I

"Oh, brilliant smokey wonder!"

He opened his eyes wide, mouth gaping, trying to absorb every single mass of gas around him. Walking forth, he slipped on a snail shell and fell and rushed uncontrollably down the yellow grass hill. He lost all sense of place, gained all sense of smell. Nothing else, just smell. He stopped, sat up, wrung his neck in stress.

Suddenly, all around him, succulent foods appeared -- Hanoi-style barbecue pork, crêpes au beurre, steaming pozole. Sizzling skillets swung around, spreading the dizzying smells. Naublus couldn't hold back. He sobbed, shaking and twitching and gasping for air. He sobbed.

In came Lady Liberty, soft-footed and graceful. "What's wrong, Naublus?"

Sobs in response.

"Give freedom time to catch up. It'll be OK. You've just hit a rut, that's all. You'll get back on your feet."

"You think so?" Naublus whimpered.

"I know so!" Lady Liberty said giddily. "I know so."

Naublus tried to muster up some hunger, but his sadness took it all away. As if sucked away by a vacuum, the Hanoi-style barbecue pork, crêpes au beurre, and steaming pozole flew back into the horizon. A chigger clawed his nostrils. He slapped it, but to no avail. He kept on slapping it, contorting his fingers into new formations to try to get the damn thing. It kept clawing. Naublus went crazy and his slaps woke him up.