The Russian Interpreter by Michael Frayn

Author:Michael Frayn [Michael Frayn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780571329885
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 2015-09-09T04:00:00+00:00

21

What action Raya took upon Proctor-Gould’s person Manning never discovered. But a day or two later she began to steal his books.

It seemed to affect Proctor-Gould worse than anything that had happened so far. When Manning arrived, summoned by an incoherent telephone message, he found him pacing slowly up and down the room with his hands behind his back, his face haggard with anxiety.

‘Where is she?’ asked Manning.

‘In the bath,’ said Proctor-Gould, nodding at the bathroom door.

‘She’s pinched some books now?’

‘Yes. About ten, I think – all Russian ones. She just picked out all the books I’ve been given by people here to take back.’

‘You’re sure it’s Raya who took them?’

‘Pretty sure. When I came in this afternoon the books were all over the place. I noticed it at once, of course, and started to count them. Raya was lying on the bed here. She looked up straight away and watched me.’

‘Doesn’t she always look up when you come in?’

‘Not necessarily. But this time she watched me very closely, as if she wanted to see exactly what my reaction was.’

‘You think she stole them just to irritate you?’

‘I suppose so,’ said Proctor-Gould, pulling at his ear, his eyes absent. ‘I suppose so.’

‘And were you irritated?’

‘Yes, I was. I shouted at her. Of course, she couldn’t understand any of it.’

‘So you want me to translate the gist of it to her now?’

‘No, no. I don’t want you to translate anything. The time for rational argument seems to have passed. I really just wanted you to advise me. What am I going to do?’

He flopped down into the arm-chair, and gazed mournfully into the unoccupied middle air. Manning felt sorry for him.

‘Look, Gordon,’ he said. ‘Do you still feel any attraction to Raya?’

Proctor-Gould looked at Manning solemnly.

‘I think she’s the most wonderful girl I’ve ever met,’ he said.

‘Nothing that’s happened in the past week or two changes your view?’

‘Nothing at all. No one could be in my line of business without realizing that human relationships are often exceedingly complex. Raya and I have a complex relationship. But then we’re both complicated, difficult people. Could we really expect a simpler one?’

‘But do you think Raya still feels whatever she used to feel for you?’

‘I think so, Paul, I think so. You may not realize, just seeing us for odd moments, but we’re as thick as thieves.’

‘Really?’

‘Oh, like two bugs in a rug.’

‘Even though you can’t say anything to each other except “Yes, please”?’

‘We don’t need to say anything to each other, Paul. We have that sort of relationship.’

Manning went over and knocked on the bathroom door.

‘Are you thinking of coming out?’ he asked.

‘No,’ said Raya.

‘We’re talking about you.’

‘Good. My best wishes for the enterprise.’

Manning sat down opposite Proctor-Gould again.

‘She says she’s not thinking of coming out,’ he reported.

‘No, I don’t suppose she’ll be out for another hour yet. She’s taken to retiring to the bath with a book from six to eight every evening.’

‘Another little complexity.’

‘A perfectly harmless one, Paul.’

‘Oh, sure. I think you’ll just have to get used to the idea that Raya pinches things, too.

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