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IN THE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND, THE ONE-EYED MAN, OFCOURSE, IS KING. BUT HOW ABOUT A LIVE WIRE, A SMARTBUSINESSMAN, IN A CIVILIZATION OF 100% PURE CHUMPS?SOME THINGS HAD NOT CHANGED. A POTTER'S WHEEL WAS STILL A POTTER'S WHEEL AND CLAY WAS STILL CLAY. EFIM HAWKINS HAD BUILT HIS SHOP NEAR GOOSE LAKE, WHICH HAD A NARROW BAND OF GOOD FAT CLAY AND A NARROW BEACH OF WHITE SAND. HE FIRED THREE BOTTLE-NOSED KILNS WITH WILLOW CHARCOAL FROM THE WOOD LOT. THE WOOD LOT WAS ALSO USEFUL FOR LONG WALKS WHILE THE KILNS WERE COOLING; IF HE LET HIMSELF STAY WITHIN SIGHT OF THEM, HE WOULD OPEN THEM PREMATURELY, IMPATIENT TO SEE HOW SOME NEW SHAPE OR GLAZE HAD COME THROUGH THE FIRE, AND—PING!—THE NEW SHAPE OR GLAZE WOULD BE GOOD FOR NOTHING BUT THE SHARD PILE BACK OF HIS SLIP TANKS.A BUSINESS CONFERENCE WAS IN FULL SWING IN HIS SHOP, A MODEST CUBE OF BRICK, TILE-ROOFED, AS THE CHICAGO-LOS ANGELES "ROCKET" THUNDERED OVERHEAD—VERY NOISY, VERY SWEPT-BACK, VERY FIERY JETS, SHAPED AS SLEEKLY SWIFT-LOOKING AS AN AIRBORNE BARRACUDA.THE BUYER FROM MARSHALL FIELDS WAS TURNING OVER A BLACK-GLAZED ONE LITER CARAFE, NODDING APPROVAL WITH HIS MASSIVE, HANDSOME HEAD. "THIS IS REAL PRETTY," HE TOLD HAWKINS AND HIS OWN SECRETARY, GOMEZ-LAPLACE. "THIS HAS GOT LOTS OF WHAT YA CALL REAL EST'ETIC PRINCIPLES. YEAH, IT IS REAL PRETTY."
