Link to the drawing 
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGJWuF_nPBf/?igshid=1t524y08n4woe

‘This slug, watch how it moves - it seems to move without moving. It becomes 
itself at the front and stops becoming itself at the back - thus somehow 
locomotion happens’.

Leo furrowed his brow and flicked B’s earlobe gently with his pen, then turned 
away from the snail they both had been regarding, and picked up a broadish hog 
hair brush and recommenced blocking in a background of dark ochre mixed on the 
panel itself with some raw umber and alizarin crimson. 

‘Lift your chin a tiny bit, that’s it, and give me a tiny smile... and think 
about that trip we got planned to visit Como..’

B sniffed and scratched her nose.

‘Como, and the mountains, don’t forget. Then commence to Dalmatia and Vis and 
Hvar and that little peninsular errr wassit? Trepanj init? Dem scrolls and that 
reckless Pirate errr Eric. Beard, silver doublet and those brass canon jobs. 
How fast can us get yon tarns up by Garda, in this’n slug sledge?’

‘Pretty pretty fast, pretty damned quick once slug gets sliding and the 
becoming gets to be’.

B adjusted her bodice and scratched at the raw itching in her dreadlocked scalp.

‘Fleas got enough my bloods by now’, and she slumped back and sighed and 
laughed when she fell backwards onto the great oak boards of the floor of the 
mezzanine sort of gallery upon which L had his little easel set. 

Leo continued to push the rich, dark earthy tones around on the panel and 
hummed to himself while Bron snatched at a great, white stoat that was licking 
its coat, twisted and half on its side in a little patch of sunlight dappled 
from the ivy leaves framing the tiny mullioned window above them. She managed 
to grab The ermine’s tail but lost her grip as the animal showed its pink mouth 
and tiny razor incisors, then gambled off like some wild marmoset screeching in 
its hair raising high pitched and eerie banshee voice.

‘I’ll have ‘ee by Jim crack jimmy thee nice little weasel oh so evil - ha!’ 

Anyway this was the scene that afternoon. 

Next morning they set sail in the great grey sluggy carriage machine they’d 
built. Slow to start, but after a couple or half dozen hours she’d got up speed 
and they left the yard and continued to make good progress. 

Mendicants, soldiers, farm workers, some clergy in raw red cloaks, a couple of 
fine ladies and a prince on a tiny black horse watched them as they processed 
down the road. Used as they were to seeing such-like modern devices as Was apt 
to appear out of Leonardo the famous inventor and great painter’s scrap yard, 
they merely looked only slightly awed, then continued about their varied 
businesses. 

In the sledge things were happening and the retinue were having some 
refreshments - a few cups of the local white wine and several rounds of salad 
sandwiches along with pickles, some Brie and great slabs of Neapolitan cake 
served with the sort of warm ice cream thingy that the chef was experimenting 
with - couldn’t get it quite right, and knew something was missing but believed 
he’d get it right.. perhaps he’d think of something when they reached the 
frozen peaks beyond the high tarns....

Best as can be...

Dankie- 

Simon






Sent from my spyphone 
_______________________________________________
NetBehaviour mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour

Reply via email to