Beethoven's Assassins

Dedalus Original Fiction in Paperback Beethoven’s Assassins Andrew Crumey was born in Glasgow in 1961. He read theoretical physics and mathematics at St Andrews University and Imperial College in London, before doing post-doctoral research at Leeds University on nonlinear dynamics. After six years as the literary editor at Scotland on Sunday he now combines teaching creative writing at Northumbria University with his writing. He is the author of seven previous novels: Music, in a Foreign Language (1994), Pfitz (1995), D’Alembert’s Principle (1996), Mr Mee (2000, Dedalus edition 2014), Mobius Dick (2004, Dedalus edition 2014) Sputnik Caledonia (2008, Dedalus edition 2015) and The Secret Knowledge (2013) as well as the narrative sequence The Great Chain of Unbeing (2018). Andrew Crumey’s novels have been translated into fifteen languages. Published in the UK by Dedalus Limited, 24–26, St Judith’s Lane, Sawtry, Cambs, PE28 5XE [email protected] www.dedalusbooks.com ISBN printed book 978 1 912868 23 0 ISBN ebook 978 1 915568 39 7 Dedalus is distributed in the USA & Canada by SCB Distributors, 15608 South New Century Drive, Gardena, CA 90248 [email protected] www.scbdistributors.com Dedalus is distributed in Australia by Peribo Pty Ltd. 58, Beaumont Road, Mount Kuring-gai, N.S.W. 2080 [email protected] www.peribo.com.au First published by Dedalus in 2023 Beethoven’s Assassins copyright © Andrew Crumey 2023 The right of Andrew Crumey to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. Printed and bound in the UK by Clays Elcograf S.p.A. Typeset by Marie Lane This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. A C.I.P. listing for this book is available on request. Contents One Therese Beethoven and Philosophy Therese Beethoven and Philosophy Two Adam Sullivan Therese Three Coyle Adam Sullivan Coyle Adam Sullivan Coyle Adam Four 1823 Five Coyle Celia Carter Coyle Ludwig Coyle Schindler Beethoven and Philosophy 1 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 63 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 One Therese By heck he couldn’t half go on. He’d spend hours wandering like a tramp round the estate, come home expecting his dinner, then he’d start lecturing us. Shouting, like, on account of his bad ears. Very convenient, those ears of his, for one who liked talking more than listening, wouldn’t you say? Believe me, you couldn’t get a word in edgeways with old fly-by-night around, except behind his back, though even then he’d notice. Which makes you wonder, don’t it? Exactly how deaf was he? If you ask me, there’s far too much said about Ludwig and not enough about the rest of the family. Grandfather Beethoven was a very eminent musician in Bonn, so I’m told. As was Ludwig’s father until the — well, not to put too fine a point on it — until