How German Is It by Walter Abish

Author:Walter Abish
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780811224826
Publisher: New Directions
Published: 2014-08-30T04:00:00+00:00

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16

What does Egon know?

Egon behind the wheel of his Mercedes, hurtling down the four-lane highway that, to his eyes, splits the landscape in two: low hills, cultivated fields, and then for miles and miles a thick impenetrable pine forest. It is late afternoon, and they encounter only two or three other cars on the highway. What is visible to Egon and to Rita sitting at his side are the tall pine trees on either side of the road, and the blue sky above, and now and then an opening, a clearing in the woods to their left, revealing the deep glare of the setting sun. Also visible, of course, is the instrument panel on the dashboard. It is reassuring to know that a red warning light would blink the instant anything went wrong. The light enables the driver to assess the damage and reach a decision whether to stop and wait for help or to proceed at a crawl to the nearest gasoline station. But given the unpredictability of life, does it occur to them that at any moment, someone from behind one of those trees might be tempted to puncture their spotless windshield with a bullet, to puncture the perfection of their trip, this drive at great speed which forces the car’s occupants to adjust their love of nature, their love of fields, pastures, hills, trees, and an occasional winding brook or river, to the constant steady motion with which all the things they love stream past, an endless flow, a satisfying almost unseen backdrop to their existence. Yet, something one can label as being both familiar and perfect.

You’ll like Helmuth, Egon assures Rita. We grew up together. As for the mayor. He can be quite amusing. Just stay clear of his wife.

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