This is what you must know: (this is the background of the story, the foundation, the 1) the city is white 2) most cities are white 3) All cities are white; it's in their nature, by definition and clearly stated 4) that a white city is often far away, often far out to sea, at times across a plain, a shimmer or as if silt falling, fine-grained, a counting sand, a seed well- timed 1) made of talc 2) made of chalk 3) made of sugar, which melts in the sun. This is a city on which the sun pours down. A man in passing glanced in a window, and all he'd ever seen was there. In the next street a person turned at a sound. In the next one, a boy walked along, counting the paving stones. One, one, one, one, one. |
© 1999