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

this place in summer, thought Ann. It was called a sidewalk but it was only a margin for cars.

—Are you willing to drop it? she asked. —I mean these people are serious.

Oppenheimer nodded.

—I mean they killed that poor cat, she went on dreamily, and remembered the feel of it in her lap, warm and limp.

—Leo thinks politics are pure science, said Oppenheimer, his rolling, flat-footed gait slowing as they pulled up short to wait for a light. A long white limousine skirted the curb and narrowly missed their toes. He raised his coffee cup and sipped, incongruous on the busy street.

—I think he believes everything can be calculated and managed, said Ann.

—He thinks all rational men will automatically agree with him when he confronts them with the facts. Leo’s not postmodern. How could he be? He doesn’t allow for legitimate differences of opinion. And he doesn’t allow for brutality.

—But you’re going to do what he wants anyway, she said. —Aren’t you.

—Probably. What else is there?

—You could just live, she said idly, not knowing exactly what she meant. —Like the rest of us do.

—He wants me to build us a following.

—Why should that be your job?

—He says I’m better at public speaking than he is. I think he just doesn’t want to do it himself … is this city a joke? It looks like a joke. Isn’t that supposed to be a simulacrum of New York? Does New York City now have a giant roller coaster through it?

—Robert Oppenheimer!

The weeping man from the lobby was standing in front of them, feet planted wide on the sidewalk, waving his arms in the air.

—Let’s turn back, she said swiftly, under her breath. —The only place you’re protected is in the hotel.

—Back to the Nile valley, then, said Oppenheimer, and they swung around. —Let us part the waters.

—Robert Oppenheimer! called the weeping man again, with joy. —I ask nothing more than to walk behind you!

He was gaining on them, loping up to Oppenheimer on his other side.

—So I looked, and behold a pale horse!

—Oh no, said Oppenheimer again.

—And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed him!

—Listen, said Oppenheimer, —you have me confused with someone else. I sympathize with your devotion to your faith. It’s commendable. But I’m just a scientist. I think you—

—To him was given the key to the bottomless pit—

—If you’ll just allow me to—

—and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace!

—Please! Don’t touch me.

—Don’t touch him, echoed Ann, and made a motion in the air as though she was pushing the man away.

—But it’s you! Don’t you understand that? asked the man in a state of great agitation. —You’re the one with the key! You unlocked the pit of Hades!

—It’s certainly unfortunate.

—You need to just keep your hands to yourself, OK? said Ann, leaning over again to try to intercede. The man was scrabbling at Oppenheimer’s arm.

—In those days men will seek Death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and Death will flee from them.

—It must be from the Bible, said Oppenheimer to Ann.

—No kidding.

—Revelation 9:6, said the man. He was wearing torn jeans and rope sandals and had a goatee and long brown hair. It was he who looked like Jesus, she realized, not Oppenheimer. —Listen to me, Julius Robert! You may not know it yourself, you may refuse to admit it, but I have seen who you are! Why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me?

—Please, go seek help, said Oppenheimer. —Would you do that for me?

As they pushed through the doors the Jesus man bowed down beside Anubis, touching his toes with his fingers.

—I will lift up my eyes to the hills.

When they got back to the room Szilard was a flurry of activity. He shook a banana in the air as he argued with Larry, who was cringing in his armchair. Leslie sat on the couch, her elbows on her knees, her hands laced together and her chin on her hands, staring rapt.

—This is America. I will not be intimidated!

—But Leo, said Larry, —You could be in danger. And the lawyer dude sounded like he was scared shitless.

—So we’ll hire bodyguards, said Szilard. —Come on, Larry! This is a way of life we’re fighting for! It’s freedom!

—Since when were you a demagogue, Leo, said Oppenheimer, amused, and bent over the room-service cart to pour himself a new cup of coffee.

—All I’m saying is if we can’t speak freely we’re no use.

Ann stepped out the room door onto the walkway and looked over the edge into the yawning chasm of the lobby, with its entire cityscape below, its movie theater, its shops and restaurants. The ceiling stretched high above her. She felt queasy, stepped back from the wall and retreated into the room.

—I wouldn’t mind a few bodyguards, said Oppenheimer. —I could use a break from the gentleman downstairs, I confess.

—Lar! You won’t believe this! squealed Tamika, bursting into the room with a hulking blond man behind her, so tall the upper half of his head was hidden by the door frame. —It’s Big Glen!

—Big Glen! I can’t believe it! cried Larry, and got up to run to the door. He was enfolded in a bear hug. —Where was it last time? Tijuana?

—I found him in the pool, said Tamika. —Can you believe it?

—Let’s finish this in the other room, said Oppenheimer, —excuse us, and he and Szilard and Ann stepped away from the reunion and closed the door behind them.

Ann sat down on the bed wearily while the men stood by the window.

—We have a chain of events, Leo, said Oppenheimer, —that leads us to believe there are real threats to our health and welfare. And not only to Fermi’s and yours and mine, Leo. Others could be hurt too.

—If we let ourselves be intimidated, said Szilard, —we’re nothing.

—Let Larry hire security, said Ann. —And then keep doing what you’re doing. Right, Robert?

Oppenheimer nodded slowly, staring