Atdtda31: Three faces, 886-887

[Paul Nightingale]

The new section apparently continues from the old, until Yashmeen's presence
is signalled. In the previous section we are told/reminded on three separate
occasions that she is absent. Here, she intervenes/imposes herself on the
Reef/Cyprian relationship. Above the section break, Reef asks if Cyprian is
"fixin to go run and rat on me now"; here, neither can make eye-contact with
her (887; and cf Yashmeen's "implacable" gaze on 875).

On 886, the response to Reef's opening statement has no name attached; the
implied uncertainty suggests Cyprian, with Yashmeen's reappearance--the same
afternoon as above, or a later occasion?--is sudden, her role one of
policing the utterances and even thoughts of Reef and Cyprian. The
discussion of free will reminds us of Foucault's observation that power
might only be exercised over free subjects.

Yashmeen's sole 'appearance' in the previous section came courtesy of
Cyprian's recollection (883-884). On that occasion, he conjured up her
reference to "you complexos" (top of 884) as one favouring himself at the
expense of Reef, and here the narrative will return to his pov for the
second part of the section: "What fascinated Cyprian lately ..." etc (887),
wording that takes the observation from the particular to the general.
Cyprian is distanced from Yashmeen/Reef, not a collaborator, as on 882-883;
and he now sees Yashmeen as "another unsuspected woman" (887).

Top of the page, her face is "not a text either of the young men [is]
willing ... to read"; although her features ("poised between anger and
amusement") are made accessible to the reader. Further down, there are two
alternatives to the lawgiver who links Cyprian to Reef. Firstly the
"photograph folded securely in everyday memory", ie for Cyprian, invoking a
time before Reef. And then, the face he has never imagined makes him think
of elsewhere.

If Reef begins the section with talk of jail, Cyprian closes it with
thoughts of a world he has left behind, one that includes "fashionable
circles". If the section begins with Reef/Cyprian positioned as 'naughty
children', it ends with a reminder of their various routes to this point.