‘The Reverse Bug’ by Lore Segal

The Reverse Bug by Lore Segal, 1989

The magic trick:

A remarkably sophisticated, layered idea

This is the kind of story that renders my little SSMT format pretty much useless. How could anyone – let alone me – be expected to pin down how this story works? It’s far too complex, far too smart.

So I will cop out and say that that’s the magic trick right there. This story takes a remarkably sophisticated idea – the notion that someone recorded the sounds of Dachau and Hiroshima – and lays it across a very sophisticated, layered premise. It’s not the kind of thing one could easily replicate, so from an instructive standpoint, yes, it’s pretty stupid to say, “Develop one of the smartest, most sophisticated ideas ever for a short story.” But there you go.

And that’s quite a trick on Segal’s part.

The selection:

“In last June,” said Gerti.

Ilka corrected her, and said, “Tell the class where you came from, and, everybody, please speak in whole sentences.”

Gerti said, “I have lived before in Uruguay.”

“We would say, ‘Before that I lived,’” said Ilka, and Gerti said, “And before that in Vienna.”

Gerti’s story bore a family likeness to the teacher’s own superannuated, indigestible history of being sent out of Hitler’s Europe as a little girl.

Gerti said, “In the Vienna train station has my father told to me…”

“Told me.”

“Told me that so soon as I am coming to Montevideo…”

Ilka said, “As soon as I come, or more colloquially, get to Montevideo…”

Gerti said, “Get to Montevideo, I should tell to all the people…”