The Snack Thief (27 page)

The day before yesterday, in Mim company, I went to
see him (by the way, you ought to write Mim letter thank

ing him for his generosity and friendship). I had a chance to
observe Frans for a few minutes while he was playing with
Mim nephew, whos the same age. He was cheerful and
carefree. As soon as he saw me (he recognized me at once), his
expression changed. He sort of turned sad. Childrens memories,
like those of the elderly, are intermittent. Im sure the
thought of his mother had come back to him. He gave me a
big hug and then, looking at me with bright, tearless eyeshe
doesnt seem to me a boy who cries easilyhe didnt ask me
what I was afraid hed ask, that is, if I had any news of
Karima. In a soft voice, he said only:

Take me to Livia.

Not to his mother. To you. He must be convinced hell
never see his mother again. And unfortunately, hes right.

You know that from the very first, based on unhappy experience,
I was convinced that Karima had been murdered. To
do what I had in mind, I had to make a dangerous move that
would bring the accomplices to her murder out in the open.
The next step was to force them to produce the womans body
in such a way that, when it was found, it would be certain to
be identified. It all went well. And so I was able to act officially
on behalf of Frans, who has now been declared
motherless. The commissioner was a tremendous help to me,
putting all his many acquaintances to work. If Karimas body
had not been found, my steps would have surely been hindered
by endless bureaucratic red tape, which would have delayed the
resolution of our problem for years and years.

I realize this letter is getting too long, so Ill change register.

1) In the eyes of the law, Italian as well as Tunisian,
Frans is in a paradoxical situation. In fact, hes an orphan
who doesnt exist, inasmuch as his birth was never registered
either in Sicily or Tunisia.

2) The judge in Montelusa who deals with these questions
has sort of straightened out his status, but only for as long
as it takes to go through the necessary procedures. He has assigned
him temporarily to the care of Mim sister.

3) The same judge has informed me that while it is theoretically
possible in Italy for an unmarried woman to adopt a
child, in reality its all talk. And he cited the case of an actress
who was subjected to years of judicial pronouncements, opinions,
and decisions, each one contradicting the last.

4) The best way to expedite matters, in the judges opinion,
is for us to get married.

5) So get your papers ready.

A hug and a kiss. Salvo

P.S. A friend of mine in Vig whos a notary will administer
a fund of one-half billion lire in Franss name, which
hell be free to use when he comes legally of age. I find it fitting
that our son should be officially born the exact moment he sets
foot in our house, and more than fitting that he should be helped
through life by his real mother, whose money that was.

your father is nearing the end do not delay if you
ever want to see him again. arcangelo prestifilippo.

Hed been expecting these words, but when he read
them the dull ache returned, as when hed first found out.
Except that now it was compounded by the anguish of
knowing what duty required him to do: to bend down over
the bed, kiss his fathers forehead, feel his dry, dying breath,
look him in the eye, say a few comforting words. Would he
have the strength? Drenched in sweat, he thought this must
be the inevitable test, if indeed it was true that he must grow
up, as Professor Pintacuda had said.

I will teach Frans not to fear my death, he thought. And
from this thought, which surprised him by the very fact that
hed had it, he derived a temporary peace of mind.

Right outside the gates of Valmontana, after four straight
hours of driving, was a road sign indicating the route to follow
for the Clinica Porticelli.

He left the car in the well-ordered parking lot and went
in. He felt his heart beating right under his Adams apple.

My name is Montalbano. Id like to see my father whos
staying here.

The person behind the desk eyed him for a moment,
then pointed to a small waiting room.

Please make yourself comfortable. Ill call Dr. Brancato
for you.

He sat down in an armchair and picked up one of the
magazines that lay on a small table. He put it back down at
once. His hands were so sweaty they had wet the cover.

The doctor, a very serious-looking man of about fifty in
a white smock, came in and held out his hand to him.
Mr. Montalbano? I am very, very sorry to have to tell

you that your father died peacefully two hours ago.
Thank you, said Montalbano.
The doctor looked at him, slightly bewildered. But it

wasnt him the inspector was thanking.

