George Saunders - Lincoln in the Bardo

roger bevins iii

The fact that you are still here is impressive, the Reverend said to the lad.

Heroic, even, I added.

But ill-advised, said the Reverend.

hans vollman

It is all right, Mr. Vollman said gently. Really it is. We are here. Proceed in peace: you have provided us ample hope, that will last us many years, and do us much good. We thank you, we wish you well, we bless your departure.

the reverend everly thomas

Yes, only I am not going, the boy said.

roger bevins iii

At this the Reverend’s face registered a degree of surprise even more pronounced than the usual considerable level of surprise recorded there.

hans vollman

Father promised, the boy said. How would that be, if he came back and found me gone?

Your father is not coming back, said Mr. Vollman.

No time soon, anyway, I said.

At which point you will be in no condition to receive him, said Mr. Vollman.

If your father comes, the Reverend said, we will tell him you had to leave. Explain to him that it was for the best.

You lie, the boy said.

It appeared the boy’s degradation had now begun to affect his disposition.

I beg your pardon? said the Reverend.

You three have lied to me from the first, the boy said. Said I should go. What if I had? I would have missed Father entirely. And now you say you will give him a message?

We will, the Reverend said. We most certainly—

But how will you? the boy said. Have you a method? Of communication? I did not. When I was there within him.

roger bevins iii

We do, said Mr. Vollman. We do have such a method.

the reverend everly thomas

(Nebulous.

Far from established.)

roger bevins iii

(There has historically been some confusion around this issue.)

hans vollman

Just then, from across the premises, came the sound of Mrs. Delaney, calling out for Mr. Delaney.

the reverend everly thomas

Many years ago, her husband had preceded her to this place. But was no longer here. That is to say, though his sick-form lay just where she had put it, Mr. Delaney himself—

roger bevins iii

Was elsewhere.

the reverend everly thomas

Had gone on.

hans vollman

However, poor Mrs. Delaney could not resolve to follow.

roger bevins iii

Because of some funny business. That had taken place with another Mr. Delaney.

the reverend everly thomas

The brother of her husband.

hans vollman

It had not felt “funny” at the time, but urgent, fated, and wonderful.

roger bevins iii

But now she was of a divided heart: having spent many years in that previous place, longing for this other Delaney, miserably trapped in her marriage—

the reverend everly thomas

She had, within a month of her husband having come here, taken up with that other Delaney, only to find him at once falling in her estimation, because of the reckless disregard he had shown for her husband’s (his brother’s) memory, this revealing to her that he was of a decayed and avaricious moral character (unlike her husband, who had been, she now saw, upstanding in every way).

hans vollman

Albeit rather literal, and timid, and not nearly the imposing and alluring physical specimen that he, the (morally suspect) brother, was.

roger bevins iii

So she found herself stuck.

hans vollman

Physically longing for that Delaney (still back there, in that previous place).

the reverend everly thomas

But also desiring to go, and see her husband again, and apologize.

roger bevins iii

For having wasted the many years of their life together craving another man.

hans vollman

In short, she did not know whether she was coming or going.

the reverend everly thomas

Going or waiting.

roger bevins iii

So just wandered around, shouting, “Mr. Delaney!”

the reverend everly thomas

Continuously.

hans vollman

We never knew which Delaney she was calling for.

roger bevins iii

Nor did she.

the reverend everly thomas

I say, the lad suddenly gasped, an unmistakable quaver of fear in his voice.

hans vollman

Looking over, my heart sank.

The roof around him had liquefied, and he appeared to be sitting in a gray-white puddle.

roger bevins iii

From out of the puddle, a vine-like tendril emerged.

the reverend everly thomas

Thickening as it approached the boy, it flowed, cobra-like, over the juncture at which his calves crossed.

roger bevins iii

Reaching to brush it away, I found it stiff, more stone than snake.

the reverend everly thomas

A chilling development.

roger bevins iii

The beginning of the end.

hans vollman

If Miss Traynor’s case was any indication, this tendril would soon be followed by a succession of others, until the boy was fully secured (Gulliver-like) to the roof.

roger bevins iii

Once secured, he would be rapidly overgrown by what might best be described as a placental sheen.

the reverend everly thomas

This sheen then hardening into a shell-like carapace, that carapace would begin to transition through a series of others ( viz., the fallen bridge, vulture, dog, terrible hag, etc.), each more detailed and hideous than the last, this process only serving to increase the speed of his downward spiral: the more perverse the carapace, the less “light” (happiness, honesty, positive aspiration) would get in.

roger bevins iii

Driving him ever further from the light.

hans vollman

These memories of Miss Traynor depressed us.

the reverend everly thomas

Bringing to our minds, as they did, the shame of that long-ago night.

roger bevins iii

On which we had abandoned her.

hans vollman

Stumbling away, heads lowered.

roger bevins iii

Tacitly assenting to her doom.

the reverend everly thomas

As she descended.

hans vollman

We remembered her singing merrily all through the initial carapacing, as if to deny what was happening.

roger bevins iii

“A Heavy Bough Hung Down.”

hans vollman

Dear child.

the reverend everly thomas

Lovely voice.

hans vollman

Which became steadily less lovely as the initial carapace formed and she took on the form of a girl-sized crow.

roger bevins iii

Cawing out a nightmarish version of that tune.

hans vollman

Flailing at us whenever we drew too near, with one human arm and that tremendous black wing.

the reverend everly thomas

We had not done enough.

hans vollman

Being rather newly arrived back then.

roger bevins iii

And much preoccupied with the challenges of staying.

hans vollman

Which were not inconsiderable.

roger bevins iii

And have not lessened in the meantime.

the reverend everly thomas

My opinion of myself fell somewhat on that occasion.

hans vollman

Yes.

roger bevins iii

The chapel bell now tolled three.

hans vollman

Jolting us back to the present, producing its usual strange, discordant aftertone.

the reverend everly thomas

Selfish, selfish, selfish.

roger bevins iii

The chief two of Mr. Bevins’s eyes widened, as if to say: Gentlemen, it is time to go.

the reverend everly thomas

And yet we lingered.

Brushing away such tendrils as appeared.

roger bevins iii

The lad had fallen silent.

hans vollman

Turned inward.

the reverend everly thomas

Fading in and out of consciousness.

hans vollman

Mumbling and tossing, apparently lost in some delirious dream.