmatter。Youwouldn’tkneeldowntoprayforyourmotheronherdeathbedwhensheaskedyou。Why?Becauseyouhavethecursedjesuitstraininyou,onlyit’sinjectedthewrongway。Tomeit’sallamockeryandbeastly。Hercerebrallobesarenotfunctioning。ShecallsthedoctorSirPeterTeazleandpicksbuttercupsoffthequilt。Humourhertillit’sover。YoucrossedherlastwishindeathandyetyousulkwithmebecauseIdon’twhingelikesomehiredmutefromLalouette’s。Absurd!IsupposeIdidsayit。Ididn’tmeantooffendthememoryofyourmother。
Hehadspokenhimselfintoboldness。Stephen,shieldingthegapingwoundswhichthewordshadleftinhisheart,saidverycoldly:——
Iamnotthinkingoftheoffencetomymother——
Ofwhat,then?BuckMulliganasked——
Oftheoffencetome,Stephenanswered。
BuckMulliganswungroundonhisheel——
O,animpossibleperson!heexclaimed。
Hewalkedoffquicklyroundtheparapet。Stephenstoodathispost,gazingoverthecalmseatowardstheheadland。Seaandheadlandnowgrewdim。Pulseswerebeatinginhiseyes,veilingtheirsight,andhefeltthefeverofhischeeks。
Avoicewithinthetowercalledloudly:——
Areyouupthere,Mulligan?——
I’mcoming,BuckMulligananswered。
HeturnedtowardsStephenandsaid:——
Lookatthesea。Whatdoesitcareaboutoffences?ChuckLoyola,Kinch,andcomeondown。TheSassenachwantshismorningrashers。
Hisheadhaltedagainforamomentatthetopofthestaircase,levelwiththeroof——
Don’tmopeoveritallday,hesaid。I’minconsequent。Giveupthemoodybrooding。
Hisheadvanishedbutthedroneofhisdescendingvoiceboomedoutofthestairhead:
Andnomoreturnasideandbrood
Uponlove’sbittermystery
ForFergusrulesthebrazencars。
Woodshadowsfloatedsilentlybythroughthemorningpeacefromthestairheadseawardwherehegazed。Inshoreandfartheroutthemirrorofwaterwhitened,spurnedbylightshodhurryingfeet。Whitebreastofthedimsea。Thetwiningstresses,twobytwo。Ahandpluckingtheharpstringsmergingtheirtwiningchords。Wavewhiteweddedwordsshimmeringonthedimtide。
Acloudbegantocoverthesunslowly,shadowingthebayindeepergreen。Itlaybehindhim,abowlofbitterwaters。Fergus’song:Isangitaloneinthehouse,holdingdownthelongdarkchords。Herdoorwasopen:shewantedtohearmymusic。SilentwithaweandpityIwenttoherbedside。Shewascryinginherwretchedbed。Forthosewords,Stephen:love’sbittermystery。
Wherenow?
Hersecrets:oldfeatherfans,tasselleddancecards,powderedwithmusk,agaudofamberbeadsinherlockeddrawer。Abirdcagehunginthesunnywindowofherhousewhenshewasagirl。SheheardoldRoycesinginthepantomimeofTurkotheterribleandlaughedwithotherswhenhesang:
Iamtheboy
Thatcanenjoy
Invisibility。
Phantasmalmirth,foldedaway:muskperfumed。
Andnomoreturnasideandbrood
Foldedawayinthememoryofnaturewithhertoys。Memoriesbesethisbroodingbrain。Herglassofwaterfromthekitchentapwhenshehadapproachedthesacrament。Acoredapple,filledwithbrownsugar,roastingforheratthehobonadarkautumnevening。Hershapelyfingernailsreddenedbythebloodofsquashedlicefromthechildren’sshirts。
Inadream,silently,shehadcometohim,herwastedbodywithinitsloosegraveclothesgivingoffanodourofwaxandrosewood,herbreathbentoverhimwithmutesecretwords,afaintodourofwettedashes。
Herglazingeyes,staringoutofdeath,toshakeandbendmysoul。Onmealone。Theghostcandletolightheragony。Ghostlylightonthetorturedface。Herhoarseloudbreathrattlinginhorror,whileallprayedontheirknees。Hereyesonmetostrikemedown。Liliatarutilantiumteconfessorumturmacircumdet:iubilantiumtevirginumchorusexcipiat。
Ghoul!Chewerofcorpses!
