November 2005: The Watchers

           Theyallcameoutandlookedattheskythatnight.Theylefttheirsuppersortheirwashinguportheirdressingfortheshowandtheycameoutupontheirnow-not-quite-as-newporchesandwatchedthegreenstarofEarththere.Itwasamovewithoutconsciouseffort;theyalldidit,tohelpthemunderstandthenewstheyhadheardontheradioamomentbefore.TherewasEarthandtherethecomingwar,andtherehundredsofthousandsofmothersorgrandmothersorfathersorbrothersorauntsorunclesorcousins.TheystoodontheporchesandtriedtobelieveintheexistenceofEarth,muchastheyhadoncetriedtobelieveintheexistenceofMars;itwasaproblemreversed.Toallintentsandpurposes,Earthnowwasdead;theyhadbeenawayfromitforthreeorfouryears.Spacewasananesthetic;seventymillionmilesofspacenumbedyou,putmemorytosleep,depopulatedEarth,erasedthepast,andallowedthesepeopleheretogoonwiththeirwork.Butnow,tonight,thedeadwererisen,Earthwasreinhabited,memoryawoke,amillionnameswerespoken:Whatwasso-and-sodoingtonightonEarth?Whataboutthisoneandthatone?Thepeopleontheporchesglancedsidewiseateachother’sfaces.

           Atnineo’clockEarthseemedtoexplode,catchfire,andburn.

           Thepeopleontheporchesputuptheirhandsasiftobeatthefireout.

           Theywaited.

           Bymidnightthefirewasextinguished.Earthwasstillthere.Therewasasigh,likeanautumnwind,fromtheporches.

           "Wehaven’theardfromHarryforalongtime."

           "He’sallright"