an investment. But most of all I was taken by his confi-13
dence and certainty. He
like Clarance or the construction boss Wilson Ryder. They 15
just repeated what they read in books or what they wanted 16
to believe. I believed that Bennet knew the truth that lay 17
under the newspaper stories and the hypocrisy of politics.
18
He made me question what was, when for a whole lifetime 19
up till that moment, I accepted the world’s excuses.
20
21
22
Wandering the house and thinking about my prisoner, I 23
was still awake at 2:00 in the morning. Not only awake 24
but excited. All of my fears about being tricked and sent to 25
prison — all of my worry about how odd Bennet was —
26
dissipated with the thrill of a new way of seeing the world.
27 S
I tried to lie down, but sleep wouldn’t come. Finally I 28 R
decided to call Narciss. Not her, actually, but the answer-154
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The Man in My Basement
ing machine at her store. I wanted to go out with her, to 1
discuss passport masks and notions of power.
2
She answered on the first ring. “Hello?”
3
“Narciss?”
4
“Mr. Blakey? Is something wrong?”
5
“I’m sorry, Narciss. I thought that you wouldn’t hear 6
the shop phone. I was going to leave a message on your 7
machine.”
8
“It’s okay,” she said in a voice more sultry than usual. “I 9
don’t sleep very much. The doctor says it’s my metabo-10
lism. I take naps during the day and work most nights.”
11
“On your book?”
12
“On anything. I read and quilt and watch bad TV.”
13
“Huh. I sleep most nights through. But tonight I was 14
just up.”
15
“What’s wrong?”
16
