Up, Aloft in the Air
Up, Aloft in the Air (第2/3页)
elifeworthliving.IwishthereweremoreoftheminAmericasothateverymancouldhaveatleastfive."
"Five?"
"Yes,five."
"Wewillneveragreeonthisfigure,"Nancysaid.
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TherubberysmellofAkron,sistercityofLahore,Pakistan,layliketheflameoutofallourhopesovertheplateauthatevening.
WhenhisaircraftwasforceddownattheAkronAirparkbythelapseoftheportengines,whichofcoursehehadbeenexpecting,Bucksaid:"Butthis,thisisAkron!"AnditwasAkron,sultry,molecular,crowdedwithinhabitantswhoheldtinytransistorradiosnexttotheirtinyears.Awaveofingratitudeovercamehim."Bum,bum,"hesaid.Heplumbeditsheart.ThecitizensofAkron,aftertheirhoursattheplant,wrappedthemselvesinill-designedlovetriangleswhichnevercontainedlessthanfourpersonsofvaryingdegreesofbirth,highandlowandmediocre.BeautifulOhio!withyourtransistorizedcitizensandcontemptforgeometry,welovedyouintheeveningbythefiresidewaitingforourwifetonapsowecouldslipoutandseeourtwogirls,ManfredandBella!
Thefirsttelephonecallhereceivedinhisrumraisinhotelroom,Charles,wasfromtheAkronWelcomeService.
"Welcome!newhumanbeing!toAkron!Hello?"
"Hello."
"AreyouinlovewithanyoftheinhabitantsofAkronyet?"
"Ijustcamefromtheairport."
"Ifnot,orevenifso,wewanttoinviteyoutothebigget-acquaintedpartyoftheCollegeGraduatesClubtonightat8:30p.m."
"DoIhavetobeacollegegraduate?"
"Nobutyouhavetowearacoatandtie.Ofcoursetheyareavailableatthedoor.Whatcolorpantsareyouwearing?"
BuckwalkedtheresilientstreetsofAkron.Hisheadwasaflamewithconflictingideas.Suddenlyhewasarrestedbyashrillcry.FromthetopoftheZimmerBuilding,oneofthenoblestbuildingsinAkron,agroupofAkronloversconsummatedafour-handedsuicideleap.Theair!Buckthoughtashewatchedthetinyfiguresfalling,thisiscertainlyanair-mindedcountry,America!ButImustmakemyselfuseful.Heenteredabunshopandpurchasedasweetgreenbun,anddalliedwiththesweetgreengirlthere,callingher"poppet"and"funicular."Thenoutintothestreetagaintoleanagainstthewarmgreenfa?adeoftheZimmerBuildingandwatchtheworkmenscrubbingthecrimsonsidewalk.
"CanyoupointmethewaytotheAkronslums,workman?"
"Mynameisnotworkman.MynameisPat."
"WellPatwhichway?"
"Iwouldbemosthappytoorientyou,slumwise,wereitnotforthefactthatslumlifeinAkronhasbeendealtawaywithbymunicipalprogressiveness.Themunicipalityhascausedtobeerected,whereslumlifeonceflourished,immensequadraticinventionswhichnowhouseformerslum-wifeandformerslumspousealike.Theseincrediblybeautifulstructuresareoverthatway."
"Thanks,Pat."
Atthehousingdevelopment,whichwasgaucheandgrand,Buckcameuponamanurinatingintheelevator,nexttoamanbreakingwindowsinthebroomcloset."Whatareyoufellowsdoingthere!"Buckcriedaloud."Weareexpressingourrageatthisfinenewbuilding!"themenexclaimed."Ohthatthisdayhadneverformulated!WearegoingtocallitRuesday,thatshowwefeelaboutit,bygar!"Buckstoodinawashofincomprehensionanddoubt."YoumeanthereisrageinAkron,thehomeofquadraticlove?""Thereisquadraticragealso,"themensaid,"Akronisragefromacertainpointofview."Angelfoodcoveredthefloorinneatsquares.Andwhatcouldbewrongwiththat?Everything?
