May 12, 2008

Dear Sis~
I recently read a news story out of Germany speculating that treasure hunters may have finally located the fabled, long-missing Amber Room, buried near the German-Czech border. As you know, the Amber Room played a central role in my novel, Quietus. Many adventurers and treasure hunters have searched in vain for the Amber Room ever since the Nazi's looted it from the old Imperial Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the closing years of WWII. As mysteries go, it's a top flight one, and with an estimated present-day worth in excess of a billion dollars, there's been no shortage of seekers. A part of me would like to see it found, simply because of the incredible beauty of the objects, and their historical value. But another part of me prefers that its location remain secret, an inscrutable enigma worthy of its magnificence. Some mysteries should remain so, if for no other reason than to give would-be fortune hunters something to aspire to...
We had a tornado steam roll right past the prison yesterday afternoon. The sky became black, the rain flew in sideways and the fences shook like a hanging carpet being beaten with a broom. The two big, heavy trash bins out front of the cellblock were picked up and flung violently against the wall about fifty feet away. The tornado itself missed the prison by about 1,000 feet but it was close enough to get my attention...
We had a bunch of big wigs come by today, touring death row. I heard we'll have officials here every day of the week, inspecting and touring. I'm not sure who they are, but its the same pro forma inspections I've witnessed all my life, people just going through the motions, patting themselves on the back, not really interested in seeing anything or rocking the boat. In the end, they'll just sign off on some form and report that everything is great...
Hillary's schtick has become very tiresome. I wish she'd just pull out and let the real campaign begin, pitting Obama against McCain. Hillary is in denial, apparently unable to grasp the obvious; it's almost like she inhabits some other alternate reality...
Just saw the news flash of a terrible earthquake in Southwestern China, an estimated 7.9 magnitude (that's a big one) which, they are reporting, has killed some 80,000 people (that number will certainly change dramatically, up or down, over the next week). The pictures on TV are heartbreaking. Most victims appear to be dirt-poor villagers, lots of towns obliterated. A reminder that nature is a cruel teacher...
Nightline is over which means it's my bed time. Give yourself a hug for me!
Love, Bill