Page 400 - The Grotesque Children's Book
P. 400
Carola exhaled a burst of frustration, then said at a normal volume, “I’m giving up on the
whispering! But I know she’s listening.” Then to Luzetta: “I know you’re awake, sweetie.”
Then back to Tozzo: “So I’m going to speak in code, Tozzo, all right? Do you remember all the
compliments I received the other night when we were playing Birch Bough Blind? There were
perhaps two hundred seven compliments I received that evening but only had to put out eight
compliments of my own. Do you know what I’m talking about?” She winked at Tozzo several
times. “Compliments. Two hundred seven compliments.”
Tozzo nodded, “Yes. Yes, it’s code.”
“That’s right, Tozzo. And I want to make sure I keep my compliments. I don’t want
anyone taking away my compliments.”
“No, that would be a bad thing.”
“What you need to do for me, Tozzo, while I’m locked here in prison, see, it’s possible,
even likely, that the carabinieri are going to come to my rooms, looking for compliments
themselves. I want you to keep those compliments safe for me, Tozzo, until I’m released from
prison, however long that takes. Can you do that for me?”
Tozzo’s brow furrowed. “We’re talking about...your clothing?”
Carola cocked her head to the side. “C-lothing?”
“Yes. Isn’t that what people complimented? You want me to keep your clothes safe
until you get out.”
“No, Tozzo.”
“You want me to sell your clothes?”
“This isn’t about my clothes.”
“I thought you said it was.”
“No. Tozzo, I’m, I’m trying to find some code, some symbol which you understand but
my dubious cellmate, Luzetta, doesn’t.”
“She’s asleep.”
Carola nodded. “Fine. Let’s say she’s asleep. Let’s try something else. I’ll try to be
more obvious and say there’s a box under my bed which contains about two hundred seven
letters.”
“I thought there were only twenty-six.”
“No, not that kind of letter. The other kind, that you write. Though I am impressed,
Tozzo, you know how many letters there are.”
“Sure! It’s one more than the number of days in a month. That’s how I remember.”
“You’re so smart, Tozzo.”
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