Descending Road - FERDINAND AND THE BOOK by Dana W. Paxson

FERDINAND AND THE BOOK

1529 4D

Squirming letters and words burrow in behind my eyes with light. The book shakes as I hold it closer to me. Isn’t the book the reader? Isn’t the reader found in the book?

Then how is the book found in the reader’s hands?

Twenty thousand years ago the book reached its earliest point in crosstime. Circumstance precesses history; crosstime wobbled, and the book changed. But the book holds everything, Ferdinand.

My name is in it? The blue-eyed man motions me to continue reading.

You are in me, Ferdinand, and you read me. How is this to be? Do you want to read the ending?

Read the ending, return to this page, and then read the ending again. It will be different. I know this, because I am the book, the living book, and you are part of me. Read yourself.

I look up again and blurt out, “Am I still lying in the City? Am I dead yet? What is this place?”

The blue-eyed man smiles, his dark gold skin shining in a light that comes from the library shelves all around. “Read on,” he says.

What page, Ferdinand?

Where am I? Inside you?

Buried deep in bedrock on Tarnus, inscribed a thousand times in hard crystal scattered all across the planet?

Locked in the chambers of the Regional Offices of humans?

Lying chilled in the starship that brought humans here over ten thousand years ago?

Living in the mutated brain of a vat-dwelling andro, pulsating with the energy of a million minds?

Rooted in ancient Earth, myself and you its projections?

In your dying mind, flickering out with the last shreds of memory?

A child at play, singing with the universe?

Who am I, Ferdinand? Choose any story. It is truth. What page?

The book speaks in Allashani‘s voice. Now, Ferdinand, she says, meet death.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	FERDINAND AND THE BOOK 1529 4D Squirming letters and words burrow in behind my eyes with light. The book shakes as I hold it closer to me. Isn’t the book the reader? Isn’t the reader found in the book? Then how is the book found in the reader’s hands? Twenty thousand years ago the book reached its earliest point in crosstime. Circumstance precesses history; crosstime wobbled, and the book changed. But the book holds everything, Ferdinand. My name is in it? The blue-eyed man motions me to continue reading. You are in me, Ferdinand, and you read me. How is this to be? Do you want to read the ending? Read the ending, return to this page, and then read the ending again. It will be different. I know this, because I am the book, the living book, and you are part of me. Read yourself. I look up again and blurt out, “Am I still lying in the City? Am I dead yet? What is this place?” The blue-eyed man smiles, his dark gold skin shining in a light that comes from the library shelves all around. “Read on,” he says. What page, Ferdinand? Where am I? Inside you? Buried deep in bedrock on Tarnus, inscribed a thousand times in hard crystal scattered all across the planet? Locked in the chambers of the Regional Offices of humans? Lying chilled in the starship that brought humans here over ten thousand years ago? Living in the mutated brain of a vat-dwelling andro, pulsating with the energy of a million minds? Rooted in ancient Earth, myself and you its projections? In your dying mind, flickering out with the last shreds of memory? A child at play, singing with the universe? Who am I, Ferdinand? Choose any story. It is truth. What page? The book speaks in Allashani‘s voice. Now, Ferdinand, she says, meet death.