First looked up from his work, "Boy!" What's the matter, sir? "
"The young man you wanted--now. The Martians just let go."
Digby was puzzled. "Sorry. Do I have any responsibility for a young creature?"
First gave an angelic smile.Miracles are never necessary—in fact, the pseudo-concept of "miracles" is self-contradictory.But these boys have to realize it on their own. "Nothing," he said mildly, "it's a small martyrdom, and I'll guard it myself—yes, boy!"
"Your Mightiness?"
"Please call me 'Ferth'. It's fine to be more formal when you're out on the field, but it's not necessary in the studio. Also, remember to remind me not to call you 'Boy' again. I read the record, the last You've done a good job on temporary assignments. What would you like me to call you by your name?"
His assistant blinked, "Do I have another name?"
"Thousands. Do you have a favorite?"
"Well, here, I really can't remember anything from the past."
"Well... what do you think of 'Digby'?"
"Er, not bad. It's a good name. Thanks."
"You don't need to thank me. You earned it yourself." Archangel First did not forget the small task he took on just now, so he returned to his work.For a moment, he considered what he could do to make little Patricia feel better, but then he blamed himself for having such unprofessional, almost human thoughts.Forgiveness is impossible in an angel's heart, because it is already filled with angelic mercy.
The spirit elders of Mars found a first-class solution (experimental) to their big aesthetic problem, so set it aside and let it generate new problems for a few full three hours.During this period of time, the alien hive who was sent back to his own world had already learned about his compatriots, and the elders took his knowledge calmly and almost absent-mindedly, and then let him go (of course in the cherished), he was of no further use for their purposes.
They took the data he had collected and started thinking about a probe.This is to test the previous experimental solution.The spiritual elders are purely for aesthetic research, and the result may lead to the destruction of the earth-from an aesthetic point of view, this may be indispensable.However, there will be a lot of waiting before the decision is fully realized.
The Great Buddha of Kamakura was once again hit by a strong earthquake, the epicenter of which was 280 kilometers away from Honshu Island, Japan.The earthquake killed 13,000 people and threw a baby into the belly of the Great Buddha of Kamakura.Later, the surviving monks rescued him.The child lost all his relatives in that disaster. After that, he lived for ninety-seven earth years, and it is said that he had hiccups all his life, but there were no other sequelae.Cynthia Dujus entered a convent under flashing lights and left three days later without a sound.Douglas, the former federal secretary, suffered a minor stroke. The disease paralyzed his left hand, but failed to paralyze his brain. He still manages the assets entrusted to him.Moonlight Co., Ltd. has published a prospectus, and its affiliated Ares Retail Company is preparing to issue shares.Expedition spacecraft Mary Jane Smith lands on Pluto using Lysle drives.In February, Fraser, Colorado saw its coldest average temperature on record.
Bishop Niu Tongue preached in the New Avenue Chapel, and he talked about the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew: "For false prophets and false Christs will rise up, and will perform great signs and wonders. If it is possible, Even the voters are confused." He also emphasized that his expletives were not directed at Mormons, Christian Science, Roman Catholicism, or the New Apocalypse—not this last one in particular—nor any voyage of discovery. fellow travellers, they just disagree a little on some irrelevant creeds or ceremonies, but everyone's work is good...he's just talking about the heretical upstart who seduces the faithful benefactors away from the beliefs of their parents.In another city in the same country, a subtropical resort, three plaintiffs sued a clergyman, three of his assistants, John Smith, and others, alleging public indecency, plus disorderly domestic life, participation in corruption youth crimes.The County Attorney had no intention of prosecuting, and he had a dozen of these on his records--the accuser's witnesses never showed up at the arraignment, without exception.
He pointed this out to them, but their spokesman replied: "You will have support this time. Archbishop Short has made up his mind that these cannot be allowed to flourish."
Prosecutors aren't interested in the Antichrist, but the day of the primaries is looming. "Okay, but don't forget, I can't do anything without support."
