Re: [Return Letter]
[This one comes tucked in a book. His own copy. Curled pages at the corners and smelling of cigarettes.]
Steve,
Anning. Descendant of Anning McVickers, who commissioned the Church of St. Barnabas in Irvington, NY. Horrible middle name. Don't call me Anning. I beg you. Cap fits you. Even without the shield and stripes, it fits, but I think I like Steve better. Am I supposed to call you McRory? Don't call Matt by his last name - Devlin. Why? Was born in the 70s. Favorite musicians were 70s musicians, and they were singing about sex, not love. Don't tell your inner romantic. Peggy. I've seen a picture, but I don't know the story. Looks like PJ. A lot like PJ.
Amoral and unvirtuous men in basements refuse to be part of society. To be honest, I'm new to society. Was apart from it for my entire life. Two years ago, that changed. Not sure how I feel about it. Will tell you one thing, life was easier when there weren't people in it. Didn't have to worry about duty or morality. No one expected anything of me, and I didn't expect anything from myself. Was easier. Less lonely, but it's a tradeoff. Another good thing about the basement is you're unaware of shifts to the right. Like that about old books and letters. Am something of an ostrich with my head in the sand. You're on a tangent. It's OK. You're passionate about the present. Me, I would rather live in fiction and the letters of dead men. The present depresses me.
Atticus McVickers. Heard of that guy. Like him.
Won't improve myself to appear better in your view. Don't have a different sense of duty, unless survival is duty. Don't think it is. I'm not a man who puts himself down, Steve, but I know who and what I am. You probably think I should strive to make changes, but I'm not the man that's going to change the world. I'll leave that to you, and I'll reap the rewards from my basement. My version of changing the world is making sure the things people write and say, who they are, are preserved. Not as important as having feelings about Communism or fighting in wars, but important in its own way.
I think Janus trusted this girl could handle it. She's impressive. She has talent and skills. But, she's young. Spent too much time teaching talented young boys. All the talent in the world isn't a match for experience. Hopefully, between the two of us, we can avoiding needing to call and ask to borrow your throwing arm. Will keep you apprised. You might need to sit on Matt if it goes wrong. Your friend is the biggest mother hen I've ever encountered.
When I don't have correspondence, I read. Or work. Bring some of the letters I'm going through home. It's always easy for me to get lost in other people's letters. Janus hates that about me. He thinks it's a breech of privacy. I think it's immortality. Don't think we'll ever see eye to eye there. But, I think you underestimate Matt's friendships. He's living in a house with people now. He was running a bar. He had staff, and he's closer to PJ than I am. Not doing too bad, all things considered.
He only reminded me of you in that he spoke of you often.
Would like a surprise visit, assuming I haven't been killed by a demon in the meantime. If I am dead, listen to some Floyd in my honor.