Two of the Minutemen, knives drawn and ready, brace themselves to face Howe. He, being the ball carrier, is more important than T.K. The remaining Minuteman, a short club in his hand, prepares to stop T.K.

At the last instant, T.K. cuts in front of Howe and throws himself cross body at the two knife wielding Minutemen. Taken by surprise, the two of them topple sideways, clearing a tiny entryway to the goalyard. Howe hits it, but the third Minuteman manages to catch a shoulder in Howe’s stomach, so Howe doesn’t make it across. Howe backs off for another try. He charges ahead. A jumbled mass of arms reach out to stop him. Suddenly Howe freezes, jerks bolt upright. Ribbons of red pour out of his chin. He yanks out the long knife imbedded there. It’s his last living action, and the first death of the game.

A whistle blows, ending the quarter.

Score: Minutemen I4, Prospectors 0.

8

The Question Man

Senator Cy Abelman (D-Oregon) recently proposed a bill that would eliminate the use of knives, clubs and rifles from the game of football and would at the same time limit the length of play to twelve hours. What’s your opinion?

That’s the trouble with these guys in Washington. Ain’t none of ‘em give a damn for the working stiff. Hell, I put in a hard four days at work, I look forward to watching football on Sunday. It’s the best relaxation there is. You take out the weapons, you shorten the playing time, you rip the guts out of the game. All my buddies, was you to ask ‘em, would tell you the same.

—Tuli Jones, Automated Construction Crew Monitor

If you want to know what I think, I think they oughta pass a law giving every player a gun. Wouldn’t that be something!

—Mose Stern, Bicycle Mechanic

Cut it shorter? Not on your life. Even when there’s nothing much going on, when a guy’s hiding out, for instance, is O.K. by me. It’s sort of spooky, you see, waiting for something to happen, waiting for somebody to get caught, for some guy to get his. No, I say we’ve got a good thing going. Let’s leave it alone.

—Hense Taglione, Apprentice Crystallographer

I like long games. I feel like I’m getting my money’s worth in a long game. If Congress is going to do anything, they should make the games even longer. Maybe put in another quarter. While they’re at it, I think giving the hidden safety another couple of bullets like that Senator Barin [R-New Jersey] wants to do is a damn good idea. It would make for more suspense, if you know what I mean.

—Tedson Lehman, Househusband