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the country's advantage to promote your philosophy more
widely. Eidolon Books would be very happy to perform this
service for you. Right here and now I think I could promise
you a six-figure advance against royalties and a very
agreeable royalty and reprint clause. The contract could be
drawn up and signed in a day or two, and you could have the
book for us, let's say, in about a year or two.'
'I can't write,' said Chance.
Stiegler smiled deprecatingly. 'Of course -- but who can,
nowadays? It's no problem. We can provide you with our
best editors and research assistants. I can't even write a
simple postcard to my children. So what?'
'I can't even read,' said Chance.
'Of course not!' Stiegler exclaimed. 'Who has time? One
glances at things, talks, listens, watches. Mr Gardiner, I admit
that as a publisher I should be the last one to tell you this ...
flowering garden these days.'
but publishing isn't exactly a
'What kind of garden is it?' asked Chance with interest.
'Well, whatever it was once, it isn't any more. Of course,
we're still growing, still expanding. But too many books are
being published. And what with recession, stagnation,
unemployment ... Well, as you must know, books aren't selling
any more. But, as I say, for a tree of your height, there is still
a sizable plot reserved. Yes, I can see a Chauncey Gardiner
blooming under the Eidolon imprint! Let me drop you a little
note, outlining our thoughts and -- our figures. Are you still at
the Rands'?'
'Yes, I am.'
66
Dinner was announced. The guests were seated around
several small tables arranged symmetrically throughout the
dining room. There were ten at Chance's table; he was
flanked on each side by a woman. The conversation quickly
turned to politics. An older man sitting across from Chance
addressed him, and Chance stiffened uneasily.
'Mr Gardiner, when is the government going to stop calling
industrial by-products poisons? I went along with the banning
of DDT because DDT is a poison and there's no problem
finding some new chemicals. But it's a damn sight different
when we stop the manufacture of heating oils, let's say,
because we don't like the decomposition products of
kerosene!' Chance stared silently at the old man. I say, by
God, that there's a helluva difference between petroleum ash
and bug powder! Any idiot could see that!'
I have seen ashes and I have seen powders,' said Chance.
I know that both are bad for growth in a garden.'
'Hear, hear!' the woman sitting on Chance's right cried out.
'He's marvelous!' she whispered to the companion on her
right in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. To the
others, she said: 'Mr Gardiner has the uncanny ability of
reducing complex matters to the simplest of human terms.
But by bringing this down to earth, to our own home,' the
woman continued, I can see the priority and urgency which Mr
Gardiner and the influential men like him, including our
President, who quotes him so often, give to this matter.'
Several of the others smiled.
A distinguished-looking man in pince-nez addressed
Chance: 'All right, Mr Gardiner,' he said, 'the President's
speech was reassuring. Still and all, these are the facts:
unemployment is approaching catastrophic proportions,
unprecedented in this country; the market continues to fall
67
toward 1929 levels; some of the largest and finest companies
in our country have collapsed. Tell me, sir, do you honestly
believe that the President will be able to halt this downward
trend?'
'Mr Rand said that the President knows what he is doing,'
said Chance slowly. 'They spoke; I was there; that is what Mr
Rand said after they were finished.' 'What about the war?' the
young woman sitting on Chance's left said, leaning close to
him.
'The war? Which war?' said Chance. 'I've seen many wars
on TV.
'Alas,' the woman said, 'in this country, when we dream of
reality, television wakes us. To millions, the war, I suppose,
is just another TV program. But out there, at the front, real
men are giving their lives.'
While Chance sipped coffee in one of the adjoining sitting
rooms, he was discreetly approached by one of the guests.
The man introduced himself and sat down next to Chance,
regarding him intently. He was older than Chance. He looked
like some of the men Chance often saw on TV. His long silky
gray hair was combed straight from his forehead to the nape
of his neck. His eyes were large and expressive and shaded
with unusually long eyelashes. He talked softly and from time
to time uttered a short dry laugh. Chance did not understand
what he said or why he laughed. Every time he felt that the
man expected an answer from him, Chance said yes. More
often, he simply smiled and nodded. Suddenly, the man bent
over and whispered a question to which he wanted a definite
answer. Yet Chance was not certain what he had asked and
so gave no reply. The man repeated himself. Again Chance
remained silent. The man leaned still closer and looked at
68
him hard; apparently he caught something in Chance's
expression which made him ask, in a cold toneless voice: 'Do
you want to do it now? We can go upstairs and do it.'
Chance did not know what the man wanted him to do. What
if it were something he couldn't do? Finally he said, I would
like to watch.'
'Watch? You mean, watch me? Just doing it alone?' The
man made no effort to hide his amazement.
'Yes,' said Chance, 'I like to watch very much.' The man
averted his eyes and then turned to Chance once more. 'If
that's what you want, then I want it too,' he declared boldly.
After liqueurs were served, the man gazed into Chance's
eyes and impatiently slid his hand under Chance's arm. With
his surprisingly strong forearm he pressed Chance to him.
'It's time for us,' he whispered. 'Let's go upstairs.'
Chance did not know if he should leave without letting EE
know where he was going.
I want to tell EE,' Chance said.
The man stared wildly at him. 'Tell EE?' He paused.
'I see. Well, it's all the same: tell her later.'
'Not now?'
'Please,' said the man. 'Let's go. She'll never miss you in
this crowd. we ll walk casually down to the rear elevator and
go straight upstairs. Do come with me.,
They moved through the crowded room. Chance looked
around, but EE was not in sight.
The elevator was narrow, its walls covered with soft purple
fabric. The man stood next to Chance and suddenly thrust his
hand into Chance's groin. Chance did not know what to do.
The man's face was friendly; there was an eager look on it.
His hand continued to probe Chance's trousers. Chance
decided that the best thing was to do nothing.
69
The elevator stopped. The man got out first and led
Chance by the arm. All was quiet. They entered a bedroom.
The man asked Chance to sit down. He opened a small
concealed bar and offered Chance a drink. Chance was
afraid that he might pass out as he had done that time in the
car with EE; therefore he refused. He also refused to smoke
a strange-smelling pipe which the man offered him. The man
poured himself a large drink, which he drank almost at once.
Then he approached Chance and embraced him, pressing his
thighs against Chance's. Chance remained still. The man
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Dobre pomysły nie mają przeszłości, mają tylko przyszłość. Robert Mallet
De minimis - o najmniejszych rzeczach.
Dobroć jest ważniejsza niż mądrość, a uznanie tej prawdy to pierwszy krok do mądrości. Theodore Isaac Rubin
Dobro to tylko to, co szlachetne, zło to tylko to, co haniebne.
Dla człowieka nie tylko świat otaczający jest zagadką; jest on nią sam dla siebie. I z obu tajemnic bardziej dręczącą wydaje się ta druga. Antoni Kępiński (1918-1972)
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