Thresholds

By Matt Allman

Thresholds is the fourth in a series of books that begins with To Bind Fast. It continues the search of the main characters, Mark and John, for answers as to how things workthat is, all things that are knowable. One of the main objects of their examination is human behavior, and the values that sometimes attend that behavior. Over the course of these four novels, Mark and John have gone from each quietly living in near-solitude, to living titillating lives in the company of two very creative women who re-involve them in the buzzing world of human activity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453555460

Matt Allman

The author lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with his dog and his books. He also is surrounded by endless water, and countless birds, as well as the boundless other creatures that thrive in that fertile environment.

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Copyright © 2010 by Matt Allman.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

Author’s Note

Preface

Thresholds

Aftermath

Dedication

To my sweet dog, Magic!

Student: How is it done, Sir, Magic?

Teacher: No, Son, Math!

Author’s Note

The author has taken certain liberties with certain elements of punctuation such as ellipses, in order to indicate pauses in a character’s dialogue or storyteller’s thoughts. The traditional space dot space dot space dot space is not used. Instead, any number of dots can occur, without spaces between the dots; and a larger number of dots means a longer pause in speech or thought. Most often in the novel, ellipses occur before a sentence, usually indicating a very brief pause in conversation, or indicating that the speaker is thinking before he or she speaks. Sometimes the ellipses just indicate that the speaker is changing the subject. Ellipses at the end of a sentence usually indicate that the speaker has been interrupted by another party. ….The author has also taken some liberties with capitalization by capitalizing a particular word some times, and not doing so at other times. This was done for effect, and for better presentation of an idea or concept. Finally, this novel is written in first-person narrative. Every line that is indented is dialogue to which the protagonist/storyteller is a party. Every line not indented is what the protagonist is thinking. There is at no point in the story an Omniscient Narrator. There is nothing all-knowing about this story.

Preface

John, I know that there is supposed to be conservation of energy; and I think that I understand entropy; but, is there emergence?

Yes, Mark, in all things!

In physics, John?

Yes, Mark.

In Chemistry, John?

Yes, Mark.

In Biology, John?

Of course, Mark!

How about all things human, John?

Yes, Mark. In Politics, Psychology, Sociology, History, Literature, Philosophy, Arts, Religion, Ethics…..all things human involve emergence as well!

But, John, how can this be if there is conservation of energy?

Because much is lost, Mark!

John, when you add what emerges to what is lost, is the sum zero?

Some say so, Mark.

And you, John?

Damned if I know!

Thresholds

Four months had gone by since John and I had moved to the Shore from Maryville. Three months had passed since we had met Jamie and Hillary. The four of us were still hitting it off splendidly. Jamie and I were pretty much at one another constantly—sexually, that is. And John and Hillary were still enjoying one another’s company in their special way. And the four of us lived for the sustenance of our sessions that we called our exchange of ideas. Today, however, John and I were out on the deck promoting skin cancer, since neither of us had applied the appropriate sun block—stupid or lazy; take your pick! We were sitting there, just staring out toward the barrier island. Jamie and Hillary were not present.

John, why do we distrust people so much?

You know the answer to that, Mark. Why do you ask me?

Articulate the reason, John! I’ve got an idea flowing in my head.

Because they’re not trustworthy!

And what else, John?

That’s it, Mark. You asked why we don’t trust people, and the answer is that they aren’t worthy of trust.

OK, John, why aren’t they worthy of trust?

Mendacity!

Go on!

Mark, I’m not sure where you want me to go with this.

Just tell me, John, why you do not trust people; why you avoid others as much as possible; why you treat so many people with distain?

Mark, I fear their dishonesty, their laziness, and their tendency to mob whenever they confront something that they don’t immediately understand. And if something is longer than a campaign slogan, they probably won’t understand it!

And you are afraid that the mob may turn on you?

Yes, Mark—and on others who I perceive as valuable. ..…The mob can also be extremely boring and unappreciative of the life around them. But their mendacity is the reason that I distrust and fear them.

Why do you think people lie, John?

The better question is why do they tell the truth?

You’re right! ....So what’s the answer to that question, John?

