R. A. Lafferty - 1968 Past Master.pdf

Astrobe, the Golden Panet, was perect. It was Utopia. efect comfort, entertanment wealth were fe to the citzens of Astrobe Yet gwng numbe chose to abandon this lfe of uxu to and disease, to stae and de n dwell in the su m of Cathead Why? Not oe person in the whoe unverse coud answer this question, or provde a soluton to the crisis of rejecton And so in desperation, the le of Astbe reached into the past and drew to the one man who aid them terthem who kew Utopia fromcoud the nsde outthe Mas-

"As with verything the man wites, th ind of imagination blows strongly. it t� dierence tat in a novel he can eac  ll force  This is a grat madman o a nvel dnced n and col:· -HARLAN EISON

ISBN 0-441653030

A Laerty is one o e most srcina wtes in scence icton. He bends o breaks norma story estctons apparenty at w, pokes un at seous matters and breaks nto a kind o oklyricism over gotesqueries. Al tis, plus te mot unet tered imagination weve enjoyed in years Tery Carr Te Laerty madness    is peppeed wit ngt mare: witces azauons ydras, porsces pantes, progammed kers tat never ail and a bulesqued black mass. One eas o black com edy? Tere are paces n AST MASTE wer umor goes positvely ultavoet Samuel ·Deany   wild, subte demonic angec, laious tag c poetc, a tundering meodrama and a quest nto te depts o te uman spit .. A La erty as aways been unqely is own an oul Anderson "I read t n one sttng; I couldnt put t down Laety as te power wi c sets ires bend y our eyebals.Tere s wamt lumnation, and a ce tain oy attendant upon te xpeience  e

good

oger Zelazny

It is a minor mracle that a serious phlosophical and specuative work should be wrtten so coorful ly and so yricay. s, happily, no wayfc to categorize the boo There t has elements of scence tion, of pure fantasy, of poetry, of hstorical fic tion; it is sharply critica and marveously gentle; very serous and irrepressibly funny; profoundy symboic and gutsy-realistic by (unexpected) turns A frst rate speculative work Judth Merri   A. Lafferty is possesseda madman, a wild taent ... Lafferty's world is ot aways com fortabe, since he takes partcuar deight in subtly twstng the meanings of words Hs world is usua y deghtfuly absurdist, and often bristlng wth pns to prick the soapbubbles of whatever yo hod sacred.Lafferty s fun sophsticated, and ut terly insane. - Radr's Guid to 

R. A LAFFERTY

4 SF ace books

Divson of Charte Comuicaios I. A GROSSET & DUNLP COMPANY

51 Mdison Avnu Nw York, Nw Yok 1001

PAST MASTE Copyright©  by R Laffery

All rights reserved No par of this book my be reproduced n any form or by any means excep fo the ncusion of brief quotatons in a review withot permisson in wiing fm he publisher. All charactes in his bok are icitious. Any resemblance o acual persons, iving or dead is puely coincidental

An ACE Book This Ace prining: Juy  Published Simultaneously in Canada

         

Manufactued in the Unted States o Ameica

CONEN

Chapter

Pag

 At the wenty-Fih Hour  My Gre, and I n It

3

3 At  Naked ilor

4

4 On Happy Astrob

55 78

5 The Sha of hngs to Co 6 Sting in the Tal



7 On hnder ntan

3

8 Black Catad

54

KingMker

65

9.

 T Defomty of Tin to Co

79

 Nne Day King





 Ulmate Peope

3 Acphalon

5 8



A  N O

Te tree g me were met tgeter  a prate uldg f e of tem . Tere was a claterg tuder  te sreet utsde ut te su was sg. t was te clasg tuder f te mecacal kllers raeg ad ragg Tey sk te uldg ad were o te erge of pullg t dow Tey requred te lfe ad te ld f eo of te tree teyterequred medately t teme ourad wt ute t Te tree e gatered  te uldg ere lrge pyscally tey ere poat ad poerful tey ere telget ad terestg ere as a pcular lkage etee tem eac eleed tat e ctrll ed te ter tw tat e as te puppeteer ad tey ere te puppets. Ad eac was paly rgt  ts elef t made te a terlckg exus taut ad reslet te mst trcate  Astroe osms Kgmaker  as t rc. Te Heraldc L Peter Proctor w was to lucky Te Sleek Fox Faa Forema w was too sm Te Worred Hawk. Ts s Mak d' s trd ca ce  sad Kgmaker A tey're reakg te drs dw aga Hw ca we talk wt t all gog ?" He tk e seakg tue. ooel e caed

ut. Y ae sucet uma gua rds  t s mperate at yu dsperse e rot t s aslute ly frde

PAST STER

a ey mude is ma a is ime ad place He i i us ad i e f us as e as alays ee. Te clel is dead a ice came ack  am Capai  Cezem e Tid ex i cmmad" Yu e Clel Cezem  Kigmake said. Call u a eifcemes yu eed ad pee is ig Fema said Pee Pc sly ii e m. Waee yu ae ikig is day d  ik i s sgly. e e see e igs s aid f yu life  is Makids id cace e ae ee  ig aay ee Kigmake ied  e e  i e m speakig i gea seiy csideg e siege ey ee ude. Ee e e spke quiely Kigmake as impsig  He ad e ead a suld e  u gldee cisee   Gea Seals aled im e i  lis  Tey Ase excep as sauay H as a cae li cu u f e Glde Taeie e e yel male f Aste He ad a ice f suc dept a i se up eces ee e e ispeed  as pa f te aua f pe a e se up au imsef. Makids fis cace as e Old Wd f Old Ea Kigmake said Wa e g ee a ciues  g g ee as ee impefecty aalyzed Ea is si a ial ig ad ye e mus spea f i ad ik f i as smetig i e pa  did make i efe i a Od Wld ad i is

hu ivil! h wr howlig  gig  make   a seed 

PAST STR

qukng wors hn vr hd k h ung pr son  son o g hr pr , nd h wouldn  long ou  h mchncl kllrs wr rlnlss whn h cm n hr kll, nd Fn Formn ws hr nndd kll

Mankinds second cance was Aeica e ew

World of Old Ear " Kingaker conined  n one snse i was e Firs New World, a so o cildood of orseles . And Mankind expeenced is second failre ere Ta was really e end of Old Ea Se lies in or sadow now as done so since we were ig enog o cas a sadow hundr humpng hundr ousd! h scrmng of mnc mchns!

Asroe is Mankind s ird cance " conined e regal Kingake f we fail ere we ay no e gien anoer opporniy  Tere is soeing of ner and alance a ells s we canno srie anoer loss f we fail ere we fail foreer And we r faling Or lck as n o Howlng, undrmnng nd  scon of on of h ousd wlls gnnng o sld!

