Atdtda28: The minute it gets dark, 797-799

[Paul Nightingale]

Back to Dally in Venice, "still moping around about Kit". In 55.14 Fleetwood
returns Kit to Long Island; here, in his absence, he is returned to Venice,
not least to the "something" Fleetwood has assumed Kit knows nothing of
(789). The new section begins with Dally in victim mode, "negotiable on the
Venetian market" etc (797); and ends with her locked in a relationship with
the Princess ("... holding Dally's face, lightly bit imperiously ..." etc,
798).

Between these moments the Event arrives in Venice, in effect synchronising
Dally's actions with those of Kit in Siberia: all of which reminds us of the
reference in 56.3 to simultaneity (797). In the first instance, Kit's
absence is tied to Dally as victim, the space provided by his absence filled
by the "disagreeable gent" and "teppisti". Hunter remains an unsuitable
confidant, "more than ever preoccupied by his own ghosts" (798, "his own
..." an indication that Kit himself has a similar status). The
night-that-isn't rescues Dally, magically banishing the "disagreeable gent".
The "gift from far away" will be experienced differently by all, again
undermining simultaneity. The 'odd' behaviour that ensues recalls 55.8,
where "strange effects" (785) are short-lived, "the Event reced[ing] in
memory": in Venice, the news media might record what has happened, but are
nonetheless unable to provide "any explanation for the cold and gentle
light" (798).

The Princess, who replaces the "disagreeable gent" as he replaced Kit,
insists that Dally is "a step ... from the mala vita". As the section ends
these "two young women" are juxtaposed, seated "in muted shadow"; and "an
uninformed observer could not have said which, if either, was in command",
even though the Princess appears ("... as if the price of inattention ...")
to threaten "a sound slap".