Betty convinced me of two things: her identity, and
that she hadsomething to tell.
It will be easier for all of us, if you do
notdisturb the pattern.
Many of them, indeed, were gone from my own memory,
untilBetty recalled them to me.
MY TOUCH OF YOU TO ME IS JUST AS REAL AS EVER.
Earth-life would have no point,would be too much to ask of man, without immortality.
His face, and his plate, were always bright.
I confessthat looked to me like a clean miss. Dont
forget the creek: mustnt forget that!
But that first nightin their home I really hoped we
would not try to get in touch with Betty.
Nor could we persuade her at this time to explain
further.
But I could not conjure up the haziestrecollection.
Take a radio: the announcer is in full possession of his faculties,he is not dulled
or fuzzy. And a very important coal scuttle; anda lot more.
Mightbe a sort of identification of Francis as a
civil engineer. Not withoutaccusing our own plain common sense.
Street car, I quoted Joan, the episode that
occurred on a streetcar. She was staring at me and gasping a little.
I was crazy about it, but it wasmuch too
expensive.
Dont forget the creek: mustnt forget
that!
And a very important coal scuttle; anda lot
more.
We will tryto make progress as fast as we
can.
Well, she laughed, you know Im part Spanish, so Ill
have to confessits red.
But the only viewpoint we are interested in nowis
yours and ours.
Here,indeed, was a new concept if Betty meant her
statement to include herselfas well as us. One of the things that bothered me was an
emphatic statement by Betty:The child will get well. Shewas unable to get rid of
them; she paid taxes and storage on them.
Only one universe: two viewpoints is just
yourperception.
Betty had said when she dictatedit, Johnnie thought
I was a nut. I wanted the BIRDS for Mill; there wereothers with flowers, but I
wanted the BIRDS.
But our next job together, she continued, is
philosophy, though mystudy of pain is important. And that might beconsidered as
evidential number twenty-four. Only recently, inCalifornia, was that reference
tidied up. White sent home from thehospital for things and I made them into bundles
for you to take to her. Butwhen death comes, so far as Johnnies training is
concerned, the job isdone. If you are toospiritually alert you get keyed up to the
point where you are notdominated. You came home from the hospitalwith a list of
things Mrs. MY TOUCH OF YOU TO ME IS JUST AS REAL AS EVER.
Nor could we persuade her at this time to explain
further. But I could not conjure up the haziestrecollection. Barely had I entered my
hotel room when thetelephone rang.