Sinister - 9. Chapter 9

Sam sat outside the soundproof studio at KRFA as Adam Talbot concluded his broadcast with a few brief news items.

“In Salem, Califoregon, Henrietta Buckle is taking her lawsuit claiming religious discrimination to the State Supreme Court. Ms. Buckle recently joined the Rectilinear Church of Palo Alto, which draws most of its membership from born-again Christians who feel called to intensify their opposition to social change, hence the frequent term for them, ‘born-yet-again Christians.’

“Ms. Buckle’s employer, AGTC of Sunnyvale, dismissed her from her position as an administrative assistant after she began refusing to use her left hand on a computer keyboard. She made her position clear in a press conference:

“‘My religious beliefs forbid writing with the -- with the hand that is not the right hand. Naturally that applies to typing as well. My employer is refusing my right to freedom of religious practice by insisting that I use both hands. I am confident that the Supreme Court will uphold my rights.’

“Her employer has responded, ‘Ms. Buckle joined the Rectilinear Church a year after we hired her. Since she started refusing to use her left hand, her productivity has plummeted and other people have had to cover for the work she is now unable to do. It isn’t as if she were disabled and we were refusing to make reasonable accomodation. AGTC has every right to dismiss an employee who suddenly won’t -- not can’t, won’t -- keep up with requirements of the job.’

“The State Supreme Court has yet to announce a decision on whether it will hear the case. Lower courts have ruled in favor of AGTC.

“Another case facing the Supreme Court also alleges employment discrimination. Isabelle Trotter was fired from her job as a server at the popular restaurant chain Donna’s Down-Home Diner because she is left-handed. Eric Stevens, CEO of Donna’s, has not denied the reason for the firing, but claims it is justified on religious grounds. Here’s a clip of Mr. Stevens’ reasoning:

“‘I do have deep religious convictions, but it’s also about our customers. They tend to come from conservative religious backgrounds. They’re just not comfortable with some southpaw taking their orders, writing on an order pad with her left hand right there in front of them. It spoils their dining experience.’

“The Supreme Court has agreed to hear this case, so in a few months we should know if they agree.

“In sports news, the Brooklyn Slackers of the U.S. Baseball League are rumored to be ready to sign left-handed pitcher Arnold Wilkinson. There has been a lot of talk about a left-handed pitcher having an unfair advantage over a right-handed batter and how other teams might respond if Wilkinson is signed. Already a few teams have been observed in batting practice encouraging their players to become switch-hitters.

“That’s all the lefty news for today. Remember, we are everywhere. This is Adam Talbot for Radio Free America, courtesy of KRFA.”

As Sam heard music introduce the next program, Adam shut off equipment and came out of the studio. Only a few years older than Sam, he towered over him, and Sam envied his relaxed and confident air. “Hi, you must be Sam. Been waiting long?”

“Yeah. I mean, no. It was interesting watching you do the show. That company you talked about, AGTC – what does that stand for?”

“I think it’s Advanced Genetics Testing Consortium, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s just Another Goddamn Tech Company. Still, I hope they win the case. But I try not to insert my opinion too much into my reporting, or at least when I do I say so.”

“I’m pretty new to your show, but I wanted to meet you. I only heard one of your broadcasts and part of another before we left Hillcrest.”

“Right, you’re with that little group that just made it out. So you’re from Hillcrest too! Seems like yesterday that I got booted out. Best thing that ever happened to me. How are you doing, you and the others? Fitting in OK?”

“Yeah, we’re all still at Ecumenical Universalist. We have an appointment with someone from some state agency tomorrow. We’re in school. It’s really different.”

“Different in a good way, I hope.”

“Well, mostly. There isn’t the constant fear, but you know what a sleepy place Hillcrest is. Sometimes Blythe feels like sensory overload.”

Adam laughed. “Blythe, sensory overload? Then give yourself some time to acclimate before you head off to New York City, all right?”

“Yeah, I won’t be going there real soon. For sure not without a guide. Have you been there?”

“Yeah. I loved it. But different people like different levels of stimulation. I can understand if it gives some people a headache. If you’re going to make a trip to a bigger city, try LA or San Francisco or Portland first.”

“Again, not without a guide.”

“So what happened? You got out of Hillcrest not long after someone drove out to pick up anyone who was ready to leave. But no one showed at the rendezvous point.”

“Actually we were all there waiting, but someone else showed up first. We got left-bashed.”

Adam glanced down at Sam’s bandaged wrist. “Is that how that happened?”

“Yeah. And one of us is still back there in the hospital. That’s Glen. He’s the one who set up the radio. We’re trying to figure out how to get him out.”

Adam whistled. “Wow. Hospital. That sounds bad.”

“It was, but now the town is in a real uproar about how Reverend Farrow handled it. When I called my family they said everybody’s fighting about it. One pastor’s even speaking against Farrow.”

“Wait a minute. You talked to your family since you left?”

