The Infinite Matrix | Michael Swanwick & Francisco Goya | The Sleep Of

Reason 6

04.18.02

the sleep of reason

by Michael Swanwick

with illustrations by

Francisco JosÉ de Goya y Lucientes

Click image to enlarge

Digital image © copyright

Davison Art Center,

Wesleyan University

DAC permission required

for any other use.

6. [Plate 39]

Prick the Donkey

Prick the Donkey came from a long line of asses. His father was an ass

and his mother was an ass and their parents were asses too. His

genealogy, in fact, could be traced all the way back to Old Bray, who

nuzzled Eve's hand in the Garden and gave young Abel rides on his back

when sin was still young.

With such a distinguished pedigree, it was inevitable that he would go

into politics. Noblesse oblige required nothing less. He wasn't much of a

speaker, but his muzzle was as soft as velvet and he had an engaging

personality. Which was enough to get the governorship of a

not-very-important Southwestern state.

One day, midway through his undistinguished career, the money men came to

see Prick in his office. These were the same money men who, as a favor to

his father, had set him up in business and then bought him out just

before that business collapsed from mismanagement. It had cost them tens

of millions of dollars, but they considered it a good investment. For now

they wanted him to run for president.

The election was a squeaker. It went right down to the wire. In the

closing minutes, it was called both ways. Everything hinged on a single

state where the votes were so close that Prick the Donkey's brother (by

good fortune the governor) had to call off a recount, lest it turn out he

had lost. Prick's opponent got snippy, and the case went to the Supreme

Court.

For a giddy instant, everything hung in the balance. But as luck would

have it, Prick the Donkey's father had been president before him and had

appointed several of the Supreme Court judges. They all voted for Prick,

and he became the President of the United States.

He was a Democrat, of course. All donkeys are. If he'd been born an

elephant, doubtless he'd have been a Republican. But donkeys are iconic

Democrats through and through. Not one has ever been a Republican.

So it's not what you're thinking.

[ Previous ] [ Next ]

===========================================================================

This is the sixth of 80 stories by Michael Swanwick written to accompany

Francisco Goya's Los Caprichos. For a listing of the most recently

available stories, go to The Sleep of Reason.

The Infinite Matrix is sponsored by Matrix.Net,

the Internet's oldest and most experienced

independent performance analysts.

Hosted by SFF.Net.