Or lck will neer n o, Procor saed Wee oceans of lck sill napped We are doing qie well Tose cases on Old E did no end in ol failre" Forean saed in a soewa saky oice  og ey dd end in oal dea . And i is n o a one wo ree ing  is cyclic and i as appened any ies

I ws vrl xplosons ousd whn Formn spok I ws hs l h h mcncl kllrs d3

PAST STER

anded rig now. Hereaer all the conversaton was a lttle dcult, almst submeged n the cean fnose and volence

O my eedg eas Tey were ack eug faures" Kgmaker cut ack  ut tat ackess was st fu f gtng. Te tere were may fa ures Faa ut  make tree te magic umer Te cck std at te twetyt ur s e at te ery suial f man trug t a appears a mirace Lets drag it ack t daygt Pctr grwled sfty ae te int isesm tat idcated tat te kers aready ken f te upper ms f ad te uldig Oly urseles are e and w are t impessed y eac ters' equence We are ere t select a candidate We are nt ere t stay te crack f dm. Wrng Prctr Kigmaker umled like ued lws impressed y is tunder and Kngmaker was wn elquence. We r ere t stay te crack f dm t as allen t us tree te inner crcle f te Masters t d exactly tat tg" ms een crackig fr a ng time sms Prctr jied. He was a sleek ad pleasat ma een wen e tk exceptin Hs ce was a s f mecanical purr r was tat f a fx tat as ee eatng ey. Aye w t cracks!" sad Kgmaker f yu ae a ear fr stry Peter yu wl tce tat t cracks uder eery tme  may ways w are a meaer pepe ts tme arud Wud we tree e at

"Itp f tetat eap ay ftestgs e eer rders? repeat teeae f a were t

ttal faures Frema sad ad peraps ey were

PAT TR

t falures at all Tey were deats t s t te same tg

 oors wr g ur You cul hr h h-rorg of h hgs uoo ow

Tere as always ee a we f deserate ad qute credle trum Frema ctued Te dmtaleess f ma as s far ee te mst amazg tg at m  ate t see t gg ut f us Fremas ce dd ae a lttle f te awks cry  t ut als a jgle f ld laugter He was tall ad grayg ad led H seemed te ter twdead wast Wee lst slder muc!ta Eery tme we wee lse smetg S muc culd ae ee de s muc ecame ld wt rttees tat we elttle wat ws de. S fr e o qu olflur  te Old Wrld f Old Ea we were ge ater lfe smetg er e tusad yes ag We were ge te Amerca tg Ad faled ee wrse  Prctr ued wt a s f ceerful tteess  we dd o  Kgmaker rtested We faled ee etter ts a ascedg sraltll t reaks sad OurWrld Amerca fal ureTats was lessue earlyFrema ttal  Wt a ew t wrk ad wt ulmted rsects we lmted tem same fully Tere was  er f te Old Wrld tat we dd t cmmt aga  te ew Wrld  a aster lae But tere was ater sde t t. Tre were tmes we we almst alaced te laded scles we we rea

mated t te Old ad ew Wrlds Tere were tmes we we w ads dw we we ddt ae a cace We elarged urseles te tw emseres f 5

PAT ER

us, n w set t tsks tt efre cul nt e een cnceie O ur fiures were ysl enug t sicken  scenger u we i ce ner  ppreciting just w ig e cllenge is T wrl ie ug iry es n recr e eent S fr t e wc ws n quie  l fiure we were gien yet ner ife On Asre  si Prcr wit sil ing cntept es ere n Glen Astre, si Kingker wit n ffecin Fren sysTis e ister wrlstll ie in  sense e is g te wrl us n ie We ren  do en t e flwe te ir n pssily lst cce f nkn Fren uses ner cunt tn ine n   neer sure  we en e se ting, u  knw wt  en  Aner flure will nis us  f we ie ere tt is te en f sy eerytng Oursuccee cntinces te cines wic tt ey will us, cn se neier eseles nr us We e wlke te ne line t ng n i st isppers Hw e we file? Fr e unre yes eery ting went rig We  success sfe in ur tw ns An rp i, si Fren  twenty yers eerying s ce p Tey were ll cl cnsiering te wling ence sie n nw perps witin But tey  t puse fr  en wen e nise cpletely erw ele e wit is wes

Kingker wskllers pssi leI  epuzzle er gin Fr yssi t wen  tieitte n't ter u yu Fren An ten tey g wil 6

PAST STER

t get at yu  as nw .  ele teyll ae ur lfe ts tme Fr ays at a tme  am nt clear n my wn tnkng reman state Tay  am and tey sense wat t s But teyre mstaken n my mtes y as te welfare f Astre s muc at eart as myself Wee a te sensr macnes run a few lgs n yu Freman  Kngmaker sad ealy . ts cean tat yull e murdered. Tday  elee Yur lgs say wtn tetrn nexttseeral at teyur mst.dy Yu wll e lterally pecesmnts Freman dsmemere Wat fury ut tat f te mecancal kllers culd tear yu apa as yur lgs ndcate?   suspec anter suc ry uldng up Kngmaker t wll upset all my persnal plans seerely f m murdered tday ll need te seeral mnts tat my lgs ge me as pssle. Wy dd yu ae us meet yu ere Faan? Prctr asked Tere are many snger placs were yu culd  eer prtected Ts uldng as sme curstes f desgn tat  ad put n twenty years ag ts my wn uldng and  knw a way ut  Yu elng t te rcle f te asters e same as Kngmaker and  d Prctr sad Yu ae as muc t d wt te prgrammng as des anyne and yu understand t eer tan eter f us. f smetng s wrng wt te prgrammg f e mecancal kllers ten x t  eranly tey sul d nt attempt t kll

yu  Teyre prgrammed nly t kll tse w wuld nterfere wt te Asre dream And y dentn all memers f te rcle f 7

