Someone wanted to speak with Mm in the hallway and Reich replied sharply: “Yes,
but the truth,please!” They talked together while the rest of us, about twenty-five people,
walked out and stood in front of the building.
Outside, there was a desultory, helpless quality to the conversations, as was often the
case when Reich was not present. Willie was clearly dissatisfied with certain aspects of the
way the case had been handled, Tropp complimented him on always having spoken his mind
to Reich whereas many others—including himself—had not. Eva Reich talked excitedly about
giving talks in the community, which would describe her father’s work and the factual histo-
ry of the FDA case without trying to prove anything. Her points were good ones, but it all
sounded too easy, William Steig and his wife, Kari Homestead, who was also very devoted to
orgonomy, tried to be helpful. Soon most of Reich’s followers, feeling helpless and depressed,
dispersed.
At two o’clock in the afternoon I was invited to a discussion held in a conference
room at the Lafayette Hotel where Reich was staying. Reich, Raphael, Silvert, Steig, Aurora
Karrer, Eva and Bill Moise were sitting around a table. Reich began by stressing how the
organized Red Fascist plague played upon the fears and conflicts of the average person to
achieve its ends. He could not understand why I did not perceive the connection between Red
Fascism and the attacks against orgonomy. My position was that the FDA injunction and
other assaults had in common the general fear and hatred of orgonomy, but that I could see
no clear evidence of any organized conspiracy. This statement elicited expressions of shock
and dismay from some of those present, but Reich quickly silenced them: “He may be right.”
I cite this exchange because it so vividly illustrates how Reich could allow a note of
dissent from someone like me, who was now not working with him, that was not permitted
to those closer to him. It is also an example of how Reich could at times put rein to his more
aberrant notions. Finally, I mention it because on this occasion I spoke not only frankly but
warmly and Reich could often take that kind of disagreement.
Reich was concerned about whether the sentence would mean “the end.” He said at
one point: “I know what they will do to me in prison,” implying that they would make it intol-
erable for him.The seriousness combined with the sense of humanity, the concern but
absence ofself-pity with which Reich discussed this possibility were impressive. I never saw
him more human than on that day.
Reich asked whether there was anything irrational in his thinking about the case. His
thoughts were focused on the Red Fascist conspiracy, on the one hand, and support in high
places,on the other. I said that I thought the irrational element was Reich’s deep but unreal-
istic desire to make contact with present-day social organizations. Reich quietly replied that
he had always hoped—“I hoped for the psychoanalysts, I hoped for the communists. I hope
for you. Have I been a fool?” The question was addressed more to himself than to anyone
else.
May 26 was the last time I saw Reich.
30 : The Trial: 1956 423