Spreading the gospel [of Sayers]

When Ben-in-the-next-office and I were both working a Saturday in late April, we got talking about mystery novels. I, of course, had to witness to the glory that is Dorothy L. Sayers and the four Wimsey/Vane books. Appalled to discover that Ben had never read any of them, I offered a brief sketch of Lord Peter's character ('Titled amateur detective who covers a sharp intellect with a Bertie Woosterish silly-ass-about-town pose and suffers from residual shellshock. He starts off a bit paperdollish, but Sayers brilliance is that she makes it appear not that she made him deeper as the series progressed, but that as the series progressed the reader is able to see more and more of the mind behind the facade') and a few quotations. St. George's line "Buzzin' and bumpin' about like a bumble-bee in a bottle" particularly caught his attention.

A few weeks later, I arrived at a booksale held by the History Graduate Students Association when the sale had reached the point of please-take-these-books-away, all-you-can-cram-in-a-box-for-a-dollar. I scooped up a number of intriguing items, including a copy of Have His Carcase identical to the copies my father and I have, except less thumbed. Since it cost me all of about fifteen cents, I decided to give it to Ben the next week at the last meeting of Legal Issues class.

When I presented it to him, my friend H was distressed by the picture of the murdered Paul Alexis on the cover, but Ben flipped it open immediately and soon exclaimed, "This is brilliant! H, listen to this! 'The best remedy for a bruised heart is not, as so many people seem to think, repose upon a manly bosom. Much more efficacious are honest work, physical activity, and the sudden acquisition of wealth.' That's brilliant!"

When I returned to work today, I had been in for about half an hour when Ben strolled up to the keybox opposite the office I share with the delightful J. I scampered across the hall and leaned against the wall beside the box.

"Hi," I said.

He looked up. "You're back!" He gave a little jump of excitement. "I read the book. I love it! It's the best mystery I've ever read. It's so much better than Rex Stout. The characters, they're real people! And they're funny people! 'Will you marry me?'"

"Like the telegrams. 'AM OFF TO SEAHAMPTON ON TRAIL OF RAZOR. WILL YOU MARRY ME? PETER.' 'GOOD HUNTING. SOME DEVELOPMENTS HERE TOO. CERTAINLY NOT. VANE.'"

"And his servant, what's it.."

"Bunter."

"Yes! Bunter! He's amazing!"

"I love Bunter." (smiles) "I'll bring Strong Poison for you tomorrow."

Sayers Evangelism is so very rewarding.