173 The Price of Living Comfortably (1/2)
”This is the first time ever I've heard you mention feeling lonely.”
”Don't attach too much importance to it,” Kirk said. ”Everyone feels that way sometimes.”
”Yes. But you've never talked about it, before.”
”And I don't intend to do so, in the future. It just slipped out.”
”Maybe that's good.”
”No it isn't. It's best not to talk about things like that.”
”Why? Sincere communication - ”
”Sincere communication is very overrated,” Kirk said. ”To begin with, it's never sincere. Words stop being sincere the moment they leave your mouth.”
”I'm not sure I understand that.”
”You do. You just aren't honest with yourself about it.”
Adam laughed.
”You've changed a lot in the past couple of months, Dad,” he said.
Kirk shook his head.
”I haven't,” he said. ”People don't really change. They adapt. Deep inside, they stay the same.”
”Well, you definitely behave and talk differently.”
”I'm adapting,” Kirk said. ”It's a new situation, so I'm adapting. So are you. So is everyone else. Bernard has been forced to do a lot of adapting, very fast. Did he tell you he got his head cut off over there?”
”No!”
”Yes.” And Kirk went on to tell Adam about his younger brother's misadventure. He concluded by saying:
”Bernard thinks the Mexicans are plotting to take over California in the New World. I gather Hank Vorner shares that view, too. What do you think?”
”It's not impossible,” Adam said.
”Really? I thought Bernard was just getting paranoid. You know, getting your head cut off is not a pleasant experience even when it takes place in another reality.”
”Well, I've been talking to a guy I used to hang out with at the university,” said Adam. ”He's a district governor in Florida now. He told me the Cuban emigres in Florida are planning to take over Cuba in the New World.”
”Adam, surely that's different. They're Cubans, they want Cuba. California is American!”
”It used to belong to Mexico, if I remember right.”
”Hell! So did many other states. Are they going to invade U.S. territory in the New World to take them back? They'd be stupid to even think about it.”
”I have the feeling, Dad, that they indeed might be thinking about it.”
”Impossible. Insane! That's like asking for punishment.”
”They might be stronger than us over there, Dad.”
”You think so?”
”It's definitely possible. It's an equal start for everyone.”
”But it doesn't make sense! We have a world government. The whole world is truly united, for the first time ever. Anyone can move and live and work anywhere.”
”Ethnic groups! You're suggesting we're going back to tribal level?”
””We've certainly moved back in time technology-wise,” Adam said diplomatically. ”And you know something, it looks like the bottom feeders are rising to the top. That poor farmer in Africa or Asia or South America or wherever who works a tiny plot of land, and makes his own clothes and tools because he can't afford to buy any - that's the guy who is king today.”