AUTHORS NOTE

One critic, when reviewing my book The Terra-Cotta Dog,
wrote that Vig, the nonexistent town in which all my
novels are set, is the most invented city of the most typical
Sicily.

I cite these words in support of the requisite declaration
that all names, places, and situations in this book have been
invented out of whole cloth. Even the license plate.

If fantasy has somehow coincided with reality, the blame,
in my opinion, lies with reality.

The novel is dedicated to Flem. He liked stories like this.

NOTES

1 sardines a beccafico: Sarde a beccafico are a famous Sicilian specialty
named after a small bird, the beccafico (Sylvia borin, garden warbler
in English), which is particularly fond of figs; indeed the name
beccafico means fig-pecker. The headless, cleaned sardines are
stuffed with saut breadcrumbs, pinenuts, sultana raisins, and anchovies,
then rolled up in such a way that, when removed from the
oven, they resemble the bird.

6 the prefect: The prefetto is the local representative of the central
Italian government; one is assigned to each province. They are part
of the national, not local bureaucracy.

29 alalonga allagrodolce: Alalonga (literally longwing) is a
particularly delicious species of small tuna. Allagrodolce means
sweet and sour, and in this case involves sautg a small steak of
the fish in a sauce of vinegar, oil, sugar, and parsley.

29 The Northern League...towards secession: The Lega Nord is
a right-wing political party based in the northern regions of Italy
(Lombardy,Veneto, Piedmont) and known for its prejudices against
foreign immigrants and southern Italians. Until recently they had
been threatening to constitute a separate national entity under the
historically dubious name of Padania (after the Po River, which
runs from the Piedmont through Lombardy and the Veneto), and to
secede from the Italian republic.

38 They spread their hands apart, looking sorrowful: Spreading the
hands apart, palms open, is a gesture typical of southern Italians and
seen often among Italian Americans, most notably Al Pacino in
many of his movie roles. It usually expresses helplessness and resignation
to fate.

39 A smell of stale perfume, burnt straw in color: As seen in the
first two novels, Montalbano synesthetically associates colors with
smells.

51 E te lo vojo d che sato io: And I want to say / that
it was me. The lines are a refrain from a popular Italian song of the
early 1970s by the Fratelli DeAngelis. In it a man confesses to a
friend that it was he who committed an unsolved crime of passion
some thirty years before, and that he has kept the truth inside him
all these years.

51 goat-tied: The Sicilian word is incaprettato (containing the
word for goat, capra), and it refers to a particularly cruel method
of execution used by the Mafia, where the victim, facedown, has
a rope looped around his neck and then tied to his feet, which
are raised behind his back, as in hog-tying. Fatigue eventually
forces him to lower his feet, strangling himself in the process.

69 Italy is a Republic founded on construction work: A send-up
of the first sentence of the Italian constitution: Italy is a Republic
founded on work.

73 a gesture that meant gone away: Normally this consists of
tapping the edge of the right hand against the open left palm, a sign
used equally in Italy, France, Spain, and North Africa to mean lets
go or gone.

79 Montalbano brought his fingertips together, pointing upwards,
artichokelike: This is a familiar gesture of questioning used by all
Italians.

79 Fr... Salvo: The French conversation translates as follows:
Brother?
[...]
Yes. His brother Ahmed.
Where is he?
I dont know, [....]
Her husband?
[...]
Just Franss father. A bad man.
[...]
My name is Aisha, [. . .]
Mine is Salvo, [. . .]

81 five hundred million lire: About $300,000 at the time of the
novels publication in 1998.

96 two hundred twenty thousand lire...three hundred eighty
thousand... one hundred seventy-seven thousand lire: Respectively,
about $150, $200, and $95 at the time.

105 he was going out to the nearest tobacco shop: Tobacco products
in Italy are distributed by the state monopoly and sold only in licensed
shops, bars, and caf

107 when Montelusa was called Kerkent: The fictional Montelusa
is modeled on the city of Agrigento (the ancient Agrigentum),
called Girgenti by the Sicilians and Kerkent by the Arabs.

