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Righty-O.
His name, for one thing.
He smiled.
That smile was like a red sun breaking through a black cloud. It exposed bright white teeth and amazing blazing eyes. He turned his lineless palms out to face them in the universal gesture of peace.
Before the force of that grin they were lost. The spears fell to the sand; one of them struck point-down and hung there at an angle, quivering.
“Do you speak English?”
They only looked.
“Habla español? ”
No they didn’t. They definitely did not habla fucking español.
What did that mean?
Where was he?
Well, it would come in time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor Akron, Ohio, for that matter. And the place didn’t matter.
The place where you made your stand never mattered. Only that you were there… and still on your feet.
“Parlez-vous français? ”
No answer. They stared at him, fascinated.
He tried them in German, and then bellowed laughter at their stupid, sheepy faces. One of them began to sob helplessly, like a child.
They are simple folk. Primitive; simple; unlettered. But I can use them. Yes, I can use them perfectly well.
He advanced toward them, lineless palms still turned outward, still smiling. His eyes sparkled with warm and lunatic joy.
“My name is Russell Faraday,” he said in a slow, clear voice. “I have a mission.”
They stared at him, all eyes, all dismay, all fascination.
“I have come to help you.”
They began to drop on their knees and bow their heads before him, and as his dark, dark shadow fell among them, his grin widened.
“I’ve come to teach you how to be civilized!”
“Yun-nah! ” the chief sobbed in joy and terror. And as he kissed Russell Faraday’s feet, the dark man began to laugh. He laughed and laughed and laughed.
Life was such a wheel that no man could stand upon it for long.
And it always, at the end, came round to the same place again.
February 1975
December 1988
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notes
Note1
GEORGE WASH BRIDGE TRIBOROUGH BRIDGE BROOKLYN BRIDGE LINCOLN AND HOLLAND TUNNELS PLUS LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAYS IN THE OUTER BOROUGHS
Note2
a spasm of coughing
Note3
a spasm of sneezes
Note4
a spasm of coughs and sneezes
Note5
he lectured himself