Playwright John Guare came up with the phrase "six degrees of separation" -- four words to describe the phenomenon of a shrinking world where any random two people can discover a link through a chain of acquaintances. This story suggests a route through physical connections from a homeless British woman to the President of the United States. But beware - this isn't a light fantasy. The links on this chain are rusty and loose - and they hurt those who are joined by them.