Orangutan, a Biography
Albany's most eligible young lady of the moment was Diane Foster, the aforementioned Charles Darwin fanatic and student of evolution. The daughter of a textile importer, she arrived at the party in a forest green silk gown. Its narrow waist flared at the hips, on which, through careful positioning of his head, Wallace was able to focus both his eyes. Thus arranged, Wallace could perceive depth and more fully appreciate his guest's feminine curves. The high-necked bodice of her gown was Belgian lace, the sight of which caused Wallace to be more phlegmish than usual, exacerbating his already distracting saliva problem. Following dinner, as guests discussed the unique flavor explosion and multi-layered texture of the passerine hors d'ouevres, Pongo was led among the small chatty knots of Albany's privileged. It was his first time out of the cage in two weeks and he was in good spirits. Wallace had cornered Miss Foster under the wisteria arbor and was making a sincere attempt to impress her with his nearly encyclopedic knowledge of Galapagos Finches. As he spoke more and more excitedly of the variations in their beak morphology, Miss Foster's eyes began to wander. She found she couldn't look at Wallace Jackson's face and concurrently pay attention to what he was saying. The two were mutually exclusive activities. No matter what he said, his conversation could never hope to compete with the riot of things going on with his face. It was as if a woolen mill had been perched on his shoulders with its multitude of whirring, spinning, disjointed parts. Pongo, attached to a stout chain, waddled slowly up to them. Miss Foster was enchanted. She bent down to look at his nearly human face. Pongo, like Wallace, was intrigued by the lace on her gown. Reaching up gently, he touched it with long fingers, their skin creased like a crumpled paper sack. Then, with surprising ease, he tore the bodice from her dress. Miss Foster shrieked and stood up. Her mummy-brown corset could be seen confining her midriff in a whalebone cage. Wallace, in defense of the lady's honor, struck Pongo with his walking stick, severely miscalculating the gardener's abilities at restraint. Pongo easily jerked the chain from the gardener's hands and swung it at Wallace, hitting him squarely in the crotch. The heavy chain rendered Wallace forever unable to consummate his collection fueling dreams. Then, dropping the lace, Pongo headed for the trees. Across town, having determined that electricity was the favored means, aU that remained was to determine the exact method by which executions would be performed. The New York Death commission asked the MedicoLegal Society of New York to recommend procedures for implementation of the new law. Enter Harold Brown. A self-educated electrical engineer and consultant, Harold Brown's livelihood was also being threatened by AC power. Winter 2005
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