PAS SER

aer are uery deed  e Are dream ad  all f ed Bu ee w e ree are f e md Kgmaker wat  cue e lg dea f Ae a all ct. Yu Prcr d  elee a ere  ayg ery wrg w Ae; u  elee ere  meg ery wrong w yu Yu are t ataced  ur w w to te pre ckne I wa a dea ad reurrecton of te g and e mecacal kllr do ot underand '' Rendng and sreamng of meta! A ras eep be neat tem tat eoed troug oor Te uldng  gog dowteKnger d

  ony ute  ut agr on our cndd for orl Prdnt.  dont ncrly wnt  get n or n  good mn Proctor d  wnt  n wo cn r   ctcy yol  n o cn e anpulated u good an Kngaker nted wnt / y  wnt  grt n Foran crd nd w coe to l t great n ar otng ut yt Le' get ne anyow! A ytmn wll tfy Procr ad t wll d o  f ' a good n ao Hre  y l of ple Kngmakr d ad gan  read end? Epo? u Fxx? Dane?' He paued ad lokd a t ter tw after eac ame ad ey aoded  eye. ezem? Byrly? rea Pcamp? e're o ure a Ptcap elg  e eer Pay Frema jeced e're  ee

uree' alke equckler a ma  m f e yu ca ell u Emmauel? Gy? Haddad? wk? L 8

PA ER

Kingmr continu o you not thin tht on of thm by so possibiity? No, I s tht you on't Ar ths rlly th bst mn in th prty? Th bst mn on I'm Astrob? fri thy r, Cosmos, Formn si. W'r stuc fst ere was a rendng ras rsng above te oean of nose and one of te meana kers spntered te upper part of an nteror door to te room and ame troug t ead and torax It ontorted ts ogre fae and gatered to eave tsetroug  en ame some tng amost too sw to foow Wt a bndngy sw k of a d kne Protor struk t ker were te tor emerges om te ora He ked t or demobzed t Protor oen sowed ts nredbe speed of moton w seemed beyond te uman e meana k er nged tere te upper part of m troug te broken door e tng ad a purps ngtmars ogre appearane desgned to ag

ingmr n Formn wr both shing but Proctor rmin cool  ws lon Proctor si. Thy go in ptrols of nin,hllwy n thbov othr ight his group ling in th I cnofkp trc r of still th how things Two oth ptrols hv now ntr th builing, but thy blunr roun. All librt sp now! W cn't hv mo thn two minuts l with l possib l luc. Bc to our buinss! W now th nxt stp. By rcnt cr ll E

Citins r lso Citins of Astrob Tht osn't ncssrily m thm bttr, but thr'  psychologic vntg in rching out for  mn. Its t tht 9

AS SR

Eh hs shrunn n mportncbut shnng pro ucs n uvnnss t thrusts up mountns th wh t cr¢s ow cs Thr r nw outsng mn on Eh vn though th v hs fn smy ow bout unr? Rn? Obrg? Ys I now thy soun most s sm s o th rs of Astob. Qun? Prs? Fn? W' r n  bn  of mgt mn '' Kngmr s Thr  no r ers. Its bcom  u tomtc. Lts go th who wy, thn Th Progrmm Prsons propos oncn mor mn ufctur th prfct cnt thttht  hy ps n ors hm. Im tmpt to o wth thm Wv bn thr bfor Formn protst. It nt wor thn n t wont wor now Th o rcnson humns smpy rnt ry o ccpt  mchnc mn s wor prsnt Rmmbr, tht's how hs bng. fbrct somNorhpropht yrs go toh b th prfcthy r An sohm, h wou hv bnfrom thr vwpont  An, ccor ng to rumor  tht s th orgn o f Potscmp so. No ts  humn r tht w n W must p th bnc of  humn for prsnt n  mchnc for surrogt prsnt A mchnc mn cn't stop th oom coc from sng on us. s p of th coc Thr's on othr  of srch' Kngmr cm n s f on cu  If h hnt Form wou hv h to suggst t hms n tht wou hv tn th g off t W n not mt oursvs to mn now

vg Chronomtnsts hsmn bnwho  worng for  on ys Fn   onc thng w . Lt hm  gn. It w ctch h fncy of th pop, 

AS SER

spcilly if hy guss i hmslvs nd  no old i ouigh Th's  bi of mysry chd o  mn who s bn dd   Bu h dd of Asob will no do A mn dosn  g hoy nough in v hundd ys L' s go bck o E fo  lly big mn, o on who cn  psnd s lly big ow bou Plo? Too cod oo plcid,  sid Fomn " ws h is nd gs of hm, bu cully h ws  pogmmd pson himslfno m h h dsignd h pogm   wo  jus mn cn nv b unhppy I wn  mnonc whoh cn b unhppy ov n unjus siuion v you suggsions fo dd Ehn, Poco? "Fo h sk of fomliy, ys King Yu Mung Ko Chndgup Silicho Chls h G Cosimo I Mcchivlli Edwd Cok Gusvs Vs Lincoln Inigo ons Thy'd m n insing bunch nd I'd lik o m vy on of hm  And y fo ou upos, h is  lil somhing lcking in ch "Thy r mn who r lmos good nough sid Kingmk "W ldy hv plny of mn who r lmos noughook v foldd you  lis, Fomn? "Ysgood  Fomn pp fom his p k   md  g show of unfolding i nd smooh ing i ou; h clrd h ho "Thoms Mo h d  foldd h pp gin nd pu i bck in his pock

"Th's igh,  h sid  Only on n m on my lis   hd o complly hons momn igh  h nd I cn' hink of nyon ls who v hd on 

AT E

 i os his h onc in  tim of crisis, Proctor jib  I bliv h cn hn it, Formn si Al thts rquir is  mustr s. Ly off it, you mn ril mr, Kingmr grow shy  W hv to hurry It's your lif thy r ftr this y, Fbin. Ys, hl m  nic novlty n hll b prsntbl I coul sy  on things ginst his slction I coul sy twic s mny ginst ny othr cnit w might propos Shll w? Thy  no togthr. Sn for him Kingmr smot his chir with finity Will you hn it, Formn? If I liv through th nxt v  minuts I wil hnl it. If not, thn on of you o it. Out now, you two Th illrs will not touch you t ll An if sip th this y thy ofmy notrction bothr tommgin fon  w Th violnc thr coms gos. Out with you ow hny Th wll opns to giv you wy Th shttr wll i opn. Kingmr n Proctor wr t n th mchnicl illrs wr in with  sug Formn stoo n tmbl s th wlls stg gr n th whol unrmin buiing collps Thn it ws so mury tht nithr ys nor snsors coul m it out Th scon n thir storis cm own on th rst, th bris xplo inwr th ilrs, tn ptrols of thm, wnt through its stons n bms gnshing for sh, n thy covr th plc

compltly. It ws his own builing, Formn h si, n h nw  wy out 



MY GAV,

AND iN

T

Th pilot chosn by Fbin Formn to bring Thoms Mor from E to Astrob ws nm Pul Pul ws two mtrs of wling iony,  ong strong swift mn, n sho of spch. is voic ws much sor thn woul b xpct from his pprnc n h only  slight ough g to it ht sm to b  ptul croo gin ws ptly t sc of n ol ght  ws  compssiont mn with  cl n coo fc om his hight, his rough  i n uy fc n his glittng ys h ws somtims cll Th Bcon nl,Fo Pul  co h h ofhis igu sunm oings, n his clssi ctinship s crimit wy fom him Suc  prson oss l potction n snction  s t th mcy of th Progrmm Prsons n hir Killrs, n mcy ws nvr progrmm into thm Th Progmm Killrs r nhibit from iling  humn citin of Astrob on by coniv cint But n though offnr whothy hs o hsohis ciinship wihrwn is pry to thm H hs to  v sm to suiv, n Pul h surviv for  yr or ht long h h v th rmrslss sffgit Killrs who foow thir gm rntssly wih hir uir si Pu h iv   poor mn in h

