Dear Cyndy,

Thank you for your letter and for your account of your eye
problems. If I refrain from commenting, it's not because I
don't care, but because I understand that unfocussed comments
are usually unhelpful.  If you have specific questions,
please ask.

The trip to Maine, day before yesterday, to visit Margaret's
brother Alex and her sister-in-law Winnie, was very pleasant.  
We left a bit late, and didn't arrive until 1:30 p.m.,
stayed and chatted for three hours, and looked for a few minutes,
at some photos of Nathaniel's recent concert which I had brought
along. Both Alex and Winnie have been very ill, seem now to
be recovering, at least for the time being, and are peacefully
living out their remaining days in a large comfortably renovated
farmhouse overlooking a distant lake. Alex, himself a neurologist,
had in times past seemed irritated by and critical of what he
perceived to be my nihilistic rejection of modern medical practice.
Recently, in consequence of a better understanding, whether of
me or of himself, I couldn't say, Alex has been more tolerant of
my eccentricities, and has even showed a touch of affection. The
feelings that I have had for him had until now, never been 
reciprocated.

My cousin Marion, about whom you asked, arrived here from France on 
July 26, stayed with us until August 1, when she left to spend a few 
days in Truro at the summer home of a childhood friend. Marion returned
to Belmont on August 7, and flew home to St. Paul, Minnesota on
August 10. Since then, our correspondence has resumed. She seems 
to be well and happy, leading her solitary existence.

You're correct in your surmise that I haven't done much work on the
novel, but some. The tale is now on the threshold of very dramatic
episodes. My three protagonists, Mengs, Magus and Katenus were
on "the Island" where they were arrested as terrorist suspects,
having been overheard discussing a la Oswald Spengler, terrorism
as evidence of the natural and inevitable disintegration of a society
that has outlived its maturity. To add to the perplexity of the
local constabulary, the three continue their discussions of political
philosophy in prison - a la Plato - from which they are destined to be
liberated - shades of Fidelio and Portia - by Joachim Magus' importunate,
aggressive girl friend Charlotte Graupe.

However, my expansion of these scurrilous and sarcastic fantasies 
must wait until I've succeeded in extracting myself from the intellectual
and emotional quagmire of estate tax law, in which I have recently been
flailing about. I'm determined to try to spare Klemens the expense 
and the ordeal of drafting the Form 706 estate tax return which may
or may not have to be filed upon my death, by anticipating the task, -
somewhat like writing my own obituary, or describing my own autopsy.
Not very uplifting, but possibly very valuable.

I will conclude on this sordid and discordant note, nonetheless sending
my best, both to you and to Ned.

Jochen