Page 88 - The Myth and the Moment

Evening

“Nate, wake up to the real world. Those people want my help.
They have made a psychological commitment, an internal deal, if you
will, to succeed in their careers. I cannot presume to judge whether or
not they should be doing something else with their lives. And Phil
himself is as much a slave to the goal of material success as anyone I
know. I could help you, too, perhaps; but you would have to care
enough to pay my fee.”
More laughter. Is she nervous, or am I the butt of some cosmic
joke?
“I’ve done quite well without any sort of self-hypnosis or positive
thinking, thank you. Your clients are on a merry-go-round and don’t
give a damn that their amusement park is about to explode. I do.
There is no honor to a prophet in his own land, nor should he expect
any. I am through with writing; my only concern is, so to speak,
publishing. If I cannot retrieve my files, I’ll have to wait another year
before the weather is right and I have enough money to start over.”
“You won’t have to rewrite your piece?”
“No. I’ve looked at it so often that it’s almost as well-engraved on
my brain as I hope to have it etched on platinum plates. It’s not very
long; I edited it down to fit the available space, given the available
materials.”
“But what is it?”
“An attempt to pass the torch to whoever comes next. They may
be humans, tough enough to inhabit a radioactive landscape, or they
may be visiting aliens. I don’t care what they look like, as long as they
are literate.”
“Now I am truly interested, Nate. Perhaps you are in contact with
a source of inspiration beyond the ordinary run of sitcom writers.
Recite this message in a bottle, would you?”
“Hell, no, Aestheria. I just want you work on Phil Kolpak. Use
your special powers, if you like. Put the double whammy on him.
Make him unlock his filing cabinet and bring my file down here.
Save him from the wrath of Nate Evangelino.”
“I’ll call him after I hear your prophecy.”
“What? Are you serious? I didn’t come here to act like a trained
monkey. The Myth and the Moment isn’t a performance piece.”
“Yes, I’m serious. You want my help, you pay my price.”

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