“Yeah. In a funny way, me getting left-bashed brought them around. They helped me get out.”

“Wow. Say, if you hear any real news from them, any hard news that you’d be willing to let me report on the show, let me know, OK?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I will.”

“And maybe I can interview you some time. Now what about your friend in the hospital?”

“We’re working on something.”

“Good.”

They talked for a while. Adam told Sam about his life in Blythe, giving Sam a much fuller picture of what might be possible for him. And Adam made Sam promise to come back and let him know how his new life was progressing.

************

Davetta Huntley leafed through the files Mr. Norton had given her. Sam, Ruth, Naomi and Noah sat nervously at the table with the two adults. Davetta’s abundant jewelry rattled as she pursed her lips.

“Kids, my name is Miss Huntley. I work for the Department of Social Services of the State of California. Mr. Norton here has given me your forms, and he’s familiar with our procedures and all that. I’m here to verify that you qualify for foster care. Unless there are unusual circumstances, we have to assume that the best place for a minor child is with the parent. The foster system is not for runaways who could just as well go back home. Mr. Norton has written up the circumstances that bring you here, and everything seems in order. But how about if you tell me in your own words why you came to Blythe? Let’s start with -- let’s see -- which one of you is Sam Swift?”

“I am.” Sam shifted in his chair.

“Was your home situation abusive? Were your parents abusive?”

“It was more like an abusive town situation.”

“Did your parents kick you out?”

“No, they helped me escape.”

“Escape? Escape from what?”

“The church in Hillcrest. They wanted to keep us there for a witchcraft trial.”

Miss Huntley sat back and looked at Sam. “You don’t look like a witch. Now, help me understand - how did they help you get out of town, so to speak?”

“The pastor’s men were watching our house, but my father sneaked me into a student’s car in a duffel bag. We made it look like my sister was going on a camping trip.”

“I see. How about you, uh, Naomi? Your father carry you out in a duffel bag?”

Naomi half-laughed, half-snorted. “No, my parents were not so sympathetic, even after the attack. My brother carried me out.”

“Mine too,” Noah added. “I don’t weigh much and my brother takes after the bigger side of the family. He’s probably in big trouble with my parents if they’ve figured it out. No guarantee of that, though.”

“So you’re Noah?” Miss Huntley riffled through the files. “And how about Ruth? That must be you. You look like a big girl, Ruth. Who carried you out?”

“My brother and my sister. Yeah, it took two people to carry me. I should have tried harder to lose some weight.”

“Nothing wrong with the way you are right now, honey. As for me, I don’t know how many people it would have taken to carry me, and I don’t think they make duffel bags in my size.” Miss Huntley laughed and indicated her ample frame with a flourish. “Now what’s this about an attack?”

“It was four boys from our school.” Ruth adjusted her glasses. “We were outside of town waiting for someone to pick us up and take us to Blythe. But the boys got there first. One had a baseball bat. He hit Sam in the arm and Glen in the head and then I tackled him.”

“Then I got the bat,” Noah said.

“And I pretended to put a hex on them,” Naomi added.

“Who’s Glen? Where is he?” Miss Huntley asked.

“He’s still in a hospital in Utizona.” Sam rubbed his forehead. “I’m the one Gabe was aiming for, but he only got my wrist. The bat glanced off and hit Glen. I should be the one in the hospital.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Sam. You’re not the one who came out swinging. Now who is this Reverend Farrow?”

Noah’s voice had an edge of anger. “He tried to say that the guys who attacked us were acting in self-defense. Right. We’re such a threat. He wanted to investigate us for witchcraft, because obviously that was the only way we could have won that fight. He was pressuring our parents to keep us under house arrest.”

Naomi rolled her eyes. “I think the term is ‘grounded,’ Noah.”

“Same thing.”

“Well, kids, I’m going to approve all your applications.” Miss Huntley gathered up the files. “You obviously had reason to fear for your safety. I’ve worked with Mr. Norton here before, and I’m guessing he already has some prospective foster parents lined up?”

“Yes, I do.” Mr. Norton stood.

“Good. I think based on previous experience that I can trust you to find good matches. Officially the Department has to approve each one, but you just send them to my attention and I’ll see that everything goes smoothly. One more thing, kids. Is anyone from Hillcrest likely to come looking for you?”

“We don’t know,” Naomi said quietly. “Our parents, probably not. Reverend Farrow could send someone. I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“Well, Mr. Norton here knows how to deal with that sort of thing. And the police can generally be relied on in cases like this. They weren’t always sympathetic to lefties, but they’ve come a long way. Some ways to go yet, some of them, but it’s getting better. All right. Pleasure to meet you all, and welcome to Califoregon.”

************

“Sam, this is Elliot. Elliot, Sam. I’m bringing Elliot in as an additional consultant for your education in modern popular media. Nobody knows movies like Elliot.” Miranda smiled playfully as the three stood in the hall outside their English class.

