from the novel Three Blondes and Death (1993)  

part four:   death

(excerpts)

49. blonde death

In this dream Hwbrgdtse is sitting at a table.   The table seems rickety.   It might be made from rough boards.   Across the table sits death.   It's a skeleton.   Hwbrgdtse seems to have some business with death.   The nature of the business is unclear.   To Hwbrgdtse death seems to have the status of a high official however.   Hwbrgdtse seems to have been transacting the business with death for a while.   At this moment however death is busy with something else.   It's partly turned away from Hwbrgdtse.   It's looking down.   It could be looking at one of its knees.   There might be something wrong with the knee.   Then suddenly death turns its face back to Hwbrgdtse.   As was said it's a skeleton.   It has hair on top however.   The hair is a woman's.   That is it looks like a woman's wig.   Its very thick.   It's parted down the middle. It falls down on both sides of the forehead.   It obscures the two sides of the forehead.   It seems to be tied together in the back.   It's white.   That is it's white as milk.   Hwbrgdtse considers it blond however.   On turning death raises both its hands. It appears to be bothered by the hair on its forehead.   It pushes the hair back.   It reveals all of the forehead.   The forehead is very delicately shaped.   It bulges very gracefully.   Hwbrgdtse finds the shape of the forehead beautiful.   It's as if he were looking at an exquisite china cup.   Death gains esteem in his eyes.   Death drops its hands on pushing back the hair.   It stares at Hwbrgdtse.   Its eye sockets are black.   It's clear there's nothing in them.   Hwbrgdtse feels death is looking at him however.   Until now the whole of the skull had seemed white to Hwbrgdtse.   Now however he notices death's teeth are blue.   He finds this intriguing.   Hwbrgdtse leans forward.   He looks at the teeth carefully.   At first they seem uniformly blue.   It's as if they were made from a blue substance.   As he looks closer however Hwbrgdtse realizes that the teeth had been merely painted blue.   They seem to have been painted with house paint.   They'd been painted carelessly.   There's paint on the upper and lower jaw for instance.   Also the teeth aren't covered by the paint completely.   The paint looks old.   It's chipped.   It's peeling in places.   The teeth look like an old weather-beaten widow.   Hwbrgdtse is amazed at this.   He leans forward still more.   He touches death's teeth with the middle finger of his right hand.   The paint feels rough. Hwbrgdtse is able to chip some of it off with his fingernail.   Suddenly he realizes it's not death at all.   It's only a skeleton. Hwbrgdtse grabs it by is neck.   He lifts it up.   

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