Prologue Part II The Confessions of Mossy Kade

Mossy Kade who'll soon be marching toward the sound of the cannons

Part 1 of Prologue may be referenced here and Dramatis Personae here. The story continues with Mossy and Jimmy Marlow who is Mossy's close friend, a prominent Chicago journalist, and author of award winning non-fiction who also serves as the story's narrator.  It is late one evening after Jimmy has just returned from London and they have been discussing the just completed  Hank Montague (a friend to them both) novel to mark his long awaited comeback and Mossy telling Jimmy how Hank's return and the events surrounding it need a Boswell.  The pieces Mossy has carefully arranged are starting to fall into place and Mossy is about to reveal to Jimmy how he even arranged the first meeting between Jimmy and his future wife Vanessa nearly 15 years ago. Everything not italicized are unspoken observations by Jimmy Marlow, the narrator.

Mossy: ...."Jimmy, of course we all remember the 'introduction' on the mezzanine during intermission of 'Magic Flute'; but my dear boy, what you didn't know was the most magnificent piece of orchestration from that evening didn't come from the pit. You see Vanessa and her little cute blond friend; we didn't just bump into by chance; they had on the previous Saturday brunched at Mitchell's over at Clybourn & Cortland where I always used to set up shop with my papers over coffee and flapjacks. I'll never forget the first time I heard Vanessa's voice; it was so lovely it nearly brought me to tears. She had just come back from St Louis after her sister had a baby and she was telling her friend about holding her new nephew, how adorable he was, and hearing her describe her father holding him for the first time and everybody in the room crying with joy. I had to put my sunglasses on to keep from making a scene.  In her voice I could feel the beauty of her soul. I fell more than a little in love with her and couldn't bear ever thinking that she might go on to lead a life with heartache and misfortune."

Vanessa Marlow: of such beauty she launched the ship that thousands followed...

By this time Mossy's manic pacing slowed while gathering himself and recharged his glass as his emotions, and mine, needed to steady.

Jimmy Marlow who became thrice the man he ever hoped to be upon meeting a beautiful redhead.

Mossy: "Do you remember the night I met your parents? They came up and treated us over at Ranalli's during a Sunday night  Bears game." 



Jimmy:"Yup, it was the Detroit game...we won by about 3 touchdowns and I think Urlacher was a rookie..".which I did remember quite well as I then first saw that well behaved side of him that he summons for older ladies when he's unfailingly polite, respectful, and attentive with his scrappy provocateur inclinations tempered into an air of boyish mischief.  My mother absolutely adored him...still does and to this day says he's the best listener she's ever encountered and remembers everything she says.

Hank Montague whose comeback will soon help put literature back in it's rightful place

Mossy:"That's it. That was the day after I first saw and heard Vanessa. Your parents are such wonderful people and seeing you with them that night told me you would make a most worthy suitor for that beautiful redhead with the voice of an angel. Besides you were getting yourself mixed up with some women that I don't think your dear mother would have been too keen on."

Jimmy:"I won't argue with you there."

Mossy:..."now back to that brunch; I overheard Vanessa and the little blond...'Kelly' was her name, being all in a tither about going to 'Magic Flute' the following Thursday and even overheard where they'd be sitting and then had to strong arm you into going by reminding you how Mencken loved opera and how it would help season your prose with some much needed Sturm and Drang. We got Tony over at Brooks Brothers to get you squared away in a navy pin' that fit like a glove and I even held my fire on your 3rd by-lined article from that morning that had 2 glaring omissions your editors never ever manage to notice. You needed to be at your best when I introduced you to Vanessa and of course knew you two would hit it off quite well....that's why I got so emotional when Bebe was born and Vanessa asked me to hold her in the hospital....this book with Hank and my children's book series will be having similar helpful arrangements to give them a proper lift-off."

Jimmy as an aside: Let me interject here that I was stunned to say the least at these revelations but while in London on assignment, which I wasn't entirely forthcoming to Mossy regarding, Peter was giving me progress reports on Hank all along with some amusing asides on what Mossy was up to and we both wondered if he knew what Hank's book was really all about...but figured he had to know something as his insistence on not reading the galleys seemed a bit too emphatic.

little Bebe working on her drawings for the book series to also feature her pup 'Sugar Wimsey'

Mossy: "Now tell me;, how did it go in London?"

Jimmy: "You'll not be the least bit surprised to know that every critic you so carefully vetted is 'foaming at the mouth' to lay their hands on a a pre-pub' copy and has guaranteed us absolute secrecy and every resource at their disposal to make this the literary event of the century." 

Mossy: "What about Ms. Mantel?"

Jimmy: "She even phoned me today to re-confirm she'll move heaven and earth to be here at the appropriate time and has even volunteered to allow her correspondence with Hank used in any capacity we deem helpful. She was deeply moved to learn that her audiobooks  aided in Hank's convalescence while in hospital."

Dame Hilary Mantel

Mossy: "Good...hey did you look at that link I sent you."

Jimmy: "I looked at it but didn't see it as such a direct affront at Ms Mantel." I could see Mossy getting that gleam in his eye when he's spoiling for a fight

Mossy: "Oh it sure as hell was. All that bullshit demeaning the Booker pissed me off. Who the hell else were they referring to and everybody in the room knew it and the thousands yet to see it.  That whole production was a fucking disgrace...it was like watching one of those painful Ratpack videos in the middle of the day stone sober. No fucking dignity. Not even the slightest inclination to use that occasion to show respect let alone reverence for literature. They were just playing to that smug crowd in New York so fucking gleeful they are among the oh so precious few that 'got' the references...oh weren't they all so fucking knowing! Those are the assholes those guys write for too....they must be punished...they will be punished....and don't think I have a hard-on for that little fucking prick because he's been popping off at the mouth....just wait til you see how I put his ass in a sling and those fancy fucking teeth in a pickle jar. The best thing that will ever happen to his fiction will be the ass-whipping he's about to receive from ol' Moss...all that goddamn talent and his novels are such garbage....Lionel Fucking Asbo?!?!?!?!?!?!....now I need to get going; but first need to give our Boswell some long overdue backstory regarding Estella who is coming in tomorrow....."

Estella and her pup Ripley who will soon also feature in a set of children's books.

Estella who loves nothing more than hearing her name bandied about as "Mossy's girl"
 is now en route to Chicago wearing her best outfit.

Part III will soon conclude the Prologue






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