Chapter 27

One evening, Kolester was trying to explain the central symbolism of the elk and the hunting of this beast that were vital to his Pulitzer-winning novel at the supper table, and Walker wasn't understanding—or was choosing not to understand—either the relevance or the import of this symbol to anything of value in American society, noting that this nation, like Europe, was rushing towards a world conflagration that had already raised its ugly head in East Asia. Thus, elk as a symbol of anything wasn't, in his opinion, relevant enough to merit a major literary prize—and he certainly couldn't see anything morally redeemable in hunting the majestic animals.

This worked, Henry went to the point of saying he did hunt elk and would jolly well continue to do so—and, in fact, that he wanted to hunt elk from the ranch by the end of the week.

Abegail was about to tell him that the ranch didn't make up hunting parties for anything larger than deer when they were in season any more when young Hamme