"There will be"
Dr. Jubal Harshaw knew nothing about it, but he had heard too much of it to keep his peace of mind.Finally, he succumbed to that most insidious of vices: journalism.So far he had only subscribed to a clipping service, accepting any news about "Man from Mars," "W. M. Smith," "The Stranger World," and "Ben Caxton."However, asking God is easier than giving God away, and just recently, twice on the spur of the moment, he almost made Larry install the chirping box.Both were narrow wins.
Damn it, couldn't these kids be so anxious to write him a letter every now and then? "shorthand!"
Annie came in, but his eyes remained on the snow and the empty swimming pool. "Annie," he said, "rent us a coral island. Put this grave up for sale."
"Okay, boss."
"However, Coral Island has to sign a long-term contract before returning this wasteland to the Indians. How long has it been since I wrote something that made money?"
"Forty-three days."
"Take this as a lesson. To begin, Requiem for a Pony in the Woods—"
winter longing frozen deep in my heart
The broken covenant roasts the soul
The long-lost intoxication still separates you and me like a ghost
The bitter cold wind brings the cry of the polar regions
Scarred, twisted tendons, severed limbs and stumps
Hunger is an abyss of pain, misplaced bones throb
The sand burns the eyes, and the brilliance of Muzhong has long been dimmed
However, the torment of loneliness has not been relieved...
The shimmer of fever paints your holy face
Your words still echo in the ruptured eardrum
I am not afraid of the rushing darkness
But death will make me lose you, only it makes me lament
"Well," he added briskly, "Signed 'Louisa M. Alcott' to Unity."
"Boss, is this your 'making money'?"
"Huh? It won't be long before it's worth something; file it and my custodian can use it to pay estate taxes. That's what it's like to pursue art: it's only when a writer can't count the bills that his best work gets paid." Affordable. A literary career—huh! If the cat doesn't bark, you scratch it till it meows. That's a literary career."
"Poor Jubal! No one feels sorry for him, so he has to feel sorry for himself."
"Still mocking me! No wonder I can't write anything."
"No sarcasm, boss. Only a shoe-wearer knows where to pinch his feet."
"I apologize. Well, money-making stuff, here we come. Title: "Send You On Your Way"—"
Hanging fly knots bring oblivion,
There is solace in the axe,
Poison, however, is more blunt and lets your nerves relax.
Hand bullets bring rest,
There is sleep on the gallows,
However, poison is easily available, and there is no need to carry the heavy burden again.
You seek rest in the electric chair,
Poison gas can also give you ease,
However, at the nearest corner, the pharmacist has a pile of sealed rest.
If you're tired of facing the truth,
Escape is always found in churchyards,
Well-intentioned liars prescribe poison, and that is the smoothest road.
Let's sing together—
A groan, a sigh, and a kick,
Here comes death, either quietly or loudly—
but to find a home
Ah, what is better than a glass of Wangchuan water in the hands of a friend?
"Jubbal," Anne asked worriedly, "do you have a stomachache?"
"Never been comfortable."
"This is also to be archived?"
"Huh? It's for The New Yorker."
"They'll kill it."
"They'll pay for it. It's sick enough, they'll buy it."
"Besides, the rhythm isn't quite right."
"Of course! You've got to give the editor something so he can write and edit it, or he'll be upset. And when he's pissed in it, it'll taste better to him, so he'll buy it." I've been avoiding writing honest stuff my whole life, my dear, for longer than you've lived. Don't even try to tell grandpa what to do. Go post it and let me read it for you Abby? Hello! It's Abigail's feeding time! You're not shorthand, Dorcas is."
"Abby won't be hungry after waiting for a while. Dorcas is lying down. First pregnancy reaction."
"Nonsense. Anne, if anyone is really pregnant, I can find out two weeks before her—you know that better than anyone else."
"Jubal, don't bother her! Dorcas is afraid that she won't be pregnant... She just wants to feel that she is pregnant, and she can lie to herself for a while. Don't you know women so well?"
"Mmm... Now that you've said it—I don't understand. Well, I'll leave her alone. Why don't you bring your little angel here to feed her?"
