logs what is it? And does it have something to do with the Analytical Engine? If you go to the Web site there’s a link to Ada’s description of the Analytical Engine, and the little tiny sample set of instructions you might give it—“the first computer program,” we say.
I don’t know this thing is hers. I just think it is and hope it is. I hope, I hope this is something. The Ada written stuff from the trunk, if that’s hers, is very faint and hard to read. Dead person talking: you have to listen hard, and be quiet.
S
From: “Lilith”
To: “Smith”
Subject: ’Sup
Smith:
Wow, glad you’re there and that everything is going so well! Great to hear your voice! Isn’t Georgiana great ? I really hope you guys get along. I knew you were the one to do this, I just had the feeling, you know how I get the feeling? Well I had the feeling. But now listen. She tends to get a little vague. When she was here and it all started she used to wander a little. Like she had a lot of stories she thought were real important but they tended to sort of flow, you know? So one led to another before the first one ended. All I’m saying is she took a lot of listening to. I really trust you to be able to bring this off with her but you know there’s all the regular stuff too to do on the site that nobody can do but you, we all run around like chickens with our heads cut off, and we want you back . But no pressure, just do this with her. I love you babe.
Lilith
From: “Smith”
To: “Thea”
Subject: Chicken
Thea—Did you ever think about this—people use comparisons that don’t mean anything to them because they’ve never seen the thing they’re using to compare with. I mean: People say we’re running around like chickens with our heads cut off but they’ve never seen a chicken with its head cut off. It’s like what they really need is a comparison to show what a chicken with its head cut off is like. That chicken with its head cut off ran around like Sondra (Lilith) Mackay after a double espresso and a bad phone call . See what I mean?
S
From: “Thea”
To: “Smith”
Subject: RE:Chicken
yeah like i heard on tv somebody said somebody else was mad as a wet hen i have never seen a wet hen i can sort of imagine it like my mom you know hey thats funny that wet hen looked as mad as my mom when a cop stopped her the 2nd time in a day we shd make a list
btw my mom called the other night couldnt get a lot out of her boy i hate hanging up on her when theres nobody here
t
From: “Smith”
To: “Thea”
Subject: Coming
Okay here’s what I’m going to do. I’m floundering here and Georgiana is like very confused. She still doesn’t want to take any of this to any experts. I’m starting to think maybe she is profoundly weird, no matter how together and bright she seems. I need to know what the hell this stuff is. I’m going to scan the mathematical stuff and put it on a CD and send it to you; you tell me what it is.
And I’m going to write to my father and ask him to help. After all he was a college professor once and this was his field, what he knew about. So I’m going to.
S
From: “Thea”
To: “Smith”
Subject: RE:Coming
SMITH DONT WRITE TO THAT BASTARD I MEAN IT ITS LIKE CHECKING INTO HELL JUST TO GET KURT COBAINS AUTOGRAPH OR SOMETHING WHAT ABOUT ALL THAT THERAPY ITS NOT WORTH IT EVEN IF HES SO SMART THAT HE CAN TELL YOU SOMETHING WHICH HE PROBABLY ISNT EVEN YOU NEVER WROTE HIM BEFORE WHEN THINGS MATTERED A LOT MORE THAN THIS SO DONT NOW
I LOVE YOU
T
TO THE READER
Inasmuch as the world has long evinced the greatest interest in every scrap of writing associated with my father’s
I don’t know this thing is hers. I just think it is and hope it is. I hope, I hope this is something. The Ada written stuff from the trunk, if that’s hers, is very faint and hard to read. Dead person talking: you have to listen hard, and be quiet.
S
From: “Lilith”
To: “Smith”
Subject: ’Sup
Smith:
Wow, glad you’re there and that everything is going so well! Great to hear your voice! Isn’t Georgiana great ? I really hope you guys get along. I knew you were the one to do this, I just had the feeling, you know how I get the feeling? Well I had the feeling. But now listen. She tends to get a little vague. When she was here and it all started she used to wander a little. Like she had a lot of stories she thought were real important but they tended to sort of flow, you know? So one led to another before the first one ended. All I’m saying is she took a lot of listening to. I really trust you to be able to bring this off with her but you know there’s all the regular stuff too to do on the site that nobody can do but you, we all run around like chickens with our heads cut off, and we want you back . But no pressure, just do this with her. I love you babe.
Lilith
From: “Smith”
To: “Thea”
Subject: Chicken
Thea—Did you ever think about this—people use comparisons that don’t mean anything to them because they’ve never seen the thing they’re using to compare with. I mean: People say we’re running around like chickens with our heads cut off but they’ve never seen a chicken with its head cut off. It’s like what they really need is a comparison to show what a chicken with its head cut off is like. That chicken with its head cut off ran around like Sondra (Lilith) Mackay after a double espresso and a bad phone call . See what I mean?
S
From: “Thea”
To: “Smith”
Subject: RE:Chicken
yeah like i heard on tv somebody said somebody else was mad as a wet hen i have never seen a wet hen i can sort of imagine it like my mom you know hey thats funny that wet hen looked as mad as my mom when a cop stopped her the 2nd time in a day we shd make a list
btw my mom called the other night couldnt get a lot out of her boy i hate hanging up on her when theres nobody here
t
From: “Smith”
To: “Thea”
Subject: Coming
Okay here’s what I’m going to do. I’m floundering here and Georgiana is like very confused. She still doesn’t want to take any of this to any experts. I’m starting to think maybe she is profoundly weird, no matter how together and bright she seems. I need to know what the hell this stuff is. I’m going to scan the mathematical stuff and put it on a CD and send it to you; you tell me what it is.
And I’m going to write to my father and ask him to help. After all he was a college professor once and this was his field, what he knew about. So I’m going to.
S
From: “Thea”
To: “Smith”
Subject: RE:Coming
SMITH DONT WRITE TO THAT BASTARD I MEAN IT ITS LIKE CHECKING INTO HELL JUST TO GET KURT COBAINS AUTOGRAPH OR SOMETHING WHAT ABOUT ALL THAT THERAPY ITS NOT WORTH IT EVEN IF HES SO SMART THAT HE CAN TELL YOU SOMETHING WHICH HE PROBABLY ISNT EVEN YOU NEVER WROTE HIM BEFORE WHEN THINGS MATTERED A LOT MORE THAN THIS SO DONT NOW
I LOVE YOU
T
TO THE READER
Inasmuch as the world has long evinced the greatest interest in every scrap of writing associated with my father’s
Similar Books
