Re: JANUARY 1, 2005 - NANAE IS DEAD

[Ana C. Dent]

is a free country, isn't it?" she asks
the camera. "That means you can do whatever you want, doesn't it?" The
camera was indulgently mute on the subject. The girl moved on. She felt
scared that she was going to be a mother. She felt unhappy that she had
been disowned by her father, but she also, you know, felt happy when her
mother called to tell her that she would answer any questions that she
had about pregnancy. She felt most enthusiastically about her school
guidance counsellor because he had, you know, just listened to her
"spill her guts" and hadn't tried to, you know, make her feel bad. At no
time, needless to say, did the word "think" cross her lips. There is, of
course, no need for her to think. The taxpayers of Canada will pay for
all of her baby's needs. She didn't need to be made to feel bad. All
that she needed was someone to direct her to the appropriate agency. The
rest of it was just paperwork. It's a free country, isn't it?

That means you can do whatever you want.

Doesn't it?

Unbidden, the image of the Cerebus Theatre swam to the surface of Viktor
Davis' awareness. He turned away from his typewriter and allowed the
picture to coalesce in his mind's eye.

The Cerebus readership was there, composed in some (small? large?)
measure of females with their male housepets. He squinted, endeavouring