Brrio n in h tn housn ilomrs of ys in Ch. H h n running n hiing for  r 

PAST ST

n uie  bi  ne h been bet n hi. Thee is s inees in seein h n hese nemne n n    ie une hei eui senene n Pu h ie ih i ne hn n  he u eebe n he s he  hse si kies He h kie  zen  he in hei bshes n nt ne  he h ee kie hi n nse ne Rik n uinne  bth  he h  in uh ih Pu  Fbin Femn n Pu ie n ekb ne b his em s e uiieh e n ie in hemn n he ie uie  e he nse h the issin s Yu sen  e, HkFe he ske Fen "I n ieu n Wh shu u sen e n  missin Sen  uie itizen  n keep yuse  en   We nt  n pbe  ieu ns, Pu Fen si Yuve been hunte n yuve  me st Thee  be ne Thee shunt  sine this s ee n b the Inne Cie  the Mstes bu hee i " "Whts in i  e? "Nhin. Nthn t  Yuve been vn n the menest iustnes n he pnet Yu e nte n Yu ust hve see ht s n th s tobe "N, I n kn ht s n th u , Inne Ce Femn, n h t set t ht I n tht hn ae vey n; n tht thse h use

s t en thei ppsites ehte ut the he thn Yu yuse e ae et e n the  pn  the subvetes I nt tst yu  t Bt yu 4

PAST STR

are huntd by th llrs. You slpd th ystrday by a fox tc that nbody undrstands, s you ntr th lgndary of th hgh huntd Thr ust b sothng rght about a an thy hat so uch' W ar tryng to fnd a n sor of ladr ho can slo vn rvrs th braup, Paul Wv slctd a an fro th Eah Past, Thoas Mor W ll psnt h to th opl only as th Thoas, or prhaps, to b or fancful, as th Past Mastr You no of h?

Ys  no h as to t and plac nd rputaton Wll you go and gt h? ll rht ll b bac th h n to onths, Paul sad n h startd to lav th roo "Wat you rdhadd fool Foan ordrd sharply. You ar a an of ntllgnc? What sot of oaf hav  sttld ono hr?  havn't bfd you,  havn't gvn you any dtals at all yt Ho ll you?'' "Dont gv t a thought grand oran Paul sad H had a crood an grn on hs fac. Ho as Foran to no that th grn as th sc of  old ght nvr uch?and  that sad Pauls 'd do xprsson t, Forancould ll do t hang "ut hat ll you go n? Ho? "'ll stal your on crat of cours  narly stol t onc bfor d rathr hav t than Kngars fyng palac. hr sn't a fnr sall craft to b had and thr sn't a an d rathr stal fro than you nd 

hav to lav n uch suddn fashon f  to lav alv "ut  ll hav to st up contacts for you 5

AS SER

I now yor Eat ontats an I now tose of Cosmos Kngmaer In fat I ave onne severa of tem n e past n my reor of egua ongs Im a ompetent pot n bot meums tme an spae I must eave at one or tere w be some ea to t Im no goo to eter of s ea. But I w ave to get you off Asobe ave Yore st a me prey for te rogramme Kers I e of your nness oreman I get off ave n my own way But youI an must ave some on questons!  I an n A None n Lonon O E Tousan ers Ago I an oate a wenown man tere I an brng m ba f e ants to ome An I an mae m want to ome au soe out eape nto oremans grassoppe w stoo n te open eny a an amme te entaton ounterp on t Ten e too gt. Te grasspper of ouse emtte te toen sgna as t e an a oremans eyng of pesson ou not overe tat sgna y  I ever sten to n anse an see a  man e tat oreman moane to msef Ten seons on te msson an es one everytng wrong He ave every g at spaepo on m an tey  m before I an expan y  te y foo jam te ontera? tn seons au ame t spaeport n te grass opper; an n te same so seons tree groups

a gatere to ea o(as wt msuen vosy One group owever a non mpusve aton some ors before 6

PAST STER

a wa g a    e ao a a e wo wa eeg g o  m a e a   omeme ee o ae wo go a oe   o o. I ou a ge e e a e o o oe  o ou om opoe eo a e ae me omeo  ke o ge maue Luk hong  ma e he ea  e houn Hang a ew eaae an hounae n am u ea o ake a han ma ao hep The ea wee he paepo gua huge an um eng o he gna heo gahoppe on An heeang e go hee  oo o a he houn wee oo ow he agge Pau ou o he gahop pe wh he gappe, an he knew ha he wee aou he une o kng hm One o hem hagge hm a oo wpe ha ook kn an eep eh o m houe an e  An one u on one ape hm o uh hm o eah u he pm am o hee ea hee mehana gu wa o eue he oen ehe an e he au o  ng Pau wa on a eona am Tmg no gh ae hough Pau hea n wha eeme h a momen Ohe ke oo ae Nee ae amo aou hem eoe Heh wa uewa ooanhng g o a oo gh o hnk e gp ha e g a on hm, e wou nee eae  aohe ea B e ough mg wh e o ea wng o ge ea  ee aaage  Te ou wee e ogamme Ke e ame

wo a ee ag a o a ea  a  g e ow eae o a a ga  e ow eg ee e Eape ga e ou  a 7

 E

actns Te an tld te tat te e te Paul Pen as attetn an ffld escae f te and tat t as uent Te clsed n n Paul f te kll blnd t eetn else; and te sacet uads as blndl eacted t ts sudden ntusn nt te n aea f nestatn Te tanle en t cae as f blndn seed and deafenn  Hee ee t dffeent us f ecancal klles: ne aed f al defense and cunteattack te Beas; te te aed f stakn and dect assault tetHunds  HundCats But a bea as csn P�ul eat, ee uc e stn and sle an stled aanst t nd et te cuse as deed n te cun cnfusn Tce t ad t st t sas nasn etal uds nt ecancal deat and dsa Ee dece tee ad ne  e alas  sens  tesfn ff nsde  and te snals dd nt ake clat Ten as te addenn clas and janle as te td fce enteed Paul felt t n s ban and bt ss f ecancals felt t n te ellcells nd tee as a dect cand n Pauls ban: Beate dat!  e tk e e eat beat an een lsened f te eest nstant He as t fa ne t ae nn t eate tt n tld But ts td assault as a an ne e  less Te ce n Pauls ban as tat f c te ansel ete ck culd  caled uan  nt e as assated t uans  Paul als ead te ce f alte Ceead te necance  culd

