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 so much rain。 These sums in fact came back to me in the form of existential credit。 I felt expansive； inclined to be sweepíngly generous； and told the kids to pick out their Christmas gifts here and now。 I gestured in what I felt was an expansive manner。 I could tell they were impressed。 They fanned out across the area； each of them suddenly inclined to be private； shadowy； even secretive。 Periodically one of them would return to register the name of an item with Babette； careful not to let the others know what it was。 I myself was not to be bothered with tedious details。 I was the benefactor； the one who dispenses gifts； bonuses； bribes； baksheesh。 The children knew it was the nature of such things that I could not be expected to engage in technical discussions about the gifts themselves。 We ate another meal。 A band played live Muzak。 Voices rose ten stories from the gardens and promenades； a roar that echoed and swirled through the vast gallery； mixing with noises from the tiers； with shuffling feet and chiming bells； the hum of escalators； the sound of people eating； the human buzz of some vivid and happy transaction。
We drove home in silence。 We went to our respective rooms； wishing to be alone。 A little later I watched Steffie in front of the TV set。 She moved her lips； attempting to match the words as they were spoken。
18
It is the nature and pleasure of townspeople to distrust the city。 All the guiding principles that might flow from a center of ideas and cultural energies are regarded as corrupt； one or another kind of pornography。 This is how it is with towns。
But Blacksmith is nowhere near a large city。 We don't feel threatened and aggrieved in quite the same way other towns do。 We're not smack in the path of history and its contaminations。 If our plaints have a focal point； it would have to be the TV set； where the outer torment lurks； causing fears and secret desires。 Certainly little or no resentment attaches to the College…on…the…Hill as an emblem of ruinous influence。 The school occupies an ever serene edge of the townscape； semidetached； more or less scenic； suspended in political calm。 Not a place designed to aggravate suspicions。
In light snow I drove to the airport outside Iron City； a large town sunk in confusion； a center of abandonment and broken glass rather than a place of fully realized urban decay。 Bee； my twelve…year…old； was due in on a flight from Washington； with two stops and one change of planes along the way。 But it was her mother； Tweedy Browner； who showed up in the arrivals area； a small dusty third…world place in a state of halted renovation。 For a moment I thought Bee was dead and Tweedy had e to tell me in person。
〃Where is Bee？〃
〃She's flying in later today。 That's why I'm here。 To spend some time with her。 I have to go to Boston tomorrow。 Family business。〃
〃But where is she？〃
〃With her father。〃
〃I'm her father； Tweedy。〃
〃Malcolm Hunt； stupid。 My h