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Deb had never acquired
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dEB Had nEvEr acquirEd The Tonight Show habit. If awake at 10:30 p.m. on a weeknight, she was working. Rather than try to compete with the monologue, she waited for the roar of applause that announced the first commercial break.When she heard it she plodded downstairs. Roy was on the couch, flipping through the Harper brochure. Because he heard me coming, she thought. “Do not ever threaten someone I love again,” she said. “I tried to apologize,” he murmured. “I’m tired,” Deb said,“so we can talk about Eric tomorrow.” “Take him.” She turned back to him.“Don’t do it because you feel guilty.” “That isn’t it,” Roy replied. “Then why?” “Isn’t it enough you win?” “Eric wins,” she said. “Whatever you say.” When he made no appearance of going on she said,“It needs to be explained to him.” “You’ll have to tell him about the school,” Roy said,“because I don’t know the details. But it won’t hurt him to visit.” “He shouldn’t be made to visit the place, Roy.” “You can’t debate a kid his age. He’ll go.All right?” Deb stepped outside. The sky was clear. People had asked the stars to show the future since ancient times. Deb knew that no less a Modernist titan than Carl Jung held the predictive powers of the heavens in high regard. Had not the questions asked of the stars guided history? Where should I fight the battle? Does God approve of our new king? Reveal to me which tall dark stranger I will meet at the cocktail party. Deb looked to them,too,but to her the stars’names were a mystery , the shapes they formed indistinct, their messages inscrutable. ...