The two pigs placed their right hoofs to their chests.
Think I could use it? Nobody in this town; it’s becoming a ghost town. Besides ain’t no Pope suppose to be visiting the States until New York 1966…
The startled pigs looked at each other.
Hey, this creepy town, let’s get out of here.
The two pigs with tails curled hoofed it towards the Black Forest surrounding Yellow Back Radio and the sun began to set as it rained on the note in the swinepit behind the gallows:
It has lately come to our ears, afflicting us with bitter sorrow, that many persons have abandoned themselves to devils, and by their incantations spells and other charms and crafts have slain human infants as well as the offspring of cattle, have withered the crops of the earth the grapes of the vine the fruit of the trees. Men women beasts of burden herd beasts and animals with terrible aches and sore disease. They outrage the Divine Majesty and are the cause of scandal and danger to very many.
Arriving tomorrow with tool box.
Loop Garoo, whiplashing the green horse, galloped furiously to a cliff overlooking the sea. He could see the Pope’s ship heading towards the horizon, oars rowing in steady rhythm and the shields of his guard reflecting the dim rays of the setting sun.
Loop hesitated on his horse for a moment then, still in the saddle, plunged in. With his rider fastened to him the animal swam towards the Pope’s ship which was heading back to its point of origin.
Man and horse overboard! came a cry from the crow’s nest.
The Pope chomping on a havana rushed to the ship’s railing. Well I’ll be damned, and hallelujah, here comes the Loop, the Pontiff smiled. Thomas Jefferson was out of a job but that was O.K. too.
Oakland, California, June 1968