Nomother。Letmebeandletmelive——
Kinchahoy!
BuckMulligan’svoicesangfromwithinthetower。Itcamenearerupthestaircase,callingagain。Stephen,stilltremblingathissoul’scry,heardwarmrunningsunlightandintheairbehindhimfriendlywords——
Dedalus,comedown,likeagoodmosey。Breakfastisready。Hainesisapologizingforwakinguslastnight。It’sallright——
I’mcoming,Stephensaid,turning——
Do,forJesus’sake,BuckMulligansaid。Formysakeandforalloursakes。
Hisheaddisappearedandreappeared——
ItoldhimyoursymbolofIrishart。Hesaysit’sveryclever。Touchhimforaquid,willyou?Aguinea,Imean——
Igetpaidthismorning,Stephensaid——
Theschoolkip?BuckMulligansaid。Howmuch?Fourquid?Lendusone——
Ifyouwantit,Stephensaid——
Fourshiningsovereigns,BuckMulligancriedwithdelight。We’llhaveagloriousdrunktoastonishthedruidydruids。Fouromnipotentsovereigns。
Heflunguphishandsandtrampeddownthestonestairs,singingoutoftunewithaCockneyaccent:
O,won’twehaveamerrytime
Drinkingwhisky,beerandwine,
Oncoronation,
Coronationday?
O,won’twehaveamerrytime
Oncoronationday?
Warmsunshinemerryingoverthesea。Thenickelshaving-bowlshone,forgotten,ontheparapet。WhyshouldIbringitdown?Orleaveitthereallday,forgottenfriendship?
Hewentovertoit,helditinhishandsawhile,feelingitscoolness,smellingtheclammyslaverofthelatherinwhichthebrushwasstuck。SoIcarriedtheboatofincensethenatClongowes。Iamanothernowandyetthesame。Aservanttoo。Aserverofaservant。
InthegloomydomedlivingroomofthetowerBuckMulligan’sgownedformmovedbrisklyaboutthehearthtoandfro,hidingandrevealingitsyellowglow。Twoshaftsofsoftdaylightfellacrosstheflaggedfloorfromthehighbarbicans:andatthemeetingoftheirraysacloudofcoalsmokeandfumesoffriedgreasefloated,turning——
We’llbechoked,BuckMulligansaid。Haines,openthatdoor,willyou?
Stephenlaidtheshavingbowlonthelocker。Atallfigurerosefromthehammockwhereithadbeensitting,wenttothedoorwayandpulledopentheinnerdoors——
Haveyouthekey?avoiceasked——
Dedalushasit,BuckMulligansaid。JaneyMack,I’mchoked。Hehowledwithoutlookingupfromthefire:——
Kinch!——
It’sinthelock,Stephensaid,comingforward。
Thekeyscrapedroundharshlytwiceand,whentheheavydoorhadbeensetajar,welcomelightandbrightairentered。Hainesstoodatthedoorway,lookingout。Stephenhaledhisupendedvalisetothetableandsatdowntowait。BuckMulligantossedthefryontothedishbesidehim。Thenhecarriedthedishandalargeteapotovertothetable,setthemdownheavilyandsighedwithrelief——
I’mmelting,hesaid,asthecandleremarkedwhen。
Buthush。Notawordmoreonthatsubject。Kinch,wakeup。Bread,butter,honey。Haines,comein。Thegrubisready。Blessus,OLord,andthesethygifts。Where’sthesugar?O,jay,there’snomilk。
Stephenfetchedtheloafandthepotofhoneyandthebuttercoolerfromthelocker。BuckMulligansatdowninasuddenpet——
Whatsortofakipisthis?hesaid。Itoldhertocomeaftereight——
Wecandrinkitblack,Stephensaid。There’salemoninthelocker——
O,damnyouandyourParisfads,BuckMulligansaid。IwantSandycovemilk。
Hainescameinfromthedoorwayandsaidquietly:——
Thatwomaniscomingupwiththemilk——
TheblessingsofGodonyou,BuckMulligancried,jumpingupfromhischair。Sitdown。Pourouttheteathere。Thesugarisinthebag。Here,Ican’tgofumblingatthedamnedeggs。Hehackedthroughthefryonthedishandslappeditoutonthreeplates,saying:——
InnominePatrisetFiliietSpiritusSancti。
Hainessatdowntopouroutthetea——
I’mgivingyoutwolumpseach,hesaid。But,Isay,Mulligan,youdomakestrongtea,don’tyou?
