Up Out Of Zoar

Up Out of ZoarAll was Serene: the air, the dry weeds, the dunes, the sky, the flat, windless sea. Bernal, inside the house, opened the window so he could breathe into himself the utter quiet, the space without birds, insects or planes. There was a hint of wild sage this year; perhaps the rains had been heavier during the past winter. Yes, why not leave the planet to all green and rooted things? Everything animal, he said to himself, was a monstrosity, an episode that was soon to be finished. Bec...