Page 87 - An Evening with Maxwell's Daemons

The Mother Ship is Real!

Fred Feghootsky cleared his throat apologetically.
“Ar-humph. My turn, and I must beg your indulgence. My next
idea may seem laughable, but it has been percolating for a while in
my brain. Actually, I’d hoped something else of mine would have
gotten published by now, and this one wouldn’t have to see the
light of day or hear the laugh of ridicule. Just bear with me: perhaps
you can see the possibilities in this, and give it a little shove along
the road to completion.”
He looked around the table at the other Maxwell’s Daemons. No
snickering, raised eyebrows or squirms of revulsion—yet.
“As everyone knows, Felis catus has become a fixture in this
country. Uncounted millions coexist with humans in every sort of
environment. They come in a range of colors and sizes, mostly the
result of our meddling in their mating choices. Nevertheless, their
similarities far outweigh their differences. Through the centuries we
have noted many curious aspects of our cats’ behavior; many of
them seem mysterious, even otherworldly. Thus cats have been
associated with magic and witchcraft, as well appearing to be a sort
of perfected template for predation alternating with leisure and
comfort-seeking. Physiologists, taking the reductive view, tell us
that cats are animals, full stop; psychologists, probing the human
unconscious, tell us that we projected our fears and desires on these
innocent and quite natural creatures.”
“Yet questions remain. How can they find their way home when
abandoned hundreds of miles away? Why do they seem so self-
sufficient, even disdainful of the intelligent bipeds expending so
many resources on keeping them happy? How can they stare into
space—or somebody’s face—without blinking or thinking? Are
they in a trance? This gray area of uncanniness keeps cats on the
edge of our feelings of being in control, of knowing what is going
on around us.”
“Okay, those are givens are far as I’m concerned—and they
open the door to all sorts of fantasies involving cats. But those are
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