"Fortunately not. In case she understands what you just said—"
"So I'm going to corrupt the baby, huh?"
"She's too young to see that there's marshmallows under the venom. But if you do bring her, you'll be so focused on playing with her that you won't do any work at all."
"Can there be a better way to fill the empty hours?"
"Jubbal, it's nice that you're so sweet to my daughter; I think she's pretty nice myself. The problem is, every day you're either playing with Abbie... or you're doing nothing."
"How long are we going to be on handouts?"
"That's not the problem. You're going to be mentally constipated if you don't get the story out, that's for sure. Dorcas, Larry, and I have started biting our nails. Every time you say 'shorthand,' we tremble." Breathe a sigh of relief. It's a false alarm every time."
"Since the money is enough to pay the bills, what are you worried about?"
"What are you worried about, boss?"
Jubal thought for a moment.Should I tell her?The identity of Abigail's father was fully understood by Jubal when she was given a name; Annie wavered between "" and ""--in the end, she used both together.Annie never mentioned the meaning of these names... It seems that she probably didn't expect that he, Jubal, knew it very well——
Annie said firmly, "You can't fool anyone, Jubal. Dorcas, Larry and I, we all know Mike can take care of himself. And you're terrified—"
"'Terrible'! Me?"
"— Larry has a TV in his room, and we always leave one of us there to watch the news, every time it comes on. Not because we think we have anything to worry about (other than worrying about you), but Because every time Mike is on TV (and of course he's going to be), we'll know before those stupid clippings of yours hit the door. I hope you stop reading that stuff."
"How do you know about the clippings? I obviously spent a lot of time on counter-investigation!"
"Boss," said Anne wearily, "someone has to take out the trash. Do you think Larry can't read?"
"I see! That goddamn grinder hasn't been working since Duke left. Damn it, it's all messed up!"
"You just need to send Mike a message, and Duke will show up in no time."
"You know I can't do that." Annie was probably right, there was little doubt about that.Jubal couldn't help feeling a little annoyed... followed by bitter suspicion, "Annie! Are you staying here because Mike wants you to?"
She replied without hesitation: "I stayed because I wanted to."
"Hmm... It's hard to say if this is a positive answer."
"Jubbal, sometimes I wish you were younger so I could spank your ass. Can I finish?"
"Please." Would anyone stay if not Mike?If Mike didn't agree, would Miriam marry the drunk and move to Beirut with him?They named their child "Fatima Michel", perhaps on the one hand to confirm her current beliefs, on the other hand, perhaps it was her husband's meaning, in order to pay tribute to their closest friends— —or maybe it is, like little Abigail's two names, an indication.If this is the case, does the alcoholic know that he is wearing a cuckold?Maybe this hat is still worn proudly, isn't it said that it is like that?Hmm... It should be inferred that the drunkard knows his heavenly beauty well, because the Shui brothers are not allowed to hide such an important matter.Of course, the premise is that this matter is really important.Jubal himself, a doctor and an agnostic, doesn't take it seriously.But they may feel—
"You're not listening at all."
"Sorry. Daydreaming." Come on, you disgusting old bastard... you even have to sniff around the name that the mother gave the child!Then there's the birthdates...then there's astrology...and ghosts and all that—until they're too old and stupid to disintegrate gracefully, and they have to resort to the usual way of dealing with such big fools, You are in control.Let's go to the infirmary, the locked drawer No. 9, code-named "Wangchuan Water", only needs two pills, although one pill is more than enough——
"There's no need for clippings or anything, we've been keeping an eye on Mike... Ben promised in Brother Water's name that if there's anything in private that we need to know, he'll let us know right away. But, Jubal, no one Can't hurt Mike. If you'll go to the nest like the three of us did, you won't be worried."
"I never got an invitation."
"So do we. What more invitations do you need back home? You're making excuses, Jubal. Ben's been urging you to go, and Dawn and Duke have both spoken to you."
"Mike didn't."
