Vicky?”
“Please put the gun away. No one is shooting anyone
here,” Stanley said assertively, his eyes shifting between the gun and
Richard’s serene face.
“Okay, Doc. I’m not going to push you.” Richard shoved
the gun back into his bag. “Can you do me a favor? Try to open your mind, and
look for the proof yourself. Maybe you have to find proof on your own in order
to see the truth, Doc. Perhaps that’s how it works. Is that something you can
do?”
Stanley issued a sigh of relief and said, “On one
condition. Don’t bring any weapons to my office, okay?”
“You got it, Doc.” Richard gave Stanley a wink. “Let me
give you a tip. Look for things that are there that should not be,
and things that should be there but are not.”
8.
The name of the store was Juicy Couture. There was
nothing special about it, and the only reason Stanley had targeted it was that
Juicy Couture had been the first store he’d seen when he’d gotten out of his
car.
As he gazed at the fancily dressed mannequins behind
the glass, it occurred to him that he must be under Richard’s spell. Why else
could one explain what he was about to do?
Find the proof.
Look for things that are there that
should not be, and things that should be there but are not.
Stanley grabbed the rock, weighed it in his hand. Then
he looked around like a thief about to break into a house. Or like a guy
planning to smash a store window with a stone. He was feeling giddy; he had
goosebumps all over his arms and torso, boiling over with anticipation. He
didn’t know why he was so excited. He also realized that he ought to be ashamed
of stooping to such behavior, of succumbing to temptation. He should have
ignored Richard’s provocations, but he hadn’t.
Was he really going to do this?
Why not? There was no harm in it, was there? He’d just
sit in his car and wait for the cops.
Gritting his teeth, Stanley swung his arm and hurled
the rock at the window. The sound the pieces of glass made as they fell onto
each other, and the window sill, and the sidewalk was loud and indignant. There
were also pleading undertones in this noise; it was as if the store window was
asking Stanley through tears why the hell he had broken it.
The piercing shrill of the burglar alarm startled him.
Wincing, Stanley climbed in behind the wheel and shut the door. Luckily, the
alarm sound was quite tolerable inside the car. Stanley glanced at his watch in
order to register the moment his wait began. It was 8:41 pm.
When someone broke into a boutique store in an upscale
area, the police should arrive promptly, right?
Yes, that was how it worked.
At five past nine, Stanley got out of his car and
peered down both ends of the street, looking for police car lights. There were
no red and blue lights flashing in either direction.
Stanley found another stone and broke the window of the
store to the left of Juicy Couture.
Fifteen more minutes had passed, and it became clear
that cops were not coming.
Did it prove that Richard was right and the whole world
was nothing but a dream? Probably not. All it proved was the ineptness of the
local police.
Or maybe he was just burying his head in the sand.
9.
“Remember that patient I told you
about? The dreamer?”
“Yes.” Gina nodded. “What did he do now?”
“I talked to this guy’s wife last week.”
“What did she say?” Gina scooped some salad from the
bowl and put it on her plate.
“Our conversation was a bit odd, to tell you the
truth.” Stanley speared a piece of chicken with his fork, placed it in his
mouth, and started chewing. “I couldn’t help thinking that she was cuckoo
herself.”
“Maybe that’s why they got married.” Gina laughed.
“Maybe.” Stanley chuckled. “You’re funny.”
He opened his mouth to tell Gina about the gun Richard
had brought with him, but then changed his mind and said nothing.
They ate in silence for a minute. Gina was
half-watching television, and
“Please put the gun away. No one is shooting anyone
here,” Stanley said assertively, his eyes shifting between the gun and
Richard’s serene face.
“Okay, Doc. I’m not going to push you.” Richard shoved
the gun back into his bag. “Can you do me a favor? Try to open your mind, and
look for the proof yourself. Maybe you have to find proof on your own in order
to see the truth, Doc. Perhaps that’s how it works. Is that something you can
do?”
Stanley issued a sigh of relief and said, “On one
condition. Don’t bring any weapons to my office, okay?”
“You got it, Doc.” Richard gave Stanley a wink. “Let me
give you a tip. Look for things that are there that should not be,
and things that should be there but are not.”
8.
The name of the store was Juicy Couture. There was
nothing special about it, and the only reason Stanley had targeted it was that
Juicy Couture had been the first store he’d seen when he’d gotten out of his
car.
As he gazed at the fancily dressed mannequins behind
the glass, it occurred to him that he must be under Richard’s spell. Why else
could one explain what he was about to do?
Find the proof.
Look for things that are there that
should not be, and things that should be there but are not.
Stanley grabbed the rock, weighed it in his hand. Then
he looked around like a thief about to break into a house. Or like a guy
planning to smash a store window with a stone. He was feeling giddy; he had
goosebumps all over his arms and torso, boiling over with anticipation. He
didn’t know why he was so excited. He also realized that he ought to be ashamed
of stooping to such behavior, of succumbing to temptation. He should have
ignored Richard’s provocations, but he hadn’t.
Was he really going to do this?
Why not? There was no harm in it, was there? He’d just
sit in his car and wait for the cops.
Gritting his teeth, Stanley swung his arm and hurled
the rock at the window. The sound the pieces of glass made as they fell onto
each other, and the window sill, and the sidewalk was loud and indignant. There
were also pleading undertones in this noise; it was as if the store window was
asking Stanley through tears why the hell he had broken it.
The piercing shrill of the burglar alarm startled him.
Wincing, Stanley climbed in behind the wheel and shut the door. Luckily, the
alarm sound was quite tolerable inside the car. Stanley glanced at his watch in
order to register the moment his wait began. It was 8:41 pm.
When someone broke into a boutique store in an upscale
area, the police should arrive promptly, right?
Yes, that was how it worked.
At five past nine, Stanley got out of his car and
peered down both ends of the street, looking for police car lights. There were
no red and blue lights flashing in either direction.
Stanley found another stone and broke the window of the
store to the left of Juicy Couture.
Fifteen more minutes had passed, and it became clear
that cops were not coming.
Did it prove that Richard was right and the whole world
was nothing but a dream? Probably not. All it proved was the ineptness of the
local police.
Or maybe he was just burying his head in the sand.
9.
“Remember that patient I told you
about? The dreamer?”
“Yes.” Gina nodded. “What did he do now?”
“I talked to this guy’s wife last week.”
“What did she say?” Gina scooped some salad from the
bowl and put it on her plate.
“Our conversation was a bit odd, to tell you the
truth.” Stanley speared a piece of chicken with his fork, placed it in his
mouth, and started chewing. “I couldn’t help thinking that she was cuckoo
herself.”
“Maybe that’s why they got married.” Gina laughed.
“Maybe.” Stanley chuckled. “You’re funny.”
He opened his mouth to tell Gina about the gun Richard
had brought with him, but then changed his mind and said nothing.
They ate in silence for a minute. Gina was
half-watching television, and
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