Uranias The Dream

Hi this is Urania. I just listened to Gair's frenzied voice mail but so far have not seen anyone from any Rent-This-Or-That agency. Perhaps he dreaming of his STORY called the Dream, here's that one. the Dream Mary! Wake up! Breakfast is in 30 minutes in this hotel! Mary's mom practically shook her daughter, who had overslept after apparently having a bad night. We have to be at the show finals at 9 AM you know - this is your big chance. You might win first prize!! Mary grimaced, rolled over and sat up. This WAS a big day - her entry in the regional horticultural show had made the finals! She knew her mom was proud, as was she. Im sorry mom - i had a crazy dream that seemed like it went all night! may mumbled, her feet hitting the floor. Dream, what dream said her mother - no time for that now, get dressed! As Mary threw on her clothes, she couldnt help it ... it was a crazy dream Mom . i dreamed i was this man . and he spent all his spare time ... i dont know what he did - he make star projectors. sat in sheds under homemade domes. he called them planetariums i think mom wasnt interested - you just had too hard a day yesterday - after all, having your Terrarium make the final 3 entries in the show! In 2 hours you could be Best Terrarium in Show! Lets go! called mom from the hall, and she used her daughters nickname this time. . coming mother said Mare...

Quaker

Time for supper announced mom and Gary come out of that pantry. Gary winced a 17 year old kid like him, like to be secretive. But it hadn't been easy. He'd been in the large converted pantry closet all day doing something and couldn't help but come out once or twice for black construction paper, white cardboard, staples, glue tape, you name it. Author dinners, Gary seem preoccupied, and mom noticed. She knows Gary had been spending twice as much time as usual at breakfast, but then rushing through his dinner to get back to his closet. Dad had just covered his usual tale of the day, all about business. Gary sisters giggled about this boiler that as soon as supper was cleared away, though Gary returned to the entranceway of the pantry, but then turn suddenly and said loudly show in 30 minutes. Show ask Mom What show show ask her sisters. Yet they were curiously in trance entranced by what he was up to back there, and they were soon ushered into a large pantry and sat on the floor. It was dark in there. Last came dad, his glasses perched on his nose, and mom soon joined him. Gary drew a curtain over the entrance and confronted his dubious family on the floor. Shutting off the light, he unveiled the stars. A gleam came from the dark and hundreds of pinholes carefully punched suddenly lit up. A sparkling wonder a light was within. Before his family could even react the gas was heard. The sky up above in the closet was transformed into a makeshift dome with paper and low glue and revealed the glory of the heavens. How on earth did you do this son his father asked from his place over by the entrance. Well started Gary and turned on the lights. There in front of them was a cylindrical star projector punched with hundreds of tiny star holes. Mom said Now wait, as she peered beyond Gary. Behind him on the floor. Were 10 other cylinders, all with the same wide brim headed, slightly grinning Quaker picture. Well said Gary to his mother rather sheepishly. planetariums are fun after all, but what I really like is my oats

Turn Signal, as read by Thalia

Hi Im Thalia, the Musey with nothing to Loozy, rha ha. Comedy. That was COMEDY! Here is one of Gair's weirder stories, he called this one Turn Signal. I think it was inspired by that time he was almost hit by a truck.  Turn Signal he left turn signal began blinking, but Bob didnt turn.   must have a short he thought to himself, since he hadnt indicated a left turn.  as he pulled through the intersection where he wasnt turning left or any other direction, the signal went out again.   thats that thought Bob.   weird, i hate cars with electrical problems.  on the way home from work that night, the same thing happened as he approached the same intersection.   only this time it was his right turn signal.  it began blinking about a block from the corner.  now thats really an odd coincidence thought bob, but again there was no explanation so he continued on home, not giving it another thought.  and it happened exactly the same every day that week.  to and from work.   saturday he didnt go out, but a trip down the same road sunday for groceries. elicited the same phantom signal on the way.  he took another way back.  no other errant signals.  finally bob couldnt stand it anymore however, and one friday night on the the way home from work he thought, what the heck .  and went ahead and turned like the signal had indicated.   turned into a field and over a fence where he thought he had seen an intersection ..    and floored it  his wheels never hit the ground 

Lost in the Outer Islands as read by Urania

lost in the outer islands of all my travels, never had i ventured as far as the outer islands. it was dusk when i got lost at sea and found myself landing on an unnamed coastline. how i had drifted so far i could not say i had no choice but to tie up my little boat for the night and venture out again in the morning, in bright sun and with clear eyes. in the fading light i could see stars begin to shine overhead,. the land of the island was montainous, and i walked alone into the nearest town. lighted windows beckoned as the night drew in. in the distance all round were .vague shapes which looked like immense pillars of rock of some unknown substance, but other vague shapes loomed in the darkness as well, and i could not discern their nature. .. i met no one in the streets of the little town, but the stars grew thick above as i looked in vain for a place to bed down for the night.. finally, as the dark grew deeper and deeper i threw myself on the ground and curled up and slept for what seemed like ages. and woke to a violent shaking, a shaking light partially blinding me as i dimly perceived a crowd of people now gathered around me, their voices murmuring in a language i couldnt quite make out. in virtual shock, i abruptly sat up to assess what my perceived predictament might be .. what had happened .. who were these vague people. where was i ..... you mustve dozed off came a voice from behind .. the show is over, time to go home came another with sheepish chagrin, i lifted myself upright off the planetarium floor where i had dozed off, rolling out of my chair onto the floor, and shuffled noiselessly towards the door with the other patrons..

