It's Funny How Things Seem Different, Suddenly.

The City Of Pittsburgh Gleaming Suddenly Before Her . . . So Startling In Its Vastness And Its Beauty That She Had Gasped And Slowed, Afraid Of Losing Control Of The Car

He Fished In His Pocket For His Keys And Instead Pulled Out The Last Geode, Gray And Smooth, Earth-shaped. He Held It, Warming In His Palm, Thinking Of All Mysteries The World Contained: Layers Of Stone, Concealed Beneath The Flesh Of Earth And Grass; These Dull Rocks, With Their Glimmering Hidden Hearts.

A Fear Paul Had Transformed All These Years, Like A Gifted Alchemist, Into Anger And Rebellion.

Each Letter Has A Shape, She Told Them, One Shape In The World And No Other, And It Is Your Responsibility To Make It Perfect.

It's Funny How Things Seem Different, Suddenly.