38 DATE WITH THE GODS
ability to handle some pretty tough things. Let me have
it straight."
"Are you sure yo u can handle it?" she said, baiting me.
"Look, I've been around, and seen a lot. And I've
handled some heavy assignments in the past. At my age,
I don't think here's anything that could shock me ."
"How do I know you won't fl ip out on me ?"
"Well, unless you pull a gun on me, or get violent, I
don't think I'm going to flip out on you. I like you. You
seem peaceful enough. And whatever you tell me, 111
keep under my hat. I'm not the police-if you're into
something heavy, I'll keep it to myself. I don't think you
could upset me with anything you say."
"That's what you think!"
"Oh, be a sweet little girl; let's get out of the wa ter.
Give me a try."
"All right," she said. "But I want no wisecracks nor any
of your smart aleck attitude. I won't shove anything
down your throat. You can believe what you want to
believe, okay?"
"Sounds like a fa ir deal," I said. "But only if you
promise to tell me the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth, so help you God."
"Look, if I knew the whole truth, I would be God, 111
tell you what I know to the very best of my ability.
"For starters, what if I told you this world is coming to
an end in one month and that you and the whole coast
line of where you live would fall into the ocean and
everyone wa s going to die one week before-could you
handle that?"
"I'd just think you were one of those Jesus freaks going
around scaring people about doomsday. I'd be \'ery
polite, listen to what you had to say, maybe contribute to
your cause and then go my way very happily, doing
exactly a·s I damned well pleased."
"I figured you'd say something like that. You haven't
surprised me ."