“Willson I need help.” I open my eyes and see the black Library cat on the table very close purring and looking into my face. I turn and see Reuben. His suit is dirty and covered with weeds and spider webs. He is very dirty I can hardly see his face for hair and dirt. The library woman nearby with the small notebook is holding her hands near her face like she just screamed. Probably when Reuben walked up to the table and grabbed my arm. I sit up and shake my head. “Willson you said something about worms. A bad dream I bet.” I think he feels bad because he woke me. “You must like that suit but you need to change it” is all I can think to say.  

“I don’t know what happened. I had to get away by myself. I had a few drinks. More than a few Willson. I don’t know how long it’s been.” I stand up trying to get awake and pick up my journal. “Let’s get you out of here before somebody screams again” I answer. We walk out the back door to the cars “now I can show you my new house. It has soap and water. You might remember those.” He doesn’t smell so bad out here. I pull as much weeds and webs as I can off of him. I will keep my car windows open. When I get him to the house I show him where he can take a bath. I put his dirty clothes into a bag and include the cat costume and mask I still had. I get him some of my old clothes to wear. He sees that I sleep on the floor and says that is better than sleeping in the dirt outside. I thought about offering him a beer but thought better. I did have some food I could heat up for him. After Reuben has something to eat he asks for my small phone and steps into the next room. After a few minutes he comes back “they should be here in a while. Thank you more than I can say.” Then he adds “this means I will have Keepers now.”

I say something like ‘I am glad to help.’ I say nothing more as Reuben gets up and walks around the room. More like he’s talking to himself he starts ‘I guess you watched Scrupps by now. If you could stand to. I did not want it to be like that. Not only like that. I planned for ‘the trickster’ story surprises. The trickster in Indigenous folk literature has always represented the only power the powerless have. Also some ‘subversive’ or ‘irreverent’ dialog at least one line per show. That would make the show appeal to a smarter audience. Have some intelligence. But no. The entitled would not have that. They just wanted complete screw-ups. For the audience to see themselves also as complete screw-ups. I could never get to anyone else high enough in the company to convince. They are all one of the entitled. I wonder if there is ever anyone above them?  The ‘entitled uphold the Minders.’  ‘With no entitled there would be no Minders.’ I don’t know what he means.

I see a shadow across the front window and look out to see a limo has stopped outside. The Security Guard gets out. Reuben follows me out the front door. The Security Guard looks at me and the house with disgust. Right then another car stops and parks behind the limo. Several men dressed as being from the Keepers company step out. They look at me and the house with disgust. Two walk over and Reuben follows them to the limo. I think I see a person in a red dress in the back of the limo through the dark windows. I start to walk with Reuben but one Keeper blocks my way. I say goodbye and wave but Reuben gets into the limo without turning back. I am not much help. This is like being in a battle without a weapon again.

***

I did get some work done on the trees and vines yesterday. I would have done even more if I hadn’t spent time reading more from the professor’s notebook. I found a page folded in. It has the form of a school paper with a footnote.

There was an earlier large and advanced civilization in The Basin well over a thousand years ago. At a thousand years ago this civilization suddenly disappeared.1. The civilization had many more inhabitants than today. Rocky composites that could only have been man-made cross The Basin. These are several feet below ground now and can be found to follow paths that could only have been long and wide highways. When these lead to a river channel there is also pieces of the composites that go across the floors of the channels, bridges that have collapsed. The material had traces of steel structures that supported bridges. The evidence of highways continue on the other side. Indeed there is also evidence that similar materials once lined the bottom of Wash and other river channels. There are also deep piles of composites concentrated all around the location of present downtown Greater. There are lesser piles of strata below ground that cover vast areas on presently uninhabited lands. These also have traces of oxidized metals and evidence of fire. There have been discoveries of large burial sites, rows and rows of graves. Divers off from the shore have found faint remains of sunken ships and the remains of the undersea structures of piers.

1.  One thousand years ago will serve as a reference point until scientific inquiry discovers another time. That number of years would be enough and more for all metals that re-enforced composite structures to have completely oxidized. It would be enough time for the forces of nature to have covered all of the works of man. Moreover there is confirmation in oral literary traditions. The ancient legends in The Celestial tell of the sudden disappearance of the ‘Golden Market’ across the vast ocean one thousand Winters ago. How their land descended into 1000 years of ‘chaos and evil’ until once again they established contact with the ‘New Golden Market’ across the vast ocean. The legends of the local Indigenous civilization tell of their origin one thousand Summers ago when they formed out of the ‘Rains.’ And that there are others in a ‘spirit world’ that formed at that time and who live ‘alongside.’

Next to this are other loose articles from the newspaper ’Grndee likely ill’ and ‘Institute must discipline Grndee.’

