"Rube Marquard is from a year
that hasn't happened yet."
"But how is that possible?" asked Hootsey.
"Have you ever noticed," explained the shadow, "how you can stand in the
middle of two or more different sources of light, and cast several
shadows in various directions?"
"Of course," said Hootsey. "And sometimes I have a long skinny shadow
that is faint and grayish, while I also have a short fat shadow right
under me which is almost completely black. And when I'm flying, I can
make lots of different shadows that don't even touch me anywhere."
"Yes," said Rube. "And these are all your shadow. If you go on a stage
with many footlights, you will cast various images of various shades of
gray. These are all your shadow. You see, your shadow can go in any
direction, backward or forward. It can reach to a distant area or stay
situated close by. And it can do all at one time without ever letting go
of you--even if, as you say, it isn't actually touching you. You are
always attached at some place. As the shadow of Rube Marquard, I touch
him always, even while he is far away in repose. I can be his past, his
future, or his mirror image. That is why I can remember experiences he
hasn't even had yet.
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