I smiled with amazement as I opened the package left for me. The box contained a letter, a book titled Thus Spoke Zarathustra, and a bunch of round dried cactus wrapped in tissue paper.

Fred,

     Our time at the fort is coming to the end. Here is the plan. Grind up the cactus and add it to the bagels you make next Tuesday. The cactus is a plant called peyote. Be sure not to eat it because it will distract you. It won’t harm the others. I’ll meet you at noon by the concrete houses. Until then, read the book. It tells the story of how the spirit becomes a camel; and the camel, a lion; and the lion, a child. And finally, how you will become a cowboy.

Your Friend,

Tim