The Plague

We do not discharge our weapons in view of the public!
The only way these people can get on with their
happy lives is that they Do... Not... Know about it!
--Men in Black (1997)

There always comes a time in history when the person
who dares to say that 2+2=4 is punished by death
--The Plague, Albert Camus
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Federal investigators decided today, a few days after the apparent suicide of their new prime suspect since June in the 2001 anthrax attacks, that dead microbiologist Bruce Ivins was definitely their man (Ivins Solely Responsible for Anthrax Attacks.)

"A federal prosecutor formally declared Army biological researcher Bruce Ivins the sole person responsible for creating and mailing the bacterial spores that killed five people in the 2001 anthrax attacks." Now, I was suspicious of this seemingly blithe wrap up after seven years of failure, until I read this:

"The documents disclosed that authorities searched Ivins' home on Nov. 2, 2007, taking," among other items, "information about guns and a copy of The Plague by Albert Camus (Ivins Was Anthrax Killer, US Says.)"

That done it.

It wasn't really the gun information that got me so much as that darn book. I don't think he shot anybody. But The Plague is about, well, y'know, a plague. And, it's written by a Frenchman. Those two facts about the book would seem almost incontrovertible proof, but add to that his fascination with death dealing agents like guns, too. Now, add to that the final perversity: Mr. Ivins was a juggler.

Jugglers are the pictures on the Wild Card in a deck of cards. Most of you probably think it is a harlequin, but I think the harlequin is juggling. At least in the Hoyle playing deck, which is a favored American brand of cards. Add to this the following: the harlequin motif grew out of the French stock character, Hellequin. As his name implies, he is a black-faced agent of the devil who roamed the countryside chasing the damned souls of evil people to Hell.

Do you see what I'm getting at? A man chooses to work with an agent of death -- anthrax -- and owns books on death dealing agents like microbes and guns. He chooses the avocation of juggling, and owns the French book, The Plague, a book about the bubonic plague. This is far more than coincidence.

The one coincidence I haven't figured out is how Ivin's possession of The Plague conjuncts with President Bush's being seen early in his administration with another Camus book, The Stranger, under his arm. Both strange French books about death, both carried by significant men.

Final thought: these scientists are very clever people. He maintained the cover of a 33-year marriage plus he adopted twins. In addition, he was a churchgoer. What else, if one wanted to fly below the radar for 18 years?

Not so smart, however, that he could elude the Men in Black. I'm ready for my next gig at The National Enquirer.

--Juggling Harlequin, John Byrne