The Element of Surprise [March 17, 1980]

I saw the ceiling start to cave in as the Salesman touched the Flower. I thought it would wither at his touch, but instead its colorful surface remained calm and beautiful, a sharp contrast with the ever-present Rock, who of course could not move. It seemed they sensed my discomfort, and more cracks formed. My head reeled from the previous excitement, a metallic grating sound the only result from my continuous attempts at speech. A steady and annoying low frequency buzz permeated my brain.

With some relief I noticed that the Salesman appeared to be failing, or at least not winning. He needed to increase his staff, but I was beyond reach, and though a few hovered uncertainly at the edge, they too wished not to risk themselves on the journey, which would be quite perilous. I realized this was my reason for terror. The path passed dangerously close to steep cliffs and precarious rock perched on the upper slope. There was danger in picking one's way through the fragments, and surely there were more subtle dangers waiting to pounce upon my person.

I took all this in in a moment, and withdrew. The 6 feet separating me from freedom may as well have been 6000 miles, for at that moment it was not possible for me to transcend the Wall. I wished for ... but no, I could never rely on that again, that Deceiving Light. I closed my eyes, but the picture did not change, for seeing and feeling were synonymous. I withdrew...

I could not get back! I looked through his eyes, for they were no longer mine. All appeared well, nothing had changed and I was relieved. I was exceedingly comfortable ; warm and secure. I had never known such peace, but my only regret was that my will seemed to no longer carry influence. I was trapped in the most delightful of prisons.

I winced as the table moved sharply up towards the eyes, and heard a muffled thud. I was aware of darkness, and a sense that my prison no longer had material bounds. I seemed to have aquired a new sense, one that relied on no physical parameters. A picture began to form, and everything was clear again. There seemed to be no vantage point to the image I perceived, or if there was one, it was infinite.

His body lay slumped over the table, his hands in front of the head in a strange position. She, the Innocent, touched him, and called his name, but of course he could not respond. Several people from nearby crowded around the Scene, offering their opinions on the nature of the incident. There was laughter in the eyes of several, but genuine concern in the eyes of the Innocent. The Rock, as usual, was impassive. The Salesman voiced his theory on the cause as resulting from the previous excitement, which seemed to satisfy most of them. Hmm! The Salesman, under false pretenses, had achieved a rather significant victory.

Then, without warning, His hands shifted, and the head was slowly raised. He looked blankly at the verbal garbage they spewed at him. I was being called. He could only look at them, turning from one face to the other. He gazed first at the Innocent, but seemed to be annoyed at the ceaseless workings of her mouth. He then turned to the Salesman, who expressed some concern amid cackles of laughter, but this too seemed to trouble Him. He looked at the Rock, who did not return the gaze, but only shrugged helplessly and looked at the Flower. The Flower was the next object of vision for Him. The Flower returned the look, but it was empty, containing vague traces of pity mixed with genuine amusement.

I was being demanded for now, but I was in no hurry to return. I understood the situation perfectly however, and knew what should be done. Smile, laugh! As soon as this happened, a sense of relief permeated the scene, and all appeared well as they all laughed and joked about the Incident. There was nothing I could do now but return, for much was being risked. I turned off and settled back inside, feeling a pang of regret as I remembered the limitations of pure physical visual perception. The gears locked together perfectly. I lifted my hand slowly and put it down. Good, nothing had changed.

I turned my full attention to the situation at hand, offering plausible explanations and reducing the tension. All was well. No! The Flower had whithered slightly, and triumph gleamed from the Salesman's eyes. This angered me, what joy that emotion! The Rock remained unchanged, naturally. The Innocent was now even a stronger ally, and I felt exhiliration at future prospects. I complained of fatigue, and excused myself. I would begin the long process of tearing down the Wall, and then we would see.