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Think of it as a Zen thing

I would--if I knehat that meant

Ernie and Pooka seek to understand death and toit in the formansia

That sounds h I didn’t want the Danish, I picked it up and took a huge bite I poured coffee into athat I could hold

I couldn’t sit there any longer doing nothing I felt that if s

Why, I wondered, do people tolerate ainst the law

Simon Makepeace killed once And they let him out

The law isn’t perfect

You should’ve seen Dr Jessup’s body

Not necessary I have a novelist’s iotten busy with Danish I didn’t want and with coffee I didn’t drink, Ozzie’s hands had gone still They were folded on the table in front of him

Sir, I often think about all those people, shot…

He did not ask to who He knew that I ust, the nineteen dead

I said, Haven’t watched or read the news in a long ti in the world, so I hear things

Just re--‘If it bleeds, it leads’ Violence sells, so violence gets reported

But why does bad news sell so hed and leaned back in his chair, which creaked We’re getting close now

Close to what?

To the question that brought you here

That burning philosophical thing? No, sir, there isn’t one I’ with people?

Which people?

Hu with humanity?

That was a very short ramble indeed

Sir?

Your lips should feel scorched The burning question just fell from them It’s quite a puzzler to put to another mortal

Yes, sir But I’ll be happy even with one of your standard shalloers

The correct question has three equal parts What’s wrong with hu with nature, with its poison plants, predatory ani with cos from us?

Ozzie may assert that I mistake his absolute self-confidence for profundity; but I do not He is truly wise Evidently, however, life has taught hiets of theht try to hide its brilliance behind a mask of stupidity He chooses, instead, to conceal his true wisdom under a flamboyant pretense of erudition that he is pleased to let people think is the best of him

Those three questions, he said, have the saive it to you You’ll resist it--and waste years of your life looking for an answer that pleases you more When you arrive at it on your own, however, you’ll be convinced by it

That’s all you have to say?

He s philosophical question, and all I get is breakfast?

You got quite a lot of breakfast, he said I will tell you this much--you already know the answer and always have You don’t have to discover it so nize it

I shookloriously fat and fun to look at

You can be as mystical as a damn… Terrible Chester still sat on the top porch step, riveted by me … as mystical as a damn cat

I’ll take that as a compliment

It wasn’t meant as one I pushed o

As usual when I leave, he insisted on struggling to his feet I aet up will spike his blood pressure into the stroke zone and fell hied hi, as if we do not expect to see each other again

I wonder if soets screwed up, and the wrong spirit ends up in the wrong baby I suppose this is blasphemous But then, with my smart mouth, I’ve already blown any chance of sainthood

Surely, with his kind heart, Ozzie was ers And my life wouldof the troubled parents who had failedwas done, he said, What now?

I don’t know I never do It comes to me

Chester did not pee on h the woodlet, and left by the gate in the back fence

TWELVE

NOT ENTIRELY TO MY SURPRISE, AGAIN THE BLUE MOON Cafe

The cloak of night had dressed the alleyith soht had stripped it of the pretense of beauty This was not a realri

All but universally, human architecture values front elevations over back entrances, public spaces over private For the ets

Danny Jessup says that this aspect of architecture is also a reflection of human nature, that most people care more about their appearance than they do about the condition of their souls

Although I’h I don’t think the analogy between back doors and souls is well drawn, I’ll ad some truth in what he says