Iamsittingatthemomentinastiflinghotelroomin90-degreeheat, halfwaydownanairshaft, , -twoblocksfromwhereRudolphValentinolayinstate, eightblocksfromwhereNathanHalewasexecuted, fiveblocksfromthepublisher'sofficewhereErnestHemingwayhitMaxEastmanonthenose, fourmilefromwhereWaltWhitmansatsweatingouteditorialsfortheBrooklynEagle, thirty-fourblocksfromthestreetWillaCatherlivedinwhenshecametoNewYorktowritebooksaboutNebraska, oneblockfromwhereMarcelineusedtoclownontheboardsoftheHippodrome, thirty-sixblocksfromthespotwherethehistorianJoeGouldkickedaradiotopiecesinfullviewofthepublic, thirteenblocksfromwhereHarryThawshotStanfordWhites, fiveblocksformwhereIusedtousherattheMetropolitanOperaandonly112blocksfromthespotwhereClarenceDaytheElderwasWashedofhissinsintheChurchoftheEpiphany（Icouldcontinuethislistindefinitely）；andforthatmatterIamprobablyoccupyingtheveryroomthatanynumberofexaltedandsomewisememorablecharacterssatin, someofthemonhot, breathlessafternoons, lonelyandprivateandfulloftheirownsenseofemanationsfromwithout.
WhenIwentdowntolunchafewminutesagoInoticedthatthemansittingnexttome（abouteighteeninchesawayalongthewall）, （thewaiter）wasayoungmanjustarrivedinthiscountryandbeforehecouldunderstandawordofEnglish, , thewaiterrecalled-amanofstraw, !（Andstillonlyeighteeninchesaway.）“,”saidthewaiterthoughtfully, contentwiththisfragileparticipationindestiny, thislinkwithOz.
