"Between interesting ideas for lost articles and writing a worthy book, there's a distance like here to Morocco." "And as the time goes by things get worse." "As if I was dragging a dead weight across an uphill." "Finally." "A book is like a long distance race." "Maybe I'm learning that I'm no long-distance runner." "This is what people don't realize when they ask me about the book." "Hello" "No, she has not arrived yet." "OK, I will tell her to call you back." "Hello Cecilia, Federico." "This is Sergio." "I'm arriving tomorrow." "I will stay til the end of the month." "See you." "I know, I should have told you." "There was a subway strike." "Any phone calls?" "A message from Sergio." "He arrives tomorrow." "I know, he sent an e-mail." "He stays til the end of the month I think." " On top of it..." " On top of it what?" " He's always been so inopportune" " Were you waiting for someone?" "Hello?" "Good night." "No thank you." "No, no thank you." "Look, we're not interested in finding God, with the Holy cloth or anything, ok?" "And less at this time of the night." "What's wrong, you forgot something?" "Did I have to think about something?" "How is it going?" "Tomorrow is the last rehersal." "Ana is very pleased." "I'm asking what do YOU think," "I don't care what that idiot thinks." "I mean, it's your play, right?" " So what?" "Don's speak nonsense." " Ok." "I was just trying to be nice." "I figured." "What did you do with the original of your book?" "I found it this morning in the trash can, so I took it of course." "I see." "Did it bother you I threw it without your permission?" "You haven't written that much, have you?" "You read it?" "I met a really funny guy." "It turned out he was dying, surrounded by his relatives and suddenly he closed his eyes and seemed he stoped breathing." "Then one said "he died";" "and "we have to touch his feet" said another," ""people die with cold feet"." "So the guy opens his eyes, stands up as much as he can and says;" ""Joanne of Arch didn't" and closed his eyes and died." ""What does that have to do with your book?" " It's funny" " It doesn't seem real" "But it's funny It would be if the character was funny But you just said it's not real" "Precisely You are coming tomorrow, right?" " Yes... who knows" " When are you leaving?" "You return the same day?" "I leave Saturday and return Sunday" " Something is wrong?" " I don't like planes" "Late Schubert for instante, makes his musical transition to another not just evidently, but too evidently." "Like a bad poker player, Schubert always shows his cards." "But to fail, failure itself is his virtue." "In failure we see all the ingenuity, all the artist's genius." "Beethoven on the contrary, has a more powerful reserve." "In Beethoven we can't guess where does de passage starts or ends;" "we don't know we are in a passage." "His motives are usually so brief, short length, that they melt with the major idea almost inmediately." "They gave me clothes, a pack of cookies and some money so I could survive for a few days." "Don't spend it all, they said." "And laughed." "But not mocking, afectionately." " We should go." " I'm coming." "The trouser fit, but the shirt was big." "It must have belonged to someone two or three size bigger." "I remember I wandered if they were from a dead person." "But I also thought they couldn't be from the same person because, who would use a trouser of one size and the shirt of another?" "Maybe somebody like you, with longer arms." "Maybe, but I didn't think that." "I thought the shirt and the trouser belonged to two different people;" "two dead people." "Maybe it was someone who didn't need them anymore." "If he was dead he didn't need them anymore" "How did you come up to that?" "I don't know, it just came up." "And suddenly I felt like I always knew." "I didn't see anything." "Put on the shoes." "They were unstitched and one of them had no string." ""They'll be useful for a while", they said." "I'll figure out what to do later." "When you came you wore new shoes." "You are kidding me." "I didn't lie." "I asked and insisted so much they gave me other shoes." " So?" "We have to go." " Right now." " And what happened later?" " They gave me a stick." ""I don't want a stick" I said, "I donnt need it, my legs are fine"." ""Take it" they said, "somebody is going to punch you and then you'll need it." "It's always useful to use a stick"." "Then they laughed." "In that moment I felt some kind of mocking in their laughter." "But it was for a second because suddenly they touched my shoulder and invited