Part 12
Nicholson didn't say anything.
"I didn't tell them when they were actually going to die, though. That's a very false
rumor," Teddy said. "I could have, but I knew that in their hearts they really didn't want
to know. I mean I knew that even though they teach Religion and Philosophy and all,
they're still pretty afraid to die." Teddy sat, or reclined, in silence for a minute. "It's so
silly," he said. "All you do is get the heck out of your body when you die. My gosh,
everybody's done it thousands and thousands of times. Just because they don't
remember it doesn't mean they haven't done it. It's so silly."
"That may be. That may be," Nicholson said. "But the logical fact remains that no
matter how intelligently--"
"It's so silly," Teddy said again. "For example, I have a swimming lesson in about five
minutes. I could go downstairs to the pool, and there might not be any water in it. This
might be the day they change the water or something. What might happen, though, I
might walk up to the edge of it, just to have a look at the bottom, for instance, and my
sister might come up and sort of push me in. I could fracture my skull and die
instantaneously." Teddy looked at Nicholson. "That could happen," he said. "My sister's
only six, and she hasn't been a human being for very many lives, and she doesn't like
me very much. That could happen, all right. What would be so tragic about it, though?
What's there to be afraid of, I mean? I'd just be doing what I was supposed to do, that's
all, wouldn't I?"
Nicholson snorted mildly. "It might not be a tragedy from your point of view, but it
would certainly be a sad event for your mother and dad," he said "Ever consider that?"
"Yes, of course, I have," Teddy said. "But that's only because they have names and
emotions for everything that happens." He had been keeping his hands tucked under
his legs again. He took them out now, put his arms up on the armrests, and looked at
Nicholson. "You know Sven? The man that takes care of the gym?" he asked. He waited
till he got a nod from Nicholson. "Well, if Sven dreamed tonight that his dog died, he'd
have a very, very bad night's sleep, because he's very fond of that dog. But when he
woke up in the morning, everything would be all right. He'd know it was only a dream."
Nicholson nodded. "What's the point, exactly?"
"The point is if his dog really died, it would be exactly the same thing. Only, he
wouldn't know it. I mean he wouldn't wake up till he died himself." Nicholson, looking
detached, was using his right hand to give himself a slow, sensuous massage at the
back of the neck. His left hand, motionless on the armrest, with a fresh, unlighted
cigarette between the fingers, looked oddly white and inorganic in the brilliant sunlight.
Teddy suddenly got up. "I really have to go now, I'm afraid," he said. He sat down,
tentatively, on the extended leg attachment of his chair, facing Nicholson, and tucked in
his T shirt. "I have about one and a half minutes, I guess, to get to my swimming
lesson," he said. "It's all the way down on E Deck."
"May I ask why you told Professor Peet he should stop teaching after the first of the
year?" Nicholson asked, rather bluntly. "I know Bob Peet. That's why I ask."
Teddy tightened his alligator belt. "Only because he's quite spiritual, and he's
teaching a lot of stuff right now that isn't very good for him if he wants to make any real
spiritual advancement. It stimulates him too much. It's time for him to take everything
out of his head, instead of putting more stuff in. He could get rid of a lot of the apple in
just this one life if he wanted to. He's very good at meditating." Teddy got up. "I better
go now. I don't want to be too late."
Nicholson looked up at him, and sustained the look--detaining him. "What would you
do if you could change the educational system?" he asked ambiguously. "Ever think
about that at all?"
"I really have to go," Teddy said.
"Just answer that one question," Nicholson said. "Education's my baby, actually--
that's what I teach. That's why I ask."
"Well . . . I'm not too sure what I'd do," Teddy said. "I know I'm pretty sure I wouldn't
start with the things schools usually start with." He folded his arms, and reflected
briefly. "I think I'd first just assemble all the children together and show them how to
meditate. I'd try to show them how to find out who they are, not just what their names
Nicholson didn't say anything.
"I didn't tell them when they were actually going to die, though. That's a very false
rumor," Teddy said. "I could have, but I knew that in their hearts they really didn't want
to know. I mean I knew that even though they teach Religion and Philosophy and all,
they're still pretty afraid to die." Teddy sat, or reclined, in silence for a minute. "It's so
silly," he said. "All you do is get the heck out of your body when you die. My gosh,
everybody's done it thousands and thousands of times. Just because they don't
remember it doesn't mean they haven't done it. It's so silly."
"That may be. That may be," Nicholson said. "But the logical fact remains that no
matter how intelligently--"
"It's so silly," Teddy said again. "For example, I have a swimming lesson in about five
minutes. I could go downstairs to the pool, and there might not be any water in it. This
might be the day they change the water or something. What might happen, though, I
might walk up to the edge of it, just to have a look at the bottom, for instance, and my
sister might come up and sort of push me in. I could fracture my skull and die
instantaneously." Teddy looked at Nicholson. "That could happen," he said. "My sister's
only six, and she hasn't been a human being for very many lives, and she doesn't like
me very much. That could happen, all right. What would be so tragic about it, though?
What's there to be afraid of, I mean? I'd just be doing what I was supposed to do, that's
all, wouldn't I?"
Nicholson snorted mildly. "It might not be a tragedy from your point of view, but it
would certainly be a sad event for your mother and dad," he said "Ever consider that?"
"Yes, of course, I have," Teddy said. "But that's only because they have names and
emotions for everything that happens." He had been keeping his hands tucked under
his legs again. He took them out now, put his arms up on the armrests, and looked at
Nicholson. "You know Sven? The man that takes care of the gym?" he asked. He waited
till he got a nod from Nicholson. "Well, if Sven dreamed tonight that his dog died, he'd
have a very, very bad night's sleep, because he's very fond of that dog. But when he
woke up in the morning, everything would be all right. He'd know it was only a dream."
Nicholson nodded. "What's the point, exactly?"
"The point is if his dog really died, it would be exactly the same thing. Only, he
wouldn't know it. I mean he wouldn't wake up till he died himself." Nicholson, looking
detached, was using his right hand to give himself a slow, sensuous massage at the
back of the neck. His left hand, motionless on the armrest, with a fresh, unlighted
cigarette between the fingers, looked oddly white and inorganic in the brilliant sunlight.
Teddy suddenly got up. "I really have to go now, I'm afraid," he said. He sat down,
tentatively, on the extended leg attachment of his chair, facing Nicholson, and tucked in
his T shirt. "I have about one and a half minutes, I guess, to get to my swimming
lesson," he said. "It's all the way down on E Deck."
"May I ask why you told Professor Peet he should stop teaching after the first of the
year?" Nicholson asked, rather bluntly. "I know Bob Peet. That's why I ask."
Teddy tightened his alligator belt. "Only because he's quite spiritual, and he's
teaching a lot of stuff right now that isn't very good for him if he wants to make any real
spiritual advancement. It stimulates him too much. It's time for him to take everything
out of his head, instead of putting more stuff in. He could get rid of a lot of the apple in
just this one life if he wanted to. He's very good at meditating." Teddy got up. "I better
go now. I don't want to be too late."
Nicholson looked up at him, and sustained the look--detaining him. "What would you
do if you could change the educational system?" he asked ambiguously. "Ever think
about that at all?"
"I really have to go," Teddy said.
"Just answer that one question," Nicholson said. "Education's my baby, actually--
that's what I teach. That's why I ask."
"Well . . . I'm not too sure what I'd do," Teddy said. "I know I'm pretty sure I wouldn't
start with the things schools usually start with." He folded his arms, and reflected
briefly. "I think I'd first just assemble all the children together and show them how to
meditate. I'd try to show them how to find out who they are, not just what their names
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