s e ax ut f te ecancals and cnfuse 8

PAS STER

heir rormmin comleely l hed oher voices nd he ws ble o e noher breh ul ws no ed He resed o die His crushin iron ber hd hd o loose him omleely o smsh down hree o he mehnil houns  one And he sudden men were in i now erse ws s ll  mn s ul nd wie s hick He swun  blexe h weihed s much s n ordinry  nd he knew where wee loced he nexs nd ceners o every so o mechnil Hed ered hem o deh beore Shny ws ner s hue  mnincluded s erse nd ws ser Coerhes owers he ower o disble nd kill nd Rimock he nsel o h mos enle seies hd neveheess slicers hree ee lon Ohers were here There ws Slider bu Slider hd never been sure whch sie he ws on And ul him sel ws no he ble now He hd  lon sbber  rom  sheh  his loins; nd l lso knew  lile bi bou how hese onrivnes were  oeher On mny o hem n uhus below he bse o he hird ener le will sever communicions in he mechni cl nd leve i helless; nd i ws here h l hs He o i; his hrs severed communicions nd lie i wsnd  mn nohim  mechnicl h he bled h ime lnd killed A mn mserdin s  rormmed Killer! So here were he more o on se he even humn men on bo sides The ime is now! he voice o Rimock he nsel shilled in l's brins nd ye he silen imrock ws blin one o he iron bes nd seemed no even

wre o ls locion  mock ws  devios ellow 9

PAST R

 ee    e e e  g  w  e  e   ee   e e  e d  e je    w  dde g ell it ha ee a us a itte atle uit ie a uite eal At ast t u ha ee kille a hal a e mehaials. A the atle ill have t explai itsel as  ges alg  it is  ve t is t e ught agai a gai i its vaiatis Paulrm as lss ee  al i ligtpaill sipe aut gi ut i light e pursuit The Prgramme Killers ha Paul  their eath list as a eem  the Aste Ieal; a et he as   missi r the three ig e the Ier irle  the Masters h ere suppse t e the maistas  that ieal Paul ha ee histlig happil heevr he ha the reath r it urig the hle use attle i hih he ha kille a ma a emlishe a Prgram me Pers He as still histlig happil he he as i ight i Foema's spaerat; a e  thse i the melee exept the asel) ha a iea hat he as aut A he still histle he he as i Hp uati pae t reaks here.  ist like ther spae A pess  thigs i it aet the same pess a thigs the ee ee Ae  b  e d   o E Gg  g eed  wd e e  ve e

 H   d ee dee   e  Are   leravl e  e E  aout ee ded dd . 

PAS SER

als raft wol dsappa as  ravrsd t pa s ad a alf to Eat Bt to  plo wo ad  r it was t rst of  ivrs a dsappard To m tr was o moio o worlds or stasrall o ss of dratio or of im i passag Odd igs appd to pilots ad passgrs drg HoppEqaio travl Dri t piod of osi dsapparas al alwas bam lftadd  additio tr was alwas a absoll fdatal rvrsal i im H kw fro t prvat joks of otr pilos tat tis toal rvrsalabot appd to tm Tr was mor siggrig is ta abo also a tig ls i spa lor for HoppEqatio travl was v w Bt it appd it appd vr tim t total rvsal of polit i a prso Ma wa a rvrsal i polart! O wll is t ol wa  old vr sig sop rao al wold sa; ad  oft did so w i tis sta al wold atap o t trip bt is sat of slp wold rgistr o t rafts istmatio ad  was ot pittd to slp bod  sods at o tim H bam adpt at tis owvr Vr ita drams a b xpd sods al allatd tat  adiatit last tw osad of ts mmorabl drams dig t passag Ea was glik slfotaid pfl timd widl dir fro a otr Ea was a so lif of is ow a of t w lag sts of aratrs ad mltitdios appigs som opll gtl

so ostalgi for igs vr kow bfor bt lal rmmbrd som sr oor bod t id of a ig T aw of Cosvatio of s 2



AS S

Totality will not  abdged. Tere were four and a alf yeas of psycic awa ren ess to  cm res sed into one mont and it forced its compression into tese intense and rapid dreams. There is a great lot of psycic spa ce debris an d wen one ent ers its area on Ho ppEquati on gt one expei ences it. Every poignant ting tat ever appened every comic or orrfying or exalting episod e that ever took place is still driftng somewere in space ne runs into fragm ents (and concentations) o f billi ons of mind re; was it is never lostof itteis dreams. only spre ad oucrea t t in Tes te ansel in many Tese tures are psycically rmkable; _ey wee in te uma u n co n s cious before tey ere found on As trobe Tere were ashes in and ound Puls dreams of is ye ar of es cap es an d o f te most recent e s cape at spaceport never moments danger HisPaul terrorw came laterterried in dreaminf ad a of lot o f it comm un cated itself o n tis passage  Te several persons and mecanisms w d died in tat last episode were in several of te dreams persons wo ave ju s t ded are al so psy ci cal ly remakable  Paul ad many dreams of a boy named Adm wo died ca valie rly in battle ag ai n and ag ai n and so avoided te misfortune of ·really growing up. ying was te only ting e was really good at. And e dreamed of Adam s sis te r a cild- witc wo dec ided to go t o Hell before s e d ie d  Bu t P al  as no t s u e weter  e ad known tese two and oters previously wheter e

kn m oinn l ytein ture tese .dre am s;ow or wete e was to knoew w te tem And w it rtat Adam died so my times ow did e come to life so my 

