In the end, we spend the whole day out on the water -- until sundown, anyway -- and bring about nine or ten residents back to shore. One of our passengers is a schizophrenic whom Sean jumped in the water to save when the kick from the rotors of a hovering helicopter ["intentionally" -Jhoh] forced her underwater.

"No," says the old man. "Everything's fine. That's what they say on the news."

"What news?" Willie asks.

The old man gets up and, taking a full minute, walks two long steps over to the dead TV set across the room.

"This news," he says, pointing to the gray screen. "I been watching it."