The Infinite Matrix | Michael Swanwick & Francisco Goya | The Sleep Of

Reason 11

05.09.02

the sleep of reason

by Michael Swanwick

with illustrations by

Francisco JosÉ de Goya y Lucientes

Click image to enlarge

Digital image © copyright

Davison Art Center,

Wesleyan University

DAC permission required

for any other use.

11. [Plate 13]

The All-Devouring

Would you eat a toad? Of course not. But what about Bufo al ProvenÇal?

Imagine it: You start with plump legs of toad, gently sauteed and then

set aside and kept warm. Into the newly-emptied saucepan add just a touch

more olive oil, some freshly minced garlic, and peeled, seeded, and

chopped tomatoes. When they have rendered down, add a handful of olives,

and a little finely chopped celery. When the celery has turned

transparent, return the toad legs to the pan and heat just until cooked

through. Serve immediately.

Delicious.

Such is the approach of the brotherhood of gourmets known as The

All-Devouring. Long, long ago, so fine are their palates, they used up

all the possibilities of fresh and wholesome food. Now they have moved on

to the delectation of the repugnant. Road-kill skunk, a swath of dirty

carpet torn from the floor of a motel waiting room, a hearty glass of

urine ? such are the primary elements of their exquisite feasts. But by

the time they have reached the table, these humble ingredients have been

transformed into dishes fit for the gods!

The All-Devouring are Sybarites par excellence. Whenever they meet, they

expand the horizons of refinement. They lick the wallpaper and chew on

the chairs. They egg each other on to greater and greater feats of

aestheticism.

At their last meeting, one of their members ate his own hand. It was, he

declared, excellent, though it could have used a garnish of slugs.

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This is the 11th of 80 stories by Michael Swanwick written to accompany

Francisco Goya's Los Caprichos. For a listing of the most recently

available stories, go to The Sleep of Reason.

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