BuckMulligan,hewingthickslicesfromtheloaf,saidinanoldwoman’swheedlingvoice:——
WhenImakesteaImakestea,asoldmotherGrogansaid。AndwhenImakeswaterImakeswater——
ByJove,itistea,Hainessaid。
BuckMulliganwentonhewingandwheedling:——
SoIdo,MrsCahill,saysshe。Begob,ma’am,saysMrsCahill,Godsendyoudon’tmakethemintheonepot。
Helungedtowardshismessmatesinturnathicksliceofbread,impaledonhisknife——
That’sfolk,hesaidveryearnestly,foryourbook,Haines。FivelinesoftextandtenpagesofnotesaboutthefolkandthefishgodsofDundrum。Printedbytheweirdsistersintheyearofthebigwind。
HeturnedtoStephenandaskedinafinepuzzledvoice,liftinghisbrows:——
Canyourecall,brother,ismotherGrogan’steaandwaterpotspokenofintheMabinogionorisitintheUpanishads?——
Idoubtit,saidStephengravely——
Doyounow?BuckMulligansaidinthesametone。Yourreasons,pray?——
Ifancy,Stephensaidasheate,itdidnotexistinoroutoftheMabinogion。MotherGroganwas,oneimagines,akinswomanofMaryAnn。
BuckMulligan’sfacesmiledwithdelight——
Charming,hesaidinafinicalsweetvoice,showinghiswhiteteethandblinkinghiseyespleasantly。Doyouthinkshewas?Quitecharming。
Then,suddenlyovercloudingallhisfeatures,hegrowledinahoarsenedraspingvoiceashehewedagainvigorouslyattheloaf:——
ForoldMaryAnn
Shedoesn’tcareadamn,
But,hisingupherpetticoats……
Hecrammedhismouthwithfryandmunchedanddroned。
Thedoorwaywasdarkenedbyanenteringform——
Themilk,sir——
Comein,ma’am,Mulligansaid。Kinch,getthejug。
AnoldwomancameforwardandstoodbyStephen’selbow——
That’salovelymorning,sir,shesaid。GlorybetoGod——
Towhom?Mulligansaid,glancingather。Ah,tobesure。Stephenreachedbackandtookthemilkjugfromthelocker——
Theislanders,MulligansaidtoHainescasually,speakfrequentlyofthecollectorofprepuces——
Howmuch,sir?askedtheoldwoman——
Aquart,Stephensaid。
Hewatchedherpourintothemeasureandthenceintothejugrichwhitemilk,nothers。Oldshrunkenpaps。Shepouredagainameasurefulandatilly。Oldandsecretshehadenteredfromamorningworld,maybeamessenger。Shepraisedthegoodnessofthemilk,pouringitout。Crouchingbyapatientcowatdaybreakinthelushfield,awitchonhertoadstool,herwrinkledfingersquickatthesquirtingdugs。Theylowedaboutherwhomtheyknew,dewsilkycattle。Silkofthekineandpooroldwoman,namesgivenherinoldtimes。Awanderingcrone,lowlyformofanimmortalservingherconquerorandhergaybetrayer,theircommoncuckquean,amessengerfromthesecretmorning。Toserveortoupbraid,whetherhecouldnottell:butscornedtobegherfavour——
Itisindeed,ma’am,BuckMulligansaid,pouringmilkintotheircups——
Tasteit,sir,shesaid。
Hedrankatherbidding——
