911

When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movement becomes headlong – faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thought of obstacles and forget that a precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it’s too late.

–Frank Herbert, Dune

It was a Tuesday, and I was in British Literature I.  We were discussing an early text, either Beowulf or Canterbury Tales.  Our professor was teaching via teleconference from a campus two hours away.  As she was listening on our class discussion through the television, an off-camera student leaned in and whispered something in her ear.  Her expression changed immediately.

“Thank you,” she said, as one of my classmates finished speaking.  “Uh, we’re going to end a little early today.”