The Flex of the Thumb by James Bennett Read Free Book Online Page A

you will lodge in your memory bank. Which parts become available to your conscious mind will, of course, depend on your development. The point of emphasis is that hooommm is a zone in response to the ego mode, but it is also part of a larger process which, at this point, remains beyond your ken. This is a partial understanding of the actual meaning of existence. Someday, your understanding may be complete.”
    And then in an instant, the particle people were gone. Vano felt himself whisked away at unimaginable speed, surrounded once again by the darkness and the flashing laser beams.
    Awake and alert in the aftermath of this cosmic downhill, he rolled onto his side in the hospital bed. There were strong vibrations to rattle the cage of this tenuous consciousness. His hospital room seemed pellucid with an orange haze. Even so, he could make out clearly the two women seated near the window, wearing salmon hospital smocks.
    He was looking at them, but immersed in crossword puzzles, they failed to notice his brand-new body language. Vano’s hooommm was still a dull roar, and the two women seemed so far away. “I think I’ve been someplace,” he announced in a loud voice.
    The startled women turned to look. “Did you say something? Are you awake?”
    Vano repeated it, after a pause: “I think I’ve been someplace.”
    Driving his brand new Lincoln Town Car, Vernon Lucas took Vano home from the hospital. Other than the lack of stamina associated with his weakened condition, Vano seemed to be feeling just fine. The new automobile had burgundy velour seats and a busy instrument panel which looked extremely high tech. His father asked him how he liked the car.
    After a pause Vano said, “It’s real nice, Dad.”
    Vernon had never heard his son call him Dad before. He went ahead nevertheless, “I got it up at Thornton’s in Victorville. Railsback took 2500 dollars off the sticker price, or I wouldn’t have been interested. I really don’t need a new car, since the Buick was only a year old, but when someone makes you an offer like that, it’s hard to pass up.”
    Vano was in a comfort zone of low but firm resonance. It was hooommm . When he finally spoke, it was only to repeat himself: “It’s real nice, Dad.”
    â€œYou see this?” asked Lucas Senior. He pointed to a small blue button on the steering column.
    â€œI see it,” said Vano.
    â€œWhy are your answers taking so long? Are you paying attention? This button activates a read-out panel; it’s computer operated. Give you about any data you can think of.” Saying this, he pushed the button, which produced an illuminated green rectangular screen above the radio console. Yellow digital letters and numbers indicated the vehicle’s speed, current fuel efficiency in miles per gallon, the time, the date, revolutions per minute of the engine, exact running temperature, and several other pieces of information Vano couldn’t be sure about.
    Looking at this glut of data, Vano felt an uncomfortable flicker, but then it went away.
    â€œRailsback told me the computer panel was the cat’s meow, and anybody who has one doesn’t want to do without it. It was slick, the way he was trying to gouge me for the few extra bucks, but I told him if I was going to pay for it, the deal was off. He was more or less over a barrel then, because he knew I didn’t really need the car anyway; the bottom line is, he threw it in for no extra cost.”
    Then Vernon stopped talking about the car. Vano wondered what to think about the computer read-out panel. Eventually he said, “It’s real nice, Dad.”
    Lucas Senior decided that ought to be enough small talk. It was time to broach the most salient topic: “How soon do you think you’ll be ready to pitch again?”
    Another lengthy pause transpired before Vano said, “I remember pitching baseball.”
    â€œYou