THE HIDDEN TRACK

The following passages are dedicated to Leopold, to the vernacular, to certain evil women (you know who you are), to certain wonderful people(they know who they are), to soft afternoons and quiet Sunday evenings, to Fall and seeing your breath for the first time since Spring, and to Isabelle Ya Feng ... a soul slipped by like two ships passing in the still, moonlit sea.
-- Abraham Ahmed, the Surfing Beatnik



[C. LAURENCE WEBB; TAPE 1 OF 1; DTG: UNK]

“I should like to make mention that I have been here before. Yes, undeniably, existence past or moment previous to this, I have in fact been here. I am familiar not just with the view but also with the smells.”

“Are you content or frightened?”

“It is uncertain to me at this moment. ”

“Would you find it complex to provide illustration?”

“Indeed not.”

“Who might be there present with you? If any per…..[INAUDIBLE; 0:09]”

“There is no one to my knowledge.”

“What do you see?”

“Just a moment….”

[1:12 OF SILENCE ON THE TAPE]

“…. There is a wall, a white wall made of slats to my front. There is an open door to my right, and there is a sitting room to my left. I am unable to turn my head completely, yet my peripheral gathers a large green couch and matching chair, a small end table with a lamp containing a red glass shade, and grey carpet with vaguely red flowers. I cannot quite determine why it is that I am unable to turn to view. The wall is tall and contains a number of… [INAUDIBLE; 0:26] …Yet there are no real differences.”

“Where would you suppose you are? Is the place that familiar to you?”

“It is familiar, yes. Though I am having difficulty determining the exact… a moment please… ”

[1:18 OF SILENCE ON THE TAPE]

“Mr. Webb? Mr. Webb, is there anything the matter?”

“There is not. Only, I am hearing voices in an adjacent room; someone is reading a newspaper aloud.”

“What is the person reading?”

[0:43 OF SILENCE ON THE TAPE]

“Mr. Webb, again, what is the person reading?”

“I am not certain I wish to be here. In fact, I am becoming reasonably alarmed.”

“I assure you Mr. Webb, it is quite normal.”

“They are now talking of my being here and I am not sure as to….”

“Look here, can you tell me is there anything else you might describe? Could you perhaps disregard the people in the adjacent room momentarily? Is there anything you might describe?”

“There is a table near me. There is a gramophone upon the table’s top. Dust blankets the gramophone’s base and horn. The record left in place is indecipherable beneath the soot. I’ve slid a finger across the label... [0:18 OF SILENCE ON THE TAPE]…The music, cracking and scarcely perceptible, wisped my ear just now.”

“Mr. Webb, have you anyone there with you? Perhaps playing the record for you?”

“I do not, but there are people here now, several in fact.”

“Can you possibly describe them?”

“I am not certain I am comfortable and I think I would rather… [16:35 OF SILENCE ON THE TAPE]”

[TAPE IS STOPPED; THERE IS NOTHING FURTHER]

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