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red curative powers。 Entertainers Elvis and Marilyn were drink…and…drug nightmare victims and secretly hoped to restore spiritual and bodily calm to their lives by actually drying themselves with the Holy Shroud after pore…cleansing sessions in the sauna。 Multi…faceted billionaire Howard Hughes suffered from stop…action blink syndrome； a bizarre condition which prevented his eyes from reopening for hours after a simple blink； and he obviously hoped to utilize the amazing power of the Shroud until the Viper intervened with a swift injection of phantom venom。 Patti Weaver has further revealed under hypnosis that the KGB has long sought possession of the Shroud of Turin on behalf of the rapidly aging and pain…racked members of the Politburo； the famed executive mittee of the munist Party。 Possession of the Shroud is said to be the real motive behind the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II at the Vatican—an attempt that failed only because the Viper had already died in a horror helicopter crash and been reborn as a freckle…faced girl in Iowa。
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I studied the faces in the semicircle。 No one seemed amazed by this account。 Old Man Treadwell lit a cigarette； impatient with his own trembling hand； forced to shake out the flame before it burned him。 There was no interest shown in discussion。 The story occupied some recess of passive belief。 There it was； familiar and forting in its own strange way； a set of statements no less real than our daily quota of observable household fact。 Even Babette in her tone of voice betrayed no sign of skepticism or condescension。 Surely I was in no position to feel superior to these elderly listeners； blind or sighted。 Little Patti's walk toward the warm weling glow found me in a weakened and receptive state。 I wanted to believe at least this part of the tale。
Babette read an ad。 The Stanford Linear Accelerator 3…Day Particle…Smashing Diet。
She picked up another tabloid。 The cover story concerned the country's leading psychics and their predictions for the ing year。 She read the items slowly。
〃Squadrons of UFOs will invade Disney World and Cape Canaveral。 In a startling twist； the attack will be revealed as a demonstration of the folly of war； leading to a nuclear test…ban treaty between the U。S。 and Russia。
'The ghost of Elvis Presley will be seen taking lonely walks at dawn around Graceland； his musical mansion。
〃A Japanese consortium will buy Air Force One and turn it into a luxury flying condominium with midair refueling privileges and air…to…surface missile capability。
〃Bigfoot will appear dramatically at a campsite in the rugged and scenic Pacific Northwest。 The hairy； upright man…beast； who stands eight feet tall and may be evolution's missing link； will gently wele tourists to gather around him； revealing himself to be an apostle of peace。
〃UFOs will raise the lost city of Atlantis from its watery grave in the Caribbean by telekinetic means and the help of powerful cables with properties not known in earthlike materials。 The result will be a 'city of peace' where money and passports are totally unknown。
〃The spirit of Lyndon B。 Johnson will contact CBS executives to arrange an interview on live TV in order to defend itself against charges made in recent books。
〃Beatle assassin Mark David Chapman will legally change his name to John Lennon and begin a new career as a rock lyricist from his prison cell on murderer's row。
〃Members of an air…crash cult will hijack a jumbo jet and crash it into the White House in an act of blind devotion to their mysterious and reclusive leader； known only as Uncle Bob。 The President and First Lady will miraculously survive with minor cuts； according to close friends of the couple。
〃Dead multibillionaire Howard Hughes will mysteriously appear in the sky over Las Vegas。
〃Wonder drugs mass…produced aboard UFO pharmaceutical labs in the weightless environment of space will lead to cures for anxiety； obesity and mood swings。
〃From beyond the grave； dead living legend John Wayne will municate telepathically with President Reagan to help frame U。S。 foreign policy。 Mellowed by death； the strapping actor will advocate a hopeful policy of peace and love。
〃Sixties superkiller Charles Manson will break out of prison and terrorize the California countryside for weeks before negotiating a surrender on live TV in the offices of International Creative Management。
〃Earth's only satellite； the moon； will explode on a humid night in July； playing havoc with tides and raining dirt and debris over much of our planet。 But UFO cleanup crews will help avert a worldwide disaster； signalling an era of peace and harmony。〃
I watched the audience。 Folded arms； heads slightly tilted。 The predictions did not seem reckless to them。 They were content to exchange brief and unrelated remarks； as during a break for a mercial on TV。 The tabloid future； with its mechanism of a hopeful twist to apocalyptic events； was perhaps not so very remote from our own immediate experience。 Look at us； I thought。 Forced out of our homes； sent streaming into the bitter night； pursued by a toxic cloud； crammed together in makeshift quarters； ambiguously death…sentenced。 We'd bee part of the public stuff of media disaster。 The small audience of the old and blind recognized the predictions of the psychics as events so near to happening that they had to be shaped in advance to our needs and wishes。 Out of some persistent sense of large…scale ruin； we kept inventing hope。
Babette read an ad for diet sunglasses。 The old people listened with interest。 I went back to our area。 I wanted to be near the children； watch them sleep。 Watching children sleep makes me feel devout； part of a spiritual system。 It is the closest I can e to God。 If there is a secular equivalent of standing in a great spired cathedral with marble pillars and streams