me to stand up." "They walked me through a long aisle." "It's weird." "When I got to the door I felt like very sad." "The pack fell and all the cookies broke." "They had locked from the inside." "I stood there not knowing what to do." "When I tried to open it up I couldn't." "It was like there was nobody out there the whole time." " It's late, we have to go." " I'm finishing" " It's late" " OK, let's go" "You should wear a coat, it's freezing outside." " Since when is the tropic cold?" " Who told you we are in the tropic?" " Can I help?" " Weel, too bad." "Bye" " Bye." " I'm very happy you came" " I can see." "I feel flatered." "I won't ask what do you think of the rehearsal." " That's bad taste." " Well, I'm not that eminent" "I mean it." "You know your oppinion is very important to me." " I didn't know" " Anyway I don't think I should ask." "I may not like what I hear, right?" "No, no." "It's not that." "It's just I should think about it." "I know, I know." "Don't listen to me." "Last rehearsals freak me out, I talk too much." "I must be unbereable, right?" "You really care about what I think?" "Cecilia must have told you already." "I'm going to flush." " Hi" " Hi" "How are you?" "Congratulations." " Are you tired?" " Federico!" " See you" " Hi Fede, I don't know if we should celebrate or console ourselves but, let's have a drink anyhow." "Excuse me." "Yes..." "What happens?" "I don't know, I can't right now" "How is your thing going?" "Going." "Slow." "I may finish it next year." "So you said last year when Cecilia and Ana started working on the play." " What did I say?" " That you'll finish it next year." "You see, I keep my word" "I think the difference between artists and critics is that artists always have to be faithful to one idea or they become dilettants, while critics have to change and resettle or become conservatives." " It's a problem, it's a problem" " When I worked at the Art gallery," "I met a guy everyone considered very talented, a great promise." "He had a refine style, knew perfectly the History of Art and had a brilliant conversation;" "but he never did anything really valuable; there was always this sensation he didn't give his best." "Maybe your friend wasn't interested in giving it" "The only thing that shows talent is the piece." "He might have been a talented guy, but he was bored of his own skills." "Sometimes it's a disgrace to be too perceptive." "I'm sure you have to be a little irresponsable and even stupid," "I'm sure you have to be a little irresponsable and even stupid, if you want to do something valuable." "Are we talking about critics or artists now?" "In England for instance, there's a "Risk Club", in which only people who had done something really dangerous can register, like submerge chained in a bucket of water, do pirouettes in a flying plane, or jump with a parachute" "from the Tower Bridge." "They're jerks, of course..." "You don't have to suffer anymore." "Let's go if you want." " I'm fine" " But we had to wait for..." "Who do we have to wait for?" "Ah, Sergio" " No, he won't come now." " He said it wasn't sure to come." "It makes me sick all those asses who have to be fashionable all time." "They drink black beer now and love to gather around to talk about things they cannt listen to." "It looks like a description of the party we just left." "You are not very friendly." "Anyway don't worry," "I don't write so many books." "My cousin died today" " Which cousin?" " My only cousin" "Ah, you tell me like I should know." "I must have seen him three times in my life;" "your father's burial, your mother's burial and your brother's." "No, but maybe that's why we should have gone" " Why didn't you?" " I wanted to." "His wife called," "I don't even remember her name." "And, gave me the address of the vigil." "I left and when I realised, I was standing in front of my childhood house." "I don't know what the hell did I do," "I must have been walking around the whole afternoon." " You should call her" " The funniest thing is" "I can't even remember the street" " Are you listening?" " What?" "You haven't told me yet what do you think of the play." "Eloquent" "I think it's the best thing you've written, ruined by a bad staging" "What do you have against Ana, Federico?" "She seems to be thinking about the awards, not the play." "I don't get it, why does she want to be smarter than her characters?" "No, it's not that." "She can look too rational sometimes, but she doesn't seem pedantic." "It's just how she is." "Besides there's nothing wrong with being inteligent, is