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Prologue

ARTHUR

Young people! With their hurrying and their worrying and their wanting all the answers now They wear s

Don’t come back, I always tell them Don’t come back

Youth is still where you left it, and that’s where it should stay Anything that orth taking on life’s journey, you’ll already have taken with you

Twenty years I’ve been saying this, but do they listen? Do they, hell Here co as he reaches the top of the cliff Late thirties, I’d guess Attractive enough, against the blue sky Looks a bit like a politician Do I mean that? Maybe a movie star

I don’t reme These days I barely even recall li the surroundings, taking inin my chair under my favorite olive tree

“Are you Arthur?” he says abruptly

“Guilty”

I scan hio polo shirts Probably good for a few double Scotches

“You must want a drink,” I say pleasantly Always useful to steer the conversation in the direction of the bar early on

“I don’t want a drink,” he says “I want to knohat happened”

I can’t help stifling a yawn So predictable He wants to knohat happened Anotherto the scene of his youth The scene of the crime Leave it where it was, I want to answer Turn round Return to your adult, problematic life, because you won’t solve it here

But he wouldn’t believe me They never do

“Dear boy,” I say gently “You grew up That’s what happened”

“No,” he says impatiently, and rubs his sweaty brow “You don’t understand I’m here for a reason Listen to ht and figure against the sun, intentness of purpose on his handso to get involved—but I can’t help it I have to do this I want to knohat exactly happened…”

Twenty Days Earlier

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