The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch

by Philip K. Dick

When the little period of escape is over and the colonist returns . . . he’s not fit to resume a normal, daily life. He’s demoralized. But if instead of Can-D he’s chewed—” He broke off. Leo was not listening; he was involved in constructing another artifact in the air before him. A short flight of stairs appeared, leading into a luminous hoop. The far end of the flight of stairs could not be seen. “Where does that go?” Eldritch demanded, an irritated expression on his face. “New York City,” Leo said. “It’ll take me back to P.P. Layouts.” He rose and walked to the flight of stairs. “I have a feeling, Eldritch, that something’s wrong, some aspect of this Chew-Z product. And we won’t discover what it is until too late.” He began climbing the stairs and then he remembered the girl, Monica; he wondered if she was all right, here in Palmer Eldritch’s world. “What about the child?” He stopped his climb. Below him, but seemingly far off, he could make out Eldritch, still seated with his stick on the grass. “The glucks didn’t get her, did they?” Eldritch said, “I was the little girl. That’s what I’m trying to explain to you; that’s why I say it means genuine reincarnation, triumph over death.”