If the front door is opened, Barris said, during our absence, my cassette tape recorder starts recording. It's under the couch. It has a two-hour tape. I placed three omnidirectional Sony mikes at three different-- You should have told me, Arctor said. What if they come in through the windows? Luckman said. Or the back door? To increase the chances of their making their entry via the front door, Barris continued, rather than in other less usual ways, I providentially left the front door unlocked. After a pause, Luckman began to snigger. Suppose they don't know it's unlocked? Arctor said. I put a note on it, Barris said.
In Philip K. Dick's "A Scanner Darkly," a character named Barris reveals an elaborate plan to monitor potential intrusions while he is away. He has set up a cassette tape recorder under the couch that activates when the front door is opened. Additionally, he has strategically placed three omnidirectional microphones to capture sounds from different angles. This preparation reflects his anxiety about security and his desire to gather information.
However, Barris's approach raises questions among his friends, particularly Arctor and Luckman. They speculate about the possibility that intruders may enter through alternative routes, such as the windows or back door. Barris, attempting to ensure that the front door is their point of entry, has even left it unlocked and put a note on it, adding a layer of absurdity to the situation. This dialogue highlights the characters' paranoia and the lengths they go to feel secure in a world where trust is fleeting.