it?" "But I have to recognise she's been quite unbearable today" " Can I kiss you?" " Like when we were dating?" "Like when we were dating" "So, you like me?" " I need to go buy some cigarrettes" " But you don't smoke anymore" " That's why" " Can I ask you something?" "If you don't smoke anymore, just don't smoke." "No, but I want to walk around, does it bother you?" "No" " Hello." "How are you?" "Carlos, right?" "3º A?" " I'll never regret it enough, but no" " Do you mind if I get in?" "Excuse me, thank you" " Nights." "Marlboro Box, please" " I don't sell cigarettes" " OK, bye" " Good night" " OK, bye" " Good night" "Good night." "Can I ask you, do all the rooms look at the street?" " I don't understand" " You don't understand..." " How many guests, sir?" " No, it's ok, no problem." "Thank you." " Good night, the bathroom?" "It's for customers only" "Give me a scotch then" "There?" "I'm coming right now, I'm going to buy cigarrettes." "It's closed" "Hi..." "Did you put some lemon?" "Put some lemon in it..." "Thanks" " Did you buy them?" " I decided to give up smoking." "You need a light?" "No, no thank you." "Excuse me I'm looking at you but..." "I feel the same." "I see you bored." "Not at all" " What are you doing?" " I read" " Can I invite you to a drink?" "If you want..." "Can I have another scotch for my friend here?" " Is it yesterday's paper or today's?" " No, it's yesterday's" " Why you read it?" " It's my job" " At this time?" " No, I don't work anymore." "I was my job Are you retired?" " Sort of" " What was your job?" " I wrote novels for the radio." " But they ended long ago" "And I don't work for a long time." "But I got used to read the papers." "Look, there is some worthy news here; "after 60 years of war, two japanese soldiers kept fighting"." "That was a movie" " But I'm telling you it's here." " They were forgotten in an island in Filipines and they never knew the war was over." "You see, that's for not reading the papers." "Don't mock me." "They are more than 80 years old." "They didn't want to go back to Japan because they were afraid to be judged as traitors." " A perseverance example." " I think it's rather pathetic, don't you?" "So you took the subjects out of the papers" "Who do you think I am?" "No sir, I'm the author of "The Lion of France"" " Charge me." "It's $15..." " What happened if you didn't write the script on time, or decided to give it up?" "Didn't write the script on time, or decided to give it up?" "That's nonsense." "Why would I write without plans to end it?" "Well, there's something you lose with the piece finished" " I don't believe you" " You don't believe me" " At all" " Well, think what you want." "Somehow everybody does You are a lier" "Check please." "Isn't it a good story?" "I'm retired now" "And the drinks of the gentleman here" "I won't complain if you pay another drink" "Done." "See you." "Good night" "Feldman said he felt more in debt with the American abstract expressionists than any other composer." "He considered the score as a kind of blank canvas where he distributed sounds and certain centimeters of canvas ment certain minutes of music." "Feldman conceived his music as two dimenssions or, in other words two categories." " When is he coming back?" " Tomorrow night" " I hope he finishes." "He has talent" " Why are you telling me that?" "I'm just saying..." "Federico can't stand me, I know." "You don't have to be too perceptive to notice." "But it's different." "He's a valuable person." " Yes, I know" " But it's not enough." "You have to be patient Ana, I hate when you talk like an oracle" "I know nothing of the future, but I know my own past and the worst thing you could do is make rush decissions." "What?" "So you can read my mind as well now?" " I don't need to." "I know you" "How is Miguel?" " Fine, really good." " Yes?" "He told me a guy from high school called me, he knew for the papers I was here and wanted to invite me to an ex students party." "I looked for him in one of those old pictures." "You know, where the whole class appears?" "But..." "I couldn't know who he was." "Well maybe he didn't go that day, maybe..." "The truth is I couldn't recognize anybody, I can't remember any name except the one of the girl" "I liked, of course..." "Of course!" "Is there anything more anonimous than an old picture?" "I couldn't even remember myself." "I mean..." "It was a picture so obviously I was there, but as couldn't make up with the circumstances and context, I felt like that never happened..." "Anyway, it's not even past for me." "I think you