"Boss, the nest belongs to Mike, and it belongs to me and you. Everyone is equal, and Mike is just the first of them... just like your status here. For example, Abby, does this family belong to Abby? "
"Coincidentally," he replied, "this place really belongs to her... and I will occupy it for life." Jubal had just amended his will, and he knew that Mike's own will had arranged for all the water brothers, but He wasn't sure how "watery" this nest child was - only that she was often wet, so he redistributed his inheritance so that she and several other dependents could benefit from it, "It would have been I don't want to tell you, but it doesn't hurt you to know."
"Jubbal...you made me cry and almost forgot what I was going to say. But I have to finish. Mike never pushes you, you know. I get the feeling he's waiting for fulfillment, and you too Same."
"Hmm... I understand that you are right."
"Very well. You're looking a little more morose than usual today, maybe because Mike's been arrested again? But it's been a lot of times—"
"'Arrested'? I don't know!" he added. "Damn, girl—"
"Jubbal, Jubal! Ben didn't call; that's all we need to know. You know how many times Mike's been in jail—in the army, at the circus, and elsewhere. When he was a missionary He's been arrested half a dozen times. Mike never hurt anyone; he let them arrest him. They'll never convict him, and he can come out whenever he wants."
"What is it for this time?"
"Oh, same old stuff - public obscenity, conspiracy to defraud, organization of indecent gangs, facilitation of juvenile delinquency, conspiracy to violate the state's truancy laws -"
"what?"
"Their license to run a parochial school was revoked, and the kids didn't go back to public school. No big deal, Jubal—nothing. Technically, they did break a law, but they didn't Man can confirm. Jubal, if you've been in the nest, you'll know that even the FBI can't even try to sneak a camera in. So take it easy. After all the noise in the press , they'll drop the case -- and there'll be more believers than ever."
"Mmm! Anne, could it be that Mike himself made these allegations?"
She seemed taken aback. "Huh? That never occurred to me, Jubal. Mike can't lie, you know."
"Does it have something to do with lying? He can also spread some real news, the kind that can't be proved in court, can't he?"
"Do you think Michael would do that?"
"I don't know. All I know is that the slickest liars are the ones who know how much to tell the truth -- and then keep your mouth shut. There's been a lot of lawsuits for headlines in the past. Well, I'll forget about it for a while until I find he can't handle it. Are you still 'shorthand'?"
"I could bring Abbie in, but you gotta keep yourself from clucking her chin and making other non-profit noises like that. Otherwise I'd have to get Dorcas up. "
"Bring Abbie in. I'm going to work hard and make some for-profit noise—a whole new idea: boys meet girls."
"Oh, what a brilliant idea, boss! How come no one else has thought of it? Give me half a second—" She hurried out.
Jubal didn't break his word—there was less than a minute of the nonprofit event, just enough to elicit a smile from cherub Abigail before Annie leaned back in her chair and nursed her baby. "Title:" Jubal began dictating, "Girls Are Not Different from Boys, Just More Like Boys." Begin. Henry M. Harvey IV's education was comprehensive. He believed that there were only two kinds of girls in the world: one One was in front of him, the other was not. He liked the latter much better. It would be better if they could both stay that way. Timing. He didn't realize that falling to him This young lady on her lap doesn't think the usual catastrophe is anything like a formal introduction and—hell, what do you want?"
"Boss—" Larry said.
"Get out, close the door, and—"
"Boss! Mike's church is burning!"
They retreated in a chaotic rout into Larry's room, Jubal trailing Larry by half a length around the turn; Annie, with her eleven pounds on her back, was still closing quickly.The uproar woke Dorcas too, but she started too late and fell behind.
"——At midnight yesterday. What you are seeing now is the situation at the main entrance of the heretic chapel. This is the picture taken immediately after the explosion. New World TV Network, the reporters around you, the above is the summary of the morning news. Please lock this channel , bringing you a fresh and hot scoop. Now turn it over to your sponsors—” In a flash, the image of the ruins is replaced by a lovely young housewife, and the camera begins to zoom in on her.
"Damn it! Pull the plug, Larry, and throw that thing in the study. Anne—no, Dorcas, call Ben."
