The Three Christs of Ypsilanti - Milton Rokeach [73]
Prior to Leon’s change of name there had been a marked reduction in conflict among the three men and a marked increase in friendliness among them. The issue of their identity was not raised, and relations seemed to improve all around. But, as we said earlier, this very improvement was probably a threat to Leon; one of the reasons for changing his name to Dung was the need to arrest and possibly suppress the positive feelings he was beginning to develop, especially toward Joseph, as a result of their mutually satisfying everyday relations. Joseph had become a powerful ally on whom he had come to depend—an ally against us, particularly me —and the two men were joined together in an unspoken agreement to avoid the subject of identity and to brush aside all attempts on my part to bring it up.
But a few weeks after Leon changed his name the “holy alliance” between him and Joseph was broken and conflict erupted once again. This time, however, their struggle was not over identity, but over an even weirder issue: the question of which of them was the rightful owner of a cosmic squelch eye. This running argument went on for several months and perpetuated itself through mutual reinforcement until it spilled over into other areas. Let us look in on the first of these arguments.
February 29. Meeting. Leon launches into a discussion about cosmic squelch eyes,[3] claiming that he has, in addition to his two eyes, a cosmic squelch eye located in the middle of his forehead. But, Leon adds, “you can lose these eyes through imposition.” He then brings Joseph into the picture. “In my case I prepared myself when Mr. Cassel passed away in connection with that body. I automatically received that eye.”
Whenever Leon launches into a long, delusional discourse, Joseph typically withdraws into himself. He leafs through a book or magazine, or stares vacantly ahead, or looks out the window. He gives the impression that he is disinterested or bored. But not this time.
It should be stated that the full psychological meaning of the squelch-eye episode continues to elude us. However, the Biblical reference is inescapable. In Matthew 6:22, we find: “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Since this verse immediately follows one which Leon quoted on another occasion (see Chapter XIII, p. 216), there can be little doubt that he was familiar with it.
“Well, I’ll get it back then,” he suddenly says.
“No, sir,” says Leon, “you cannot because I earned it.”
“Anything that belongs to me will be mine, not yours. You haven’t earned anything from me.”
“You’ve imposed on the frequency of my life, I was told.”
“I think you have T.B. You were told! I don’t give a shit what you’ve been told. I’m getting my values back if it takes a hundred years!”
(To Leon)—Maybe if you told us how you earned this eye?—
“I’ve already told you, sir. I don’t care for presumptuousness to the ignorant, when it has already been explained.”
“I don’t understand a word of it,” Joseph says.
“I was quite polite. I explained it twice. That’s sufficient.”
“How come you have three eyes when you only have two eyes?” Joseph asks.
When we ask Clyde what he thinks, he breaks into a smile. “They keep pretty even—first one and then the other,” he replies.
“It’s untruthful,” says Joseph.
“Truth is truth,” Leon replies, “no matter if only one person speaks it.”
“I know what happened at the table,” Joseph says suddenly. “Ever since then you’ve been picking on me.”
“I’m trying to be charitable toward all,” says Leon.
When asked what happened at the table, Joseph replies, pointing to Leon: “He went screwy. He didn’t want to be honest about