"Whatisthatpointofviewthere,towhichyourefer?"Buckaskeddumbly."ThepointofviewofthepoorpeopteofAkron,"thosehonestyeomanchanted,"or,asthecityfatherspreferit,theunderdevelopedpeopleofAkron."Andintheireyes,therewasastrangelight."Doyouknowwhatthenameofthishousingdevelopmentis?""What?"Buckasked."SherwoodForest,"themensaid,"isntthatdisgusting?"
ThemeninvitedBucktosupwiththeirgirls,Heidi,Eleanor,George,Purple,Ann-Marie,andLos.Inthetree,starlingsfrettedanddied,butbeloweverythingwasglass.Haroldpouredthewineoftheregion,alightCheer,intotheforgottennapery.Andthegreathorseofeveningtrodovertheimmensesceneonceandforall.Weexaminedourconsciences.Manyatinysinwasrootedoutthatnight,tomakeroomforagreaterone.Itwas"hello"and"yes"and"yes,yes"throughthesacerdotalhours,fromoeight.Heidiheldapencilbetweenherteeth."Doyoulikepencilgames?"sheasked.Somethinglurkedbehindtheveilofhereyes."Notespecially,"Bucksaid,"I"
ButaparadeheadedbyabattalionofwarmandlovelygirlsfromtheAkronWelcomeServiceelectedthistensemomenttocomedancingby,withbandsblazingandhideousfloatsinpraiseofrubbergoodsexpandingineverydirection.Therubberbatonsofthegirlsbentintheafterglowofevents."Itisimpossibletodiscussseriousideasduringaparade,"theAkronCommunistssaidtoBuck,andtheyslippedawaytocontinueexpressingtheirrageinanotherpartoftheForest.
"Goodbye!"Bucksaid."Goodbye!Iwontforget"
TheWelcomeServicegirlslookedverybravuraintheirbriefwhite-and-goldWelcomeServiceuniformswhichdisplayedafineamountof"leg."Lookatallthat"leg"glitteringthere!Bucksaidtohimself,andfollowedtheparadeallthewaytoToledo.
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"Ingardendear,"BucksaidtotheprettywifeofthemayorofToledo,whowasreadingacopyofInfrequentLovemagazine,"wherearethepoetsofToledo?Wheredotheyhangout?"Heshoweredherwithgifts.Sheroseandmovedmysteriouslyintothebedroom,toseeifHenryweresleeping."Thereisonlyone,"shesaid,"theoldpoetofthecityConstantineCavity."Afrostofemotioncloudedherfuzz-coloredlenses."Heoperatesajujudrugstoreintheoldestsectionofthecityandnevergoesanywhereexcepttomakeoneofhisrareandbeautifulappearances.""ConstantinoCavity!"Buckexclaimed,"eveninTexaswhereIcomefromwehaveheardofthisfinepoet.Youmusttakemetoseehimatonce."AbandoningHenrytohisfate(anditwasabitterone!)BuckandIngardenrushedoffhystericallytothedrugstoreofConstantineCavity,Buckinventingastheyrolledsomethinggracefultosaytothisoldpoet,theforerunnersotospeakofpoetryinAmerica.
Wastherefondnessinoureyes?Wecouldnottell.CadenzasofdocumentsstainedtheWesternAlliance,already,perhaps,prejudicedbeyondthepowerofprayertoredeemit."Doyouthinkthereistoomuchhaironmyneck?here?"IngardenaskedBuck.Butbeforehecouldanswershesaid:"Ohshutup!"SheknewthatMrs.Lutch,whoseinterestinthepastorwasonlyfeigned,wouldfindtheAmericanwayifanyonecould.
AtConstantineCavitysdrugstoreameetingoftheToledoMedicalSocietywasbeingheld,inconsequenceofwhichBuckdidnotgettoutterhisopeningwordswhichweretohavebeen:"Cavity,wearehere!"Apity,butcalltheroll!See,orratherhear,whoispresent,andwhoisnot!Presentwere
Dr.Caligari
Dr.Frank
Dr.Pepper
Dr.Scholl
Dr.Frankenthaler
Dr.Mabuse
Dr.Grabow
Dr.Melmoth
Dr.Weil
Dr.Modesto
Dr.FuManchu
Dr.Wellington
Dr.Watson
Dr.Brown
Dr.Ro
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