Annie protested, "You know there's never been a telephone in a house of worship. How can she call?"
"Then get someone over there—no, the chapel must be empty—er, call the chief of police there. No, call the district attorney. The last time they heard from Mike, they said he was in jail inside?"
"That's right."
"Hope he's still in jail, and so are the others."
"Me too. Dorcas, hold Abby. I'll call."
As soon as they got back to the study, they saw the phone flashing brightly, asking for a confidential line and frequency conversion to prevent wiretapping.Jubal swears and adjusts the settings, ready to kick him out of whoever he is.
It's Ben Caxton, "Hi, Jubal."
"Ben! What the hell is going on?"
"Looks like you watched the news. That's why I called. Everything is under control."
"Where's the fire? Anyone hurt?"
"No loss. Mike wants me to tell you—"
"No loss? I just watched TV and it was just—"
"Well, that—" Ben shrugged, "Jubbal, listen to me. I've got a lot of calls to make, and you're not the only one who needs to check in, but Mike wants me to call you first. "
"Well...well, tell me."
"No one was hurt, not even burned. Oh, and the property damage was like two million or so. The place was so full of experiences that Mike was going to give it up soon. Yes, it was originally fireproof, but as long as With enough gasoline and dynamite, anything can be set ablaze and blown up."
"Someone set the fire, is that so?"
"Come on, Jubal, isn't that clear enough? They've arrested eight of us, and they've taken every ninth floor they can get their hands on, most of which are blank warrants. But one or two An hour later Mike had us all bailed out except himself. He's in the jail right now—"
"I'll be right there!"
"Don't worry. Mike said you could come if you wanted to, but you don't really have to. I thought so too. The fire was set off last night. All events are canceled because of the arrest, and the chapel is empty. Of course, there are still people in the nest. When it exploded, except for Mike, all of us who stayed in the local area held a water sharing ceremony at the core temple to pay tribute to Mike. We have evacuated to an emergency nest."
"You can still escape after being burned, you are really lucky."
"We're trapped inside, all dead—"
"what?"
"We were all listed as dead or missing. You see, no one left that building after that burnt offering...no one left through any known exits."
"Well...there's a 'priest's secret passage' there, isn't there?"
"Jubbal, Mike has a way of dealing with this, but I'm not going to discuss it on the phone."
"You said he was in prison?"
"Yes, it's still there."
"Can--"
"Don't ask. If you come, don't go to the chapel. It's abandoned. I won't tell you where we are... and I didn't call from there. If you come--I don't think it's necessary, you Can't help either—but if you come, do it as you usually do when you travel, and we'll find you."
"but--"
"That's all. Goodbye. Annie, Dorcas, Larry—and you, Jubal, and baby. Share the water. You're God." The screen went black.
Jubal scolded, "I knew it all along! This is what happens with religion! Dorcas, call me a cab. Annie—no, you keep feeding the baby. Larry, pack my bags. Annie, I'm going to bring as much cash as I can, and I'll have Larry go to the bank to get some more tomorrow."
"Boss," Larry protested, "we're all going."
"Of course." Annie supported Larry without hesitation.
"Quiet, Anne. Shut your mouth too, Dorcas. This is not the time for women to vote. It's the front line, and anything can happen. Larry, you stay and protect the women and the children. No need to go to the bank to withdraw money." 'Cause none of you're allowed to set foot outside the gate until I get back. Somebody's playing hard with Mike, this house and church are so involved, they might want to give this place a little color, too. Larry, The searchlights can't be turned off all night, the fence is electrified, don't hesitate before shooting. If necessary, move people to the basement quickly, don't take it slow - take Abbie's cradle down now. Okay, go —I have to change my clothes."
Thirty minutes later, Jubal was alone in his room.Larry yelled from downstairs, "Boss! The taxi has landed."
"Come on." He turned around and looked at the girl crouching under the rock, with tears in his eyes.He said softly, "You tried, didn't you, child? But that stone was always too heavy... too heavy for anyone." He looked at the crushed statue and touched her tenderly. hand, turned and left the room.
Notes:
Notes: