Palimpsest example
Skull Water (211-212)
I did not sleep for a long time, and when I did I had dreams of Patsy—good dreams until the one that woke me. I got up then and went directly from my dream to the mountain. I was well past the ridge before the mist came up over the trees, and I did not look up from where I was to see how beautiful the temple was. In the dream I was waiting for the temple bell to ring, and I felt Patsy’s hair soft under my hand as I stroked her to be quiet, and we both watched and listened as the temple bell sounded and made us shiver. My arm was around Patsy’s neck now and I could feel her trembling. All of the night’s tensions were gone. We did not hear the monk, and I did not see him until Patsy turned her head and seemed to settle into me. Then the monk’s shadow covered us and he moved past, making no noise at all, and we could smell him in the light breeze that came down from the mountain. He smelled strongly, but it was temple incense, and when he was past I saw that his flute was so long it seemed to touch the ground. We waited, but no other monks came by, and then Patsy and I started running through the morning mist. Patsy kept close behind me, and when I stopped she pressed her lips against the hollow of my neck. I had to see the monk again, and we came up on him at the edge of the woods. He was walking toward the temple and slowly, now, disappearing into the heavy morning mist. I came close enough to see him cut off the moon again, and to smell the pungent incense, but I could not see his other flute. I was afraid to go closer with Patsy so I took her back down the slope and pushed her in through the flap of the tent and tried to make her understand. I thought she would stay—and she did—but when I moved up toward the silhouette of the monk again I felt her wet lips against the hollow of my neck. The two of us followed the monk until he came to an opening in the trees. He stood there turning his bald head. His body was in the mist but the moon reflected on his scalp. I reached behind me and closed Patsy’s lips gently with my fingers and then moved softly and unbreathing to my right, along the edge of the morning mist, feeling it on my cheek, edging with it, never letting it get between me and the monk until I could see his bald head and his gray robes slowly flapping. His other flute was as long as my arm, and it reached almost to the ground. Patsy and I moved back, the breeze on my neck now, and we backtracked out of the woods into the clearing where we had camped. Patsy was ahead of me now, and she stopped where I had left the two water containers by the tree when we had followed the monk. I slung them over my shoulders with their rope-and-canvas straps, and with my Army canteen that I had kept with me all the time in my hand, we started down the trail to the temple. The moon was high now, and I wondered why there was no chanting from the temple. Something was strange if the monks were there and there was no chanting.
The Garden of Eden (159-60)
He did not sleep for a long time. When he did he had dreams of Africa. They were good dreams until the one that woke him. He got up then and went direct from that dream to work. He was well into the new story before the sun came up out of the sea and he did not look up from where he was to see how red the sun was. In the story he was waiting for the moon to rise and he felt his dog’s hair rise under his hand as he stroked him to be quiet and they both watched and listened as the moon came up and gave them shadows. His arm was around the dog’s neck now and he could feel him shivering. All of the night sounds had stopped. They did not hear the elephant and David did not see him until the dog turned his head and seemed to settle into David. Then the elephant’s shadow covered them and he moved past making no noise at all and they smelled him in the light wind that came down from the mountain. He smelled strong but old and sour and when he was past David saw that the left tusk was so long it seemed to reach the ground. They waited but no other elephants came by and then David and the dog started off running in the moonlight. The dog kept close behind him and when David stopped the dog pressed his muzzle into the back of his knee. David had to see the bull again and they came up on him at the edge of the forest. He was travelling toward the mountain and slowly now moving into the steady night breeze. David came close enough to see him cut off the moon again and to smell the sour oldness but he could not see the right tusk. He was afraid to work closer with the dog and he took him back with the wind and pushed him down against the base of a tree and tried to make him understand. He thought the dog would stay and he did but when David moved up toward the bulk of the elephant again he felt the wet muzzle against the hollow of his knee.
The two of them followed the elephant until he came to an opening in the trees. He stood there moving his huge ears. His bulk was in the shadow but the moon would be on his head. David reached behind him and closed the dog’s jaw gently with his hand and then moved softly and unbreathing to his right along the edge of the night breeze feeling it on his cheek, edging with it, never letting it get between him and the bulk until he could see the elephant’s head and the great ears slowly moving. The right tusk was as thick as his own thigh and it curved down almost to the ground.
He and the dog moved back, the wind on his neck now, and they backtracked out of the forest and into the open park country. The dog was ahead of him now and he stopped where David had left the two hunting spears by the trail when they had followed the elephant. He swung them over his shoulder in their thong and leather cup harness and, with his best spear that he had kept with him all the time in his hand, they started on the trail for the shamba. The moon was high now and he wondered why there was no drumming from the shamba. Something was strange if his father was there and there was no drumming.