Ifwecouldonlyliveongoodfoodlikethat,hesaidtohersomewhatloudly,wewouldn’thavethecountryfullofrottenteethandrottenguts。Livinginabogswamp,eatingcheapfoodandthestreetspavedwithdust,horsedungandconsumptives’spits——
Areyouamedicalstudent,sir?theoldwomanasked——
Iam,ma’am,BuckMulligananswered。
Stephenlistenedinscornfulsilence。Shebowsheroldheadtoavoicethatspeakstoherloudly,herbonesetter,hermedicineman;mesheslights。Tothevoicethatwillshriveandoilforthegraveallthereisofherbutherwoman’suncleanloins,ofman’sfleshmadenotinGod’slikeness,theserpent’sprey。Andtotheloudvoicethatnowbidsherbesilentwithwonderingunsteadyeyes——
Doyouunderstandwhathesays?Stephenaskedher——
IsitFrenchyouaretalking,sir?theoldwomansaidtoHaines。
Hainesspoketoheragainalongerspeech,confidently——
Irish,BuckMulligansaid。IsthereGaeliconyou?——
IthoughtitwasIrish,shesaid,bythesoundofit。Areyoufromwest,sir?——
IamanEnglishman,Hainesanswered——
He’sEnglish,BuckMulligansaid,andhethinksweoughttospeakIrishinIreland——
Sureweoughtto,theoldwomansaid,andI’mashamedIdon’tspeakthelanguagemyself。I’mtoldit’sagrandlanguagebythemthatknows——
Grandisnonameforit,saidBuckMulligan。Wonderfulentirely。Fillusoutsomemoretea,Kinch。Wouldyoulikeacup,ma’am?——
No,thankyou,sir,theoldwomansaid,slippingtheringofthemilkcanonherforearmandabouttogo。
Hainessaidtoher:——
Haveyouyourbill?Wehadbetterpayher,Mulligan,hadn’twe?
Stephenfilledthethreecups——
Bill,sir?shesaid,halting。Well,it’ssevenmorningsapintattwopenceisseventwosisashillingandtwopenceoverandthesethreemorningsaquartatfourpenceisthreequartsisashillingandoneandtwoistwoandtwo,sir。
BuckMulligansighedandhavingfilledhismouthwithacrustthicklybutteredonbothsides,stretchedforthhislegsandbegantosearchhistrouserpockets——
Payupandlookpleasant,Hainessaidtohimsmiling。
Stephenfilledathirdcup,aspoonfulofteacolouringfaintlythethickrichmilk。BuckMulliganbroughtupaflorin,twisteditroundinhisfingersandcried:——
Amiracle!
Hepasseditalongthetabletowardstheoldwoman,saying:——
Asknothingmoreofme,sweet。AllIcangiveyouIgive。Stephenlaidthecoininheruneagerhand——
We’llowetwopence,hesaid——
Timeenough,sir,shesaid,takingthecoin。Timeenough。Goodmorning,sir。
Shecurtseyedandwentout,followedbyBuckMulligan’stenderchant:——
Heartofmyheart,wereitmore,
Morewouldbelaidatyourfeet。
HeturnedtoStephenandsaid:——
Seriously,Dedalus。I’mstony。Hurryouttoyourschoolkipandbringusbacksomemoney。Todaythebardsmustdrinkandjunket。Irelandexpectsthateverymanthisdaywilldohisduty——
Thatremindsme,Hainessaid,rising,thatIhavetovisityournationallibrarytoday——
Ourswimfirst,BuckMulligansaid。
HeturnedtoStephenandaskedblandly:——
Isthisthedayforyourmonthlywash,Kinch?
