Any similarity between characters and places depicted in this book and characters and places elsewhere is purely coincidental.
an ancient Chinese tactic
***1/7
“Hi, do you carry Salinger’s latest novel?” asks the Man as soon as he enters the second-hand book shop.
The young woman sitting and reading at the small table to the left of the entrance looks up after a perceptible delay and takes careful stock of him. Obviously her name is Yaðmur (“rain”). She turns down the volume of the music playing -“Wrapped Around Your Finger”- and asks, “Which Salinger would that be?”
“Jerome David.” Man smiles the smile of a customer who, albeit humbly, reminds the shopkeeper what a great blessing it is for a bookseller to have a customer who knows the full name of the author whose book he is looking for.
“And the name of the book?” Some quiz.
“Well, I’m not sure, but I think it went something like ‘The Good-Hearted Fat King Watches the Ducks Having Breakfast on the Frozen Lake.’”
There is surprise on woman’s face. She closes the book she is reading, turns off the music, gets up, walks toward Hakan - no, toward the bookshelves right behind him; she looks at the books but only perfunctorily. Her mind is someplace else. She turns around. Now she’s really close to Hakan.
“Salinger hasn’t published for a long time now, as far as I know. Are you sure he has a book like that? When was it published?”
“Oh, quite recently, I think. Around the beginning of this year.”
“Then you’ll have to ask one of the big bookstores that sell foreign books.” She smiles. “The books I have are somewhat old.”
“Thanks anyway.” Hakan heads for the door.
“Hey, just a second, may I ask you something?” asks W., intercepting man’s exit. “Have you always had that mole on your neck?”
“Excuse me?”
“The mole on your neck. My brother has the same. Doesn’t it heal?”
“No, but I’m told they burn it if you really want to get rid of it. How old is your brother?”
“Seven.”
“Tell him not to worry about it too much. It looks good on some.” Hakan hesitates a little, then adds when their eyes meet, “Have we ever met? Where have I known you before?”
“At Chick Corea’s!” says woman.