PAST STER

times No no, Adam explained It is death, it is death I am not bon again I do not live again It is always anothe of the same name. Paul deamed of the monste Ouden and of his own death, when it should come, knowing that he was actually viewing it But it wasnt all heavy vital stuff encounteed in the Passage Deams. Some of it was light and vital stuff Also still ding in deep space is evey tal tale eve told Hey hees one It was of an Eathman of a few hunded Pauls time,Sou John o So u Johnyeas . B ut befoe now Pau l became  oSouwine, hn and he told and lived at the same time the out tale Owing to the diet he had followed fom his youth alcohol womwood geen snailsone of Sou ohns kidneys had become viti fied and in a peculia manne Not only had it tued into glass, but it had tuned into glass o f a ne jewel -like geen  This h e had see himself on the fluooscope t happened that he and some iends wee at Ghaikhan in what was then India of Old Eah, and thy looke d at the g eat i dol the e They wee told that the cente eye of the idol an emeald nealy a foot in diamete woth millioabout dollas went backwas to his shipeleve ad thought it Sou John Ghazikan is ot a sea-po Paul intepted his dea fo he had acuied Old Eah infomation b psych-t eache machie log a go Eithe get o n o get of , said S ou ohn  Paul s ot he sel f fo the moment I say it is a seapo Paul (Sou John) we nt back to

h is ship and thought abou t it He had always meant to acuie eesive habi ts  ad h e could u se el eve mil io dolls e sha eed up an old haoo called the 3

PAS SER

   e  d   e   e d  de  e  ed   dw  e     e d e    d e g d er d  te d  ed   e  w e  el de  e wld e  we   te w lmed p te dl  dg ( w e dred ee g d eer d l  e) e ped  te eerld ee  t ted e gree kde It t peretl I kew t wld" ad l e e lmed w  deet tt  ter  e wrld wld dre mke d wet k tm  p w e emerld et ld t  Kar r elee mll dll d e led g r  wle Bt wg   l g  kdey l wa w le t drk wter  ll ree yea lter l Sr J) w k  Gzk e w tl t te eter eye  e dl d eed reppred By  mle dlr ged peple It d eme ert  ere extre   deeper rlle d gad ew arm me rm t d w t w w ee ll dllr I ge I l w ll dllar  e del l d  e wke  Nety ed; w l t e? Te lm p te dl d tke w r t let Sed  w    w  l w e peet rked g? He w e   m w w ed   ge dre   ed de we d   lle de! e ee e e! l w g  t d wd e e

were  le w  R d  e ed rd e ter H wee    e ee   eee  �e e e 2

PAS SE

ger f te ere. Smed  tmeg wt tem" l· ted t  mle ed d ed t te re He w metg t d d eer ee efre fr d d eer ee  le t tem e tw mll tr tt reled rd e ter were jed tgeter   lg teel . t w tt  eld tem  ter tgt rd rt;   w tt w mde tem te ger f te ere. l qkl lted te trle ere   mll gree retre wt te d f  mke d te e f  kw e d grgle t er t ttg  t. te Pr ttt  et t lte!"d l red d e eleed e d mde t e te er rke  lde. t e qkl reled t wt ter tk  gree tge t t l tk tree mre trke t te kw d te  rke. Te Rm d trm wg t f ter tgt rt d te le ere w t f trl wt t ger rke Fll ll t wet   d te lked t t tg. Te ere d ete telf d  ge freer.  tld  t rr!'' te e t tld l url  e me relg  Te te e t fe melted lke  ww d fe e w gelke  dd d Te melted rr" d el w ge l.  t qte ed?" me te e f ld wkfe F Frem. f t  qte ed te er we  eg t trut  ew ere. t ll rgt t wrked t ell  met  t e t

lte" Net ed lg. wet td f tem, e e  dfferet. Oddl t  l te mldjted  e le t 25

PAS SR

tnd the ge The elldjuted lot crck u on uch  oo tr Tht  hy l HoEquton lot re o  ecul breed Pu kne tht ome o the monter he encountered n the ge drem ere rel They ere the erd creture ho le n HoEquton ce. Some o hem ere encountered by Pul only but other ere exerenced by lot er lot n the me eode n the me t o ce t  dem Nely e ye o ychc exerence mut be croded nto one month The ych m o exerence  not ore hoened From olden Atrobe to Blue Erth Erth  ly bluh to one comng rom Aobe Atobe ly eem gold to one comng rom Eh   tht the hte o ther to un re not the me hte Whte  not n bolute t  the comote o the coor here you le Pu mde Ehll tkng t rom the mong de,  beut exerence tht neer get old. He cme don n London nd tbled h crt He took th hm  mll but eghty nment nd ent to te London oce o Como Kngmker Tht rch et mn on Atrobe hd t nteret on Eh o nd Pu kne h y round on both ord Brook  n chge o Kngmker London oce nd Brook  mmetely lutered by  t rom  mn o Atrobe Mot Ethmen re utered nd neor tord men o Atrobe eeng them

ele hnd e hd conequence o he e ml but nd taoelte gone omWhen Ehmot to Aobe our or e undred ye beore t hd mde  26

AS S

dffeece a was eve eaed. Ea eay was  feo ad of ess coseqece ow Pa eseed Boos i cedeas ad diecives fo Kiae, ad Books acceed e. Pa ad foed e d e assae, o e cod ave oe ea oes fo Kiae isef  o e Pa ied o d is o s  Yo do o ive e c ifoai, ad I d o as c Boos said. " ave ead of yo vaey.  ow a yo ave ee i oe o o wods e, I esec e ccaee i a a i as aos oe o of s My ase Kiae as eoyed sc e efoe, ad i s o fo e o qesio i ee s e ac ace  cod caiae a aace fo ay eod yo ws  o see o ave o yo ow aace. "O, ees o ea sececy, Boos ve coe fo a a, ad  oay eave wi  aai ooow.  is ecessay a yo ow e exac caao o  wod e o ea a f yo esed  ees coi of e ed a y ef ee eqies e o sy o yo I wis yo ad eqisoed so c of . I w sa I oes c e a yo wod iaie. Tee ie is soei e ffy o oe. Ad Pa was e e od od cos aod o a ie ae ee "ee,  ca se ess a oe i o of ese, e sad. "I iv e es of e ac o yo Boos  ey

ae ied a vey fe yeas oo ae fo y se ey  eaass e Te e wee  oi wod e ssco f ooow Cos.  ow e 7

