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f　the　most　sublime　and　difficult　dimensions。
　　17
　　Babette　said　to　me　in　bed　one　night；　〃Isn't　it　great　having　all　these　kids　around？〃
　　'There'll　be　one　more　soon。〃
　　〃Who？〃
　　〃Bee　is　ing　in　a　couple　of　days。〃
　　〃Good。　Who　else　can　we　get？〃
　　The　next　day　Denise　decided　to　confront　her　mother　directly　about　the　medication　she　was　or　was　not　taking；　hoping　to　trick　Babette　into　a　confession；　an　admission　or　some　minimal　kind　of　flustered　response。　This　was　not　a　tactic　the　girl　and　I　had　discussed　but　I　couldn't　help　admiring　the　boldness　of　her　timing。　All　six　of　us　were　jammed　into　the　car　on　our　way　to　the　Mid…Village　Mall　and　Denise　simply　waited　for　a　natural　break　in　the　conversation；　directing　her　question　toward　the　back　of　Babette's　head；　in　a　voice　drained　of　inference。
　　〃What　do　you　know　about　Dylar？〃
　　〃Is　that　the　black　girl　who's　staying　with　the　Stovers？〃
　　〃That's　Dakar；〃　Steffie　said。
　　〃Dakar　isn't　her　name；　it's　where　she's　from；〃　Denise　said。　〃It's　a　country　on　the　ivory　coast　of　Africa。〃
　　〃The　capital　is　Lagos；〃　Babette　said。　〃I　know　that　because　of　a　surfer　movie　I　saw　once　where　they　travel　all　over　the　world。〃
　　〃The　Perfect　Wave〃　Heinrich　said。　〃I　saw　it　on　TV。〃
　　〃But　what's　the　girl's　name？〃　Steffie　said。
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Babette　said；　〃but　the　movie　wasn't　called　The　Perfect　Wave。　The　perfect　wave　is　what　they　were　looking　for。〃
　　'They　go　to　Hawaii；〃　Denise　told　Steffie；　〃and　wait　for　these　tidal　waves　to　e　from　Japan。　They're　called　origamis。〃
　　〃And　the　movie　was　called　The　Long　Hot　Summer；〃　her　mother　said。
　　〃The　Long　Hot　Summer；〃　Heinrich　said；　〃happens　to　be　a　play　by　Tennessee　Ernie　Williams。〃
　　〃It　doesn't　matter；〃　Babette　said；　〃because　you　can't　copyright　titles　anyway。〃
　　〃If　she's　an　African；〃　Steffie　said；　〃I　wonder　if　she　ever　rode　a　camel。〃
　　'Try　an　Audi　Turbo。〃
　　〃Try　a　Toyota　Supra。〃
　　〃What　is　it　camels　store　in　their　humps？〃　Babette　said。　〃Food　or　water？　I　could　never　get　that　straight。〃
　　〃There　are　one…hump　camels　and　two…hump　camels；〃　Heinrich　told　her。　〃So　it　depends　which　kind　you're　talking　about。〃
　　〃Are　you　telling　me　a　two…hump　camel　stores　food　in　one　hump　and　water　in　the　other？〃
　　〃The　important　thing　about　camels；〃　he　said；　〃is　that　camel　meat　is　considered　a　delicacy。〃
　　〃I　thought　that　was　alligator　meat；〃　Denise　said。
　　〃Who　introduced　the　camel　to　America？〃　Babette　said。　〃They　had　them　out　west　for　a　while　to　carry　supplies　to　coolies　who　were　building　the　great　railroads　that　met　at　Ogden；　Utah。　I　remember　my　history　exams。〃
　　〃Are　you　sure　you're　not　talking　about　llamas？〃　Heinrich　said。
　　〃The　llama　stayed　in　Peru；〃　Denise　said。　〃Peru　has　the　llama；　the　vicu？a　and　one　other　animal。　Bolivia　has　tin。　Chile　has　copper　and　iron。〃
　　〃I'll　give　anyone　in　this　car　five　dollars；〃　Heinrich　said；　〃if　they　can　name　the　population　of　Bolivia。〃
　　〃Bolivians；〃　my　daughter　said。
　　The　family　is　the　cradle　of　the　world's　misinformation。　There　must　be　something　in　family　life　that　generates　factual　error。　Over…closeness；　the　noise　and　heat　of　being。　Perhaps　something　even　deeper；　like　the　need　to　survive。　Murray　says　we　are　fragile　creatures　surrounded　by　a　world　of　hostile　facts。　Facts　threaten　our　happiness　and　security。　The　deeper　we　delve　into　the　nature　of　things；　the　looser　our　structure　may　seem　to　bee。　The　family　process　works　toward　sealing　off　the　world。　Small　errors　grow　heads；　fictions　proliferate。　I　tell　Murray　that　ignorance　and　confusion　can't　possibly　be　the　driving　forces　behind　family　solidarity。　What　an　idea；　what　a　subversion。　He　asks　me　why　the　strongest　family　units　exist　in　the　least　developed　societies。　Not　to　know　is　a　weapon　of　survival；　he　says。　Magic　and　superstition　bee　entrenched　as　the　powerful　orthodoxy　of　the　clan。　The　family　is　strongest　where　objective　reality　is　most　likely　to　be　misinterpreted。　What　a　heartless　theory；　I　say。　But　Murray　insists　it's　true。