Mark, I thought that the devil made us lie, and our love of God made us tell the truth.

Yeah, I learned that in Sunday School too, John.

As we discussed with the Ladies, Mark, humans seem to have evolved a tendency to cooperate with one another as a way of promoting survival. This cooperation includes being truthful. ....Should I go on, Mark?

Yes, please!

If our ancient human ancestors would have lied to one another about an approaching lion, humans may not have evolved into the noble creatures that they are today. Hence, truthfulness became an important tool in cooperative survival. …..So what’s your flowing idea about, Mark?

Well, if you look at the Ten Commandments, John, setting aside the first four about the One God, and just focusing on the other six, there seems to be a logical social reason for each commandment’s existence. They each address a problem that could cause social unrest and put survival of the individual human, and the group, in jeopardy.

I would agree with that, Mark—and so would many students of early Hebrew thought. So what?

Well, John, except for the prohibition against murder, very few people, today, seem to give a hoot about those particular Commandments—yet we survive!

Yes …true! …I guess I never thought about it exactly in that context before, Mark; but, again, so what?

Is it just the size difference in the group—moving from a small Tribe to a large Nation like the United States? Or is it something else, John?

I think I see what you’re getting at. ….At first blush, Mark, I would say that it would be the size difference. Each one of us has become more anonymous to the other, and less important to the other; so our individual actions aren’t as significant as they used to be. And we don’t have to worry so much about lions! But, I’m still not sure where you’re going with this, Mark.

Last night, I was watching the TV News, and the report was about the latest political games flying around in our illustrious Congress…

So now, Mark, you want to discuss the U.S Congress in order to add to my list of reasons to distrust people?

Yeah, and their relation to stealing, committing adultery, bearing false witness—a very big one—and finally coveting, especially coveting the power of the majority party in Congress.

What about honoring one’s father and mother, Mark?

That’s outside of our view of them, so I can’t comment on that one, John—or maybe I should just consider that commandment about respect, in general. …..Anyway, the four that I mentioned, which the early Hebrews evidently felt were so important for social stability, are definitely being violated by the people that we elect to Congress—especially the bearing false witness. Many of our revered politicians lie enthusiastically about others of their Club; and even though they may characterize what they say as spin, it is certainly more than that—it is bearing false witness, don’t you think?

So? Nothing about your flowing idea is particularly profound, Mark.

John, I was just wondering if the individuals who were in the position of governing for the early Hebrews were a bit more faithful to their Code.

And if they weren’t, Mark?

I wonder how the average Hebrew would have responded. Certainly, in order to promote the social good, some sort of corrective action would have been taken by the Group as a whole.

Why, Mark?

So as to preserve social order, John.

What corrective measures do we take when our Congresspeople bear false witness or lie, Mark? They seem to get away with the most outlandish lies, and continually pat themselves on the backs for being selfless public servants. Moreover, most of our fellow citizens believe that these selfless servants are lying; but they do nothing. Now, maybe it’s damn near impossible for an intelligent person to do anything, but, in fact, most of our elective leaders are usually voted back into office.

John, that’s because their lies, what they may insist is spin, dupes many of their constituents into voting for them again and again; and the remaining voters, who support the candidate for re-election, are really only voting against the candidate’s opponent. Sometimes I think that there is more negative voting going on than positive voting. It’s more like we vote against someone than for someone, because so many candidates are dishonest sacks of shit!

Yes! I would agree that you are on the right track with that, Mark.

In fact, John, I think that oftentimes a candidate may be in agreement with his or her opponent, but they disagree publicly in order to appease their base. In otherwords, they lie about their real position on the issues in order to get the votes.

True. But I still have to say so what? Mark, it seems that a whole host of public personalities are doing the same thing.

What do you mean?

Think about that fat guy, or that really skinny woman, who both are self-proclaimed political pundits—I can’t remember their names. The one is on TV a lot, and I think that they both may have radio shows.

OK.

They both profess to be on the far right Republican side of the fence, Mark; but are they? They are making so much money by saying and writing such outrageous things that, for all we know, they could be democrats just milking the crazies that pay to hear them. From what I read, these two people are making millions of dollars doing what they do. The more outrageous their comments and allegations, the more their public wants—and demands! The more their public PAYS!