PAS SER

ltiplier d te oer d reet le Te re iig  ill be bot rigt Will yo oe ot i Cele eeger Pl?"  Cele yo ? Yo ge edly, or  Eh No,  ill go i ere d oe ot ere Chele t tt tie  ot  p o Lodo t  oe le i te oty' Te dite  te e te  o  y d y  i Lodo o bie or  y d i t i hoe i Chele' tepped throgh te ted telie loop, dPl to Broo it   tog te  hd dipred ito the rlig ir To Pl it  goig throg  holy gry oio tht i deeper t dre d he  i,  re ll o ollo te tie rel Pl me ot ledeep i d e  o the edge o  ig prlig oode to He et ito  hle pbli hoe, ordered d te oodo, oe ery high bee, brley red, d  oio te ize o  hild hed d he ted to the propietor Cold yo tell e eter To More i i the ity, or hoe i Chele?" e ed the , beig rel to gie te old proitio o ord  ell  he old Liely t hoe," te  id He' ot o or ith te Kig o, yo o Yo e  oliitor? Ye  oliit," Pl id Yoe  odd od to yor tl,' te  told i Yo re ro te Not?" No, ro te Sot, Pl told i Tt  te

trbe, ro Eh iepoit,  i te Sote Celetil &ipere t dgero to tl to tger tee dy, te 8

T R

  b       i    igs  g    h   h g   l  w hig h  bwig B   i h  hgh big h h  b lng i h   h iig h  his  h  c h  v h cn bfo i  l  bli h   n o h om css h chnl Y   cs h chnnl Pul sid d ll  him  h cn i hll g wih m Th o mnion  cvsion ind  will o. Kings mn  rywh Wl in Chis. Pul wn  gin .  ws  cold dy   nw h wy nd h followd h rod o Chls in Middlsx   ws plsd o discov h h English hd no y bcom "h mos unhndsom of opl Th wsn' much oubl wih h lgug bc n his piod fw lil ics  mmb no mo An hou o wo of csp wlig on h od nd Pul w o Chls .  sd b nc nd h h spod his mn wling in his oz gn nd wppd up li  shp ow owo him o su? Wll h lo lil liid hPl Ths  li pori which Pul hd sudid b only  lil. All pois b olbi lo mo li lbi  li hi b Bu hms  ws   wh uld lw b cgniz.   Pul si Pl s h wl u  him nd

 h s  hdl nw    Y lwh vl  Pl '' h  id wih  lis      9

A ER

hae of ourse but perhaps to hghe purposes But I salute you as a man omng though both meums hh I o not unestan" Paul ha gone bak a thousan years an he an Thomas oul unestan eah othe. But Thomas oulnt hae unerstoo hs on geatganfathe It goes by umps an t ha hange muh moe n the hune years ust past than n the thousan yeas to follo It s true that Thomas sa nowt or not that he ponoune of as though t were spelleof an not v; that the plura s as though t ee an s an . not ahez soune I ont unerstan t ether" Paul sa But ho oul you no that I hae ome though both meums? Youe the aspet of one of them" Thomas sa Ie been ste though tme before. Im not a geat man butareIm oneom who Pau?" has aouse uosty n Hstoy Whee you Fom Asobe of whh yo hae neer hear" ay no bets on that Pau Ie a number o past an future thngs n my hea One I beee that trae through tme as unnatua But we al ael though tme eey moment of our es It s only that you hae traee at a fferent ate an n a fferent reton Ae al on your orl as tal as you?" homas ha a touh of the thngs that wou later be ae the Irsh bogue an the Soth bu but they wee n th Englsh of ths tme No Te aerage s about a haf a foot shoer than

mysefabout ft taer than yoursef s To us youa haf are aasho an hunky man Pau you hae aowe yoursef to apr o: I assume t s your 

AS S

nara apparan nodd B I' or and or pld ha yo shold ss  so acray I ddn'  h na of bn h bs lawyr n Erop who bn abl o appras a  an  hoas sad nd yo ar no nq I old yo ha I had bn vsd hroh  bfor By  crosy of Hsory  a o hav a can fa h rancs of  wldr  as hy hav bn pland o  by anohr ravlr I do now a all nrsand wha s o happn o  whn h n yar Ohr n hav bn lk vsd fr I Isr; b hyr no or ly ofro pblsh h h fac han a Incrdl sa fan ha bs dp. I ndrsand ha I a o a and onl a fw wks fro now, a dson s o foolhardy on h srfa of  as hardly o b blvd Vsors hav co and askd  why I dd  and I can' l h a a. o s I havn' don  y h pon fo whh I a o los y had ss o  o  a rval on no woh h loss of a had anly no woh  oss of n Why av yo vsd  fro sck, al? Fro sro W ar n rob on sob hy ar lookn for a andd o lad h o o a  ss anl hy hav or sor of anhr no y wan o rd y anos hosvry n  y onsdrd h Na Mn lvn and dad o  wo worlds o wr h on opy ons an y od sovrr  only an w on oply hons on Oh,  wsw b a sowy a of onsy

for whh I wl os y ad a B I an on v of ys don  I avn bn pay honsp o hs pon o  y f  Opon rahr  

AS S

f were honest o r f am to be so n the lmax moment f m lfe how wll that help o on Astrobe n the tre? Ie ome to take o bak to Astrobe wth me. Yo want to take me forwad n tme wth o Pal? hats mpossble of orse We mst le ot or les n or own tmes and plaes aordng to the fate lad ot for s We annot tamper wth the orse of Hstor. A lttle of the shne aked off o then homas Its onl that a platng s t, andofnot the deep thng? homas was a sll strng ommonplae for an nommon man to tter And as a hrstan man o an hardl aept fate. Yo wold make a fne lawer orself Pal o I neer pad obesane to Fate. nd I hae st enogh natral tlene n me  do t Bt I hate to leae m . fml  Thmas Thomas are o lakng n rost? In magnaton? In dang? The hae alled o a forernne a man open to ne deas And possbl o l not e leang or faml. Hsto reords that o ded on a ean date n an extreme manner and n ths realm" Wll there e two of me then Pal? Bt of orse there are two of me, and more. Ee man s a ml ttde; bt I pla th ords. Wh do o reall need me?    hae told t It s bease or world s sk. And o are lookng for a gad re? Yo are

lookng a Dotor fromPal t e Past? faled toforre a sk snathed world here, and II hae hae 3

AS SER

we  sss wg   e  w  ee  sessl r  s w e    e r  w e Hg er r  e e s rw e   te se se w dee s gs e ee   re e  we ed  s'h  e sted e sje l  e wrte a a  s s  wrld s  l e Y see  sed l  ae s th  e te wrd  the e Ut  wrte  tter ad r th wrld skestsees  all ssle wrlds, that auh t whh w t e t But here s a dd h a I  d  te traveers that  ar hur ee hs awas ee suderstd t ae t e eleed that I wrte  a dea wrd It e ae t  eeved that  wre wh a straht ae M d es t the er dea, t I td that t  s Pau, there s seth ver sak aut a ture that wl take a t tre r a vd drea Wl u e k wth e? Nt t a Astre , al I at hel u r rs,  redheaded re I lke   ee's seth leasa  rea t ql Bt  a t  wh l u a wl d r we t exl.   e ske qests  e e Me w e t qest e s  w  lte  serl tres  Y lve t  thsa es r w t  gess  te e  e rs As e  res ad

