| Joe Arnold had a score to settle with the | | | | the gesture failed to impress. He had used the |
| company's safety department. A year ago, that | | | | right hand since learning as a youth just how |
| department's engineers had made an object | | | | much panache he could pack into a simple gesture |
| lesson of him and today the do-gooders would | | | | and how clearly he could articulate his thoughts |
| get their comeuppance. Too long had they | | | | without wasting valuable time on vocabulary |
| imposed unnecessary burdens on the punch press | | | | development. It was sorely missed. Another black |
| operators, chief among them, Joe Arnold. For too | | | | mark against the villainous safety department! |
| long they had enforced rules with the hot ardor | | | | With the passage of time, Joe's left hand |
| of zealots and for too long they had used Joe as | | | | displayed skill nearly but not quite equal to that |
| an example of the price of nonconformance. | | | | formerly possessed by his right. Though he took |
| When not enforcing rules, the engineers busied | | | | pride in his developing left-handed dexterity, he |
| themselves with the invention of new ones. There | | | | remained irked by the bitterest aspect of the |
| were rules for everything now. Because of the | | | | incident, the loss of an ability to deliver opinions on |
| safety department, Joe was burdened with a | | | | any subject with brevity and shock. When roused |
| hard hat, safety glasses, earplugs and even heavy | | | | to a fevered pitch of excitement his right hand, |
| gloves that impeded his ability to insert his hands | | | | out of long habit, flew upward to form a reply. All |
| into the secret workings of his punch press. | | | | that appeared, however, was a bruised stump, a |
| Until the safety engineers interfered, Joe had | | | | dismal reminder of elapsed glory. |
| been the sole master of a maneuver that shaved | | | | The time came when a young and inexperienced |
| minutes from an otherwise slow and awkward | | | | worker named Howard gained employment. The |
| shutdown procedure for the company's several | | | | supervisors judged Joe Arnold the most suitable |
| punch presses. The same engineers, he was | | | | candidate for training Howard in the operation of a |
| convinced, jealous of his mastery of a technique | | | | punch press and for indoctrinating the youth on |
| that defied their understanding, had manipulated | | | | the subject of safety. After all, they reasoned, |
| matters that led to his downfall. | | | | Joe endured a grievous amputation by neglecting |
| Until the downfall, it had been his practice to apply | | | | the very rules put in place to keep him whole. |
| the time saved by his secret procedure to an | | | | Surely, they said to one another, he gained |
| extension of his mid-morning and afternoon work | | | | wisdom from that experience. |
| breaks. Those who operated similar presses and | | | | Joe had given special study to the amendment to |
| lacking Joe's manual dexterity and innate | | | | the press that resulted in his tragedy and had |
| understanding of the punch press, were obligated | | | | come to believe he could again bask in the glory |
| to remain at their workstations minutes longer. | | | | of undermining the overzealous, namby-pamby |
| During those extra moments of leisure, Joe lolled | | | | safety department. An added inducement was |
| beneath the sun's warming rays reviving worn but | | | | the light of respect that appeared in young |
| comfortable fantasies involving the secretarial | | | | Howard's eyes when Joe revealed his plan. The |
| staff and to the inhalation of various chemicals | | | | eager youth pledged secrecy; Joe perfected the |
| packaged economically in slender white tubes. | | | | technique. |
| One day while he was taking his leisure, the | | | | The safety department's scheduled Day of |
| safety engineers made a slight alteration to his | | | | Atonement arrived exactly one year to the day |
| press. It was a simple matter of replacing an | | | | of Joe's dismemberment. When the whistle |
| outdated and no longer legal mercury switch with | | | | signaling the approach of the work break |
| a newer solid-state variety. The engineers, | | | | sounded, Joe grinned at Howard in a manner that |
| unaware that Joe relied upon the slower acting | | | | said, "Watch this". He withdrew the protective |
| mercury switch to effect an early release from | | | | glove from his left hand and passed it to Howard |
| work, unwittingly obviated one of the several | | | | with elegant disdain reminiscent of a knight |
| secret maneuvers he employed. Later, in the | | | | handing off armor to a page. He raised his arm |
| hospital, Joe complained that neglect on the part | | | | and then opened and closed his left hand several |
| of the safety department in informing him of the | | | | times in a demonstration of suppleness. Howard's |
| change was the sole reason for the sudden | | | | youthful eyes widened in moist veneration. Joe |
| activation of the press at the very moment the | | | | rendered the lad a condescending smile and |
| third finger of his right hand fell into its path, | | | | suddenly with the deftness of a magician thrust |
| making him suddenly and irreversibly lighter by the | | | | his hand into the workings of the machine. His |
| weight of that finger. | | | | fingers danced between the whirling gears and |
| The loss of that particular digit added considerably | | | | cogs with the same confidence as did the right |
| to Joe's grief for it was that finger that played | | | | hand in days of old. He was back on top. With a |
| such a significant role in his daily communication | | | | grin, he said to his admiring audience of one, "I |
| with the world. When asked his opinion on any | | | | wish the do-gooders were here, they gotta see |
| subject, it had been Joe's custom to raise his right | | | | this!" |
| hand and with hoisted middle finger, flash his | | | | Before the grin could fade from his features, a |
| judgment to all but the vision-impaired. | | | | blaring sounded and the punch press descended |
| It was different with the left hand. His timing was | | | | much as it did once before. When a second |
| off. He could not muster the same degree of | | | | electrical impulse returned the press to its former |
| passion, could not calibrate the thrust with | | | | position, Joe withdrew his arm and with a quizzical |
| emphasis suitable to the occasion, could not | | | | stare, gazed upon his left hand, now a twin to his |
| suspend the solitary digit for the precise number | | | | right. |
| of seconds needed to invoke wonder. Simply put, | | | | |