John, I have considered that notion, in general, before! But, specifically, John, are you suggesting that those two special citizens may be democrats?

Why not, Mark?

I never considered that possibility for those two, John! They always seemed too fervent in their message!

That’s because you, Mark, were looking at what they say and do from a political angle, rather than just viewing it as a practical business matter of making money. They’ve found their niche—and it’s making them millions. They spew just like Tele-evangelists spew, TV psychics spew, and TV wrestlers pretend! They are all accomplished entertainers, and the more outrageous they are, the more popular they are with their public. And their public PAYS!

That’s an interesting way of viewing them, John: they’re political psychics! Say whatever is necessary to bring home that pile of bacon—even if what you’re saying is the complete opposite of what you believe! That way of viewing those two geniuses never entered my mind. …..So, John, you’re saying that our noble Congresspeople, who mislead us for votes, are not much different from a lot of media personalities or psychics or wrestlers, or Tele-evangelists?

That’s right, Mark! And, don’t’ forget, advertisers, businesspeople, religious leaders, and probably your next store neighbor. Their dictum is Tell the people what they want to hear! It PAYS! …..I’m afraid that mendacity rules the day, Mark, even in the hollowed halls of Academia! My colleagues at the University were just as full of mendacious shit!

You know, John, I guess that although I thought I knew this, in a certain way, I really didn’t. I always felt that our political leaders were overwhelmingly decent human beings. I knew that we had our bad apples, but I thought that they were few and far between. And the thought that certain political pundits may believe the opposite of what they spew, just because of the money, occurred to me but I thought that their ugly breed was rare. I mostly thought that political hacks inflamed their audiences in order to gain followers and promote their ideology; but I guess a part of me always did feel that they were dipolar when it came to their beliefs and words. I guess their credo should read Go the way that PAYS!

Mark, how many intimate couples, who publicly profess their love for one another, cheat on one another, privately?

Yeah, I see your point. I’m being naïve and immature again, aren’t I, John?

Maybe a little, Mark. But I think, if I read you correctly, that you were going to make a point about Congress and social order.

It just sounds too naïve to make it now, John.

Make it anyway! Say it out loud.

OK, John. How can we expect the average citizen of our society to behave in a right manner, in a way to promote social order, if our leaders don’t?

You probably can’t, Mark! Mendacity breeds mendacity! Lies beget lies; cheating begets cheating; stealing begets stealing; false witness begets false witness; and, so on!

I feel very, very naïve and immature at this point.

Why, Mark?

Saying this out loud just reinforces that it is so obvious. My idea is not as profound as I thought it might be.

And yet, Mark, we teach our children to adhere to certain Ideals, only to demonstrate in our everyday actions that those Ideals mean nothing to what seems to be the majority of people!

God, John, it’s amazing that we can maintain any type of social order.

Well, a certain level of social order benefits somebody, otherwise we wouldn’t have any order. You just have to be one of the ones that benefit from that certain level of order.

That’s an ugly thought, John, although I suppose I know it’s true. I was reading the newspaper the other day and I saw a clip on a teenager who got a hundred years in jail for fondling his six year old neighbor. Now I’m one hundred and ten percent against child abuse; but, first of all, the teenager reportedly had profound mental disabilities; secondly, he pleaded guilty; thirdly, and, most importantly in my mind, I’ve read about rapists and murderers who have gotten much lighter sentences—like a couple-few years!

That newspaper blurb sounds hard to believe, Mark. I would have thought that the Judge, who sentenced the offender, would have taken into consideration his age and the fact that he had mental disabilities.

John, the Judge didn’t sentence him—a jury of his peers decided his punishment!

Well, so much for compassion and reason, Mark! Back to the distrust issue! Maybe they were truly his peers.

What do you mean, John?

Maybe they also suffered from profound mental disabilities.

Yeah! It would make more sense that way, wouldn’t it? ….Anyway, this poor bastard wasn’t one of the select to benefit from that certain level of social order to which you refer—he was too poor, too young, too disabled! And he had NO ONE to stand up for him! .…John, I think that it’s time for social hour; no pun intended.

