The Cannibal's Prayer, Page 2

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  -It was a lovely service Mrs Glaser.

  -I suppose it was / you're Vanessa?

  -That's right / It's a pleasure to meet you / I wish the circumstances

  -I know I know / come on I'll drive you back to the house.

  -I'm sorry?

  -I thought that you might as well stay with me / I just assumed.

  -Oh.

  -Is that a problem?

  -No I just / you're very generous.

  -Not at all / this could be a big project no point staying in a hotel when I have all those empty rooms.

  -Is there a lot to go through?

  -I sometimes think my husband may have been a what do you call it a compulsive writer.

  -Hypergraphia / they say Dostoevsky had it.

  -Well then that would explain a few things about Dostoevsky.

  -You don't like him?

  -I like him just fine / only it seems I just never have the time for books that long anymore / I suppose I ought to make time my students would riot if they found out I've never read The Idiot.

  -So how much is there to go through?

  -Quite a lot I'm afraid / a dozen boxes at least in the basement / piles and piles of papers in his study / who knows what he has / had rather / at the university / I can't imagine all of it's worth looking through / but then if you don't look through it all

  -You never know if you missed something special.

  -Exactly.

  -So how long do you think?

  -Are you in a rush?

  -No I just don't want to intrude.

  -Oh please what's an old woman like me going to get up to all by herself anyway / I could use the company.

  -Come on now you're not that old.

  -Aren't you sweet.

  -How long?

  -A week maybe / we'll just have to see now won't we?