This Robert Olen Butler story is based loosely on the death of early American aviator Earle Sandt. A small town banker attends an aerial exhibition with his young son. It is the first time either has seen an aeroplane, and they witness the crash that killed the pioneer pilot. Both are traumatised. The boy recovers quickly, but not so the banker whose ordered world and religious faith have been shaken. He begins to identify with Sandt, asking: Did I sense a God all about me in the sky?, and answering: Forgive me, no. Themes include progress/change, mortality, faith, despair, identity.
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