I Know Very Little About Me

Albertine looks at Arthur's knees, doubtfully.

Can you ride with those knees? asks Albertine.

I can't ride without them, says Arthur.

Albertine laughs.

Proust grits his teeth. Arthur's joke is unworthy of Albertine's laughter. Therefore she can be laughing for only one reason. She wants to annoy him, and she has succeeded.

Arthur is made of stern stuff, says Gaius. In that, he is very like me.

It has never occurred to Arthur that he is like Gaius.

Everyone ready? says Gaius.

Shouldn't we lock up first, says Proust. Who has the key?

He knows who has it.

Yes, of course, says Gaius. Arthur has it. Arthur, the key!

Arthur feels in his pocket.

I must have lost it, says Arthur.

NOW we're in trouble, says Proust.

No doubt it's at the bottom of the lake, says Gaius. And I have no intention of returning. We shall have to concoct a story.

Arthur wonders if he is still hallucinating. Gaius, concocting a story!

Gaius closes the airtight lid that covers the entrance to the shaft leading down to the Movile cave.

He wedges a twig though the padlock.

Will that twig be part of the story? asks Arthur.

It could be, says Gaius. I hadn't thought that far ahead. Now who's got the spider?

I have, says Albertine. But his lid's off.

That doesn't matter, says Gaius. He is used to both types of atmosphere now. And this fresh night air may provoke him into further utterances.

I'll listen out, says Albertine.

They get on their bikes and start cycling back to the field centre. The moon has come up. The grasses and pebbles are gleaming.

Albertine looks in on the spider.

All right, Daniel? she asks.

Daniel O'Connell, says the spider.

Holy guacamole! says Albertine. He said Daniel O'Connell!

Gaius rides up beside her.

Perhaps you misheard him, says Gaius.

No I didn't, says Albertine.

But there is no reason why he should say Daniel O'Connell, says Gaius.

What if he thinks it's his name? says Albertine. Marcel and I were just talking about Daniel O'Connell.

Why were you talking about Daniel O'Connell? asks Arthur.

Albertine was telling me about her aunt's book, says Proust. It's called the Book of Daniel because it's about various Daniels. One of them is Daniel O'Connell.

Are you suggesting the spider overheard this? asks Gaius. If so, that would be a remarkable feat of hearing, on the part of the spider.

I shouted it, says Albertine. So that Marcel could hear me.

Gaius looks in on the spider.

Are you Daniel O'Connell?

I am that fellow, says Daniel O'Connell. But to be sure, I know very little about me.