Damus says, "A crowd met me in town. They begged me to choose their fate. Within 24 hours, I'd revealed Dios 50 times in a row and breakfasted with the president. Three days later, he'd met every leader in Sud America. Despite thousands of denials, I flipped 25 more times."
Kathy and Susie, the only dolphins in attendance (stars of the 60s TV show *Flipper*), look at each other side-eye from inside the water tank that they brought to the stadium. They remember simultaneously that their request to get a flip by Damus was denied a week ago.
Jenna says, “Flipping led you to coin toss in Peller's magic show, 'Trick Us.' If he can't explain your method, you get to perform at his show in Macau. You were invited but said no.” “I’m a fan of theirs, but yes. It would have been dishonest. I'm not an illusionist,” says Damus.
“Macau takes me back. It's where I got my first triple-double,” Jenna grins. “You play basketball?” says Damus. “No, I dated my 11th model, held my 13th adopted child, and completed 20 years sober. Yay me! But no one cares. Back to you. Tell us how flipping earned you an easy mil?”
“Next, I met with James Candi, the skeptic. I tossed for him and was offered a million bucks when he couldn’t debunk me. I accepted," Damus smirks. The crowd laughs. “Many flips later, it’s come to possibly be your 108th consecutive tails flip. Let me read some Tweets about this."
“According to the Rare Earth Hypothesis, the conditions necessary for complex, intelligent life are so specific and rare that the chances of it arising on another planet are astronomically low. This feat is almost as unlikely, yet it may happen.” Physicist Bill Dyson says to a reporter. "Thought my triple-double flip was nearly impossible, achieving 100 tails in a row is transcendent. Go Damus!" Gymnast Chimone Dials tweeted. “The likelihood of this flip happening is lower than one in 7.9 billion. That means that out of all humanity, it was easier to have been the one human born as Jesus than to make this flip." Benedicat ei Deus, Head of Statistics at the Vatican, added his thoughts.
After various prerecorded celebrity interviews are shown, several live efforts to break flipping feats are attempted. The 47 bottle flips in a minute record is attempted and fails. Next, the 5.25-second record for the fastest 360-degree flip of a car flops.
Damus has also spent decades studying chaos theory, the Earth's magnetic field, Earth's gravity, the moon's gravitational influence, and every other conceivable physical and psychological factor that could influence his toss.
As the moment arrives, the coin is flicked into a blur, then it clink, clink, clinks against the table, swerves, and rolls in a spiral on its edge for one and a half circles. As it leans toward tails, Damus subtly waves his index finger in secret. This action alters its fall. The Cordoba lands heads. The streak ends. He is relieved.
Across the globe, people react as they wait for Damus’s response. Hundreds of thousands step down safely from ledges. Throngs walk out on their paramours. Millions decide not to send messages to their exes. Multitudinous seminarians and novitiates walk out on their training. The list goes on.
Silence hides mixed emotions. Gamblers look on slack-jawed and wide-eyed. Many of the business magnates in the arena clench their jaws and shake their heads. Some members of the religious communities tear up while their peers grin. Disillusion prevails.
“What happened?” Jenna finally asks after five minutes of silence. “I'm only human, and it's a game of chance. This was meant to happen.” He sees disappointment. One woman he spots trembles; she wraps her arms around her body. As the shock wears off, attendees, including Jenna, begin to walk out of the arena with slumped shoulders, dumbfounded. Damus takes one more look at the arena before leaving and has difficulty swallowing unsure of the consequences of his actions.
Seeing Damus's humanity ignites confidence in countless others, inspiring them to pursue their own impossible dreams. Ana sits at home and prays her bible lays open to Psalm 107, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Ana plots how she’ll become the first priestess in the Catholic church. One of these divergents has waited at the foot of Volcan Telica for three days after the event hoping to see Damus in person. As he hoped, Damus returns. The man shares with Damus how his feat has inspired him and many to fulfill their most unbelievable dreams and fantasies.
Damus smiles, pats his head, and says,”Thank you, I needed to hear that. Jenna and the crowd's disappointment hurt.”
“We only see what we expect to see. Trust me the majority got it even if it took a few days.”
The man leaves and Damus continues his way up the mountain.
Once alone, Damus looks up and says, "Finally, I am fulfilled."
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