Dear Acolyte R. I. S.:
Please send me FREE of obligation, in sealed wrapper, "The
Scarlet Book" revealing to me how I may gain Secret Mastery of the
Universe
Name: ........................
Address: .....................
The world disoriented itself and I was on the floor of the somber diner
and Miss Vivian Casey was out of sight and scent.
There was a five dollar bill tight in my fist. The counterman was
trying to pull it out.
I looked up at his stubbled face. "I had half a dozen hamburgers, a
cup of coffee and a glass of milk. I want four more 'burgers to go and
a pint of coffee. By your prices, that will be one sixty-five--if the
lady didn't pay you."
"She didn't," he stammered. "Why do you think I was trying to get that
bill out of your hand?"
I didn't say anything, just got up off the floor. After the counterman
put down my change, I spread out the five dollar bill on the vacant
bar, smoothing it.
I scooped up my change and walked out the door. There was no one on the
sidewalk, only in the doorways.
* * * * *
First I opened the door on an amber world, then an azure one. Neon
light was coming from the chickenwire border of the room, from a window
somewhere beyond. The wino on one side of the room was singing and
the one on the other side was praying, same as before. Only they had
changed around--prayer came from the left, song from the right.
Doc sat on the floor in the half-darkness and he had made a _thing_.
My heart hammered at my lungs. I _knew_ this last time had been
different. Whatever it was was getting closer. This was the first time
Doc had ever made anything. It didn't look like much, but it was a
start.
He had broken the light bulb and used the filament and screw bottom.
His strong hands had unraveled some of the bed "springs"--metal
webbing--and fashioned them to his needs. My orb-point pen had
dissolved under his touch. All of them, useless parts, were made into a
meaningful whole.
I knew the thing had meaning, but when I tried to follow its design, I
became lost.
I put the paper container of warm coffee and the greasy bag of
hamburgers on the wooden chair, hoping the odor wouldn't bring any
hungry rats out of the walls.