him； to give him a most vicious horsewhipping。
MRS BELLINGHAM Me too。
MRS YELVERTON BARRY Me too。
（Several highly respectable Dublin ladies hold up improper letters received from Bloom。）
THE HONOURABLE MRS MERVYN TALBOYS （Stamps her jingling spurs in a sudden paroxysm of sudden fury。） I will； by the God above me。 I'll scourge the pigeonlivered cur as long as I can stand over him。 I'll flay him alive。
BLOOM （His eyes closing； quails expectantly。） Here？ （He squirms。） Again！ （He pants cringing。） I love the danger。
THE HONOURABLE MRS MERVYN TALBOYS Very much so！ I'll make it hot for you。 I'll make you dance Jack Latten for that。
MRS BELLINGHAM Tan his breech well； the upstart！ Write the stars and stripes on it！
MRS YELVERTON BARRY Disgraceful！ There's no excuse for him！ A married man！
BLOOM All these people。 I meant only the spanking idea。 A warm tingling glow without effusion。 Refined birching to stimulate the circulation。
THE HONOURABLE MRS MERVYN TALBOYS （Laughs derisively。） O； did you； my fine fellow？ Well； by the living God； you'll get the surprise of your life now； believe me； the most unmerciful hiding a man ever bargained for。 You have lashed the dormant tigress in my nature into fury。
MRS BELLINGHAM （Shakes her muff and quizzing…glasses vindictively。） Make him smart； Hanna dear。 Give him ginger。 Thrash the mongrel within an inch of his life。 The cat…o' nine…tails。 Geld him。 Vivisect him。
BLOOM （Shuddering； shrinking； joins his hands with hangdog mien。） O cold！ O shivery！ It was your ambrosial beauty。 Forget； forgive。 Kismet。 Let me off this once。 （He offers the other cheek。）
MRS YELVERTON BARRY （Severely。） Don't do so on any account； Mrs Talboys！ He should be soundly trounced！
THE HONOURABLE MRS MERVYN TALBOYS （Unbuttoning her gauntlet violently。） I'll do no such thing。 Pig dog and always was ever since he was pupped！ To dare address me！ I'll flog him black and blue in the public streets。 I'll dig my spurs in him up to the rowel。 He is a wellknown cuckold。 （She swishes her hunting crop savagely in the air。） Take down his trousers without loss of time。 e here； sir！ Quick！ Ready？
BLOOM （Trembling； beginning to obey。） The weather has been so warm。
（Davy Stephens； ringleted； passes with a bevy of barefoot newsboys。）
DAVY STEPHENS Messenger of the Sacred Heart and Evening Telegraph with Saint Patrick's Day Supplement。 Containing the new addresses of all the cuckolds in Dublin。
（The very reverend Canon O'Hanlon in cloth of gold cope elevates and exposes a marble timepiece。 Before him Father Conroy and the reverend John Hughes S。J。 bend low。）
THE TIMEPIECE （Unportalling。）
Cuckoo
Cuckoo
Cuckoo
（The brass quoits of a bed are heard to jingle。）
THE QUOITS Jigjag； Jigajiga。 Jigjag。
（A panel of fog rolls back rapidly； revealing rapidly in the jurybox the faces of Martin Cunningham； foreman silkhatted； Jack Power Simon Dedalus； Tom Kernan； Ned Lambert； John Henry Menton； Myles Crawford； Lenehan； Paddy Leonard Nosey Flynn； M'Coy and the featureless face of a Nameless One。）
THE NAMELESS ONE Bareback riding。 Weight for age。 Gob； he organised her。
THE JURORS （All their heads turned to his voice。） Really？
THE NAMELESS ONE （Snarls。） Arse over tip。 Hundred shillings to five。
THE JURORS （All their heads lowered in assent。） Most of us thought as much。
FIRST WATCH He is a marked man。 Another girl's plait cut。 Wanted： Jack the Ripper。 A thousand pounds reward。
SECOND WATCH （Awed； whispers。） And in black。 A mormon。 Anarchist。
THE CRIER （Loudly。） Whereas Leopold Bloom of no fixed abode is a well…known dynamitard； forger； bigamist； bawd and cuckold ad a public nuisance to the citizens of Dublin and whereas at this mission of assizes the most honourable。
（His Honour sir Frederick Falkiner recorder of Dublin； in judicial garb of grey stone rises from the bench； stonebearded。 He bears in his arms an umbrella sceptre。 From his forehead arise starkly the Mosaic ramshorns。）
THE RECORDER I will put an end to this white slave traffic and rid Dublin of this odious pest。 Scandalous！ （He dons the black cap。） Let him be taken； Mr Subsheriff； from the dock where he now stands and detained in custody in Mountjoy prison during His Majesty's pleasure and there be hanged by the neck until he is dead and therein fail not at your peril or may the Lord have…mercy on your soul。 Remove him。 （A black skullcap descends upon his head。）
（The subsheriff long John Fanning appears； smoking a pungent Henry Clay。）
LONG JOHN FANNING （Scowls and calls with rich rolling utterance。） Who'll hang Judas Iscariot？
（H。 Rumbold； master barber in a bloodcoloured jerk in and tanner's apron； a rope coiled over his shoulder mounts the block。 A life preserver and a nailstudded bludgeon are stuck in his belt。 He rubs grimly his grapping hands； knobbed with knuckledusters。）
RUMBOLD （To the recorder with sinister familiarity。） Hanging Harry； your Majesty； the Mersey terror。 Five guineas a jugular。 Neck or nothing。
（The bells of George's church toll slowly； loud dark iron。）
THE BELLS Heigho！ Heigho！
