Free Mai at the Predators' Ball by Marie-Claire Blais Page A

and chain attached to his daughter in her jeans pocket or on her belt knew every secret mystery that he didn’t, so sometimes when he was alone with her it had to be silenced to give them some respite from the rapid-fire volley of rings, each one a supreme emergency like some urgent signal whenever she stuck it to her ear, then bowing her head as though to file it away, she briskly strode away from her parents, betraying not a single syllable or sound to them, especially her father the all-divining writer, or so it seemed, it was his job he said to read people’s thoughts better than most, alone with her, one true confidant always by her side day and night, stroking her cheek on her pillow with the cats, her one true dominator, not her parent anymore, that’s certain, but today, today well Daniel had it silenced and rendered harmless, the tiny, dark thing with its dull screen humbly hanging from the belt on her jeans, but sometimes she just couldn’t resist brushing her fingers across it to awaken the languishing sounds, and from the bridge of her very own boat Lou called Rosie, who was standing just feet away while she watched her father polishing the mahogany hull, knowing he’d be totally absorbed in thoughts of the woman he loved, knew it because of that particular smile men get when they feel sure of a conquest, they’d talked several times on the phone already today, nothing, no nothing could keep him from his mistress, even when his daughter was around thought Lou, and that so offended her that she grabbed up her cellphone and called Rosie who was right next to her, as if to defy him by imitation, Hi Rosie she said, you know one of the girls at school lent me her snake and coiled it around my shoulders, it was a long one with cold skin, but Rosie, dumbfounded, replied you’re not supposed to have snakes in school, oh well it was right in the bottom of her bag and no one saw it, she takes it everywhere said Lou, you’d never be brave enough to walk around with one around your neck would you, I know you wouldn’t she went on, you’re afraid of everything and you go to bed at eight o’clock, same time as your little brother, when I go to my mother’s place I can go to bed at midnight if I feel like it, what does it feel like asked a terrified Rosie, I mean having a snake wrapped around your neck, I wouldn’t like it, I know I wouldn’t, it feels like one bite could be the death of you said Lou, so you try not to disturb it, you get some courage that’s all, nope I’m not afraid at all, that’s for little kids that go to bed at the same time as their little brothers like you Rosie, but a snake is beautiful and very dangerous she continued, I could feel its cold, scaly skin all around my neck, but snakes are not allowed in school Rosie repeated, my mom would really punish me if I had one, that’s why I don’t, my mom would tell me so, but sharks, you’re allowed to go see those, she added, sharks and dolphins when you go to the aquarium on Sundays, only you can’t swim with them because they’re behind some glass, well, Lou cut in, in our class, the gifted class, we can do whatever we feel like, when we go diving, if the water’s calm we can see the sharks come in close to shore, Lou went on as she continued watching her father out of the corner of her eye, his art had caused him to be absent and cruel, his success with that retrospective in New York, of those spirals Corridor 1 and Corridor 2 spreading their metallic wings against the green background, giant sculptures dipping and weaving in the wind night and day, weightless and bodiless he proclaimed, that’s what drew them all to him, all these women, female artists and critics, all partners in his adventure he announced, so exasperating and pretentious, totally incapable of living without a woman won over by the force of his ideas Lou thought, and sure enough here she was, a young sculptor and critic for an art review, Noémie, that was her name,