An old man sat in a dark, damp prison cell. Drops of water condensed on the bars over the window peering into a silent hallway. The man stared through the window at the dim light burning in the hallway. His stomach growled with hunger. He thought he heard footsteps in the distance. Straining to hear, he realized the steps were getting closer. Excited, he pulled his shell of a body to its feet and leaned against the cold wall. The door swung open and an officer was standing there.

"Come on, old man, you've got a visitor," the officer said with a hint of pity in his voice.

The man followed the officer down the hall into a shadowy room with a table and two chairs. In the far chair sat a clean-cut young man in a business suit.

"You've got 15 minutes," the officer said as he closed the door behind them.

For a long time the two sat in silence, each staring at the other as if they were from different worlds. Finally the old man spoke. "Boy, tell me one thing� how good is it to be free?" The boy sighed and in a solemn voice replied, "There is no freedom, old man, just cells of different sizes."

Greg Bonett