It is getting to be mid-afternoon. Tomorrow I work on the house again, then the next day back out to the University and then Electric City for the first of the work days. There are ‘color lights’ on the lower part of the Library wall from the mid-afternoon sun shining through the long stained glass window again. The Library Cat is standing on hind legs with one paw on the wall and the other batting at the images. More trees and vines wait for me tomorrow. But now I will get out and away.

***

I drive out into the desert and then I am here in Spring Desert City. I see a new sign Look Forward to Being Dead. I park and walk into the Compound as the sun is setting. The cat suit still fits. I go past a military formation of Worms that came over from Czonaloqkos. I am glad I brought the mask. Most Worms are pretty fat and have their gun belts hanging from their shoulders. Next to them are several of the kids from the Corrections Campus. The ones who supervise the other kids there. They are wearing riding boots and costumes and are holding riding whips. There must be a horse show tonight.  

I join in with a group of ‘associates’ in cat suits. I am one of them. A Security Guard with an electrified rod walks us into the Woman’s Sanctuary. I do the same as the others and stand along the wall with the longer table set up with drinks and sweets. There are round tables in the center. Seated in chairs are women dressed up in black cat costumes with skirts and white fronts. The cat in a higher chair is dressed in red. The black cats talk in ‘meows’ and whisper to one another and point to each other. There are two empty chairs across the two tables from the red cat. A door opens and two black cats bring in two women in white cat costumes. I recognize them as the large wife of Fightin’ Bubba and the thin wife of Brightly. Everyone at the table is silent as the white cats each go and stand behind an empty chair. All the cats meow, whisper, and point at the white cats. When they stop the white cats sit down. The red cat signals and we associates all rush to serve them drinks and sweets. I am able to catch on to what to do fast enough so I am not quite the last to move. We take our places back along the wall. Suddenly the red cat stands and turns. All the rest follow her over in a group to disappear into the Women’s Hallway.

Our Security Guard then walks us next door into the Mounting Area and on through toward the open doors to the Starting Gate Hallway. Two doors along the back wall off to our side open and Security Guards escort Fightin’ Bubba and Brightly Dawn in. They are dressed in their finest campaign suits and look worried. Following are a few more Guards and the two kids from the Corrections Campus dressed in riding costume. I see one Guard go over to the large cabinets that have the polished leather saddles and metal hardware. As he starts to unlock one of the cabinet doors he gives a sharp look in our direction. Our Guard only has to spark one of the associates with his electrified rods to start us all running down the dirt floor hall to the Dismounting Area and into the Conference Center. We all quickly take our places along a side wall there. I can just see the women dressed like cats across through the glassed-in seating area. The Conference Center is filling up. Well-dressed men and a few women come down from the Family Sanctuary. Others are wheeled in through the double doors. Some in the chairs I think are dead. I see associates bringing in cardboard cut-outs of Nation’s Security Advisor Stuhl, LoneStar Vice Governor Snad, and some others I don’t know. There are campaign posters on the wall. One says Vote for Fighin’ Bubba. He’s been Dead his whole Life. There is a table of displays for the candidates.

The other associates and I are soon carrying trays of drinks around to the guests. I see the displays on the table include the candidates’ signed papers that say they have never read a book. After several drinks the guests start to take seats in front of the stage and the wheeled chairs and their attendants form in the area behind the rows of seats.

Tellin’ Bubba walks slowly to the front and takes the stage. The room falls silent. Behind him on the wall is a banner There is no such a thing as too much Revenge!  Tellin’ offers a prayer asking for wisdom and honor and dignity for the important matters of the evening. He steps back down. A man with extra-large cheeks walks up on the stage. He looks like he needs a shave. He thanks the crowd and immediately starts a speech about things that they do not like about the Hope Party. His cheeks start to shake in indignation. The audience claps their hands together. As the cheeks shake more they clap their hands more. Some stand and cheer. After a few minutes he places his hands on his cheeks to stop them moving and announces “and now it is time for horsies” to even more cheering. All the room looks toward the hall that opens into the Dismounting Area. Some are able to stand. They start to clap their hands again after they hear the yelling and noise from down the hallway. You hear banging against the walls and someone yelling 'get up, get up.' Suddenly to cheering Fightin’ Bubba and Brightly charge into the room. They wear small saddles on their backs over their campaign suits. Both have dirt from the track on their knees. They are ridden by the kids with whips from the Corrections Campus. They gallop one full circle around the Dismounting Area kicking dirt from their shoes and clothing before the kids dismount. All loud cheering and clapping. Fightin’ Bubba is out of breath and can hardly stand. The man with the cheeks on the stage says that before the presentations we will give the candidates a chance for refreshments. Several associates rush to take them drinks.

After a few moments of rest the candidates walk towards the stage. Fightin’ Bubba grabs another drink from a tray as they start. They still wear the saddles and so they stand in a slightly stooped position on the stage facing the audience. One of Fightin’s helpers loosens the saddle belt a little for him. Cheeks Man says the first part of the presentation will be how much the candidates hate The Government. And so they start. ‘They hate the government so much that…’ and so on. Their faces get red, They stomp their feet up and down. They get down on the floor. They growl and scream in rage. They hit the floor with their fists. I think Fightin’ did better than Brightly. Then Cheeks Man says the next presentation will be who is the most optimistic about the future. By now a lot of the audience is not paying much attention, talking with one another, taking more drinks from our trays, and walking around. This does not stop the candidates from smiling and trying to look happy and saying how they know the best days are ahead and so on. Waving their arms around. Jumping up and down. Smiling. Brightly did better on this one. Then the final presentation is to tell how much they want to be Nation’s President. And now out comes all they have left. ‘I want it so bad that…’ with tears and begging and falling on their knees, and groveling on the floor, crawling, and more tears. Licking the floor. I don’t think I could say who did best for this one. By now the audience is not paying attention at all. And some have started to leave. The candidates’ associates help them up off the floor and lead them down from the stage. They try to join in with the audience where they are mostly ignored. The women in cat suits have entered and joined in with the crowd.    

Now I think ‘how am I going to get out of this and back home.’ I forgot to eat anything today. The sweets are all gone. Brightly has a tray of drinks he is offering around. Fightin’ has one also. He offers the tray to one of the still figures seated. And then is drinking the glasses himself. I wonder when they get the saddles taken off. The only thing I see possible to eat is a pancake sitting on a dish on the candidates’ display table. It tastes pretty old so I don’t eat all of it. I put what’s left of it back on the dish and walk away trying to do like the other associates and look for a door that goes outside. I hear a loud scream and see a lot of commotion over at the candidates’ display table. The cat women are running around. The Worms rush into the room. Someone grabs my arm. “You aren’t supposed to be here. If the Worms catch you they will take you out into the desert and leave you there.” That is Reuben’s voice. I turn and see a very large cat looking closely at my face. I hear a menacing purring noise. There is a very bad smell.

***

(continued on Page 4)

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