ThenhesaidtoHaines:——
Theuncleanbardmakesapointofwashingonceamonth——
AllIrelandiswashedbythegulfstream,Stephensaidashelethoneytrickleoverasliceoftheloaf。
Hainesfromthecornerwherehewasknottingeasilyascarfabouttheloosecollarofhistennisshirtspoke:——
Iintendtomakeacollectionofyoursayingsifyouwillletme。
Speakingtome。Theywashandtubandscrub。Agenbiteofinwit。Conscience。Yethere’saspot——
ThatoneaboutthecrackedlookingglassofaservantbeingthesymbolofIrishartisdeucedgood。
BuckMulligankickedStephen’sfootunderthetableandsaidwithwarmthoftone:——
WaittillyouhearhimonHamlet,Haines——
Well,Imeanit,Hainessaid,stillspeakingtoStephen。Iwasjustthinkingofitwhenthatpooroldcreaturecamein——
WouldImakemoneybyit?Stephenasked。
Haineslaughedand,ashetookhissoftgreyhatfromtheholdfastofthehammock,said:——
Idon’tknow,I’msure。
Hestrolledouttothedoorway。BuckMulliganbentacrosstoStephenandsaidwithcoarsevigour:——
Youputyourhoofinitnow。Whatdidyousaythatfor?——
Well?Stephensaid。Theproblemistogetmoney。Fromwhom?Fromthemilkwomanorfromhim。It’satossup,Ithink。
Iblowhimoutaboutyou,BuckMulligansaid,andthenyoucomealongwithyourlousyleerandyourgloomyjesuitjibes——
Iseelittlehope,Stephensaid,fromherorfromhim。
BuckMulligansighedtragicallyandlaidhishandonStephen’sarm——
Fromme,Kinch,hesaid。
Inasuddenlychangedtoneheadded:——
TotellyoutheGod’struthIthinkyou’reright。Damnallelsetheyaregoodfor。Whydon’tyouplaythemasIdo?Tohellwiththemall。Letusgetoutofthekip。
Hestoodup,gravelyungirdledanddisrobedhimselfofhisgown,sayingresignedly:——
Mulliganisstrippedofhisgarments。
Heemptiedhispocketsontothetable——
There’syoursnotrag,hesaid。
Andputtingonhisstiffcollarandrebellioustie,hespoketothem,chidingthem,andtohisdanglingwatchchain。Hishandsplungedandrummagedinhistrunkwhilehecalledfor-acleanhandkerchief。Agenbiteofinwit。God,we’llsimplyhavetodressthecharacter。Iwantpuceglovesandgreenboots。Contradiction。DoIcontradictmyself?Verywellthen,Icontradictmyself。MercurialMalachi。Alimpblackmissileflewoutofhistalkinghands——
Andthere’syourLatinquarterhat,hesaid。
Stephenpickeditupandputiton:Hainescalledtothemfromthedoorway:——
Areyoucoming,youfellows?——
I’mready,BuckMulligananswered,goingtowardsthedoor。Comeout,Kinch。Youhaveeatenallweleft,Isuppose。Resignedhepassedoutwithgravewordsandgait,saying,wellnighwithsorrow:——
AndgoingforthhemetButterly。
Stephen,takinghisashplantfromitsleaningplace,followedthemoutand,astheywentdowntheladder,pulledtotheslowirondoorandlockedit。Heputthehugekeyinhisinnerpocket。
AtthefootoftheladderBuckMulliganasked:——
Didyoubringthekey?——
Ihaveit,Stephensaid,precedingthem。
Hewalkedon。BehindhimheheardBuckMulliganclubwithhisheavybathtoweltheleadershootsoffernsorgrasses——
Down,sir。Howdareyou,sir?Hainesasked:——
Doyoupayrentforthistower?——
Twelvequid,BuckMulligansaid——
Tothesecretaryofstateforwar,Stephenaddedoverhisshoulder。
TheyhaltedwhileHainessurveyedthetowerandsaidatlast:——
Ratherbleakinwintertime,Ishouldsay。Martelloyoucallit?——
BillyPitthadthembuilt,BuckMulligansaid,whentheFrenchwereonthesea。Butoursistheomphalos——
WhatisyourideaofHamlet?HainesaskedStephen——
No,no,BuckMulliganshoutedinpain。I’mnotequaltoThomasAquinasandthefiftyfivereasonshehasmadetopropitup。WaittillIhaveafewpintsinmefirst。
HeturnedtoStephen,sayingashepulleddownneatlythepeaksofhisprimrosewaistcoat:——
Youcouldn’tmanageitunderthreepints,Kinch,couldyou?——
Ithaswaitedsolong,Stephensaidlistlessly,itcanwaitlonger——
Youpiquemycuriosity,Hainessaidamiably。Isitsomeparadox?——
Pooh!BuckMulligansaid。WehavegrownoutofWildeandparadoxes。It’squitesimple。HeprovesbyalgebrathatHamlet’sgrandsonisShakespeare’sgrandfatherandthathehimselfistheghostofhisownfather——
What?Hainessaid,beginningtopointatStephen。Hehimself?