109 childrens late-morning snacks: Lunch in Italy isnt usually
eaten until one or one-thirty in the afternoon, and mothers often
pack a snack for their children to quell their late-morning hunger.

121 torroncini: Marzipan pastries filled with pumpkin jam and
covered with roasted almonds.

123 the Lacapra case: Lapra means the sheep, while La-
capra means the goat.

124 pasta ncasciata: A casserole of pasta cortathat is, elbow
macaroni, penne, ziti, mezzi ziti, or something similartomato
sauce, ground beef, Parmesan cheese, and bamel.

131 By repenting...turning states witness against the Mafia:

In Italy Mafia turncoats are called pentiti, repenters, and many
people, like Montalbano, believe they are treated too leniently by
the government.

131 ca e simenza: A snack food of chickpeas and pumpkin
seeds, sometimes with peanuts as well.

136 Is this . .. sappelle?: The French here translates as follows:
Is this your uncle?
Yes.
Whats his name?
Ahmed?
Just Ahmed?
Oh, no. Ahmed Moussa.
And your mother? Whats her name?

147 nine hundred thousand: At the time of the novels writing,
about $500.

156 Pippo Baudo: A famous Italian television personality and
master of ceremonies for a number of different variety shows.

159 No one must ever know that Inspector Montalbano was rescued
by the carabinieri. The carabinieri, considered not very intelligent in
the popular imagination, are a national paramilitary police force. They
and the local police forces are often in competition with each other.

162 On Saturday: Italian children attend school Monday
through Saturday.

167 Forty-four million two hundred thousand annually: About
$23,000.

179 Did.. The Wrath of God: Di Dio means of God in
Italian.

191 Totd Peppino: Totorn Antonio de Curtis to a
princely family, was one of the greatest comic actors of twentieth-
century Italy. He made many famous films with Peppino, born
Peppino De Filippo, another great comic and, like Totrom
Naples.

192 Wasnt that title abolished half a century ago?: Much used and
abused during the Fascist era, the title Your Excellency was finally
banned after World War II, though many government dignitaries
still defy the ban.

223 Two hundred million lire!: About $110,000.

225 Guarda come dondolo... col twist: See how I sway,
see how I sway, doing the twist. Lines from a popular song written
and performed by Edoardo Vianello.

241 Montanelli: Indro Montanelli (19092001) was a famous
journalist who began his long career during the time of the Fascists,
whom he initially supported. He continued to work as a
columnist and social critic until his death.

244 to compensate...for his...surname: Pera means pear in
Italian.

263 Celeste Aida: A famous aria from Giuseppe Verdis opera
Aida.

269 the miracle of the blood of San Gennaro: San Gennaro (St.
Januarius) is the patron saint of Naples. Though little is known
about him, his celebrity lies in the alleged miracle of the liquefaction
of his blood, which is kept in a small glass vial in the eponymous
cathedral of that city. The miracle is believed to occur some
eighteen times a year, but the main event is on September 19, the
saints feast day, when large crowds always gather to witness it. Failure
to liquefy is believed to be a dire portent.

283 a certain Libyan airplane...from the impact: On June 27,
1980, an Italian airliner crashed into the sea near the Sicilian island
of Ustica. All eighty-one people on board died, and the incident
has remained shrouded in mystery. The most prevalent theory is
that the plane was shot down by a missile during a NATO exercise,
but NATO has always denied this. The radar data, meanwhile, have
disappeared. Many rumors (never confirmed) have since surfaced
saying that an aerial battle had taken place during an attempt by
NATO to shoot down the plane in which Colonel Ghaddafi was
traveling. Whatever the case, shortly after the incident a fallen
Libyan warplane was recovered in the Calabrian mountains, which
the Italian secret service said had crashed the same day as the airliner.
The only problem was that the pilot would have to have been
dead while flying the airplane, since a verifiable autopsy (after an
earlier one had been proven false) showed that hed died twelve
days before the crash.

Notes compiled by Stephen Sartarelli.