should go, Sergio." "Really, you'll have fun." "Ah?" "Besides, I'm sure the rest of them have less hair, or are fatter..." "We'll see when your former schoolmates call you" " I won't go!" "No" " Me neither" " Who invited you?" "Nobody" " I mean my party" " So what did you tell them?" " Maybe, I'll try to go but..." "I had many editorial compromises Ah, but you'll go then" "No way!" "But I though it was rude." "According to his words (textual)," "I was a guy who succeded in Europe..." "I don't know..." "Now that you've turned into the spiritual guide to young writers you'll spend your 15 minutes of fame by being a best seller." " "Liber máxime divénditus"." " What's that?" " "Liber máxime divénditus" means "best seller" in latin." "I've learned it today." "The Vatican launched a dictionary with 15.000 new words to be translated from contemporary to the language of the old Empire." ""Best seller" is "Liber máxime divénditus"; "spaceship"" "for instance is "navis sideralis", Casino is "aleatorium"" "and a goal is "retis Violatio"." "I like this one because it's not thought as a triunph for the marker but as a solidarity with the poor goalkeeper I never understood that Vatican vocation to update." "If latin held some dignity" "It was because it's a dead language, right?" "The one I liked the most was "hot pants"." "Do you know how to say "hot pants" in latin?" "No" " "Brevissimae bracae féminae"" " Good definition!" " Excuse mee, we're closing" " Sorry, we're leaving." "Lets go?" "I didn't find Federico very cheerful He didn't want to travel." "How do you say that in your dictionary?" ""Voluntatis defectio";" "lack of willpower, apathy." "But that's not why I say it." "I think he's not making any progress" "Sometimes I think he'll never finish it" " Do you think so?" " On top of that he argued with the Institute Head and the newspaper rejected one article." "All in the same week." "You didn't tell me." "Ah, I don't know how some people can live like that..." "What do you mean by that?" "I mean what I mean." "He should come to live to Madrid" "I see besides a best seller you've become a playboy" " "luvenis voluptárius"." " "Voluptarius" may be;" "but you should say good bye to "iuvenis"." "Why did you do it?" "She's cute, I like her" " No, I'm not talking about the girl" " The message at the answering machine?" "Why not?" "Do we eat something before we go?" "Is there still that restaurant over the river?" " I don't know" " Do you know which one I mean?" "I do, but it's been a while since we don't go." "Taxi!" "Two saussages, please." "Wait, I'm paying..." "Bye, thank you." "Yes." "Have you seen her?" "A crazy woman, screaming." "With a yellow t-shirt and unbelievable tits." "No, but I'll meet her here, so I leave you." "Bye, man." " Bye" "Take a look how they do it in Europe!" "Bye Cecilia." " Bye." "Aren't you coming with us?" " No, no, I'm leaving." "I feel I'm too much here." "Invite me to have lunch to your house one day." " Ok" " OK, bye" "You didn't answer me yet" "I have to go." "Federico comes tomorrow." "Call me, ok?" "Come to have lunch at home." "Tell Miguel if you wants to." "Bye" "Taxi!" " Where are we going?" " Esmeralda 1300, please" " Ma'am, we are in Esmeralda 1300" " Sorry" "They teach us to think about music like this sort of abstract language." "The Big Fugue by Beethoven is built up by abstracts elements that build a musical whole, also magnificently abstract." "I've recently started listening to what it really is;" "a tormentous and very literary hymn, a march devoted to God." "Music can't be that abstract if that is worth for such different and precise functions!" "The abstract, is an inner process that continuously appears and becomes familiar, like the conscience of any other thing." "The most difficult thing of an artistic experience is to keep intact that abstract conscience." " Hello." " Hi." "How was it?" " Fine" " Did you eat?" " Yes." "Do you want some scotch?" "No, no." "Thank you." "I was thinking there's something I have to do..." "Any news?" " No, none" " How is Sergio?" " Fine." "He seems he's a "iuvenis voluptaris"" " Don't tell" " You know what that is?" " No" " He met this girl at Ana's" " Don't tell..." " Ana's assistant" " Any calls?" " No" "Can I turn off something?" "You're listening to music" " with the TV on" " Yes, I wasn't listening to either of them" " I'll turn off the TV then." "You sure you weren't listening to the music?" " Sure" " I'll switch then" "No, I don't feel like listening to old music" " 16th century" " Well, I don't feel like" " listening to 16th