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Long…Drink snorted。 〃Miracles are a dime a dozen in this joint。〃
〃You know； Drink；〃 I said suddenly； 〃you said a mouthful。〃
〃Hah？〃
〃Miracles。 That's Mike's stock…in…trade。 This is the place where nothing is impossible。〃
〃Horse feathers；〃 Callahan said。
〃No； I'm serious； Mike。 I can think of half a dozen things that've happened in here in the past year that I wouldn't have believed for a minute if they'd happened anywhere else。〃
〃That's sure true enough；〃 the Doc said thoughtfully。 〃Little green men。。。 two time travelers。。。 Adolph Hitler。。。〃
〃That's not exactly what I mean； Doc；〃 I interrupted。 〃Those things're highly improbable； but if they could happen here； they could happen anywhere。 What I mean is that； barring Raksha； every one of those jokers that walked in cryin' walked out smilin' … and even he could have； if he'd been willing to pay the freight。 By me； that's a miracle。〃
〃I don't getcha；〃 said Eddie； wrinkling up his face。 Even more； I mean。
〃Take that business of Jim and Paul MacDonald。 Near as I can see； they represent the basic miracle of Callahan's Place； the greatest lesson this joint has taught us。〃
〃What's dat？〃
〃That there's nothing in the human heart or mind； no place no matter how twisted or secret； that can't be endured … if you have someone to share it with。 That's what this place is all about： helping people to open up whatever cabinets in their heads hold their most dangerous secrets； and let 'em out。 If you've got a hurt and I've got a hurt and we share 'em； some…crazy…how or other we each end up with less than half a hurt apiece。〃 I took a sip of Bushmill's。 〃That's what Callahan's Place has to offer … and as far as I know； there's no place like it in all the world。〃
〃I know one place kinda like it；〃 Long…Drink said suddenly。
〃What？ Where？〃
〃Oh； I don't know that you'd spot the resemblance right off … I sure didn't。 But did any o' you guys ever hear of The Farm？〃
〃I was raised on one；〃 the Doc said。
〃We know … in the barn；〃 Long…Drink said drily。 〃I ain't talking' about a farm。 I mean The Farm … place down in Tennessee。 Better'n eight hundred people livin' on a couple o' thousand acres。 One of 'em's my daughter Anne； an' I went down to visit her last month。〃
〃One of them munes？〃 the Doc asked skeptically。
〃Not like I ever heard of；〃 Long…Drink told him。 〃They ain't got no house brand o' religion； for one thing … Anne still goes to Mass on Sundays。 For another thing； them folks work。 They feed themselves； an' they build their own houses； an' they take care of business。 The heaviest drug I saw down there was pot； and they wasn't using that for recreation … said it was a sacrament。〃
〃Tennessee；〃 I said； and whistled。 〃They must get a hard time from the locals。〃
〃Not on your tintype。 The locals love 'em。 I spoke with the Lewis County sheriff； and he said if everybody was as decent and truthful and hard…working as the Farm folk； he'd be out of a job。 I tell you； I went down there loaded for bear； ready to argue Annie into givin' up her foolishness and in' on home。 Instead I almost forgot to leave。〃
〃So what's all that got to do with this joint？〃 Callahan asked。
〃Well； it's； like Jake was sayin' about sharing； Mike。 Them folks share everything they got； an' the only rule I noticed was that a body that was hurtin' some way was everybody's number one priority。 They。。。 ' He paused； looked thoughtful。 〃They care about each other。 Eight hundred people； and they care about each other … and the whole damn world； too。 That kind of thing's been out of style since Flower Power wilted。〃
〃Aw nuts；〃 the Doc exclaimed。 〃Another one of them fool nut cults is what it sounds like to me。 They never last。〃
〃I dunno；〃 Long Drink disagreed。 〃They been goin' for about five years now； and they just started setting up colonies； like： 〃Satellite Farms〃 they call 'em； better'n half a dozen； all over the country。〃 He paused； looking thoughtful。 〃What got me； though； was how little attention they paid to their physical growth。 That just seemed to happen by itself； while they put their real attention on the Main Game： gettin' straight with each other； so's they could live together。 Seems to me like the whole world oughta be doin' that。 Seems like if you be a better person； you have you a better life。 Seemed to me like The Farm was Callahan's Place for hippies。〃
〃You're crazy；〃 the Doc burst out。 〃Sure； there's a thousand ham…headed gurus creepin' out from under every burning bush these days。 The old…time religion went into the drink； so they're scratching for a new one like hungry hens； goin' in for mysticism and the occult and astrology and the late God only knows what … all。 But I'm damned if I see the resemblance between a Jesus…freak revival meeting and this here bar。〃
〃Doc； Doc；〃 I said softly； 〃Slow down a bit。 Yes； they're mass…producing religions like popcorn these days； and some of them are as plain silly as the sixteen…year…old perfect goombah with his divine Maserati and his sacred ulcer。 But that don't make 'em all crazy。 The point is that all them con…men must be filling some kind of powerful need； or they'd be working some more profitable graft。 And I think I agree with Long…Drink： the need they're filling is the same one that brings folks to Callahan's Place。〃
〃Hmmph；〃 the Doc snorted。 〃And what need is that； pray tell？〃
〃It's pretty easy to see。 For the last century or two we turned our attention to the physical world； to mastering the material plane at the expense of anything else。 A lot of that； I'm pelled to believe； had to do with Raksha and his kind； but the tendency was there to exploit。 And so we've got a world in which physical miracles are monplace … and nobody's happy。 We got what it takes to feed the whole three billion of us … and half of us are starving。 You can show a dozen guys murderin' each other on TV but you can't ever show two people making love。 A naked blade is reckoned to be less obscene than a naked woman。 Ain't it about time we started trying to get a handle on love； from any and all directions？
〃I don't know how e this Farm doesn't collapse like all the other munes。 I don't know how e a government with the best propaganda machine ever built failed to sell a war to a country； for the first time in history。 I don't know how e three or four guys managed to pull down a corrupt thug of a president。 I don't even understand how e all the things this here bar stands for haven't been drowned under a sea of the drunks and brawlers and hookers and hoodlums every other bar gets； why the only people that seem to e here are the ones that need to； that ought to； that have to。 That's the real miracle of this joint； you know； not our telepaths and little green men！
〃I can't explain any of this stuff； Doc； but couldn't it be that there's some kind of new force loose on the world； like a collective…unconscious response to Raksha and the Krundai； a new kind of energy that's trying to put us all back on the right track before it's too late？ Couldn't it be that； now we've climbed out on a material…plane limb and started sawing at it； some mysterious force is trying to t