Edward was explaining to Carl about margins. "The width of the margin shows culture, aestheticism and a sense of values or the lack of them," he said. "A very wide left margin shows an impractical person of culture and refi with a deep appreciation for the best in art and music. Whereas," Edward said, quoting his handwriting analysis book, "whereas, narrow left margins show the opposite. margin at all shoractiature, a wholesome ey and a general lack of good taste is. A very wide right margin shoerson afraid to face reality, oversensitive to the future and generally a poor mixer."
"I dont believe in it," Carl said.
"Now," Edward tinued, "with refereo yn there, you have an all-around wide margin which shoerson of extremely delicate sensibilities with love of color and form, one who holds aloof from the multitude and lives in his own dream world of beauty and good taste."
"Are you sure you got that right?"
"Im unig with you," Edward said, "across a vast gulf of ignorand darkness."
"I brought the darkness, is that the idea?" Carl asked.
"Yht the darkness, you black mother," Edward said. "Funky, man."
"Edward," Carl said, "fods sake."
"Why did you write all that jazz on yn, Carl? Why? Its not true, is it? Is it?"
"Its kind of true," Carl said. He looked down at his brown sandwich boards, which said: I ut In Jail in Selby ty Alabama For Five Years For Stealing A Dollar and A Half Which I Did Not Do. While I Was In Jail My Brother Was Killed & My Mother Ran Away When I Was Little. In Jail I Began Preag & I Preach to People Wherever I Bearing the Witness of Eschatological Love. I Have Filled Out Papers for Jobs But Nobody Will Give Me a Job Because I Have Been In Jail & The Whole Se Is Very Dreary, Pepsi Cola. I Need Your s to Get Food. Patent Applied For & Deliver Us From Evil. "Its true," Carl said, "with a kind of merde-y iruth which shines forth as the objective correlative of what actually did happen, bae."
"Now, look at the way you made that m and that n there," Edward said. "The tops are pointed rather than rouhat indicates aggressiveness and energy. The fact that theyre also pointed rather than rou the bottom indicates a sarcastic, stubborn and irritable nature. See what I mean?"
"If you say so," Carl said.
"Your capitals are very small," Edward said, "indig humility."
"My mother would be pleased," Carl said, "if she knew."
"Oher hand, the excessive size of the loops in your y and y display exaggeration and egoism."
"Thats always been one of my problems," Carl answered.
"Whats your whole name?" Edward asked, leaning against a building. They were on Fourteenth Street, near Broadway.
"Carl Maria von Weber," Carl said.
"Are you a drug addict?"
"Edward," Carl said, "you are a swinger."
"Are you a Muslim?"
Carl felt his long hair. "Have you read The Mystery of Being, by Gabriel Marcel? I really liked that one. I thought that one was fine."
"No, Carl, ahe question," Edward insisted. "Theres got to be frankness and hoy between the races. Are you one?"
"I think an aodation be reached and the gover is doing all it at the moment," Carl said. "I think theres something to be said on all sides of the question. This is not such a good place to hustle, you know that? I havent got but two s all m."
"People like people who look ," Edward said. "You look kind of crummy, if you dont mind my saying so."