Don’t you want to wait for the Ladies? It is only 2 o’clock. ….Come to think of it, that’s close enough, Mark—and I need a drink after that rather depressing example of justice!

John volunteered to go inside and make a couple mintless juleps. Mintless juleps were nothing more than bourbon on-the-rocks. The mintless part was just a funny jest we always enjoyed! Neither one of us would adulterate good bourbon by sticking mint and sugar in it. We actually felt a little guilty by putting ice in it. Technically, watering down bourbon is a sin—at least according to some religion—I’m sure of it! .....I told John to bring the bottle with him. My mental healing may require several hits of my legal, non-prescription, drug of choice. He said that he was already way ahead of me. John and I had become friends and moved to the Shore after I gave up my building business. I was forty-five and I figured that I had spent enough of my life doing stuff that I really would have preferred not to do. I did like building houses, and all types of construction for that matter. I just didn’t like most of the people I came in contact with—abusive government regulators, unrealistic customers, too many employees who cheat and steal, dumbass suppliers, and a whole bunch of other phony geniuses like lawyers, bankers, and watchdog do-gooders. I know that the purpose of business and work is to make money, not to have fun, but a little less mendacity—John’s favorite description of his fellow humans—would have benefited each and every one of us. But that’s not what happened, at least in my situation. If a person wasn’t out to skin me for monetary reasons, they were out to make me their servant or slave in order to get a boost to their shaky egos. This, of course, wasn’t true of everyone; but it sure seemed to apply to the majority. Only a few people, in my business life, did I really enjoy working with; and those people I shall always hold dear in my memory.

Mintless juleps all around!

Thanks, John! ….Say, John, do you ever wish that you liked more people, or had more friends?

When I was younger, I guess. But the prospects of finding the likable are slim for me these days, Mark. For the last dozen years, I haven’t come in contact with too many people, except to get groceries once in awhile, or a cup of coffee. And I’m not saying that there aren’t plenty of individuals that are likable on a certain level; it’s just that when I start getting to know them, most of them lose their appeal for me for one reason or another. They don’t bear much looking into, in the long run.

You mean because they might be boring or overbearing?

Yes, Mark; or too ideological, too unappreciative of Life, too deceitful, even too fearful of Life in general. And of course, their fear usually drives all their other character flaws to the point of self-rationalization—they even lie to themselves about their lives.

Yeah, I guess we all have deceived ourselves about our deficiencies, John.

I suppose you’re right, Mark; we all have. The trick is to snap out of it at some point. For most people, in my opinion, that doesn’t happen. I guess that I have found it less of a hassle to just keep to myself—that is until I ran into you. That event has turned out to be rather serendipitous, I think!

The same goes for running into Jamie and Hillary. I never expected that would happen.

Neither did I, Mark; and here we two geniuses are always reminding one another to expect the unexpected! Boy, I didn’t see them coming!

Yeah, we got trumped on that one—fortunately! We were very lucky, John!

….Speaking of our fortunate find, when are the Ladies expected, Mark? Tonight is another crab night.

Jamie said that they would probably roll in around six, John.

Good! That gives me plenty of time to finish my book and take a snooze. As a matter of fact, Mark, if you have nothing more to say, I think I will go finish my book.

Which book is this, John? The one on Evo Psych?

Yeah, I’m almost done.

OK, John; see you later.

John waved over his shoulder as he headed inside. I guess that it had gotten too hot out on the deck for his sixty-something butt to read and concentrate. But I was doing OK just thinking. The hot sun felt good on my face. But too much of a good thing can lead to a bad thing, so I decided to go inside as well. The Girls were already inside. They had never joined us on the deck because of the fur coats they were wearing. The Girls are to be distinguished from the Ladies because they are my dogs Hershe and Magic. They are both pushing eleven, and they know better to limit their exposure to the heat of the morning sun. Too much added heat now could limit their exploration time, later, on the Marsh. When you’re sporting permanent fur coats, you have to minimize heat absorption, even if you do have a bay to cool off in.

Now that I was inside, I didn’t know what to do. I