Page 24 (1/2)

ake so of herself only if she isn't destroyed I want another drink I know I' fast I have to "

I gestured for the drink "Continue, what happened, who's Wynkende Wilde?"

"Wynken de Wilde was the author of two of these precious books that Old Captain had in his possession I didn't figure that out for radually I determined two of the books were done by the sa that there would be no signature, I found his name, in several places in both books Now you know Captain sold these types of things I told you He dealt in theh a shop on Royal Street "

I nodded

"Well, I lived in terror of the day he was going to have to sell these two books! These books weren't like the other books First off, the illustrations were exceedingly detailed One pagevine, with blossoms from which birds drank, and in these blossoures intertwined, as if in a bower Also, these were books of psalht they were psalate, you know, the Bible we accept as canonical "

"Yes"

"But they weren't They were psalured thattheot out of the library This was soinal work Then the illustrations, the illustrations contained not only tiny animals and trees and fruit but naked people, and the naked people were doing all sorts of things!"

"Bosch "

"Exactly, like Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, that kind of luscious sensuous paradise! Of course, I hadn't seen Bosch's painting yet in the Prado But it was here inbeneath the abundant trees Old Captain said, 'Garden of Eden iery,' that it was very common But two books full of it? No This was different I had to crack these books, get an absolutely clear translation of every word

"And then Old Captain did the kindest thing for reat religious leader out of h hers is wholly another creed "

"He gave you the books "

"Yes! He gave me the books And let me tell you more That summer, he took me all over the country to look at ton Library in Pasadena, and the Newbury Library in Chicago We went to New York He would have taken land, but my mother said no

"I saw all types of medieval books! And I came to know that Wynken's were unlike any others Wynken's were blasphemous and profane And nobody, nobody at any of these libraries had a book by Wynken de Wilde, but the name was known!

"Captain still let ht away Old Captain died in the front room, the first week of my senior year I didn't even start school till after he was buried I refused to leave him I sat there with him He slipped into a coma By the third day of the coed He didn't close his eyes anymore, and didn't know they were open, and his mouth was just a slack sort of oval, and his breath caasps I sat there I told you "

"I believe you "