BuckMulliganslunghistowelstolewiseroundhisneckand,bendinginlooselaughter,saidtoStephen’sear:——
O,shadeofKinchtheelder!Japhetinsearchofafather!——
We’realwaystiredinthemorning,StephensaidtoHaines。Anditisratherlongtotell。
BuckMulligan,walkingforwardagain,raisedhishands——
ThesacredpintalonecanunbindthetongueofDedalus,hesaid——
Imeantosay,HainesexplainedtoStephenastheyfollowed,thistowerandthesecliffshereremindmesomehowofElsinore。Thatbeetleso’erhisbaseintothesea,isn’tit?
BuckMulliganturnedsuddenlyforaninstanttowardsStephenbutdidnotspeak。InthebrightsilentinstantStephensawhisownimageincheapdustymourningbetweentheirgayattires——
It’sawonderfultale,Hainessaid,bringingthemtohaltagain。
Eyes,paleastheseathewindhadfreshened,paler,firmandprudent。Theseas’ruler,hegazedsouthwardoverthebay,emptysaveforthesmokeplumeofthemailboat,vagueonthebrightskyline,andasailtackingbytheMuglins——
Ireadatheologicalinterpretationofitsomewhere,hesaidbemused。TheFatherandtheSonidea。TheSonstrivingtobeatonedwiththeFather。
BuckMulliganatonceputonablithebroadlysmilingface。Helookedatthem,hiswellshapedmouthopenhappily,hiseyes,fromwhichhehadsuddenlywithdrawnallshrewdsense,blinkingwithmadgaiety。Hemovedadoll’sheadtoandfro,thebrimsofhisPanamahatquivering,andbegantochantinaquiethappyfoolishvoice:——
I’mthequeerestyoungfellowthateveryouheard。
Mymother’sajew,myfather’sabird。
WithJosephthejoinerIcannotagree,
Sohere’stodisciplesandCalvary。
Heheldupaforefingerofwarning——
IfanyonethinksthatIamn’tdivine
He’llgetnofreedrinkswhenI’mmakingthewine
Buthavetodrinkwaterandwishitwereplain
ThatImakewhenthewinebecomeswateragain。
HetuggedswiftlyatStephen’sashplantinfarewelland,runningforwardtoabrowofthecliff,flutteredhishandsathissideslikefinsorwingsofoneabouttoriseintheair,andchanted:——
Goodbye,now,goodbye。WritedownallIsaid
AndtellTom,DickandHarryIrosefromthedead。
What’sbredinthebonecannotfailmetofly
AndOlivet’sbreezy……Goodbye,now,goodbye。
Hecaperedbeforethemdowntowardsthefortyfoothole,flutteringhiswinglikehands,leapingnimbly,Mercury’shatquiveringinthefreshwindthatborebacktothemhisbriefbirdlikecries。
Haines,whohadbeenlaughingguardedly,walkedonbesideStephenandsaid:——
Weoughtn’ttolaugh,Isuppose。He’sratherblasphemous。I’mnotabelievermyself,thatistosay。Stillhisgaietytakestheharmoutofitsomehow,doesn’tit?Whatdidhecallit?JosephtheJoiner?——
TheballadofJokingJesus,Stephenanswered——
O,Hainessaid,youhavehearditbefore?——
Threetimesaday,aftermeals,Stephensaiddrily——
You’renotabeliever,areyou?Hainesasked。Imean,abelieverinthenarrowsenseoftheword。CreationfromnothingandmiraclesandapersonalGod——
There’sonlyonesenseoftheword,itseemstome,Stephensaid。
Hainesstoppedtotakeoutasmoothsilvercaseinwhichtwinkledagreenstone。Hesprangitopenwithhisthumbandofferedit——
Thankyou,Stephensaid,takingacigarette。
