— Real spoilsport isn’t she, listen to this one. For a fifth straight day, the brave little fourth grader trapped in the soaring steel sculpture Cyclone Seven patiently awaits court settlement in a case that promises to set precedents in art and insurance circles alike. As tightlipped members of the local fire department stand their lonely vigil with acetylene torches ready, prepared to free the boy from what has been called one of the most outstanding contemporary sculptural comments on mass space, insurance company attorneys continue to work around the clock assembling briefs covering interpretations of the health, accident, life and property provisions contained in the numerous subclauses of the policies directly and indirectly involved in the controversy. Prospects for the out of court settlement rumored yesterday were suddenly dimmed by the intervention of a group calling itself the Modern Allies of Mandible Art. Through its attorneys, MAMA is seeking an injunction against what it terms willful destruction of a unique metaphor of man’s relation to the universe, stating its contention that altering the massive work in the smallest detail would permanently destroy the arbitrary arrangement of force and line that pushes Cyclone Seven beyond conventional limits of beauty to celebrate in the virile and aggressive terms of raw freedom the triumphant dignity of man. Braving the sleet and freezing rain that continue to sweep the bare expanse of the Cultural Plaza where Cyclone Seven stands, protesters picketing within a stone’s throw of the makeshift tent hastily suspended by friends and neighbors of the boy’s parents to give him some protection from Bast? Look at that picture looks like he’s being eaten alive, what’s this Waddles. Fish?
— It’s your supper.
— It’s fish.
— Mister Bast? Suppertime, let’s wake up and eat.
— Cheer up Bast the worst is yet to come. Wait till you try this fish, remember anything you told me last night? not to bring fresh flowers into the cemetery? You don’t even know what failure is at your age how can you call yourself one when you’ve never done anything, talking about your father picking the wrong boy what you’re worried about inheriting from him I’ve been trying to get out of the wallpaper business for fourteen years how do you like that, these great plans he had for you to be somebody? get your picture in the paper wearing a tuxedo? I never tasted anything like this before I don’t see how you can get it down, I’ll tell you a story about my boy. Tell me about this limited reliability you found in the trash I’ll tell you a story about him. That war those same son of a bitches were running when they ran the whole country into the ground ten years ago he met a girl overseas and brought her back she was pregnant all right, I think this fish is going to make me vomit. He finally told me he couldn’t swear it was his I could have told him that with one look at her he told me it didn’t matter, he just wanted to save somebody love somebody help make up for some of the hands and feet we blew off over there it wouldn’t matter, there didn’t anybody ever need to know if it was his he married her and she had the baby it was black as your hat, how do you like that. A little boy now he’s in second grade as black as your hat see what I mean? It’s taken me fourteen years to get out of the wallpaper business people think winning’s what it’s all about just ask those son of a bitches who ran that war, ran the whole country into the ground while they were at it where’s that woman, Waddles? Come in and get this tray it’s the worst meal I ever ate.
— Did we take our medication?
— What medication just get this tray out of here.
— This little white cup yes you took it didn’t you, if milk of magnesia doesn’t help we may need an enema.
— Just crank me down a little I thought it was the sauce for the fish, here give me those papers read about other people’s troubles see what I mean Bast? Can’t get her mind off enemas here’s one, remember the shelter fad? Here’s one somebody built on Long Island it’s got such a fancy big waste disposal system the whole district’s sewer assessment’s in trouble look at that, afraid of losing federal funding so they’re condemning the whole thing turning it into a public convenience look at it, make a nice fifty holer won’t it Waddles, ever been to Long Island? It says here the water table’s so high the whole island’s turning into a leaching field it may have to be declared a disaster area, one look at it I could have told them that…
— Are you finished too Mister Bast?