“Sam, nice to meet you.”

“Hi, Elliot.”

“Elliot has a DVD of Brave New World we can watch.”

“Yeah, I like DVDs, even if they are getting kind of old-school now. Streaming is OK. But I don’t really trust this whole Cloud thing. The more advanced technology is, the more unreliable it is.”

Sam shrugged. “To me, DVDs are advanced technology.”

“A man after my own heart,” Elliot smiled. “So you never got to watch movies where you grew up?”

“No. No movies, no TV, no radio.”

“Miranda was right. You are the Savage from Brave New World. For films, I think we should start with some classics.”

Miranda tilted her head. “You mean like Star Wars?”

Elliot suppressed a laugh. “I had in mind a Charlie Chaplin film, Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, Citizen Kane, Sunset Boulevard, Doctor Strangelove, Seven Samurai, Lawrence of Arabia, Amélie, which is too new to be a classic but I like it, and Gone With the Wind. We can watch Star Wars but first I think you should watch an early sci-fi like Forbidden Planet or The Day the Earth Stood Still.”

“That sounds like a lot.” To Sam it sounded like a summer reading list.

“It’ll be fun. We’ll make popcorn and buy a bunch of horrible movie theater candy. You know, Junior Mints and stuff. And we’ll plunge in.”

“This is why I love lefties,” Miranda almost squealed. “You’re all so -- artsy.”

Elliot grimaced. “Was that a compliment?”

“You know what I mean. Creative.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

Sam was warming to the idea. “Maybe one of the other kids I escaped with would like to watch some of it. Ruth was pretty excited about the DVDs they have at Ecumenical Universalist.”

“Yes, absolutely,” Miranda said. “Anybody who wants to join in. Now, when are we doing this?”

“How about this weekend?” Elliot suggested.

Sam considered his vague plans for getting some quiet time on Saturday. “Sure, why not? We could watch some at the church.”

“That’s fine. Then after a break we can go to my house. I can tell you in all modesty that I do have the best sound system and the biggest screen in Blythe. However, I have a tendency to burn popcorn.”

“Yes, you do,” Miranda said. “I’ll be in charge of refreshments. Elliot, you provide the movies. Sam, you just show up and prepare to be dragged through the twentieth century on your way to the twenty-first.”

“OK then. This weekend.”

************

Both Ruth and Naomi joined the group for most of Elliot’s classic film festival. Noah watched The Great Dictator and then begged off.

Forbidden Planet was the film that excited Naomi most. “It’s an adaptation of The Tempest! Dr. Morbius is Prospero. Altaira is Miranda -- not you, Miranda, the one in The Tempest, and the robot is Ariel, except that the cook gets him drunk, so I guess he’s also Caliban, so that would make the cook Trinculo or Stephano--”

“What’s she talking about?” Miranda whispered to Elliot.

“Shakespeare.” Elliot patted her hand. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.”

“I’m so gonna burn your popcorn,” Miranda hissed back.

Miranda wanted very much to watch Brave New World, so Elliot decided to save Gone With the Wind for another time. While Elliot and Miranda snickered at Brave New World’s low-budget costumes, Sam found himself caught up in the story of a man thrust from a primitive society into a futuristic dystopia. Naomi commented on the lines from Shakespeare quoted in the script. As they watched, Elliot said, “Oh, we really should have watched Metropolis before we watched this. Next time.”

************

They spent most of Saturday and Sunday watching movies. Elliot seemed to have a limitless appetite for them and a deeply developed appreciation for the writing, the directing, the actors, the sets and costumes, the music, all of film’s many aspects. Sam focused mostly on the story lines and the art direction. He was both delighted and overwhelmed by the onslaught of memorable images.

As Miranda and Elliot walked back to Ecumenical Universalist with Sam, he thanked them for the crash course. “But I do feel like I’ve been in a crash.”

“Full immersion,” Elliot said. “It’s the only way to learn a new language. Take two aspirin and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

“We have to do this again, Sam! Promise me!” Miranda wheedled. “We can take it easier.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Sam said. “But I liked it. I just hope I don’t start mixing them all up in my head, like expecting Obi-Wan Kenobi to show up while T.E. Lawrence and the Arab Army are derailing trains.”

“Also, remember they’re all fiction, especially Lawrence of Arabia,” Elliot cautioned.

“Yes, Professor.”

“Which reminds me,” Miranda said, “we have to introduce you to Gilligan’s Island.”

Elliot groaned. “Say good night, Miranda.”

“Good night, Miranda,” she giggled.

“See, you can count on her for some things. Good night, Sam.”

“Good night.”

Ruth and Naomi were already upstairs, having abandoned the film festival in the afternoon. Sam closed the door of the side entrance they used at the church and stood quietly for a moment. His ears rang and his head was full to bursting. O brave new world that has such creatures in it! ‘Tis new to thee, he thought. Then he remembered the homework he hadn’t done for school tomorrow.