The New
Numbers Are Formal
 |
| Witchdoctor in his cave with the building |
NARRATOR
There he is, naked on a
stone couch
admirably holding up
a steaming building
of numbers and windows and
life
and organisms growing in its
clay!
This he has power over now.
By very good concentration,
using ameliorating plants,
he’s getting the Husbands’
wagering numbers to grow;
planting them as rough
surrogates,
into the thick soil model
that stands up on his knee.
And these are sucking down
the twisting black seeds of
vapor,
nervous and equivocating,
from the smoke above!
These rebellious, roving
numbers
are ready to become the new
‘formals’
of the Husbands’ numbers.
The new numbers are formal!
The way to say what happens
here
is way beyond me!
It’s like describing how a
dandelion
puffs out its white
life-tendrils,
the fragile fluffy leaves or
stalks,
that can float around and
get implanted here or there,
or swallowed (I know some
seeds travel by hungry birds).
I am concerned here with the
Witch Doctor’s wisdom application.
We’re talking about certain
numbers being transposed
across those wide, vast
distances of the Pacific Ocean
and beyond, in flight, like
dandelion seeds!
And, like them, being at the
mercy of the skies
or of the black waves (for
nothing of dandelions
could be grown up from
groundless down there)...
Numbers
Come To Life!
 |
| Witchdoctor in his lair manipulates numbers |
NARRATOR
The Two Husbands’ numbers
jump to life off the page.
ONLOOKER
They jump up before them
and sprout out of the paper.
NARRATOR
They emerge fat and
wholesome;
ready to be worshipped,
desired
and clung to.
ONLOOKER
Because they are so big?
NARRATOR
No, because they are still
numbers;
and these men really like,
need and want
numbers for all they do;
including loving or caring.
ONLOOKER
That’s inconceivable.
NARRATOR
True. Yet, if their numbers
work out,
off the page into the graph
and all over -
and back out into other
people’s pockets
as successful merchandise -
then, those two men are
ready to be
immensely gratified!
And, more, they’re already
dressed up
to do formal business.
And, look, it’s supposed
that the numbers
are respectably dressed too.
So they look good;
even better than shabby and
big.
ONLOOKER
Although, I think they are shabby,
like rough-hewn chunks of
wood.
And, they have cute doll-eyes
stuck on
to keep beguiling the two
men...
NARRATOR
I see the Witchdoctor in his
cave
disturbing the Two Husbands
in their offices.
He’s causing their numbers
to grow up
off of their pages with that
ink sap rising,
billowing up from the pages
free-for-all -
like balancing jugglers’
acts - sort of tumbling out -
but maintaining the same
well-inscripted shapes.
BIGGY
The ink is splashing up but
retaining its form.
One, two, three...
They’re on top and mixing in
to our atmosphere,
joining us here. Don’t spill
your coffee, Smally,
but it’s happening. It’s
true, again!
Something has baked up our
calculations
right out of our page. They
are proliferating
like pretzels in 3-D!
They’re gaining... Large!
 |
| Witchdoctor in his cave disturbing the Two Husbands! |
NARRATOR
The Witchdoctor is
commanding the Two Wives
to speak through the
number-twigs
that he crumped inside his
doll building
so that their voices will be
transferred or transposed
to two of the self-inflating
numbers in their husbands’ offices.
And from these two numbers
they’ll speak out
and have an intentional pull
upon the two men:
a pull to get their husbands
to step inside the numbers!
an enlocking pull (not to
disregard for one second)
to get each man to step inside
his own numerical tool
to be blown or blasted off
that calculating-table
out onto the windowsill
and into the beyond!
ONLOOKER
Meaning, hopefully, to go on
a journey
to meet his wife!
(End of Chapter 24)
