reborn as a freckle…faced girl in Iowa。
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I studied the faces in the semicircle。 No one seemed amazed by this account。 Old Man Treadwell lit a cigarette； impatient with his own trembling hand； forced to shake out the flame before it burned him。 There was no interest shown in discussion。 The story occupied some recess of passive belief。 There it was； familiar and forting in its own strange way； a set of statements no less real than our daily quota of observable household fact。 Even Babette in her tone of voice betrayed no sign of skepticism or condescension。 Surely I was in no position to feel superior to these elderly listeners； blind or sighted。 Little Patti's walk toward the warm weling glow found me in a weakened and receptive state。 I wanted to believe at least this part of the tale。
Babette read an ad。 The Stanford Linear Accelerator 3…Day Particle…Smashing Diet。
She picked up another tabloid。 The cover story concerned the country's leading psychics and their predictions for the ing year。 She read the items slowly。
〃Squadrons of UFOs will invade Disney World and Cape Canaveral。 In a startling twist； the attack will be revealed as a demonstration of the folly of war； leading to a nuclear test…ban treaty between the U。S。 and Russia。
'The ghost of Elvis Presley will be seen taking lonely walks at dawn around Graceland； his musical mansion。
〃A Japanese consortium will buy Air Force One and turn it into a luxury flying condominium with midair refueling privileges and air…to…surface missile capability。
〃Bigfoot will appear dramatically at a campsite in the rugged and scenic Pacific Northwest。 The hairy； upright man…beast； who stands eight feet tall and may be evolution's missing link； will gently wele tourists to gather around him； revealing himself to be an apostle of peace。
〃UFOs will raise the lost city of Atlantis from its watery grave in the Caribbean by telekinetic means and the help of powerful cables with properties not known in earthlike materials。 The result will be a 'city of peace' where money and passports are totally unknown。
〃The spirit of Lyndon B。 Johnson will contact CBS executives to arrange an interview on live TV in order to defend itself against charges made in recent books。
〃Beatle assassin Mark David Chapman will legally change his name to John Lennon and begin a new career as a rock lyricist from his prison cell on murderer's row。
〃Members of an air…crash cult will hijack a jumbo jet and crash it into the White House in an act of blind devotion to their mysterious and reclusive leader； known only as Uncle Bob。 The President and First Lady will miraculously survive with minor cuts； according to close friends of the couple。
〃Dead multibillionaire Howard Hughes will mysteriously appear in the sky over Las Vegas。
〃Wonder drugs mass…produced aboard UFO pharmaceutical labs in the weightless environment of space will lead to cures for anxiety； obesity and mood swings。
〃From beyond the grave； dead living legend John Wayne will municate telepathically with President Reagan to help frame U。S。 foreign policy。 Mellowed by death； the strapping actor will advocate a hopeful policy of peace and love。
〃Sixties superkiller Charles Manson will break out of prison and terrorize the California countryside for weeks before negotiating a surrender on live TV in the offices of International Creative Management。
〃Earth's only satellite； the moon； will explode on a humid night in July； playing havoc with tides and raining dirt and debris over much of our planet。 But UFO cleanup crews will help avert a worldwide disaster； signalling an era of peace and harmony。〃
I watched the audience。 Folded arms； heads slightly tilted。 The predictions did not seem reckless to them。 They were content to exchange brief and unrelated remarks； as during a break for a mercial on TV。 The tabloid future； with its mechanism of a hopeful twist to apocalyptic events； was perhaps not so very remote from our own immediate experience。 Look at us； I thought。 Forced out of our homes； sent streaming into the bitter night； pursued by a toxic cloud； crammed together in makeshift quarters； ambiguously death…sentenced。 We'd bee part of the public stuff of media disaster。 The small audience of the old and blind recognized the predictions of the psychics as events so near to happening that they had to be shaped in advance to our needs and wishes。 Out of some persistent sense of large…scale ruin； we kept inventing hope。
Babette read an ad for diet sunglasses。 The old people listened with interest。 I went back to our area。 I wanted to be near the children； watch them sleep。 Watching children sleep makes me feel devout； part of a spiritual system。 It is the closest I can e to God。 If there is a secular equivalent of standing in a great spired cathedral with marble pillars and streams of mystical light slanting through two…tier Gothic windows； it would be watching children in their little bedrooms fast asleep。 Girls especially。
Most of the lights were out now。 The barracks roar had subsided。 People were settling in。 Heinrich was still awake； sitting on the floor； fully dressed； his back to the wall； reading a Red Cross resuscitation manual。 He was not； in any case； a child whose lustrous slumber brought me peace。 A restless； teeth…grinding and erratic sleeper； the boy sometimes fell from his bed； to be found in a fetal bundle by early light； shivering on the hardwood floor。 〃They seem to have things under control；〃 I said。 〃Who？〃
