A peek at Infinity, Chapter 18: Our beginning is our end

This chapter begins and ends my highly experimental and risk-taking eighteen chapter science fiction novel, A peek at infinity, which is designed to be read chronologically backwards, from here to the prologue, which is also the introduction.

People reading the other way, from the prologue to here, might be thinking: "He's got one chapter left to justify the cheesy title.  I haven't seen too many peeks at infinity in the story!"  Here's the justification: As the great mystics know, a peek at anything is a peek at infinity.

The real question is, what could possibly happen in this, the 18th and final chapter that would tie up all the questions about Gregory, whose teachings become the basis for post-WWIII political thought (Ch. 1), or Anthony and Rebecca, acolytes of Gregory who in 2044 oppose each other in a bitter race for President of the United States (Prologue)?  That seems too much story to end so quickly.

What happened is that the story got sidetracked by the Time Artist, Arthur, who realized there was no way to maintain a smooth flow in the time/history continuum while any of us knew the future.  That's right, in addition to the mind-wiping Gregory, Rebecca and Anthony underwent in previous chapters, now my mind is to be wiped as well, directly after I post this chapter.  This means that, although I will retain my knowledge concerning the ongoing manipulation of the American public into involvement in a Shia/Sunni civil war, I will no longer know anything about the future, and my collaboration with Gregory, Rebecca and Anthony will be suspended.  I will be permitted to retain my memory of the CIA's secret Telepathy Unit (TU) which attacked and tricked me and my partners several times (Chs. 15 and 16), if only for my own protection.

What if I read this book and it reminds me of everything I'm supposed to forget?  That won't happen because the book will not be released in all earth-centered dimensions (if you are reading it you are in a "safe zone," which I will not be).

You can imagine my upset when Arthur first described the deal.  He promised I would have no sense of loss after the amnesia, but he knew I would be uncomfortable at the thought of cutting my personality in half, so he told me that for one hour every evening he will restore my memory and talk to me about things to come.  After the hour I'll be wiped again, before I can write about anything and change something that isn't supposed to change.

Arthur told me that in my way I have been effective.  Although obviously I couldn't stop the war machine (as if anyone could) my novel, Arthur said, is planting seeds in people's minds.  

Arthur will permit my continued practice as a private telepath, but I expect to be monitored and probably censored.  The essays below, which Arthur has shown an interest in preserving (Time Artists walk a complex path in human affairs) may well be my last uncensored work.  Please help spread the word by passing this site along!  

Best, Harry