IT WAS THE 610,783rd domino, and the final placement in a design that took exactly 178 hours and 33 minutes to set up. Once this last domino was in place, the complex falling action of the dominoes should take about sixteen and a quarter minutes to complete.

     All of this would be ready as soon as Jerry set the final domino. Thatfinal domino was less than two centimeters from the wooden surface ofthe gym when ...

      ... Jerry encountered a problem.

     It seems that the fingers of his right hand, steady as a rock for thepreceding 610,782 dominos, began to cramp.

     The crowd, now filling the gymnasium to capacity, seemed to sense his problem, and grew silent as he hovered centimeters away from thecompletion of his magnificent obsession. . .

     Jerry cautiously withdrew his hand, cracked his knuckles, and beganagain. But as the domino approached its final resting place, once again pain lanced through his palm, spreading into his wrist and forearm.

     For a moment, Jerry considered not placing the final domino -- but hehad not gotten the previous six hundred thousand dominos in there position by being a quitter. He persisted -- even as the pain spread from his forearm into his shoulder, and into his chest. Jerry Milligan had never quit anything in his life -- or at least not this close to final completion! The plan had been for 610,783 dominos, and he was a man who had always believed in following the plan!

     It was excruciating pain, but he persevered. The last domino quiveredgently into place. For a second, Jerry was filled with horror as thislast domino vibrated on the wooden floor -- before finding its footingand then coming gently to rest in its correct position.

     There! He had achieved completeness! They were ready to -- go -- but-- pain now filled his entire being. He found himself unable to move -- unable to see past the haze that filled his vision -- unable to stayconcious. . .

     He collapsed quietly against the wall, totally surrounded on all sidesby dominos, as the crowd roared its approval.

* * * * * *

     The paramedics said they might have been able to save him, except thathe had collapsed in the corner, and there was a general reluctance ontheir part of anyone disturb the carefully arrayed dominos. When theparamedics finally rushed to him, scattering the dominos in alldirections, Jerry Milligan could not be revived.