II

1.

When Elgin got home he found his mother weeping.

–“Mom, what is it?!”

Ever since his father’s disposal, he had taken a gentler tone with her, as if she, not he, needed protecting.

Her joy at seeing her son safe was overshadowed by a dark dread of what lay in store for him. “They came here looking for you. I told them you were at school!”

Elgin grinned. “It’s nice to know somebody missed me.”

“Oh Elgin,” she broke out crying, “you don’t understand the seriousness of the matter!”

“What’s the good of being young,” he said, “if you take things too seriously?”

“I went to see Dr. Orion,” she replied.

–“How is he?”

–“He showed me your block citizenship composition.”

–“Didn’t he find it vertical enough?”

–“For up’s sake, Elgin, don’t you know you’re skating on thin ice!”

–“So what if I slip? I’ll freefall all the way to China!”

–“They’re talking about a personality profile, Elgin. Do you know what that means?”

–“Fame and fortune?” His flip tone camouflaged his own mounting upset.

–“After a PP, the next step is compulsory desensitization!”

–“All the kids go through desensitivity training, Mom, it’s no big deal!” Elgin shrugged. “It’s a character-shaping experience!” he mouthed the popular slogan with a grin.

*

After evening nourishment, Mrs. Marble found her son packing his father’s old leisure backpack with a nervous determination.

–“What are you doing? Where are you going?”

“Camping,” he said, without blinking.

She hugged him to her. “They took your tra