　　In　a　huge　hardware　store　at　the　mall　I　saw　Eric　Massingale；　a　former　microchip　sales　engineer　who　changed　his　life　by　ing　out　here　to　join　the　teaching　staff　of　the　puter　center　at　the　Hill。　He　was　slim　and　pale；　with　a　dangerous　grin。
　　〃You're　not　wearing　dark　glasses；　Jack。〃
　　〃I　only　wear　them　on　campus。〃
　　〃I　get　it。〃
　　We　went　our　separate　ways　into　the　store's　deep　interior。　A　great　echoing　din；　as　of　the　extinction　of　a　species　of　beast；　filled　the　vast　space。　People　bought　twenty…two…foot　ladders；　six　kinds　of　sandpaper；　power　saws　that　could　fell　trees。　The　aisles　were　long　and　bright；　filled　with　oversized　brooms；　massive　sacks　of　peat　and　dung；　huge　Rubbermaid　garbage　cans。　Rope　hung　like　tropical　fruit；　beautifully　braided　strands；　thick；　brown；　strong。　What　a　great　thing　a　coil　of　rope　is　to　look　at　and　feel。　I　bought　fifty　feet　of　Manila　hemp　just　to　have　it　around；　show　it　to　my　son；　talk　about　where　it　es　from；　how　it's　made。　People　spoke　English；　Hindi；　Vietnamese；　related　tongues。
　　I　ran　into　Massingale　again　at　the　cash　terminals。
　　〃I've　never　seen　you　off　campus；　Jack。　You　look　different　without　your　glasses　and　gown。　Where　did　you　get　that　sweater？　Is　that　a　Turkish　army　sweater？　Mail　order；　right？〃
　　He　looked　me　over；　felt　the　material　of　the　water…repellent　jacket　I　was　carrying　draped　across　my　arm。　Then　he　backed　up；　altering　his　perspective；　nodding　a　little；　his　grin　beginning　to　take　on　a　self…satisfied　look；　reflecting　some　inner　calculation。
　　〃I　think　I　know　those　shoes；〃　he　said。
　　What　did　he　mean；　he　knew　these　shoes？
　　〃You're　a　different　person　altogether。〃
　　〃Different　in　what　way；　Eric？〃
　　〃You　won't　take　offense？〃　he　said；　the　grin　turning　lascivious；　rich　with　secret　meaning。
　　〃Of　course　not。　Why　would　I？〃
　　〃Promise　you　won't　take　offense。〃
　　〃I　won't　take　offense。〃
　　〃You　look　so　harmless；　Jack。　A　big；　harmless；　aging；　indistinct　sort　of　guy。〃
　　〃Why　would　I　take　offense？〃　I　said；　paying　for　my　rope　and　hurrying　out　the　door。
　　The　encounter　put　me　in　the　mood　to　shop。　I　found　the　others　and　we　walked　across　two　parking　lots　to　the　main　structure　in　the　Mid…Village　Mall；　a　ten…story　building　arranged　around　a　center　court　of　waterfalls；　promenades　and　gardens。　Babette　and　the　kids　followed　me　into　the　elevator；　into　the　shops　set　along　the　tiers；　through　the　emporiums　and　department　stores；　puzzled　but　excited　by　my　desire　to　buy。　When　I　could　not　decide　between　two　shirt〃　they　encouraged　me　to　buy　both。　When　I　said　I　was　hungry；　they　fed　me　pretzels；　beer；　souvlaki。　The　two　girls　scouted　ahead；　spotting　things　they　thought　I　might　want　or　need；　running　back　to　get　me；　to　clutch　my　arms；　plead　with　me　to　follow。　They　were　my　guides　to　endless　well…being。　People　swarmed　through　the　boutiques　and　gourmet　shops。　Organ　music　rose　from　the　great　court。　We　smelled　chocolate；　popcorn；　cologne；　we　smelled　rugs　and　furs；　hanging　salamis　and　deathly　vinyl。　My　family　gloried　in　the　event。　I　was　one　of　them；　shopping；　at　last。　They　gave　me　advice；　badgered　clerks　on　my　behalf。　I　kept　seeing　myself　unexpectedly　in　some　reflecting　surface。　We　moved　from　store　to　store；　rejecting　not　only　items　in　certain　departments；　not　only　entire　departments　but　whole　stores；　mammoth　corporations　that　did　not　strike　our　fancy　for　one　reason　or　another。　There　was　always　another　store；　three　floors；　eight　floors；　basement　full　of　cheese　graters　and　paring　knives。　I　shopped　with　reckless　abandon。　I　shopped　for　immediate　needs　and　distant　contingencies。　I　shopped　for　its　own　sake；　looking　and　touching；　inspecting　merchandise　I　had　no　intention　of　buying；　then　buying　it。　I　sent　clerks　into　their　fabric　books　and　pattern　books　to　search　for　elusive　designs。　I　began　to　grow　in　value　and　self…regard。　I　filled　myself　out；　found　new　aspects　of　myself；　located　a　person　I'd　forgotten　existed。　Brightness　settled　around　me。　We　crossed　from　furniture　to　men's　wear；　walking　through　cosmetics。　Our　images　appeared　on　mirrored　columns；　in　glassware　and　chrome；　on　TV　monitors　in　security　rooms。　I　traded　money　for　goods。　The　more　money　I　spent；　the　less　important　it　seemed。　I　was　bigger　than　these　sums。　These　sums　poured　off　my　skin　like　s