Page 228

By Jack Joseph Smith

£73 He ecanned the top of this last hill on the-mount= ain; and as Shotgun approached ‘on the run, cettona clark blue of bleek shapes began to move across the crest, vib= rating an inner heat against the golden sun. , , Now Shotgun stood before: him attempting to pro- ~ nounce words through his paneange "The shotgun is not loaded; never has been, it is my symbol, my images" With the expression of a ragged“ lord’ in his face; Blackman took the-gur from him saying, "go and teil: the people in the ciraleg" Shotgun atood stilled a second, unsures Filled’ : with chaos, his eyes: emerged in redness, a simple gesture-of alarm blurted’ out an understanding he- had never communicated to this man. "My God," he : said, his stomach bringing up the breath of loss ‘ through his throat. Blackman stepped out in a quarter turn, and from shoulder to shoulder made-a half-circle -sweep of hia right arm over the-dry under-turned follage= purple, berries=red, and weeda-yellowy "There-is: no Ged heres" he replied "New god" , The law stood above him, Up to the left they were décending. The eight men spread themselves ina V’ . from the beginning of their decent. Now Blackmam 45 , j

Original Scan

Page 228

AI Interpretation

GPT

Shotgun's claim that the gun is only a symbol collapses under the visible arrival of the law, and Blackman's declaration that there is 'no God here' strips the scene to pure force.

This page moves from symbolic talk into hard event. Whatever ritual or outlaw mystique existed around the group is suddenly exposed as something that must now answer to armed descent.


Claude

Shotgun's claim that the gun is only a symbol collapses under the visible arrival of the law. The page kills the metaphor with literal sirens.