Manhattan stood to the north, Blade Towers shrouded in the morning haze like giant trees. Red and white streaks crossed the sky; the aerial transit routes stacked with cars. To the left, the Hudson glittered and rolled, wave tops foaming above the black water as the Statue of Liberty lurked behind the unemployment center. The center’s disk was an oily smear on the water’s surface, a rod of black smoke rising from it as dozens of small boats buzzed between the large Coast Guard ships.