the
old man could get out.
I think all of us expected him to turn to
dust at any minute. But he didn’t. Not after the first step. Not
after the tenth step. About halfway to the restaurant he even
turned and waved at us to show us he was O.K.
“Talk to him, Chuck,” I said.
“What’s it like out there?” Chuck asked as
the radio crackled and popped.
“It’s kind of like walking through a
graveyard at midnight,” Leland replied. Given the nature of the
dust that was swirling around him out there, the analogy wasn’t
that far off base.
“Does everything feel O.K.?” Chuck asked.
“Everything’s fine,” Leland said. “I just
hope they’ll let me in once I get there. I could use a good steak
right now. That sandwich didn’t do the trick.”
“We hope so too,” Chuck replied. “Eat one for
us once you get there.”
“Roger that.”
After a few more seconds Leland reached the
front door of the dark restaurant. At first it seemed as though we
might have been mistaken about there being other people inside.
Then the door swung open quickly and Leland was pulled in.
“Made it,” Leland exclaimed as the two-way
radio squealed and sputtered.
We all looked at each other and smiled. The
fact that he had survived meant that there was hope for all of
us.
Wayne Richards, however, didn’t share our
enthusiasm.
“He’s in on it,” he said. “Whatever the
terrorists have planned, that old codger is in on it.”
“What are you talking about?” Pete asked
him.
“Think about this logically. It was his idea
to go out there. So far he’s the only one who hasn’t disintegrated
in front of our eyes. And the only reason he can give for wanting
to be the sacrificial lamb is because he’s lived longer than the
rest of us? Please. He may be old, but that doesn’t mean he’s just
going to play the role of martyr for a bunch of strangers he
doesn’t know.”
This time it was Ashley’s turn to wheel on
him. “Why do you always have to be negative about everything? You
think it’s impossible that someone could be so unselfish because
it’s something you would never consider.”
“It’s got to be something biological,” Wayne
Richards said, ignoring his wife. “Maybe Leland Kennedy is the one
who released the contagion. He certainly seems to know how to
survive with it flying all around us. For all we know, we could
have already breathed the stuff in. Maybe walking out of here like
he did was his way of escaping. Or maybe he’s been inoculated
against the virus and is just putting on a show to make us think
he’s afraid of the air.”
None of us were convinced. Maybe it was
because Wayne was the one presenting the argument. Or maybe it was
simply because we didn’t want to believe that Leland Kennedy might
be capable of the things Wayne was suggesting. Either way, Wayne
didn’t have our vote on the matter.
“Just because Leland didn’t turn to dust
doesn’t necessarily mean he had anything to do with it,” I said.
“Maybe it was God’s will for him to stay alive. For all we know he
could have gone out there in nothing but his birthday suit and made
it. You seem awfully ready to discount God in all of this, and
maybe he’s the only thing that’s kept us alive so far.”
“But we don’t know that either,” Wayne said.
“All we’ve got to go on right now is the fact that Leland was
wearing the suit and that he survived. The two are linked in my
opinion.”
“We’re not listening to your opinion
anymore,” Pete said. “Whether you like it or not, God is definitely
involved here. Think about Vera Weaver speaking in tongues. That
definitely shows some level of divine intervention.”
“Little kids never do stop wanting to believe
in Santa Claus,” Wayne said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I
guess this is sort of the same thing.”
“It’s a non-issue at this point,” I grumbled.
“We haven’t gotten to the stage where we all wrap ourselves in
plastic and pray to
old man could get out.
I think all of us expected him to turn to
dust at any minute. But he didn’t. Not after the first step. Not
after the tenth step. About halfway to the restaurant he even
turned and waved at us to show us he was O.K.
“Talk to him, Chuck,” I said.
“What’s it like out there?” Chuck asked as
the radio crackled and popped.
“It’s kind of like walking through a
graveyard at midnight,” Leland replied. Given the nature of the
dust that was swirling around him out there, the analogy wasn’t
that far off base.
“Does everything feel O.K.?” Chuck asked.
“Everything’s fine,” Leland said. “I just
hope they’ll let me in once I get there. I could use a good steak
right now. That sandwich didn’t do the trick.”
“We hope so too,” Chuck replied. “Eat one for
us once you get there.”
“Roger that.”
After a few more seconds Leland reached the
front door of the dark restaurant. At first it seemed as though we
might have been mistaken about there being other people inside.
Then the door swung open quickly and Leland was pulled in.
“Made it,” Leland exclaimed as the two-way
radio squealed and sputtered.
We all looked at each other and smiled. The
fact that he had survived meant that there was hope for all of
us.
Wayne Richards, however, didn’t share our
enthusiasm.
“He’s in on it,” he said. “Whatever the
terrorists have planned, that old codger is in on it.”
“What are you talking about?” Pete asked
him.
“Think about this logically. It was his idea
to go out there. So far he’s the only one who hasn’t disintegrated
in front of our eyes. And the only reason he can give for wanting
to be the sacrificial lamb is because he’s lived longer than the
rest of us? Please. He may be old, but that doesn’t mean he’s just
going to play the role of martyr for a bunch of strangers he
doesn’t know.”
This time it was Ashley’s turn to wheel on
him. “Why do you always have to be negative about everything? You
think it’s impossible that someone could be so unselfish because
it’s something you would never consider.”
“It’s got to be something biological,” Wayne
Richards said, ignoring his wife. “Maybe Leland Kennedy is the one
who released the contagion. He certainly seems to know how to
survive with it flying all around us. For all we know, we could
have already breathed the stuff in. Maybe walking out of here like
he did was his way of escaping. Or maybe he’s been inoculated
against the virus and is just putting on a show to make us think
he’s afraid of the air.”
None of us were convinced. Maybe it was
because Wayne was the one presenting the argument. Or maybe it was
simply because we didn’t want to believe that Leland Kennedy might
be capable of the things Wayne was suggesting. Either way, Wayne
didn’t have our vote on the matter.
“Just because Leland didn’t turn to dust
doesn’t necessarily mean he had anything to do with it,” I said.
“Maybe it was God’s will for him to stay alive. For all we know he
could have gone out there in nothing but his birthday suit and made
it. You seem awfully ready to discount God in all of this, and
maybe he’s the only thing that’s kept us alive so far.”
“But we don’t know that either,” Wayne said.
“All we’ve got to go on right now is the fact that Leland was
wearing the suit and that he survived. The two are linked in my
opinion.”
“We’re not listening to your opinion
anymore,” Pete said. “Whether you like it or not, God is definitely
involved here. Think about Vera Weaver speaking in tongues. That
definitely shows some level of divine intervention.”
“Little kids never do stop wanting to believe
in Santa Claus,” Wayne said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I
guess this is sort of the same thing.”
“It’s a non-issue at this point,” I grumbled.
“We haven’t gotten to the stage where we all wrap ourselves in
plastic and pray to
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