Chapter 30

           THEFIRSTMIXEDLOADOfpermanentcolonistsarrivedonMars;sixoftheseventeensurvivorsofthetwenty-threeoriginalsreturnedtoEarth.ProspectivecoloniststrainedinPeruatsixteenthousandfeet.ThepresidentofArgentinamovedonenighttoMontevideo,takingwithhimsuchportablesascouldbestuffedintotwosuitcases,andthenewPresidentestartedanextraditionprocessbeforethehighCourttoyankhimback,oratleastthetwosuitcases.LastritesforAliceDouglaswereheldprivatelyintheNationalCathedralwithlessthantwothousandattending,andeditorialistsandstereocommentatorsalikepraisedthedignifiedfortitudewithwhichtheSecretaryGeneraltookhisbereavement.Athree-year-oldnamedInflation,carrying126poundswithJinxJenkinsUp,wontheKentuckyDerby,payingfifty-fourforone,andtwoguestsoftheColonyAirotel,Louisville,Kentucky,discorporated,onevoluntarily,theotherbyheartfailure.

           Anotherbootlegeditionofthe(unauthorized)biographyTheDevilandReverendFosterappearedsimultaneouslyonnewsstandsthroughouttheUnitedStates;bynightfalleverycopyhadbeenburnedandtheplatesdestroyed,alongwithincidentaldamagetootherchattelsandtorealestate,plusacertainamountofmayhem,maiming,andsimpleassault.TheBritishMuseumwasrumoredtopossessacopyofthefirstedition(untrue),andalsotheVaticanLibrary(true,butavailableonlytocertainchurchscholars).