Teddy was silent a minute and then said, “That’s so. It shouldn’t make any difference, though, if you really know what you want.”
“But I don’t. Does anybody? Do you? I just know what I don’t want. I’ll blow up if I go back to school.”
“Sure, I know what I want. I want....” he hesitated, chewing on a pine-needle. “I want time to work in peace, and a chance to see new places. I guess I want money. That would fix things. Then I could really do everything I haven’t time for.”
“What sort of places would you like to see? India?”
“Yes, and some of Europe, and North Africa. I’ve always wanted to paint in Algeria.”
Feeling guilty, Blake said, “Oh, I’ve been there. It’s not so wonderful.”
“You’ve been there?” said Teddy angrily. “Why, you lucky little fool.”
“But of course I’ve been there. Mother had to go for her health, and of course....”
Madden, oddly excited, shook his fist at the air. “Of course, of course, of course. You people who say ‘of course.’”
Blake stared at him, mystified. For a cold moment he thought that perhaps Madden hated him. Then everything seemed to calm down: Teddy laughed and spit the pine-needle down between his dangling feet.