Look at All of Them, as read by Polyhymia

I am Polyhymia, the Muse of Sacred Poetry, and this is the short story called 'Look At All of Them'. Which do you like better, your planetarium or your telescope? My sister had asked this question, peering into my eyes and as usual, I had no answer at hand. I like them both, I said, but she had a ready rebuttal. The problem is she intoned, you can't use them both at the same time. So one is always sitting idle. Somewhat taken aback by this revelation and without thinking I retorted. Oh, yes, I can. and I'll show you! So eager was I to come up with some way on the spot to use them both, I dragged my little telescope under the planetarium dome, and switched on my ancient Spitz planetarium projector at the same time. Stars immediately sprang to life on the dome. But my sister was unimpressed. I like your story she said, but your telescope is useless in here. Oh, no, it's not said I. And I swung it round and pointed it toward a blank spot on the dome off the tail of Leo, which was gleaming in the Spitz projected spring sky. Just look in here, young lady, I said. but I realized I had no plan, no way of winning the argument. I had been stalling for time and time was almost up, I thought ruefully. My sister bent down and peered into the eyepiece of the tiny Spyglass pointed toward the Realm of the Galaxies, or where it was in the real night sky anyway. She murmured something and played with the focus a minute and then let out a gasp. Look at them. Look at all of them she whispered. I thought she might just playing me for a fool though, leading me on by calling my bluff. Nudging her aside however, I was startled to see swimming in the eyepiece innumerable faint, wispy spiral pinwheels, gauzy white ghosts in a dark, blacker than ebony sky. Convinced she had been wrong. my sister kissed me on the cheek, which I hated, and simply said, Okay, so you can use your telescope in the Planetarium after all, and out the door she went. I turned back to the eyepiece to look again. But whatever we had both seen was gone. Now I only saw the smooth dome surface with a few projected out of focus stars. Dumbfounded, I spent several more minutes staring at the old Spitz projector silently beaming out 1000 or more stars. Many years have passed since this odd occurrence under the dome, and it has never been repeated or explained. But I smile to myself when I think back on it. Especially when that night long ago just before I shut off the Spitz light. I will never be sure. It may have just been a momentary power interruption. But I had the distinct impression that just for a split second., the old projector had winked at me.

Fullfillment - with Urania commentary

This is the oldest of Narrator Gair's short short stories, this one goes way back to his HPA Newsletter in the 90's, and when he tried to read it last year in Season 7, Episode 5 of this podcast, he teared up like a goo goo. Is that a phrase they use here in the south? I hope so. Anyway, here it is, its called Fullfillment. The old Spitz star ball was worn out. After 40 years of providing daily miracles for young and old. It was her turn for a miracle. It was almost as if this old planetarium projector had a personality of her own. Many of her operators had remarked over the years that she almost seemed possessed, inhabited with a warmth, dignity and charm for recreating heavens beauty and mystery. But she was long overdue for a miracle of her own. Then she'd sleep fulfilled in the museum's basement forever. Her wish was granted on the last night before her replacement. Careless workmen played an important role. Her old dome also had been removed for a similar updating and the opening above her was covered with nothing but a tie down Canvas tarp. It would hold until morning the workmen had reasoned, no rain was in the forecast anyway. In fact, a cold front was sweeping across the land that would clear the skies beautifully, a cool starry summer's evening, but no one counted on the wind. You can guess what happened next. About midnight came an extremely sharp gust of wind and the canvas was suddenly blown away. Stirring suddenly, the old star ball knew that she was somehow being called this one last time. For the first, last, and only time in her long, long life she stood alone beneath an actual blazing nighttime sky. And somehow she responded by switching herself on. Here we go, this is the part Gair couldn't finish. Each of her stars projected outward and kissed the incoming light of the real stars in the heavens. Her Old Globe began to glow brighter and brighter from within. Recreator had met creator at last. This was fulfillment. Thats almost enough to make me, Urania, blub. Almost...

The Man in the Window

The sky there's a man in the window. Amy eight years old said this over dinner with her parents. I thought I heard you talking in the spare bedroom this morning said her mother. Her father, one of the world's leading solar astronomers smiled. Who are you talking to? Amy he wanted to know the man in the window. He's not so bright early in the morning said Amen. He said we'd better start getting ready. concerned that her fantasy friend might be getting out of hand Mother said Now Amy, you know this is make believe right? Getting ready for what anyway? He sang some songs to me about life and light and stuff. Then he said that tell dad. Your father perked up but this. This was on the verge of getting totally out of hand but he couldn't resist asking. Tell dad what. And then he was astounded when the young girl began spouting off numbers. Hold on, he grabbed the pen and tried to follow what she was viewing. And he continued for a little while reciting number she somewhat and probably had remembered as her dad furiously scribbled her mother looked aghast at her. Amy finally finished her surprise recitation and looked in passively at her father inexplicably intoned frequencies you'll see. Amy's dad looked down at what he had scribbled and was astounded, discover they did look like frequencies. Totally caught up. Now in her spell. He leaned forward. The man that you really get these numbers aiming? Did you find them somewhere? How can you remember them? The man in the window said I would. He said only kids could hear him. Adults know too much. What else her father couldn't stop at this point. Something about six months to go. The big lizards couldn't understand the last time but we could if I told you staring at the paper her father finally said I look into this. What big lizards? Amy finished. It was time for cake anyway. He said a flare up a flare will kill everything or something like that. You have to warn people and build shelters or something. Can I have cake now please? Did he say what his name was? said that. Amy looked at him as she began her chocolate cake. Something about Apollo. He's that bright man in the sky. I can see through the window in the morning. He said he had to warn us. He said that we were his greatest children. And we'd understand thanks for listening