Dave Eggers - Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever?

— I don’t know what you’re talking about.

— I know it’s a lot. And there’ll be plenty of time to explain later. But the thing is, I think this is the end. Time’s running out.

— The helicopters. I knew something was up. They were looking for you.

— Maybe. Someone’s coming soon, sure. With the congressman here it was only a matter of time. And once it gets dark, I figure this is it. We have just tonight to make it out of here. I have a way to get to the water, and I have a strong boat that will take us to the next place. And once we get there, we’ll be free.

— But I don’t want to go away somewhere.

— I know. I know you have a life here. And you don’t know me very well. All I’m asking is that you take this small leap of faith. That you acknowledge the presence of something extraordinary here.

— This isn’t extraordinary. It’s debased. It’s ugly.

— I told you: I didn’t want it this way. I wanted to leave from the beach and that’s why I took your hand. But that didn’t happen, so this did. This is just a means, just a temporary thing. You can see my side of things, I hope. How else would I have a chance to tell you all this?

— I think you’ll have to leave me behind.

— No. I don’t think it’s supposed to be that way. I think the way it’s supposed to end is that you and I go together, away from here. I can’t see how it could be any other way. I mean, I hadn’t planned it this way; I thought I’d leave here alone. But then you were there, on the shore, alone every day, this ray of light. And I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence. For once in my life there was logic, and an orderly procession of events, one leading to the next, every time I had an idea it worked out. I wanted the astronaut and found him. I wanted the congressman and I found him. And the cop— I mean, it couldn’t be chance. It couldn’t be random, especially given at the end of it all I found you. I didn’t even seek you out. I didn’t know I wanted you, but it’s all so obvious now that it was all leading up to this, to us. Now we just have to complete it.

— Not we.

— Yes we.

— I think you’re right that you have to leave soon. Otherwise you’ll be caught, or more likely killed. But you have to leave without me. If you get away, write me a letter. We can start over that way.

— No. I don’t want that.

— Please.

— No. I don’t know how to convince you, but this has to be. It has to be now. Everything depends on it.

— Or what?

— Or I don’t know.

— See, now you’re scaring me.

— I thought you would understand.

— I don’t understand. I’m not some part of your bizarre plan.

— It’s not my plan. It’s the plan.

— No. No. It’s your plan. You did all this. Yourself. This is criminal behavior.

— You know that’s not true. I’m a criminal because I held your hand?

— You’re a criminal because you kidnapped me and brought me here and have me chained to whatever this is.

— It’s a holdback for a cannon, I think. Every one of these buildings has one. They’re incredibly strong.

— I don’t care!

— But you stopped and you talked to me. You smiled a certain way.

— That beach is empty. It always is. You’re the only person for miles. And I talked to you. Anything beyond that was your imagination.

— But why couldn’t I expect that you would be interested in me?

— I don’t know. I just wasn’t. Now look at you. I would venture that I’ve shown pretty good judgment.

— But why else would I be there? Why would you be there? For a second it all made sense. This is the edge of the continent and we’re there alone.

— Right. And even that first day, I saw something sharp and desperate in your eyes, and the fact that you currently have me chained up in an Army barracks answers your own question, doesn’t it?

— There’s no way you knew all that the first day.

— Did I know you were kidnapping people? No. You’re right, it was beyond my imagining. But it seemed very much that your head had been screwed on one turn too tight.

— Wait. You’re the second person to say that. The congressman said it, too.

— What congressman?

— The one I have a few buildings over.

— Please don’t kill me.

— I won’t. I haven’t harmed anyone. Jesus, Sara, I didn’t hurt the astronaut and I won’t hurt you. The only one who says she’s hurt is my mom but she’s always bitching about something.

— I can’t believe I’m here.

— Like I said, it could have been different. And it’s not too late.

— Not too late for what? For you and me to fall in love?

— It doesn’t have to be right away.

— No.

— You think my head’s on too tight. What does that mean?

— Forget it.

— Please. You should just talk to me. I’m getting sort of desperate now. I don’t want to threaten you but I had to do that with the others and I’m tired of the threats.

— You’re tired of the threats.

— Just assume I can threaten you and it’s better if you answer my questions. Why do you think my head’s on one turn too tight? What does that mean?

— It means that they put a capable brain in your skull, and then when they put the cap on, they turned it one turn too tight. It makes for bad outcomes. I think of graduate students stuffing their colleagues into crevices, shooting professors, that kind of thing. People like you. Smart but nuts. One turn too tight.

— How is that my fault?

— How is it not your fault?

— You have no idea what they did to me.

— I really don’t care what they did to you. I care what you did to me . What you’ve done to all the others.

— I haven’t harmed anyone. The congressman’s been here days and he’s fine. He’s great actually. He’s the only one who ever came close to keeping a promise to me. I thought you’d be the one who would really do it, would do something real and pure. And just looking at you now I still think you could. I’ve learned so much that I know I would treat you well. You’d live an honorable life with me. I’d be true to you always.

— What the fuck are you talking about? You’d keep me in some dungeon probably.

— No. No. I wouldn’t. That isn’t something I would do.

— But is this something you would do?

— No. Not normally.

— So this behavior is anomalous.

— Sara. I was pushed to a certain point, so I picked up the astronaut. We talked for a while, and that went well, and it helped me a lot. I think it helped him, too. And that led to the congressman. And that led to my mom and Mr. Hansen and a couple of others and now you. And all these means are justified, because I met you.

— You said you had your mom out here?

— I do.

— So you’re a family man.

— See, I like you so much. Someone so pretty with a sense of humor like that, with the ability to be alone. You must have gotten beautiful far past adolescence.

—

— Ah. I’m right. I know you. You know me. You were too tall too young. Or your hair wasn’t blond. Your shoulders were too broad, you grew into your nose. Something like that. You found yourself alone a lot and you enjoyed it. You know I’m right. And you know I know you. We’re not different. It’s not too late to change your mind. I really think you’ll like me.

— You know what? I think what you’re heading for is one of those romances where the women write to the prisoners. I think you’ll be going to prison, and some nice lonely lady will write to you. That’s the destiny that I think is more logical here.

— Don’t you think it’s just inherently wrong that we could find ourselves alone on a beach, and we’re the same age, and not so far apart in terms of body type and overall attractiveness, and still we don’t end up together? That just seems wrong to me. We’re in the middle of nowhere, at the edge of the continent, and still you won’t have me.