Host father say, “For it was this stooped, dirty waif who became the tool of sweet Jesus.” Say, “It was through the wasted frame of this crippled, filthy orphan that Jesus Christ acted to stop an insane killer.” Raising voice more loud, say, “Only by our Lord, controlling the puppet of this spindly, stunted wretch did justice advance on the demon which had taken possession of Trevor Stonefield.” Shouting say, “It was that demon who cut short the lives of our children, but it was Christ who vanquished the demon before more damage could be inflicted.”

Next now, voice stopped. Worship shrine silent. Awaiting.

Baking heat too many camera. Hearing expectation audio equipments.

Breaking silent, host father say, quiet to almost whisper say, “As the glorious agent of our savior, this beggar child has earned a permanent place in our community. A permanent place in our hearts.” Voice rising, say, “And with that in mind, I propose that this boy remain among us, as a full and beloved member of the Cedar family.”

Under eyes of camera, betrayed by satellite to global audience, eyes all world nation, cow father say, “I do hereby announce that it is my intention to fully and legally adopt the foreign exchange student our family calls Pygmy.”

Faces total community, each fashioned as smile revealing all teeth. Wide smile compress cheek, obstruct eyes.

Hand raised open for testify, pledge, cow father say, “My wife and I do fully intend to become his guardians.” Say, “Our son and daughter will become his siblings.” Say, “And nothing—not international politics, nor diplomatic charges of kidnapping, nor bureaucratic red tape—will stand in our way. This dirty, sickly orphan, let us welcome him into the bosom of our fold. From this day forward, this puny, ignorant child will belong to us…”

For official record, witness here ever escalating semantics of ownership—operative me commenced in role exchange student sponsored of local religion. Charity program as organized by alive human cadaver Doris Lilly. Next becoming foster offspring. Next, acquired as adoption child. Ever increasing language American capitalism for ownership.

Esteemed Madam Fun Bags direct plump smile direction this agent, suggesting willing pubis. Suggest moist glisten excreted vaginal mucus. Welcoming engorged labium.

Only citizen no smile operative Tibor, operative Sheena, operative Magda.

No smile cadaver Zaire, East Timor, Egypt, or Brazil. Diet for arthropods.

From stance atop altar, surrounded multiple dead sacrifice to violent United States culture of aggression, host father announce, say, “Yes, God has taken many of our brightest, strongest, most beloved children, but God has given us a doomed, discarded urchin that we, ourselves, can rescue…”

Same now, worship community explode with noise, every citizens striking palms together making wild racket. All citizen wipe eyes of bleeding water, mopping waterlogged scraps tissue. Hard exhaling so clear mucus out nostrils. Batter open hands together. Next now advancing attack with open arms, for ensnare with jagged finger, the flood citizen this community seeking trap this agent imprisoned under layers such suffocating embrace, offer deadly passionate ardor.

Begins here eighteenth account of operative me, agent number 67, recall most bad event occurring formative year XXXXXX Familial tragedy much documented history bureau XXXXXX Communicated to this agent via gentle wisdom top nurturing warden of district XXXXXX. Occurrence tragedy dated back many year since infanthood this agent.

For official record, repeat recounting here early childhood history of operative me. For reinforce early important training of this agent.

Depicted here calendar date first-round academic testing to determine profession track each citizen four years beyond birth. Beginning of past today, this agent arise in residence shared among male and female parentage, two sibling sister, positioned concrete tower block multiple apartment among countless similar family unit. Out window of apartment able supervise gridlock vehicle traffic, supervise vista multitude concrete building roof, moistened apparel suspended for evaporate after laundry. Plentitude blouse, trouser, tunic fastened taut cordage, perform dance upon invisible wind music. Strut numerous pigeon.

Recall typical wait within hall passage, anxious stance among neighbor resident await to utilize shared toilet. So able forget bladder, male parentage prompting this agent: Multiply 12 to 3. List alphabet of licorice. Recite elements periodic table, so able hold water until toilet available.

During consume early meal, masticating stewed cereal grains, voice of operative me muffled of crushed food, say, “… niobium, nitrogen, nobelium, osmium…”

Upon departure family apartment, en route small parade so arrive testing location, male parentage during command: Recite now man-made elements. Female parentage smoothing hair of operative me. Younger female siblings following behind. Voice of this agent say, “… rutherfordium, dubnium, seaborgium…” Male parentage demand: Recite now isotopes. Female parentage expectorate saliva so wet tissue to scrub at face of this agent. Along thoroughfare many such family, parentage accompany offspring bound today testing so determine future profession. To become architect or plumber or resource planner. All arriving institute of testing, stern facade no window, only guarded sentry flanking portal of towering doorway atop flight long slope many steep step.

Female parentage stoop until face level with face of operative me.

Male parentage offer hand for shake. Well wishes. Best luck.

Recall female parentage purse lips of face, offer gesture to contacts lips against face skin of this agent in expression so demonstrate affection.

However this agent decline. Too many peers present, too many possible witness such weak sentiment. Instead, offer hand for shake hand of female parentage.

Female fashion face of half smile. Accept hand.

Feet of operative me mount steps, climb slope amidst herd similar children compelled tested this day, dense flood such children, each alive since four years of birth. Child of future become physician. Become mechanical engineer. If poor tested, relegated refuse laborer. Compelled for mining salt. Mounting steps, trudge more high, children breathing whisper, “Igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary…” Weeping children pushed along with crowd. Other children whisper say, “Cumulus, stratus, cirrus…”

Adjacent child quotes relentless avatar, demented prophet Adolf Hitler, whisper say, “‘He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.’”

Arriving portal of building, stance high atop slope so many steps, eyes of operative me revolve head so look back, attempt regain vision parentage. No such fortunate. No able. From such far distant, all parentage massed together. No parentage distinct. At foot of slope steps, visible merely packed gray crowd. Motley ragged mob.

From below, must this agent also be lost amid similar crowd children.

Quote, “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.”

Next now, this agent entering portal swept forward, buoyed by tide of shared generation. Washed through doorway routed with peers toward direction inevitable future, lips of operative me making quiet prayer of, “… radium, radon, rhenium, rhodium …” All swept down throat of hallway until portal heals behind, locked shut from past.