"The subtlest
change
in New York is something people don't speak much about but that
is in
everyone's mind. The city, for the first time in its long
history, is
destructible. A single flight of planes no bigger than a wedge of
geese
can quickly end this island fantasy, burn the towers, crumble the
bridges,
turn the underground passages into lethal chambers, cremate the
millions.
The intimation of mortality is part of New York now: in the sound of
jets overhead, the black headlines of the latest edition. All
dwellers
in cities must live with the stubborn fact of annihilation; in
New York
the fact is somewhat more concentrated because of the concentration
of the city itself, and because, of all targets, New York has a
certain
clear priority. In the mind of whatever perverted dreamer who might
loose the lightning, New York must hold a steady, irresistible
charm."