Back to nature. You get tired of it you can always buy a bus ticket. Except then it won’t mean anything—you could just buy another ticket and come back. The kid is not afraid. More to see this way—detour to Texas, the McDonald Observatory. Davis Mountains, nine- meter telescope, Hobby- Eberly Try to imagine the stars through that—no different than being up there. Next best thing to astronauts. Very Large Array, New Mexico or Arizona, can’t remember. See it all. No hurries, no worries.

“Don’t look so happy,” said Poe.

“I can’t help it.” He found some more small pieces and went back to building his fire, using his jackknife to shave splinters for tinder.

“You take for goddamn ever to do anything, you know that?”

“I like a one- match fire.”

“Which, by the time you get it lit, it’ll be dark and time to go, because I ain’t spending the night here.”

“I’ll give you my sleeping bag.”

“Fuck that,” said Poe. “We’ve probably already caught tuberculosis just from being in here.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“You’re useless,” Poe told him.

“What do you think you’ll do when I’m gone?”

“I imagine I’ll be extremely happy.”

“Seriously.”

“Quit it. I want someone to nag me, I’ll talk to my mother.”

“I’ll talk to your mother.”

“Yeah, yeah. You bring anything to eat?”

“Some nuts.”

“You would.”

“Hand over your lighter.”

“What would be perfect right now is a pie from Vincent’s. Christ I was up there the other day, the house special—”

“Lighter.”

“I’d order us one but Nextel turned my phone off.”

“Uh-huh.”

“That was a joke,” said Poe.

“Extremely funny. Give me your lighter.”

Poe sighed and handed it over. Isaac got the fire going. It grew quickly. It was a good fire. He kicked the door of the stove all the way open and then sat back and looked at his work with satisfaction.