century music" " It's like listening to 20th century music Well, I prefer the 20's" "Apart from the girl..." "what else about Sergio?" " I don't get it" " How is he?" "Weren't you with him?" " Yes, sure" " And you went to the barbeque" " by the river?" " How do you know?" " You told me at the telephone" " Me?" " You" " I didn't tell you anything" "Maybe it's just you always do the same things" " Maybe" " Does it bother you that I ask?" " Are you spying on me?" " I don't know." "Should I?" " Don't be a child, Federico" " What else?" "You tell me, as you know all I do..." "We had lunch, he asked for you." "He presented his book last Wednesday." " Did you tell him I'm also finishing a book of poems?" "I don't think it's funny..." "Sergio doesn't write poetry for a long time." "What are you laughing at?" "God." "Nothing, I just can't imagine my eyes staring at a piece of paper trying to write some verse..." " You say it like a queer's thing" " Well, actually..." " Actually what?" " Nothing." "I don't write poetry" "Hello." "Yes, yes..." "Where are you talking from?" "Aha." "Could be." "Look, I don't have my agenda with me right now, so please call me at the studio tomorrow and we'll fix it." "Perfect." "Thank you." "Good night." "Who was it?" " The first time I heard Sergio analyzing a poem was... from Vallejo... really dificult, I couldn't belive it... he unravelled all of it, turned it to little pieces... and suddenly we understood." "Amazing." "Not everybody has that luck." " Whose luck?" " Do you remember?" " No - "I saw a powerful angel falling from the sky, covered by a cloud, with a rainbow on his head." "His face was like the sun, his feet like piles of fire"." " What is it?" " He wrote it as a preface for the score How does it follow?" "Remember?" "For the score How does it follow?" "Remember?" "No" "A little mystical, our friend" "Messiaen, isn't he?" "Really?" "I'd say apocalyptic" "Well..." "I didn't know he wrote it in a concentration camp" "The first time they play it was at that camp" ""I was never heard with such atention and understanding"" " Great, isn't it?" " Yes, it's great music" " I didn't mean the music" " What then?" "In the same camp there was a violinist, a clarinet player and cello player" " Were they prisoners?" " Yes" "Ah, so maybe he wrote those instruments because they were there Gerardo says the violin" " lacks one cord" " Can you notice?" "I can't, but it deserves to be true Who called?" "Want another scocth?" " Half" " What was that music you put before?" " 16th century music" " Ok, ok, what was that 16th century music?" "I gave it to you two years ago" "It seems from the 20's?" "I never really liked it" " It seems sacred music" " I doesn't seem." "It is" " Let's give it a try." "Put it on again." " Ok" " Did you know he killed his wife?" " He wasn't the only one, was he?" " Yes, but he stranguled her" " Why I didn't like it?" " You thought you shouldn't like it" " Why did he kill her?" "She must have misbehaved." "Too conventional." "She had a lover, he knew, set them up, surprised them and killed them both." "The next day he showed them in public." " And what happened?" " To whom?" "Gesualdo?" " No, no, tell them I'm not here" " Who called before?" "Will you tell me?" " Why did you throw the copy?" " Who called?" " Why did you throw the book?" " Federico, why did you throw the book?" " Because it's not good" " Sergio doesn't think so" " Are you nuts?" " Nuts, why?" " With what right did you show him?" " How dare you?" "Don't you remember you gave it to him for an opinion?" " He never answered" " It's not my fault" "Sometimes I think you two meet to piss me off" " Please!" "Will you bring me a scotch?" "Be kind..." "I always thought Sergio was in love with you" "You always thought nonsense." "We know each other since ...high school." "That's all." "So?" " The call was from an American University" " What did they want?" " They didn't want, they offered me to go to work in one of those places with parks full of squirrels and libraries, where you can't ...smoke and earn a lot of money" " You're being cynical" "No." "Angry maybe" "It wouldn't be bad for us to go away for a while." "I could try to finish..." " No." "It's not like that" " What is not like that?" "They mean live there" "I'm tired" " Yes, go to sleep." "We have time" " Sure." "I'm going to bed" " Your beard is long." "You didn't shave these days?" "We've got to call Sergio tomorrow." "We have to dinner with him." " Are you getting up early?" " No, I'm not." "You?" "I'll try to get up early." "I want to write"