***

My first stop today at the University is at the offices of the Professor who is the ‘Manager of Academy’ for the project. I will give him a progress report. I understand that he really does not do anything on the project and was not part of the group that designed and approved the Re-decelerator. He is the person though that we all do things ‘for.’ He is called The Chair. I am to meet with him at 9:00 and get to his offices just at that time. The older secretary is dressed like a young school girl and is reading a book. The office is decorated like a children’s school. She tells me it will be ‘just a few minutes.’ I sit and settle back for a short nap. The secretary adds that when she finishes the book ‘Professor will move me up to the next level.’ I could not see what the book was. At 9:40 the secretary shakes me awake and takes me through a door into a large wood paneled office and leads me over to a chair in front of a large desk with a large empty chair behind it. I see book cases with books that look to me like they are undisturbed. There are framed diplomas and other certificates placed along another wall. There are multi-colored robes hanging from hooks. I sit and settle in for another nap when a door at the side of the room opens. In walks a man wearing work clothes. His shirt has a badge that says Custodian and he is pushing a broom along the floor. He looks up at me in surprise and looks at the clock on the wall. He says something I can’t understand and quickly leaves the room.

A few minutes later he is back fully dressed in academic robes. He sits and looks at me and says “oh it’s you” and then looks off to the side. “I saw you before? You are one of those from Cottonbaugh. You worked in the oil fields to get money to come to the university no doubt. Here. Quite. We ‘re-directed’ you to that little university. Where is it. Fruitbaugh. And told you you were always welcome to come back and drive by the University. And look. And now you are back. Interesting.” He starts looking through his papers again. “I am here to give you our progress report on…” “Yes you are. Progress. It is good or you wouldn’t be here. Now would you?” He looks up from the papers but still looks off to the side. “When you are finished with what is it? Come back and see me. You might be part of our ‘extra faculty.’ After you work a year you may be invited to come back for another year at an ‘honorary salary.’ You would not be ‘pre-vested’ of course, but you would finally be a part of our university. Of sorts.” He is still looking away. I have to be careful. He has some heavy objects on his desk I could throw. I thank him and ask if he has any questions. He answers “why would I?” still looking at the papers on his desk. Silence. After a moment I get up and walk quietly out the door.

It feels good to be back outside after that. I have some time so I walk into The Square. I will see Aiden at the Faculty Lounge in a while. Then later I will stop at Electric City on my way back home.

I see a stage set up over at the edge facing the open field. There are student actors at the side of the stage dressed in the costumes of the Ancients. A large group of students have forming in a circle in front of the stage. I join them. One of the students in costume walks onto the stage. ‘Remember dear lovers of art that you are trapped in the Monkey House. And that Monkeys rule in the monkey house.’ The students sit to enjoy the show. ‘And so on that our theme we continue our artistic contribution to the long election season.’ He steps over to the side of the stage and puts his arm and open hand out to the side ‘we are fortunate dear lovers of democracy that just in from their fake ranches behold. The Aire of Head and the Nearly of Dead.’ In ride the students playing the two on stick horses dressed in LoneStar costume. Large hats, large boots, shirts that should have long sleeves but have short sleeves. They ‘gallop’ in several circles around the stage. The seated students cheer. The ‘candidates’ ‘dismount’ from the stick horses. Aire is holding a wacker. Nearly is holding a Bible.

Nearly speaks first. He calls for the ‘freedom of human sacrifice for troubled times in a religious nation.’ He adds that we will use it ‘responsibly.’ Aire counters that human sacrifice should be a matter ‘left to the several states.’ Nearly says no because ‘of those who’ in some states don’t believe in ‘freedom of religion.’ Aire says we must always honor ‘states’ rights.’ Nearly hits at Aire with his Bible but he blocks it with his wacker. Aire hits back at Nearly but he blocks the wacker with his Bible. There is a voice from off stage ‘stop my friends. We are all part of The Nation.’ The student who is narrating the play says ‘behold the Sing of Songs.’ Sing bounds on the stage wearing a Coast costume from the movies. He sings ‘there is no Nearly nation. There is no Aire Nation. There is only The Nation.’ The students cheer again. Aire and Nearly then run at Sing and start hitting at him with the wacker and the Bible. Sing cries out ‘we can find a compromise.’ Nearly and Aire answer ‘no compromise ever!’ The narrator then says that this is the end of the story for today. But that there ‘will be more to come.’ The students watching stand and cheer. The players on the stage bow.

I walk into the Faculty Club and see Aiden seated with another man. I know him I think. Aiden waves me over to the table. I sit next to the professor I first met when I saw him fishing in Highlands in New Sonora. Aiden introduces the man as Alfred, an old friend. “I remember you Willson.” And with a big smile he adds “are you still as stupid as you used to be?” “Not quite” I answer. Aiden says Alfred is on campus to lecture about a way of teaching in classes for his writing students. I also order a beer. I ask what it is and Aiden says Alfred was just about to tell him.  

   (continued on Page 5)

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Thomas McDonald, Arroyo Country, 2015 © 

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