〃Whoever's in charge out there。〃 〃Who's in charge？〃 〃Never mind。〃
〃It's like we've been flung back in time；〃 he said。 〃Here we are in the Stone Age； knowing all these great things after centuries of progress but what can we do to make life easier for the Stone Agers？ Can we make a refrigerator？ Can we even explain how it works？ What is electricity？ What is light？ We experience these things every day of our lives but what good does it do if we find ourselves hurled back in time and we can't even tell people the basic principles much less actually make something that would improve conditions。 Name one thing you could make。 Could you make a simple wooden match that you could strike on a rock to make a flame？ We think we're so great and modern。 Moon landings； artificial hearts。 But what if you were hurled into a time warp and came face to face with the ancient Greeks。 The Greeks invented trigonometry。 They did autopsies and dissections。 What could you tell an ancient Greek that he couldn't say； 'Big deal。' Could you tell him about the atom？ Atom is a Greek word。 The Greeks knew that the major events in the universe can't be seen by the eye of man。 It's waves； it's rays； it's particles。〃
〃We're doing all right。〃
〃We're sitting in this huge moldy room。 It's like we're flung back。〃
〃We have heat； we have light。〃
〃These are Stone Age things。 They had heat and light。 They had fire。 They rubbed flints together and made sparks。 Could you rub flints together？ Would you know a flint if you saw one？ If a Stoner Ager asked you what a nucleotide is； could you tell him？ How do we make carbon paper？ What is glass？ If you came awake tomorrow in the Middle Ages and there was an epidemic raging； what could you do to stop it； knowing what you know about the progress of medicines and diseases？ Here it is practically the twenty…first century and you've read hundreds of books and magazines and seen a hundred TV shows about science and medicine。 Could you tell those people one little crucial thing that might save a million and a half lives？〃
〃'Boil your water；' I'd tell them。〃
〃Sure。 What about 'Wash behind your ears。' That's about as good。〃
〃I still think we're doing fairly well。 There was no warning。 We have food； we have radios。〃
〃What is a radio？ What is the principle of a radio？ Go ahead； explain。 You're sitting in the middle of this circle of people。 They use pebble tools。 They eat grubs。 Explain a radio。〃
〃There's no mystery。 Powerful transmitters send signals。 They travel through the air； to be picked up by receivers。〃
〃They travel through the air。 What； like birds？ Why not tell them magic？ They travel through the air in magic waves。 What is a nucleotide？ You don't know； do you？ Yet these are the building blocks of life。 What good is knowledge if it just floats in the air？ It goes from puter to puter。 It changes and grows every second of every day。 But nobody actually knows anything。〃
〃You know something。 You know about Nyodene D。 I saw you with those people。〃
〃That was a one…time freak；〃 he told me。
He went back to his reading。 I decided to get some air。 Outside there were several groups of people standing around fires in fifty…five…gallon drums。 A man sold soft drinks and sandwiches from an open…sided vehicle。 Parked nearby were school buses； motorcycles； smallish vans called ambulettes。 I walked around a while。 There were people asleep in cars； others pitching tents。 Beams of light swung slowly through the woods； searching out sounds； calm voices calling。 I walked past a carload of prostitutes from Iron City。 The interior light was on； the faces occupied the windows。 They resembled the checkout women at the supermarket； blondish； double…chinned； resigned。 A man leaned against the front door on the driver's side； speaking through a small opening in the window； his breath showing white。 A radio said： 〃Hog futures have declined in sympathy； adding bearishness to that market。〃
I realized the man talking to the prostitutes was Murray Jay Siskind。 I walked over there； waited for him to finish his sentence before addressing him。 He took off his right glove to shake my hand。 The car window went up。
〃I thought you were in New York for the term break。〃
〃I came back early to look at car…crash movies。 Alfonse arranged a week of screenings to help me prepare for my seminar。 I was on the airport bus heading in from Iron City when sirens started blowing。 The driver didn't have much choice but to follow the traffic out here。〃
〃Where are you spending the night？〃
〃The whole bus was assigned to one of the outbuildings。 I heard a rumor about painted women and came out to investigate。 One of them is dressed in leopard loungewear under her coat。 She showed me。 Another one says she has a snap…off crotch。 What do you think she means by that？ I'm a little worried； though； about all these outbreaks of life…style diseases。 I carry a reinforced ribbed condom at all times。 One size fits all。 But I have a feeling it's not much protection against the intelligence and adaptability of the modern virus。〃
'The women don't seem busy；〃 I said。
〃I don't think this is the kind of disaster that leads to sexual abandon。 One or two fellows might e skulking out eventually but there won't be an orgiastic horde； not tonight anyway。〃
〃I guess people need time to go through certain stages。〃
〃It's obvious；〃 he said。