Stephen:  (HORRORSTRUCK) Lemur, who are you?  No.  What bogeyman’s trick is this?

Buck Mulligan:  (Shakes his curling CAPBELL) The mockery of it!  Kinch dogsbody killed her bitchbody.  She kicked the bucket. (Tears of molten butter fall from his eyes on to the scone) Our great sweet mother!  EPI OINOPA Ponton.

The mother:  (Comes nearer, breathing upon him softly her breath of wetted ashes) All must go through it, Stephen.  More women than men in the world.  You too.  Time will come.

Stephen:  (Choking with fright, remorse and horror) They say I killed you, mother.  He offended your memory.  Cancer did it, not I. Destiny.

The mother:  (A green Rill of bile trickling from A side of her mouth) You sang that song to me.  Love’s bitter mystery.

Stephen:  (Eagerly) Tell me the word, mother, if you know now.  The word known to all men.

The mother:  Who saved you the night you jumped into the train at Dalkey with Paddy Lee?  Who had pity for you when you were sad among the strangers?  Prayer is allpowerful.  Prayer for the suffering souls in the Ursuline manual and forty days’ indulgence.  Repent, Stephen.

Stephen:  The ghoul!  Hyena!

The mother:  I pray for you in my other world.  Get Dilly to make you that boiled rice every night after your brainwork.  Years and years I loved you, O, my son, my firstborn, when you lay in my womb.

Zoe:  (Fanning herself with the grate fan) I’m melting!

Florry:  (Points to Stephen) Look!  He’s white.

Bloom:  (Goes to the window to open it more) Giddy.

The mother:  (With SMOULDERING eyes) Repent!  O, the fire of hell!

Stephen:  (Panting) His noncorrosive sublimate!  The corpsechewer!  Raw head and bloody bones.

The mother:  (Her face drawing near and nearer, sending out an ashen
breath) Beware! (She raises her blackened withered right arm slowly
towards Stephen’s breast with outstretched finger) Beware God’s hand! (A
green crab with malignant red eyes sticks deep its grinning claws in
Stephen’s heart.)