bloom (propping him.) retain your own.
stephen (laughs emptily.) my centre of gravity is displaced. i have forgotten the trick. let us sit down somewhere and discuss. struggle for life is the law of existence but modern philirenists， notably the tsar and the king of england， have invented arbitration. (he taps his brow.) but in here it is i must kill the priest and the king.
biddy the clap did you hear what the professor said？ he's a professor out of the college.
cunty kate i did. i heard that.
biddy the clap he expresses himself with much marked refinement of phraseology.
cunty kate indeed， yes. and at the same time with such apposite trenchancy.
private carr (pulls himself free and comes forward.) what's that you're saying about my king？
(edward the seventh appears in an archway. he wears a white jersey on which an image of the sacred heart is stitched， with the insignia of garter and thistle， golden fleece， elephant of denmark， skinners' and probyns' horse， lincoln's inn bencher and ancient and honourable artillery company of massachusetts. he sucks a red jujube. he is robed as a grand elect perfect and sublime mason with trowel and apron， marked made in germany. in his left hand he holds a plasterers bucket on which is printed： défense d'uriner. a roar of welcome greets him.)edward the seventh (slowly， solemnly but indistinctly.) peace， perfect peace. for identification bucket in my hand. cheerio， boys. (he turns to his subjects.) we have come here to witness a clean straight fight and we heartily wish both men the best of good luck. mahak makar a back.
(he shakes hands with private carr， private compton， stephen， bloom and lynch. general applause. edward the seventh lifts the bucket graciously in acknowledgement.)private carr (to stephen.) say it again.
stephen (nervous， friendly， pulls himself up.) i understand your point of view， though i have no king myself for the moment. this is the age of patent medicine. a discussion is difficult down here. but this is the point. you die for your country， suppose. (he places his arm on private carr's sleeve.) not that i wish it for you. but i say： let my country die for me. up to the present it has done so. i don't want it to die. damn death. long live life！