Haineshelpedhimselfandsnappedthecaseto。Heputitbackinhissidepocketandtookfromhiswaistcoatpocketanickeltinderbox,sprangitopentoo,and,havinglithiscigarette,heldtheflamingspunktowardsStephenintheshellofhishands——
Yes,ofcourse,hesaid,astheywentonagain。Eitheryoubelieveoryoudon’t,isn’tit?PersonallyIcouldn’tstomachthatideaofapersonalGod。Youdon’tstandforthat,Isuppose?——
Youbeholdinme,Stephensaidwithgrimdispleasure,ahorribleexampleoffreethought。
Hewalkedon,waitingtobespokento,trailinghisashplantbyhisside。Itsferrulefollowedlightlyonthepath,squealingathisheels。Myfamiliar,afterme,callingSteeeeeeeeeephen。Awaveringlinealongthepath。Theywillwalkonittonight,cominghereinthedark。Hewantsthatkey。Itismine,Ipaidtherent。NowIeathissaltbread。Givehimthekeytoo。All。Hewillaskforit。Thatwasinhiseyes——
Afterall,Hainesbegan……
Stephenturnedandsawthatthecoldgazewhichhadmeasuredhimwasnotallunkind——
Afterall,Ishouldthinkyouareabletofreeyourself。Youareyourownmaster,itseemstome——
Iamtheservantoftwomasters,Stephensaid,anEnglishandanItalian——
Italian?Hainessaid。
Acrazyqueen,oldandjealous。Kneeldownbeforeme——
Andathird,Stephensaid,thereiswhowantsmeforoddjobs——
Italian?Hainessaidagain。Whatdoyoumean?——
TheimperialBritishstate,Stephenanswered,hiscolourrising,andtheholyRomancatholicandapostolicchurch。
Hainesdetachedfromhisunderlipsomefibresoftobaccobeforehespoke——
Icanquiteunderstandthat,hesaidcalmly。AnIrishmanmustthinklikethat,Idaresay。WefeelinEnglandthatwehavetreatedyouratherunfairly。Itseemshistoryistoblame。
TheproudpotenttitlesclangedoverStephen’smemorythetriumphoftheirbrazenbells:etunamsanctamcatholicametapostolicamecclesiam:theslowgrowthandchangeofriteanddogmalikehisownrarethoughts,achemistryofstars。SymboloftheapostlesinthemassforpopeMarcellus,thevoicesblended,singingaloneloudinaffirmation:andbehindtheirchantthevigilantangelofthechurchmilitantdisarmedandmenacedherheresiarchs。Ahordeofheresiesfleeingwithmitresawry:PhotiusandthebroodofmockersofwhomMulliganwasone,andArius,warringhislifelongupontheconsubstantialityoftheSonwiththeFather,andValentine,spurningChrist’sterrenebody,andthesubtleAfricanheresiarchSabelliuswhoheldthattheFatherwasHimselfHisownSon。WordsMulliganhadspokenamomentsinceinmockerytothestranger。Idlemockery。Thevoidawaitssurelyallthemthatweavethewind:amenace,adisarmingandaworstingfromthoseembattledangelsofthechurch,Michael’shost,whodefendhereverinthehourofconflictwiththeirlancesandtheirshields。
Hear,hear。Prolongedapplause。Zut!NomdeDieu!——
OfcourseI’maBritisher,Haines’voicesaid,andIfeelasone。Idon’twanttoseemycountryfallintothehandsofGermanjewseither。That’sournationalproblem,I’mafraid,justnow。
Twomenstoodatthevergeofthecliff,watching:businessman,boatman——
She’smakingforBullockharbour。
Theboatmannoddedtowardsthenorthofthebaywithsomedisdain——
There’sfivefathomsoutthere,hesaid。It’llbesweptupthatwaywhenthetidecomesinaboutone。It’sninedaystoday。