BLOOM （Desperately。） Wait。 Stop。 Gulls。 Good heart。 I saw。 Innocence。 Girl in the monkeyhouse。 Zoo。 Lewd chimpanzees。 （Breathlessly。） Pelvic basin。 Her artless blush unmanned me。 （Overe with emotion。） I left the precincts。 （He turns to a figure in the crowd； appealing。） Hynes； may I speak to you？ You know me。 That three shillings you can keep。 If you want a little more 。
HYNES （Coldly。） You are a perfect stranger。
SECOND WATCH （Points to the corner。） The bomb is here。 FIRST WATCH Infernal machine with a time fuse。 BLOOM No； no。 Pig's feet。 I was at a funeral。 FIRST WATCH （Draws his truncheon。） Liar！
（The beagle lifts his snout； showing the grey scorbutic face of Paddy Dignam。 He has gnawed all。 He exhales a putrid carcasefed breath。 He grows to human size and shape。 His dachshund coat bees a brown mortuary habit。 His green eyeflashes bloodshot。 Half of one ear all the nose and both thumbs are ghouleaten。）
PADDY DIGNAM （In a hollow voice。） It is true。 It was my funeral。 Doctor Finucane pronounced life extinct when I succumbed to the disease from natural causes。
（He lifts his mutilated ashen face moonwards and bays lugubriously。）
BLOOM （In triumph。） You hear？
PADDY DIGNAM Bloom； I am Paddy Dignam's spirit。 List； list； O list！
BLOOM The voice is the voice of Esau。
SECOND WATCH （Blesses himself。） How is that possible？
FIRST WATCH It is not in the penny catechism。
PADDY DIGNAM By metempsychosis。 Spooks。
A VOICE O rocks。
PADDY DIGNAM （Earnestly。） Once I was in the employ of Mr J。 H。 Menton； solicitor； missioner for oaths and affidavits； of 27 Bachelor's Walk。 Now I am defunct； the wall of the heart hypertrophied。 Hard lines。 The poor wife was awfully cut up。 Dow is she bearing it？ Keep her off that bottle of sherry。 （He looks round him。） A lamp。 I must satisfy an animal need。 That buttermilk didn't agree with me。
（The portly figure of John O'Connell； caretaker stands forth； holding a bunch of keys tied with crape。 Beside him stands Father Coffey； chaplain； toad bellied； wrynecked； in a surplice and bandanna nightcap； holding sleepily a staff of twisted poppies。）
FATHER COFFEY （Yawns； then chants with a hoarse croak。） Namine。 Jacobs Vobiscuits。 Amen。
（Foghorns stormily through his megaphone。） Dignam； Patrick T。； deceased。
PADDY DIGNAM （With pricked up ears； winces。） Overtones。
（He wriggles forward； places an ear to the ground。） My masters' voice！
JOHN O'CONNELL Burial docket letter number U。 P。 Eightyfive thousand。 Field seventeen。 House of Keys。 Plot； one hundred and one。
（Paddy Dignam listens with visible effort； thinking； his tailstiffpointed； his ears cocked。）
PADDY DIGNAM Pray for the repose of his soul。
（He worms down through a coal hole； his brown habit trailing its tether over rattling pebbles。 After him toddles an obese grandfather rat on fungus turtle paws under a grey carapace。 Dignam's voice； muffled； is heard baying under ground： Dignam's dead and gone below。 Tom Rochford； robinredbreasted； in cap and breeches； jumps from his two…columned machine。）
TOM ROCHFORD （A hand to his breastbone； bows。） Reuben J。 A florin I find him。 （He fixes the manhole with a resolute stare。） My turn now on。 Follow me up to Carlow。
（He executes a daredevil salmon leap in the air and is engulfed in the coalhole。 Two discs on the columns wobble eyes of nought。 All recedes。 Bloom plodges forward again。 He stands before a lighted house； listening。 The kisses； winging from their bowers； fly about him； twittering； warbling； cooing。）
THE KISSES （Warbling。） Leo！ （Twittering。） Icky licky micky sticky for Leo！ （Cooing。） Coo coocoo！ Yummyumm Wom worn！ （Warbling。） Big ebig！ Pirouette！ Leopopold！ （Twittering。） Leeolee！ （Warbling。） O Leo！
（They rustle； flutter upon his garments； alight； bright giddyflecks； silvery sequins。）
BLOOM A man's touch。 Sad music。 Church music。 Perhaps here。
（Zoe Higgins； a young whore in a sapphire slip； closed with three bronze buckles； a slim black velvet fillet round her throat； nods； trips down the steps and accosts him。）
ZOE Are you looking for someone？ He's inside with his friend。
BLOOM Is this Mrs Mack's？
ZOE No； eightyone。 Mrs Cohen's。 You might go farther and fare worse。 Mother Slipperslapper。 （Familiarly。） She's on the job herself tonight with the vet； her tipster； that gives her all the winners and pays for her son in Oxford。 Working overtime but her luck's turned today。 （Suspiciously。） You're not his father； are you？
BLOOM Not I！
ZOE You both in black。 Has little mousey any tickles tonight？
（His skin； alert； feels her fingertips approach。 A hand slides over his left thigh。）
ZOE How's the nuts？
BLOOM Off side。 Curiously they are on the right。 Heavier I suppose。 One in a million my tailor； Mesias； says。
ZOE （In sudden alarm。） You've a hard chancre。
BLOOM Not likely。
ZOE I feel it。
（Her hand slides into his left trouser pocket and brings out a hard black shrivelled potato。 She regards it and Bloom with dumb moist lips。）
BLOOM A talisman。 Heirloom。
ZOE For Zoe？ For keeps？ For being so nice； eh？
（She puts the potato greedily into a pocket； then links his arm； cuddling him with supple warmth。 He smiles uneasily。 Slowly； note by note； oriental music is play