Atdtda38: Drifted into, 1074-1076

[Paul Nightingale]

Reef was last seen in the US on 373, at the end of Ch28, preparing to leave
for Europe; and then discovered 'gypsying from one European tunnel to the
next' on 652. Can he go back? On 366, 'as far as the Owners' Association
knew ... he was now dead and gone, and therefore born again'; that his life
might still be at risk helps explain the reference to 'trouble' as the new
section opens (1074). And then, on the next page, his quest for the past,
'someplace ... the capitalist/Christer gridwork hadn't got to quite yet'
(1075) reunites him with Frank/Stray/Jesse. Before then, his identity has to
be established, reminding the reader of his situation when last in the US.
In Ch28 he is in disguise, 'learning to look sicker than he was ...' etc
(367): as Wolfe Tone O'Rooney has it, 'another damned English idiot' (371).
Now he might be American or Italian, or even an Idiot (1074); and Jesse
wants to know what to call him (1075). Reef last saw his son on 367, since
when Frank has 'drifted into' being Jesse's father (1075 - after being
introduced as 'your Pa's brother on 1013'); and so the labelling of Reef's
relationship with his grown son briefly becomes an issue before their
'companionable silence' (1075).
 
Meanwhile, down the page Yashmeen is 'beginning to lose the edges of her
all-purpose European accent'; and the narrative now shifts to her
relationship with Stray. Cf her relationship with Dally earlier, one that is
written to embarrass Kit (1073). On 1072 Reef's relationship with Kit is
revealed by their exchange. At the bottom of 1075 Yashmeen and Stray 'ha[ve]
been watching the brothers [ie Reef and Frank] day to day, alert to signs of
buried anger ...' etc. Here, conversation between the brothers has focused
on Jesse rather than any allusion to their last meeting. Earlier, just
before leaving Stray/Jesse, Reef plans to 'locate that old Frank' (364), a
quest frustrated by the attempt on his life (365-366). Before that time, the
brothers were last together on 217 (on 279 Frank says 'there's been no word
[from Reef] for a while').

Ginger's presence is only announced on 1076: the same age as Ljubica, she
might have been introduced with the rest of her family a page earlier. If it
is Reef's pov that marks the reappearance of 'Frank, Stray and Jesse'
(1075), a failure to include the fourth member of that family might signify
a preoccupation on his part with the past, ignoring whatever has happened
since he last saw his brother/wife/son. Ginger, in short, has no immediate
relationship to him. Her appearance alongside 'the baby Plebecula' (1076)
confirms the existence of the new extended family that has taken shape by
the end of this section. In particular, Jesse-as-brother follows the earlier
discussion of Jesse-as-son/nephew in tying him to the family ('Chores,
chores, chores ...'), in contrast to his status as boy/man and 'trusty rifle
shot' on 1016.


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