Fabrikant and Levin
“Wasn’t the whole thing a moral question that too an ethical matter? That his rights had been violated and no one did anything about it?”
“This superseded the original matter. It was my opinion that the introduction of that photograph At least it cast a new different light on it his previous trouble.”
“What do you mean exactly?”
“I assume you know the content—the subject of the photograph?”
Levin, his mouth dry, nodded. “Vaguely,” he said. “What I mean is, aAll the picture showsed— doesn’t didn't it?—that was that they were naked after they came coming out of the water?”
“I don’t wouldn't care to discuss that.”
“Why not? I'm trying to understand what—er—actually happened.”
“The whole thing is It was an indecent business.”
“You mean The picture, or the sex angle?”
“Call it what you want will.”
“Was the photograph in color?” Levin wanted to know.
“Black and white. What difference does it make?”
Levin blushed. “Excuse me.”
He said, after a moment, “I assume Gilley brought the picture to you?”
“He did.”
“Did Pauline—I mean Mrs. Gilley know about the picture?”
“I’m told not.”
“Ah,” said Levin. “I suppose Duffy did?”
“I informed him.”
“What did he say?”
“He turned green and left the room.”
"Er—Did Duffy ever say anything—in explanation?"
"I don't know. You can ask Gilley."
"Did you tell Bucket?"
Fabrikant coughed. "He had sympathized with Duffy and asked me to explain my action. I afterwards promised myself I wouldn't discuss it with anyone again, nor have I until this evening."
"Excuse me for pursuing this," Levin said nervously. "but it's very important. Did Gilley say, when he showed you the picture, that his wife and Duffy were lovers?--that she had conf—admitted that to him?"
"He didn't say anything. He stopped by my office and handed me the photograph. I took one look and handed it back. There was no further communication on the subject, except his remark later that his wife didn't know about the picture and he would rather he didn't."
Contextual note:
This exchange follows Levin’s attempts to get information from Bucket about why Fabrikant dropped his defense of Duffy. Denied information from Bucket, Levin turns to Fabrikant. Most significantly, this interaction ends with Levin’s discontinued support of Fabrikant as head of the department and the decision to declare himself a candidate for head of department. This further sours his relationship with Gilley and foreshadows his eventual dismissal from his teaching position on moral grounds. Although this remains consistent from the manuscript edition to the published edition, Fabrikant’s reaction is less direct in his appraisal of Levin’s decision; in the manuscript edition he calls Levin crazy while in the published version he merely hints that Levin has become arrogant.