"Now, I am here basically to introduce folks. First, there's Jackie Sandoval. Some of you know her already. She's volunteered to be our spokesperson, sort of, tonight and for the rest of our stay. Jackie?"

A small, slender woman with long black hair and doll-like features came on stage. Rowell lowered the microphone for her.

"Hello," she said, and again the warm sound emanated from the crowd in the amphitheater. "We're here to celebrate, aren't we?" Silence. "I think we are. We're here to celebrate how far we've come, and to count our blessings. If what the experts tell us is true, we have three to four weeks to Uve in this wilderness, to appreciate the beauty and to think back on our lives. How many have had a chance for that kind of retrospective?

"We are a community—not just all of us here, but people everywhere. Some of us have stayed at home, and others have come here, perhaps because we recognize that all of Earth is our home. Each night, if we wish, if we all agree, we'll gather in the amphitheater and share our dinner, perhaps have people sing for us; we'll be a family. As Elizabeth said, all are welcome. I noticed some bikers camped at Sunnyside. They haven't caused any trouble, I've been told, and they are welcome. Maybe for once in our history we can all be together, and appreciate what we can share. Tonight, I've asked Mary and Tony Lampedusa to sing for us, and then there's going to be a dance at the Yosemite Village visitor center. I hope you'll come.

"First, there's a couple of announcements. We're pooling our books and videotapes and such at the Ahwanee to make a kind of library. Anybody who wants to contribute is welcome. The park service has chipped in a lot of books about Yosemite and the Sierras. I'm the librarian, so to speak, so talk to me if you want to read anything, or donate anything.

"Oh. We're also arranging for a music library. We have fifty portable optical disk players used for recorded park tours and about three hundred music disks. If you want to donate more, anything is appreciated. Now, here's Tony and Mary Lampedusa."

Edward sat with the half-full beer can between his knees and listened to the high, sweet folksinging. Minelli shook his head and wandered off before they were done. "See you at the dance," he whispered to Edward in passing.

The dance began slowly on the open-air wooden deck of the visitors' center. A ranger's powerful stereo system provided the music, mostly rock tunes from the eighties.