Oh Pure and Radiant Heart by Lydia Millet (shoe dog free ebook .txt) 📕

talking about? Can you explain it to me?

—I want to listen, said Ann sharply.

The woman sniffed and turned away from her, disapproving. Ann stared for a while at her mango-shaped breasts in the tube top. They were bigger than her head.

— … begin both to investigate the phenomenon in greater depth and pursue our campaign against the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

—I understand that, along with a student group from Albuquerque, you are planning to sue the Army, said the reporter. —Under the Freedom of Information Act?

—We filed suit already and we go to court the day after tomorrow, said Szilard. —Our case is finally being heard. The Army tried to get it dismissed but they failed. We know they have the records.

—Have you seen Robert? whispered Larry urgently, pushing past two men in net tank tops and the tube top woman to sidle up beside her. —None of us can find him!

—I was hiking, said Ann. —I haven’t seen anyone.

—Would you help me look for him? I mean why wouldn’t he be here watching this?

—Sure, said Ann, and they scooped around the back of the crowd, looking for Oppenheimer’s head above it. Around the back of the bus were some teenagers in lawn chairs taking bong hits as Father Raymond hovered nearby trying to convince them to stop, saying —It’s very important to build a community where people feel safe saying no.

Then they were up to the next bus, and crowds gathered there too. Larry was agitated.

—I already looked here, and at the port-a-john and the food tent, and over there where all the one-man tents are?—and behind the generators, and near the firepits.

—He might have gone for a walk like I did, said Ann. —He likes his privacy.

—But he’s not supposed to go anywhere without Glen. I mean he’s his full-time bodyguard till the hired guns get here! Glen took a five-minute break to separate these assholes that were fighting, and when he got done Robert was just gone.

—David! called Ann.

Always under cover, he knelt in some bushes in front of the second bus, fiddling with the knobs on his spotting scope’s tripod. His hair was loose from its ponytail and flew out around his head, and he had a cut on his cheek.

—Excuse me, she said. —Have you seen Oppenheimer?

—The rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

—So what are you saying, Dave? asked Larry.

—Revelation 6:15.

—Dave man, I just need the info, OK? Where is he?

But David shook his head and shrugged. They walked past him and continued their aimless search at the outskirts of the camp.

—Where did he get that cut? asked Ann. —I mean it, Larry. Was it Big Glen?

—Glen will not lift a hand in anger, said Larry.

A dirty little girl in jelly sandals drove a purple ORV in circles around a yelping dog tied to a yucca tree.

Atmospheric tests were halted in 1963 by the global Limited Test Ban Treaty. From then on they went underground.

Underground tests continued for decades, until 1992 when they were stopped. Then in 1997 the underground tests resumed, having gone even further underground by becoming “subcritical.”

Subcritical tests do not involve a completed nuclear chain reaction; rather they use chemical explosives and a small amount of fissile material. Like conventional nuclear tests, they are conducted underground to contain radioactive byproducts.

—Kidnapped, said Szilard. They were huddled inside the bus with the cell phone lying on the table between them. Big Glen paced in the cramped kitchen with his hands in balled fists and his face crumpled into a scowl. —They left a message on my cell phone.

—Should I call the cops, then? asked Larry.

—Are you fucking kidding? said Clint. —Give the pigs another opportunity to persecute us?

—Chill out, man, said Larry. —They got better shit to do. You’re kind of paranoid.

—Yeah. After that massive DEA raid, I’m really paranoid.

—Clint? Did you ever consider using, like, a non-aluminum herbal deodorant? asked Tamika, who was standing near his left armpit. —There’s an oil that works really good. Tea tree.

—I’m not putting a corporation on my body, said Clint, and pulled the wrapper off a Twinkie.

—Leo, I need to talk to you, said Ann. —Now.

Alone outside she slid one of Oppenheimer’s cigarettes out of a crumpled pack.

—So is it them? she asked Szilard. —The military?

—I don’t know yet.

—But what do you think?

—I’m waiting to hear right now.

—Leo! What could they do to him?

His phone beeped and he raised a cautionary finger.

—Szilard. Uh huh. Really.

He turned around and paced while he listened, saying finally, —I think we can do that.

She watched closely, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

When he flipped the phone closed again the muscles of his face were looser. He was clearly relieved.

—It’s just kids!

Larry leaned out the door of the bus.

—What is it with you guys?

—Coming, said Szilard.

She followed him into the bus again.

—I do not want to see them, but they are my only friends, said Fermi. Ben fixed his eyes on the lane divider ahead of him, the dash-dash-dash of white that was so hypnotic.

—From the old world, I mean, went on Fermi gently. —My only friends from the world that I knew.

—The good news, announced Szilard, —is it’s only a bunch of juvenile delinquents.

—What do they want? asked Larry impatiently.

—Fifty thousand dollars.

—Whew! said Larry, and grinned. —No problem.

—They’re going to text-message me saying where and when, said Szilard. —In a few minutes, they said.

—It’ll be cool, said Clint. —No sweat. I’ll beat the shit out of them.

—Won’t be necessary, friend, said Larry. —All we gotta do is pony up the money.

—Still, we need more security, said Leslie. —No offense to Big Glen.

—No offense taken, growled Glen, and twisted a wet dishrag until Ann thought she could hear it tearing.

—Now that we’re in the media spotlight? said Tamika. —We’re targets!

—I got Frank to call a private company with an office in Vegas, said Larry. —They’re going to meet us when we get to the city. We