He turned and strode away to join Miles, while Pugnax, whose tail had regained its customary animation, was left to scout the bounds of the encampment, searching for evidence of other dogs and their humans who might seek unauthorized entry.
* * * * * * * * * *
Does anybody else get the feeling that Thomas Pynchon isn't thrilled with writing standard linear plots even if they involve reading dogs and adventurous kids who constantly insult each other? I sort of get that feeling but not in any way that I can explain. It's kind of a paranormal feeling, as if a ghost were whispering in my ear, "Pynchon sounds bored, right?"
All of these extended linear scenes which need extra sentences to link the action from one moment to the next all sound too clinical and, well, normal! I guess Pynchon continues to point out how Lindsay has a huge stick up his ass merely by saying he "strode away." And I guess Pugnax's tail knows enough that it can feel "at ease" once Lindsay and Randolph have departed the camp.
At first I thought Pugnax would simply be excited to get some earthly smells and maybe engage with other dogs but it looks like he's excited at the possibility of a fight. That shouldn't be too surprising being that his name pretty much means "inclined to fight" or "combative" in Latin.
Is that what Pynchon thinks of his readership? That they're combative? That's probably true in the sense that nerds love to debate literature and Star Trek.
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