13
“It is not an arbitrary decree of God but in the nature of man, that a veil shuts down on the facts of tomorrow; for the soul will not have us read any other cipher but that of cause and effect.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays, “Heroism”
I flicked on the television, one of those moments, if not God-given, at least God-inspired. Henry, in the eighty-second minute, scored a magnificent header against Spartak. Almost simultaneously with me switching on, he walloped it home. I said, awestruck,
“Fuck.”
She sat on the bed, said,
“Which means you’re pleased?”
“Oh yeah.”
She took a moment, looked at the screen, said,
“Too bad about Leeds.”
“They lost?”
“Yes.”
“You follow football?”
“I follow men.”
Gave me a smile that was unreadable. She looked round the room, said,
“Somewhat sparse
