Cliff Hanger (1/6/16; WC 542) Q
Table of Contents (summercircles)
Table of Contents (Despina's Infamous Green Journal) (sumercircles)
Table of Contents (Despina's Infamous Green Journal) (travelsfar)
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Cliff Hanger
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
∼ W. H. Auden
Cu stands silhouetted against the cloudy nighttime sky, centered in the helicopter's light, microphone in hand. His voice is lost to Despina in the whir of the chopper's blades, but both the image and voice are being broadcast coast to coast, and then some, via satellite.
Partially shielding her eyes from the wash of debris, she approaches to hear what he's saying.
In accented, somewhat broken English, he tells the story of his former FBI boss; the story behind the attempts on his life to ensure his silence and its cost.
It's a sordid story, not worth dying for, but enough to put his former boss behind bars for a goodly while in a just world. Cu has never lived in a just world, has no expectations that his efforts will improve it, and has already paid quite heavily for his knowledge, yet is bound by his code of honor to share the lessons he has paid so dearly for, giving it freely.
Underestimated him again! Despina realizes in awed wonder.
Despina notes the pain that crosses his face as he talks of his wife's body intervening, taking the bullet meant for him... unknowingly sacrificing herself for him. She hears how his voice grows gruff with determination as he emphasizes that the same thing will NOT happen to her, Despina, or to his children. She empathizes with his anguish as he quietly explains that he doesn't think he's being greedy to want to be around to see them grow up, to maybe have a few years with her, Despina... without the fear of sudden death every time he lets down his guard. She relishes the irony in his statement that Arizona's Indian wars were supposedly over long ago.
His words are empowered by their truthfulness. His straightforward manner adds to his sincerity. The very nature of the content of his words will ensure a top audience for this bombshell. In some circles, it will probably be "spun" as just another example of a corrupt government official gone wrong, but the great dignity with which he explains the facts give them more weight. His great personal magnetism, which attracted me to him from the first, is still with him, enhancing his words' impact.
Despina acknowledges to herself with a wry grin that it is an old story: A Native American who tried to do it the "right" way, thwarted by the system, penalized by corruption he would not condone.
How I love him! How could anyone NOT?
The crack of a high-powered rifle rips the night, clearly audible above the beating blades of the helicopter.
"Nooooo!" Despina's shriek of agony reverberates down the cliffs as she watches Cu's body, arms flailing, tumble over the edge of the cliff.
The live microphone reaches the end of its cord, jerks back, bangs against the cliff wall repeatedly, a steadily lessening drumbeat hitting over and over with less force each time, like a tribal drum fading into the distance, its accompanying chant forever silenced.
Next
Last updated 1/6/16 standardized top links; added secoond space after end punctuation; changed -- to ∼ to match Travelsfar; and -- to -; ... to …; 3/16/10 Corrected high-powered. 2/5/04. (Pain -->Despina notes the pain... additions to enhance Despina's viewpoint throughout. His voice -->She hears how his ...Despina -->NOT happen to her, Despina, His anguish -->She empathizes his... Despina -->with her, Despina Arizona's --> She relishes the irony in his statement that Arizona's ...impact. It -->Despina acknowledges to herself with a wry grin that it ...How)
Word Count: 543
Monday, July 29, 2003 8:15 pm
http://pandemo.livejournal.com/335909.html
http://summercircles.livejournal.com/30007.html
Table of Contents (Despina's Infamous Green Journal) (sumercircles)
Table of Contents (Despina's Infamous Green Journal) (travelsfar)
Back
Cliff Hanger
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
∼ W. H. Auden
Cu stands silhouetted against the cloudy nighttime sky, centered in the helicopter's light, microphone in hand. His voice is lost to Despina in the whir of the chopper's blades, but both the image and voice are being broadcast coast to coast, and then some, via satellite.
Partially shielding her eyes from the wash of debris, she approaches to hear what he's saying.
In accented, somewhat broken English, he tells the story of his former FBI boss; the story behind the attempts on his life to ensure his silence and its cost.
It's a sordid story, not worth dying for, but enough to put his former boss behind bars for a goodly while in a just world. Cu has never lived in a just world, has no expectations that his efforts will improve it, and has already paid quite heavily for his knowledge, yet is bound by his code of honor to share the lessons he has paid so dearly for, giving it freely.
Underestimated him again! Despina realizes in awed wonder.
Despina notes the pain that crosses his face as he talks of his wife's body intervening, taking the bullet meant for him... unknowingly sacrificing herself for him. She hears how his voice grows gruff with determination as he emphasizes that the same thing will NOT happen to her, Despina, or to his children. She empathizes with his anguish as he quietly explains that he doesn't think he's being greedy to want to be around to see them grow up, to maybe have a few years with her, Despina... without the fear of sudden death every time he lets down his guard. She relishes the irony in his statement that Arizona's Indian wars were supposedly over long ago.
His words are empowered by their truthfulness. His straightforward manner adds to his sincerity. The very nature of the content of his words will ensure a top audience for this bombshell. In some circles, it will probably be "spun" as just another example of a corrupt government official gone wrong, but the great dignity with which he explains the facts give them more weight. His great personal magnetism, which attracted me to him from the first, is still with him, enhancing his words' impact.
Despina acknowledges to herself with a wry grin that it is an old story: A Native American who tried to do it the "right" way, thwarted by the system, penalized by corruption he would not condone.
How I love him! How could anyone NOT?
The crack of a high-powered rifle rips the night, clearly audible above the beating blades of the helicopter.
"Nooooo!" Despina's shriek of agony reverberates down the cliffs as she watches Cu's body, arms flailing, tumble over the edge of the cliff.
The live microphone reaches the end of its cord, jerks back, bangs against the cliff wall repeatedly, a steadily lessening drumbeat hitting over and over with less force each time, like a tribal drum fading into the distance, its accompanying chant forever silenced.
Next
Last updated 1/6/16 standardized top links; added secoond space after end punctuation; changed -- to ∼ to match Travelsfar; and -- to -; ... to …; 3/16/10 Corrected high-powered. 2/5/04. (Pain -->Despina notes the pain... additions to enhance Despina's viewpoint throughout. His voice -->She hears how his ...Despina -->NOT happen to her, Despina, His anguish -->She empathizes his... Despina -->with her, Despina Arizona's --> She relishes the irony in his statement that Arizona's ...impact. It -->Despina acknowledges to herself with a wry grin that it ...How)
Word Count: 543
Monday, July 29, 2003 8:15 pm
http://pandemo.livejournal.com/335909.html
http://summercircles.livejournal.com/30007.html