On Wings of Song by Thomas M. Disch

Author:Thomas M. Disch [Disch, Thomas M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Tags: Iowa, General, Flight, Science Fiction, Twenty-first century, Young men, Fiction
ISBN: 9780786711222
Publisher: Carroll & Graf Pub.
Published: 2003-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

When Boa arrived upon the scene, she was, as Daniel had predicted, in a temper over her father’s meddling (over, at least, the manner of it), but she was also pleased to be all at once engaged with a whole new set of destinies and decisions. Planning was Boa’s forte. Even as the champagne bubbled in her glass, she’d begun to consider the question of a date, and before the bottle was empty they’d settled on October 31. They both loved Halloween, and a Halloween wedding it was to be, with jack-o-lanterns everywhere, and the bride and groom in black and orange, and the wedding cake itself an orange cake, which was her favorite kind anyhow. Also (this was Grandison’s contribution) the wedding guests would be able to stay on for a fox hunt. It had been years since there had been a proper hunt at Worry, and nothing was so sure to bring Alethea round to a cheerful sense of the occasion.

“And then, after the wedding?” Grandison Whiting asked, as he untwisted the wire fixed to the cork of the second bottle.

“After the wedding Daniel shall carry me off whithersoever he will for our honeymoon. Isn’t that lovely: whithersoever?”

“And then?” he insisted, thumbing the cork.

“Then, after a suitable interval, we shall be fruitful and multiply. Starting off this early, we should be able to produce litters and litters of little Weinrebs. But you mean, don’t you, what will we do?”

The cork popped, and Whiting refilled the three glasses.

“It does occur to me that you’ll have rather a gap to fill before the next academic year begins.”

“That assumes, Father, that our years will continue to be of the academic variety.”

“Oh, you must both get your degrees. That goes without saying. You’ve already settled on Harvard—wisely—and I’m sure room can be found there for Daniel too. So you needn’t alter your plans in that respect. Only defer them.”

“Have you asked Daniel if he wants to go to Harvard?”

“Daniel, do you want to go to Harvard?”

“I know I ought to. But where I really did want to go was the Boston Conservatory of Music. But they turned me down.”

“Fairly, do you think?”

“Sure, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. I just wasn’t ‘accomplished’ enough.”

“Yes, that was my sister-in-law’s opinion, too. She said you’d done wonders for the short time you’d studied, and in view of the fact that you evidenced no innate talent for music.”

“Oof,” said Daniel.

“Did you think we never spoke of you?”

“No. But that’s a pretty deflating opinion. The more so because it’s very close to what someone else once said, someone who was also… knowledgeable.”

“On the whole, Harriet thought very highly of you. But she didn’t think you were cut out for a career in music. Not a very satisfying career at any rate.”

“She never said that to me,” Boa objected.

“Surely because she knew you’d have passed it on to Daniel. She had no wish to wound his feelings gratuitously.”

“Then why are you telling him, Father?”

“To persuade him to make other plans.

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