О дивный новый мир

           Ifonlyhehadgivenhimselftimetolookaroundinsteadofscuttlingforthenearestchair!HecouldhavesatbetweenFifiBradlaughandJoannaDiesel.InsteadofwhichhehadgoneandblindlyplantedhimselfnexttoMorgana.Morgana!Ford!Thoseblackeyebrowsofhers–thateyebrow,rather–fortheymetabovethenose.Ford!AndonhisrightwasClaraDeterding.True,Clara’seyebrowsdidn’tmeet.Butshewasreallytoopneumatic.WhereasFifiandJoannawereabsolutelyright.Plump,blonde,nottoolarge...Anditwasthatgreatlout,TomKawaguchi,whonowtooktheseatbetweenthem.

           ThelastarrivalwasSarojiniEngels.

           "You’relate,"saidthePresidentoftheGroupseverely."Don’tletithappenagain."

           SarojiniapologizedandslidintoherplacebetweenJimBokanovskyandHerbertBakunin.Thegroupwasnowcomplete,thesolidaritycircleperfectandwithoutflaw.Man,woman,man,inaringofendlessalternationroundthetable.Twelveofthemreadytobemadeone,waitingtocometogether,tobefused,tolosetheirtwelveseparateidentitiesinalargerbeing.

           ThePresidentstoodup,madethesignoftheTand,switchingonthesyntheticmusic,letloosethesoftindefatigablebeatingofdrumsandachoirofinstruments–near-windandsuper-string–thatplangentlyrepeatedandrepeatedthebriefandunescapablyhauntingmelodyofthefirstSolidarityHymn.