Zoe: Thursday’s child has far to go. (She traces lines on his hand) Line of fate. Influential friends.
Florry: (Pointing) Imagination.
Zoe: Mount of the moon. You’ll meet with a ... (She peers at his hands abruptly) I won’t tell you what’s not good for you. Or do you want to know?
Bloom: (Detaches her fingers
and offers his palm) More harm
than good.
Here. Read mine.
Bella: Show. (She turns up Bloom’s hand) I thought so. Knobby knuckles for the women.
Zoe: (Peering at Bloom’s palm) Gridiron. Travels beyond the sea and marry money.
Bloom: Wrong.
Zoe: (Quickly) O, I see. Short little finger. Henpecked husband. That wrong?
(Black Liz, A huge rooster hatching in A chalked circle, rises, stretches her wings and clucks.)
Black Liz: Gara. Klook. Klook. Klook.
(She Sidles from her newlaid egg and Waddles off)
Bloom: (Points to his hand) That weal there is an accident. Fell and cut it twentytwo years ago. I was sixteen.
Zoe: I see, says the blind man. Tell us news.
Stephen: See? Moves to one great goal. I am twentytwo. Sixteen years ago he was twentytwo too. Sixteen years ago I twentytwo tumbled. Twentytwo years ago he sixteen fell off his hobbyhorse. (He winces) Hurt my hand somewhere. Must see a dentist. Money?
(Zoe whispers to Florry.
They giggle. Bloom releases
his hand and writes
idly on the table in backhand,
pencilling slow curves.)
Florry: What?
(A HACKNEYCAR, number three hundred
and twentyfour, with A
gallantbuttocked mare, driven by
James Barton, harmony avenue,
Donnybrook, trots past. Blazes
Boylan and Lenehan sprawl swaying
on the
SIDESEATS. The Ormond boots crouches
behind on the axle. Sadly
over the
crossblind Lydia douce and Mina
Kennedy gaze.)
The boots: (Jogging, mocks them with thumb and wriggling WORMFINGERS) Haw haw have you the horn?