S e Ohse p t "They can take our lives, but they cannot take 2 our freedom!" 1 9 “What a load of crap," mumbled Ohse as she ravenously ate a 9 8 Cool Ranch Dorito crumb. GDT:Volume 11 issue 1 “I take it you disagree with the concept of Scottish national- ism?” I asked as she finished her crumb and began chewing on the edge of the issue of Rolling Stone with a very feyƒ IRA member on the cover. “You should know by now that I don't give a rat's ass, no pun intended,” she said as she pooped in Michael Collin’s urn, “about micro or macro nationalism. I know you're a proponent of Hanseatism and are upset by the forces of Balkanization, but what bearing does that have on my life. I was merely commenting on the quaint idea of freedom.” † At this point I should explain about Ohse. Ohse is a mouse, yousee. From when I first started living with and feeding her, I've talked to her about various topics as a means of distracting myself from the fact that I pamper her. Her current living arrange- ment is what visitors have referred to as Biosphere 3. A fish tank, complete with pump, that has various land masses and running water, which is itself inhabited by the vari- ous denizens (not of the Funk) of her little world: Fish-fish (a bottom feeder that keeps the slime under control), Orwell (a fu-fu beta fish that eliminates any parasites that find their way into the water∂), and Newt (a salamander that really doesn't do much but serve as a companion to Ohse√). It wasn't until I placed some plants in Ohse's rectangle of influence that I learned she could talk. She began digging and ripping the plants apart while singing the Flight of the Valkeries...and rather well, I might add; she has a stunning baritone.¥ “That's a rather weighted way of describing freedom.” I could tell she was itching for a fight by the way she'd stand still, then do a little jump and land facing the oppo- site direction. Mice aren't really big on the idea of looking people in the face when they're talking or being spoken to, which takes a while to get used to. “I take it you are talking in an abstract sense and not a legal sense.” “Hey, what do I know about laws? The last time you told me about law was when that chick was thinking of suing for libel. Now pick me up for my exercises.” ƒread as: Irish-Catholic and queer † Hanseatism is the worship of Hanson (capital ‘H’ because they think they’re an ethnic group) dressed in middle age costume at Tupperware parties. Balkinaztion is when people on the short bus whine about freedom and Muslims (captial ‘M’ because they think they’re an ethnic group). ∂ Allowing for a clean new world if not a brave one. √"Ow, quit it! Ow quit it!" ¥ Baritone for a mouse. When your lungs are smaller than a thimble, there's only so deep you can make your voice go. She does perform a wonderful rendition of die Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, but the Three Tenors she is not. I stuck my palm down on the table and she clambered into it. Once safely in my hand I transported her to the open win- DRAMATIS PERSONÆ dow where she promptly began climb- ing the screen. Prior to the time I had Publisher: C. Diablo started jogging again, she didn't exer- Editors: cise. Soon afterward, however, I Matt Weaver caught her running up and down the Jeremiah Parry-Hill screen counting off her reps. She's Giles Francis Hall very competitive. Adam Fletcher “The point,” she said panting a little Layout: from the top of the screen, “is that the legal Kelly Gunter sense of freedom is little more than an extension of Giles Francis Hall the philosophical concept. So in the end it doesn't matter Adam Fletcher what sense I mean. Illustrator: “But really, how free do you want to be? If you're like Matthew J. Weaver Clare Terni most monkeys, when you were a child, you wanted to be an adult so your parents couldn't tell you what to do. Now Writers: that you're an adult, there are laws protecting others from Brendan Stewart you, you from them, and even you from yourself. So are Eric Thomas ∑ Clare Terni you free?” Sean Hammond “Wow, you're quite the little anarchist. I had no idea. Kelly Gunter And yes, I am free. Simply because there are laws prohibit- Adam Fletcher ing me from doing something doesn't mean I can't do Aaron Cooper them. I could go out right now and kill 23 people with an Contributors: NRA approved semiautomatic hunting rifle just as easily as Matthew J. Weaver I could drive 17 miles over the speed limit. There's nothing Jeremiah Perry-Hall stopping me from doing these things, just as there is noth- Cartoonists: ing stopping others from punishing me for stepping out- Gil Merritt side societal norms.”ø John Holt “And driving 17 miles over the speed limit.” Cover Artist: Scott Peterson “Right. No one really cares if I kill 23 people; it's a part of the culture now.” “OK,” Ohse said while climbing down the back of the couch to stand on my leg. It was raining outside and while climbing the screen a few times she had gotten a little wet, something that obviously didn't please her. “We're sup- ∑ “Just Say No!” and “My D.A.R.E. officer smokes crack!” ø “People who shoot people give guns a bad name!” Bless us, we’re © 1998 Gracies Dinnertime Theatre the NRA! Gracies Dinnertime Theatre Page 3 posed to live in the freest country in the get anywhere in London, let alone fast world, but if you head out to a secret mili- food, because he was surrounded by tary base, there's no way they'd let you in. water. He was in a cage and his freedom's They've obstructed your freedom.” were limited.” Hmmm. She had a point, but I wasn't At that moment I heard Giles burst going to let her win that easily. She obvi- into the kitchen from the basement. “Red ously had a larger point to make but Alert! We have a flood.” he shouted as he wanted to play Socrates for a while. Fine. came around the corner. “Well, you could argue that by allow- “Oh, shit.” I said as I got to my feet. ing the present government to function Ohse, who had moved to the arm of the the way it does the people in this country couch as Giles came into the room, was agree to certain limitations. Besides,” I passed out. Sometimes I wonder if she is said suddenly remembering my Richard narcoleptic In the middle of doing just Bach,” 'We're all free to do whatever it is about anything she'll suddenly fall asleep we want to do.' They're free to stop me for a few moments, then wake up and go just as I'm free to enter that base. The about her merry way...which usually con- apparent lack of freedom comes when two sists of killing plants or terrorizing her spheres of individual action overlap. aquatic friends by throwing rocks at them. Robinson Crusoe was ultimately free I rushed into the basement with Giles because there wasn't anyone there, until and was hit by a wave that crashed Friday, to cause a conflict of individual against the stairs. It had been raining for wills.” three days and in back of the apartment a I was feeling rather proud of myself minor lake had formed. With all that on that one. I wasn't entirely sure if I water on the surface of the ground, the believed all that, but it sounded good. water table was so high that little streams There was still something that was miss- were actually shooting out of the cinder ing, though.... block wall making it look like a nightmare “So Mr. Crusoe was free. He could zip dyke from Amsterdam (You know: a big down to Kensington Gardens and pick up butch lesbian that offers you lots of legal some Fish 'n Chips from a vendor any weed). Knowing the superb engineering time he wanted, huh?” that went into each and every one of RIT's π My stomach took on the distinct sink- buildings, everyone prepared for floods ing feeling you get only when a rodent by suspending their belongings from the has gotten the upper hand. Ironically, it's ceiling using ropes attached to pallets and the same feeling you get after having hanging from overhead beams, reminis- eaten too many fish and chips. “What do cent of an Incansic suspension bridge you mean?” worker's nightmares. “He was shipwrecked, you imbecile! It Previously when we'd checked the was physically impossible for the man to basement, the sump-pump was working πSinking library, motorized sculpture that kept shorting out in the rain, lack of insulationt... Gracies Dinnertime Theatre Page 4 full time and kept everything under con- raft?” trol. As we stood in the surf and looked at Giving a noncommittal shrug--which the pump, however, we could see that the is really a trick for a mouse-- she said, water was being forced through the pipe “You think MacGyver is the only person into our basement.