s his mother had been。 A homosexual experience
in grammar school。 Public humiliation。 Worse experiences in high school and
college。 He had been arrested and sent to an institution after exposing himself
to a pair of little girls getting off a school bus。 Worst of all； he had been
dismissed from the institution； let back out onto the streets； because the man
in charge had decided he was all right。 This man's name had been Grimmer。
Grimmer had known that Monkey DeLong was exhibiting deviant symptoms； but he had
written the good； hopeful report and had let him go anyway。 Jack liked and
sympathized with Grimmer； too。 Grimmer had to run an understaffed and
underfunded institution and try to keep the whole thing together with spit；
baling wire； and nickle…and…dime appropriations from a state legislature who had
to go back and face the voters。 Grimmer knew that Monkey could interact with
other people； that he did not soil his pants or try to stab his fellow inmates
with the scissors。 He did not think he was Napoleon。 The staff psychiatrist in
charge of Monkey's case thought there was a better…than…even chance that Monkey
could make it on the street； and they both knew that the longer a man is in an
institution the more he es to need that closed environment； like a junkie
with his smack。 And meanwhile； people were knocking down the doors。 Paranoids；
schizoids； cycloids； semicatatonics； men who claimed to have gone to heaven in
flying saucers； women who had burned their children's sex organs off with Bic
lighters； alcoholics； pyromaniacs； kleptomaniacs； manic…depressives； suicidals。
Tough old world； baby。 If you're not bolted together