The Totem

ELEVEN

The sign said potter's field gazette. Of course, Dunlap thought. That almost slipped my mind. Gazette, for God sake. What else could it be? At least the building had a little class. It was mostly windows on both stories, shiny metal strips co

The door turned out to be electrically controlled, swinging open with a hiss. The reception area was spotless, bright lights in the decorator ceiling, all-white walls, shiny imitation marble on the floor. What was better, the building was air conditioned, sweat already cooling on Dunlap's forehead. He thought that this might work out, after all.

He glanced at polished metal counters on his right and left, desks and people typing at them.

"Yes, sir. May I help?"

Turning, he saw a woman on his left, early twenties, thin-faced, attractive, her hair combed straight back in a pony tail. He smiled and leaned against the counter.

"Yes, I'm looking for a-" Lord, he couldn't remember the name. Parsons. That was it. "I'm looking for Mr. Parsons."

She stared at his wrinkled sport coat, at the sweat marks underneath its arms. Something shut off in her eyes. 'Yes, and may I have your name?"

"Dunlap. Gordon Dunlap. I'm from New York on a story."

Then the eyes were bright again. "Of course. He's been expecting you. Take these stairs. The first door on the right."

She pointed toward a flight of stairs beyond the counter, and Dunlap smiled, nodding, walking toward them. She wore a silk blouse, her bra quite clear beneath it, the two top buttons of her blouse spread open. Dunlap thought about that all the time he climbed the stairs. After all the women he was used to seeing with no bra, their nipples almost poking through their tops, this was exotic. He stopped and took out a handkerchief and wiped his face. To the left he saw a corridor of offices, their doors open, people typing, talking on the phone. To the right, he noticed a wooden door, the first wood in here that he'd seen. mr. parsons. editor. Dunlap knocked and entered.

Another woman, older, sat at a desk and studied him. 'Yes, sir?" When Dunlap told her, she said, "Of course." She went out through another door, this one wooden like the first, although the desk and chair and cabinets were metal. He waited. Everything was just as clean and shiny as downstairs. Through the windows, he could see the stores across the street. The woman came back, smiling, saying he should go in. Dunlap nodded, walking through.

Everything was wood in there, bookshelves, desk and chairs and tables, even the walls. No, not everything. A thick rug occupied a large part of the floor, and two of the chairs were leather. The difference was the same. This was more a study than an office. More than that, a sanctum. People summoned here would be impressed. Whoever summoned them understood the principles of power.

Parsons. He was smiling, getting up from where he sat behind the desk, coming around to shake hands. "Hello there. We expected you the middle of the week."

"Yeah, well, something came up at the office. They wouldn't let me go till yesterday at noon." And then because he knew he'd sounded rude, "I hope I didn't inconvenience you."

"No, not at all." Smiling again, Parsons pointed toward one of the well-stuffed leather chairs before the desk. "Have a seat. Can I get you something?"

"Coffee would be nice."

Parsons pressed a button on the intercom and looked at him.

"Cream and sugar. Lots of it," Dunlap said.

And Parsons put the order through. Then still smiling, Parsons sat back, his hands upon his lap, and waited. He was maybe fifty-five, husky, almost fat, but not exactly. Mostly he was just big-boned: massive chest and shoulders, hands as big as a heavyweight boxer's. His head seemed extra large as well. Even with his bulging stomach, he seemed very much in shape, though, his skin as fresh and smooth as athletes in their twenties. When he'd come around to shake hands with Dunlap, he had moved as if he were a dancer or a man of half his size and weight. Dunlap was impressed. This man had a presence. More than that, he knew what he was doing. He had never once appeared to notice Dunlap's wrinkled coat and ravaged face and eyes. Clearly, though, he'd been aware of them from the start. He was not a man who did things without thinking. The way he'd fixed this office so it stood out from the others. The way he sat, his expensive suit conspicuous in a town where everyone wore cowboy clothes, his blue shirt crisp and clean, his striped tie meticulously knotted, his hands upon his lap, leaning back and smiling, as if he were at his leisure (but he wasn't). Dunlap knew he'd have to watch him.

"Yes, well, tell me," Parsons said, still leaning back and smiling. "I know you told me on the phone. But just to help me understand, why not tell me once again?"

Dunlap lit a cigarette. "Well, we're doing retrospectives."

Parsons leaned ahead abruptly, pointing. "No, not here."

Dunlap wondered what he meant. He looked around. He saw that there were no ashtrays and understood, standing up to crush the cigarette against the inside of a refuse can. "Sorry."

"Quite all right. You couldn't know."

"Sure." And now you're up on me, you bastard, Dunlap thought, sitting back and going on. "Like I said, we're doing retrospectives-"

"News-world magazine?"

"That's right."

And Parsons nodded. "Quite a thing. A man from News-world magazine to come here."

"Yes, well-"

"Must be quite a story."

Then the door opened, and the woman came in with the coffee.

"Thank you."

"Certainly." And she was gone.

Dunlap tried to continue his explanation. "We've been-"

"How's the coffee?" 'Just the way I like it." "Fine."

And Dunlap had lost count of how much Parsons was ahead of him. "The commune," he was saying.

Parsons looked at him. He evidently hadn't figured they would get so quickly to the point. His eyes narrowed. "That's right. I remember now. You're checking on the commune." "The commune twenty years after it was founded." "Twenty-three." "How's that?"

"Twenty-three years since it was founded." 'Yeah, we figured that might make a point." Parsons shook his head and frowned. "I don't quite understand."

"Well, the difference between then and now. Nineteen seventy. Dope and acid. Vietnam. Young people either going into politics or dropping out of society." "But what about the commune?" "Well, we figured we would check on how it went." "I still don't understand."

"It's a way to measure how the country changed. All those fine young good intentions."

Parsons made a face. "The new republic. That's the thing they called it. Free love, free food, and free spirit." Parsons made another face.

"Yes, but never mind the 'free love' business. That's the part that people always pick at. What we want to know is what came out of all that."

"You could have saved yourself a trip. I'll tell you what came out of all that. Nothing. That's what came of it." "Well, that's a statement in itself."

"Hey, wait a minute," Parsons said. "Do you have that tape recorder on?"

Dunlap nodded. "Turn if off." "But what's the matter?" "Turn the damned thing off, I said." Dunlap obeyed. "But what's the matter? Listen, radicals back then are ru