Zuckerman Unbound by Philip Roth

Author:Philip Roth [Roth, Philip]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: nepalifiction, TPB
Published: 2010-12-22T08:00:00+00:00

* * *

“‘Tzena, Tzena,’ 1950.”

Zuckerman was waiting for the light to change on the come across from Campbell’s. The title had been announced from just behind him. Unknown to himself, he had been whistling, ant not only out on the street but through much of the morning. That same little song, again and again.

“Adapted from an Israeli popular tune, English lyrics by Mitchell Parish, Decca record by Gordon Jenkins and the Weavers.”

There to inform him was Alvin Pepler. The day was fresh and bright, but Pepler was still in black raincoat and hat. Dark glasses, however, to top things off this morning. Had somebody poked him in the eye since last night, some shorter-fused celebrity than Zuckerman? Or were the dark glasses to make him look like a celebrity to himself. Or was the new pitch that he was, also, unfortunately, blind? SIGHTLESS QUIZ CONTESTANT. PLEASE GIVE.

“Good morning,” said Zuckerman, backing away.

“Up early for the great event?”

One-liner, delivered with comic grin. Zuckerman chose not to reply. “Imagine, you go out for a coffee break and run smack into Prince Seratelli lying in state.” You go for a coffee break on Sixty-second Street and run into Seratelli on Eighty-first?

That’s why I envy you New Yorkers,” said Pepler. “You get into an elevator—this actually happened to me, my first day over here—and there, sharp as a tack, Victor Borge! You run out for the late paper, and who jumps from a taxi right at your feet? Twiggy! You walk out of the bathroom in a little delicatessen, and sitting there eating is you! Victor Borge, Twiggy, and you—just in my first forty-eight hours. The cop on the horse told me that Sonny Liston is supposed to show.” He pointed to the police and onlookers gathered at the main entrance of the funeral home. Also on hand was a TV camera and crew. “But so far,” said Pepler, “you haven’t missed a thing.”

Not a word about Zuckerman’s disappearance outside Baskin-Robbins the previous evening. Or about the phone calls.

Zuckerman assumed Pepler had followed him. Dark glasses for dark intrigue. The possibility had crossed his mind before he’d even left the house: Pepler in a doorway along the street, hiding and ready to pounce. But he couldn’t sit there waiting for the phone to ring just because the kidnapper had told him to. That was nuts. Especially if the kidnapper was this crackpot.

“What else do you know from 1950?”

“Pardon?”

“What other songs,” Pepler asked him, “from 1950? Can you name me the Top Fifteen?”

Followed or not, Zuckerman had to smile. “You got me there.

From 1950 I couldn’t name the Top Ten.”

“Want to hear which they were? All fifteen?”

“I have to be going.”

‘To begin with, that’s the year there are three with ‘cake’ in the title. “Candy and Cake.”

“If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d ‘Ave Baked a Cake.’ And ‘Sunshine Cake.’ Then, alphabetically”—for this he planted both feet firmly on the pavement— ‘“Autumn Leaves.’ ‘A Bushel and a Peck.” ‘C’e.st Si Bon,’ it’s a Lovely Day

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