Themanthatwasdrowned。Asailveeringabouttheblankbaywaitingforaswollenbundletobobup,rollovertothesunapuffyface,saltwhite。HereIam。
Theyfollowedthewindingpathdowntothecreek。BuckMulliganstoodonastone,inshirtsleeves,hisunclippedtieripplingoverhisshoulder。Ayoungmanclingingtoaspurofrocknearhimmovedslowlyfrogwisehisgreenlegsinthedeepjellyofthewater——
Isthebrotherwithyou,Malachi?——
DowninWestmeath。WiththeBannons——
Stillthere?IgotacardfromBannon。Sayshefoundasweetyoungthingdownthere。Photogirlhecallsher——
Snapshot,eh?Briefexposure。
BuckMulligansatdowntounlacehisboots。Anelderlymanshotupnearthespurofrockablowingredface。Hescrambledupbythestones,waterglisteningonhispateandonitsgarlandofgreyhair,waterrillingoverhischestandpaunchandspillingjetsoutofhisblacksaggingloincloth。
BuckMulliganmadewayforhimtoscramblepastand,glancingatHainesandStephen,crossedhimselfpiouslywithhisthumbnailatbrowandlipsandbreastbone——
Seymour’sbackintown,theyoungmansaid,graspingagainhisspurofrock。Chuckedmedicineandgoinginforthearmy——
Ah,gotoGod,BuckMulligansaid——
Goingovernextweektostew。YouknowthatredCarlislegirl,Lily?——
Yes——
Spooningwithhimlastnightonthepier。Thefatherisrottowithmoney——
Issheupthepole?——
BetteraskSeymourthat——
Seymourableedingofficer,BuckMulligansaid。
Henoddedtohimselfashedrewoffhistrousersandstoodup,sayingtritely:——
Redheadedwomenbucklikegoats。
Hebrokeoffinalarm,feelinghissideunderhisflappingshirt——
Mytwelfthribisgone,hecried。I’mtheUebermensch。ToothlessKinchandI,thesupermen。
Hestruggledoutofhisshirtandflungitbehindhimtowherehisclotheslay——
Areyougoinginhere,Malachi?——
Yes。Makeroomin!hebed。
Theyoungmanshovedhimselfbackwardthroughthewaterandreachedthemiddleofthecreekintwolongcleanstrokes。Hainessatdownonastone,smoking——
Areyounotcomingin?BuckMulliganasked——
Lateron,Hainessaid。Notonmybreakfast。Stephenturnedaway——
I’mgoing,Mulligan,hesaid——
Giveusthatkey,Kinch,BuckMulligansaid,tokeepmychemiseflat。
Stephenhandedhimthekey。BuckMulliganlaiditacrosshisheapedclothes——
Andtwopence,hesaid,forapint。Throwitthere。
Stephenthrewtwopenniesonthesoftheap。Dressing,undressing。BuckMulliganerect,withjoinedhandsbeforehim,saidsolemnly:——
HewhostealethfromthepoorlendethtotheLord。ThusspakeZarathustra。
Hisplumpbodyplunged——
We’llseeyouagain,Hainessaid,turningasStephenwalkedupthepathandsmilingatwildIrish。
Hornofabull,hoofofahorse,smileofaSaxon——
TheShip,BuckMulligancried。Halftwelve——
Good,Stephensaid。
Hewalkedalongtheupwardcurvingpath。
Liliatarutilantium。
Turniacircumdet。
Iubilantiumtevirginum
Thepriest’sgreynimbusinanichewherehedresseddiscreetly。Iwillnotsleepheretonight。HomealsoIcannotgo。
Avoice,sweettonedandsustained,calledtohimfromthesea。Turningthecurvehewavedhishand。Itcalledagain。Asleekbrownhead,aseal’s,faroutonthewater,round。
Usurper。