.Pahn has been to the coast again
and is coming back in the dark
Reaching the summit
with the blue slope
ahead
that drops
to the inland city
looking shiny and slippery
He decides to slide
because he is tired of walking
Lying on his back
like the sleep
that he is sleeping
he begins to slip downward
slowly at first
picking up speed
He is afraid of going too fast
of loosing control
but the road is smooth
and wide
and as he gains speed
he gains confidence
Soon he is thrilled
racing down the freeway
to his hometown
in the valley
At the bottom
he comes to a stop
in a retail district
It is the middle of the night
and most of the shops are closed
He is hungry
and needs to get home
He walks across the street
to look for a telephone
but reaching the other side
he finds that there is a convenience store
that is still open
He goes inside
feeling a little awkward
wearing only a big down jacket
with wads of money in the pockets
naked underneath
The jacket is quite warm
but there is cold air
that slips in around his thighs
as he moves
He glances at the cashier
and walks to the far end
where there are magazines
The erotic ones .have been removed
He thumbs through a thick one
wondering what it might contain
wondering if the cashier is watching
He puts it down again
quickly
because it’s not what he needs
He finds himself squatting
by the gumball machine
when two young women come in
One of them stands by the counter
and Pahn gets up to talk to her
They say a few words
She is friendly
and smiling
but shows no real interest in him
…
He is driving now
Aiks has left him with
Daphnis
and Eeunks
and her cousin
Phthona
to tour the tectonic mountain
Pahn has examined his maps
and determined what he wants to find
and they set out
through the dry oaken hills…
…Soon they come to the outcroppings
and begin to ascend
Rounding a bend
they suddenly see the great rock
and stop at the overlook
for pictures
Pahn picks up the camera
and puts little Daphnis
down on the stones
admonishing him
to stay away from the edge
and stands by the rail
looking at the vertical wall of stone
with frothing water
falling from the top
The cliff is beige
and knobby
with white mineral deposits
near the water
and there are people
walking below and above it
climbing stairs up its sides
Strolling on the path
at the cliff’s base
They observe a group of people
descending a near-vertical stair
As the first reaches a point
about twenty feet above
he trips
doing a complete flip
as he falls
to the bottom
crumpling on his feet
He is shaken
but walks away unhurt
To Pahn’s shock
the two men following the first
jump off the ledge intentionally
doing swan dives onto the bedrock
Pahn is sure they must be badly hurt
but they too get up and
and is coming back in the dark
Reaching the summit
with the blue slope
ahead
that drops
to the inland city
looking shiny and slippery
He decides to slide
because he is tired of walking
Lying on his back
like the sleep
that he is sleeping
he begins to slip downward
slowly at first
picking up speed
He is afraid of going too fast
of loosing control
but the road is smooth
and wide
and as he gains speed
he gains confidence
Soon he is thrilled
racing down the freeway
to his hometown
in the valley
At the bottom
he comes to a stop
in a retail district
It is the middle of the night
and most of the shops are closed
He is hungry
and needs to get home
He walks across the street
to look for a telephone
but reaching the other side
he finds that there is a convenience store
that is still open
He goes inside
feeling a little awkward
wearing only a big down jacket
with wads of money in the pockets
naked underneath
The jacket is quite warm
but there is cold air
that slips in around his thighs
as he moves
He glances at the cashier
and walks to the far end
where there are magazines
The erotic ones .have been removed
He thumbs through a thick one
wondering what it might contain
wondering if the cashier is watching
He puts it down again
quickly
because it’s not what he needs
He finds himself squatting
by the gumball machine
when two young women come in
One of them stands by the counter
and Pahn gets up to talk to her
They say a few words
She is friendly
and smiling
but shows no real interest in him
…
He is driving now
Aiks has left him with
Daphnis
and Eeunks
and her cousin
Phthona
to tour the tectonic mountain
Pahn has examined his maps
and determined what he wants to find
and they set out
through the dry oaken hills…
…Soon they come to the outcroppings
and begin to ascend
Rounding a bend
they suddenly see the great rock
and stop at the overlook
for pictures
Pahn picks up the camera
and puts little Daphnis
down on the stones
admonishing him
to stay away from the edge
and stands by the rail
looking at the vertical wall of stone
with frothing water
falling from the top
The cliff is beige
and knobby
with white mineral deposits
near the water
and there are people
walking below and above it
climbing stairs up its sides
Strolling on the path
at the cliff’s base
They observe a group of people
descending a near-vertical stair
As the first reaches a point
about twenty feet above
he trips
doing a complete flip
as he falls
to the bottom
crumpling on his feet
He is shaken
but walks away unhurt
To Pahn’s shock
the two men following the first
jump off the ledge intentionally
doing swan dives onto the bedrock
Pahn is sure they must be badly hurt
but they too get up and
walk away
.
.
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