A sre  r e s  w se Bt  s ers e r  re e Ase wl sll   wl 

A 

hpe. t ll he  fferent ole then hoeer. Atroe ll he lon nce ure the cr tht oe you no.' A cr  ure ony y the  n of one crtcl mn''  kno t" Thom y u re tht mn No  m not  t  nother  en to recll t no  hn't p too much ttenton to he ccount of the Other Worl hen   tol of uch t ll eeme pretty fncful H nme h nme  h  coul rememer h nme So o   Thom You ou uely econze your on f you ere preente uner t." The mn ho rouht A tre out of t rt tme of oule n n o lefthne  mnner h nme t ll come to me Pul tht mn  qute n the heroc mol n putmto not Tht mn rredentada! er he hteen hefully e cnnot e! The nme of tht mn Pul  h nme n't knon. Aly he  ented only  the t Mter. t'  tln thouht. Yo lee hm to e me?' Ye. 'm ure no Thom. Yoe to l me omethn tht nt knon to them there yet. They're tll erchn for  nme to preent you uner Pt Mter  one of hoe they re conern t they ont ecde tll they ee you. Pt Mter' t ll e then e Mter out of the pt  yourelf Thom." Pl yo lo he een prue for your lfe  

he en ltely  kothere the look  hnte mn een  dent one. Surely reofnot Kn' en on Atroe o hnt on n kll.'

 

No they are different Thomas. They ae rogrammed echanica Kiers No they ae the same Pau Kings en evey here ae rogrammed echanica iers But  see that  i have to discover for mysef the name of he reaing of stroe. Yes  go Stay the night ' go ith you in the moring Thomas hat happened hat is happening to your on ord? Pau ased as they taed together that night You uit it to according to an idea of years high perfection ut it staed come ap a hundred efore this time Your ord is at an nd and another one in some ays much orse is eginning What goes rong ith your ord Thomas?' We uit it too sma Pau e it it too sma nd hat is reay rong ith stroe? Can you not give me the name of it? t heps to no the name of your opponent. t's name is the onster uden the open mo of uden of hom you hve not head 'm an educated man a in my on opinion at east m one of the andfu of men ho rought Gree ac Erope. od remember tat mchtoofWeste me. nd udenHistoy meansshnotingness Thats the name of him Tomas and he has his groing egions. They ed oa and pitchpine and ye in te ope re and dran a itte of the native n that cent Engand sti had a ine of its on.

hey ee up ey in the moing Thomas More aout to stat on a sange jorney ent to  sen  35

PAS SR "I e    w  e  M   we I t t r tt I w e r t  e

e e A tt e  g t w e   et  wet wt T   lewie er te rt  t  e     tu e bere e ce te Te wet t  erwr Te wet trug te tel lp  e ut i Kiger  e were  w eeping   . He wkee  regie I' guee it w e T u cettnce te ul e i. I rther yu tk te crwn ewel r te Sel r e Caer. I i be e  lnger wit u, ten we e nt te me m Let g ee Pul" Tm i. "  mn we imel tt muc cuity Tey wet t te l cur  St Peter i Ci Yu e bure ere" Pul  The curc i  rectctin but te gre uneet are till tere  l pet cme t tem tere • D te bne  T Mre r cei lie bew?" Tm ke te l pret.  ey . Ti ery er we ee eerl  te gre Te e  T Mre re tere   e ger be i te u get rig  w u wer  repli  ur w ger u re  ti ri N I  t" T  I e 

elw teret  w ti  u,    gre t  eter i it, Al excet m e I t tt t re t Cterr r 6

PAST STER

bled t dd te t? 'd le t ee t bt  pet tt t' t lg  je" e ere gg   je   pre d  l bt eet mle  t g  je A te trlled bt Ld Pl relzed tt t m m ld eer be  rm eter  Ert r  Atrbe m  lred t te e prt  te lgget te pt  brle qg t. He  t me t m t me  t ltter rd He dd eertg dretl d   rgt. He gt t  t gt t  bl g m   drg ple. m  te gt t bt Pl  t t de m bt t emember m  ere ted ter  ere ded" Pl tld m St d t dlge  brrm br" Sme d Pl me dt" m mted pg bld   pelr e Wteer p peed t tt e ldt mtter m; t 't  prett e bt t d  lt  rter. Seerl e  m qte ere lter ted  Ie be tld Oe  tem   tdr m  ddtbrl. Oedlge  tem p r t.e Btee te trd tem dd tt  brl. m" Ad t remded m  metg ele. Oe tg I rgt t  Pl H  te g  Abe? Y re let  Pl. I  tll tdr  rm t detre   Aer me m"

 m trg t t mel m. Y ll t belee t tl  ee t t  e  te gret tg tt e remed gret." 37

AST ST 

You mean it Paul? You an go out any teoon and tae a string o them"  sng o them? homas you tal lie a boy o an yo string ish that are as long as a man? On strobe i you go out in a boat or any purpose other than anging the sh ill rise to the surae about you and hol or the hoo"  am glad Paul tat the neday seen have not suered any shoenng o the tongue hat is hat really ored me" hey ent to SyPort entered their rat or strobe homas ith an and aul o mystery ovels revels bnanas and siene iton boos all ne things to h m homas had also disovered tobao and he sore that te stogie as the most onderul thng n the orld sine the Evangels e announed that he ould smoe and read or the hole trp to sro So they ensed nd so t ent ell till teir rst peiod o osmi dsappeane e as yng to bello the man homas no the reatue omas and is vo as no longer one to bello th e ndamental evesal had taen plae in hm as they made te oppEuation p and homas seeted th a ury that e ould not express. Des t happen to all avelers Paul? the omas nally ased n staton  o all o tavel by oppEuaton ouey. he egula  taes ive yes

Whats tmethat to  asould revenant? dead thousand yes lve tove suh been same he a she t sd 8

 

The Passage reams agan to Pau an now to the Thomas aso Thousans o them no more than a mnute an a ha each ncompaaby  In passage ream Thomas met an oceanc man name Rmock an  not n t o e encountere a emae crea ture who was at the same tme Succubus Ee Lth Juth Mary a Vakyre e reame three quck  reams o three men he ha neer met One man or hs moment was a sper wth a on's hea One man was a most pecu ox. An one man was a hawk who sat an shue shes at a tabe an one she was erent These reams sank own nto the cea o the Thomas mn but they wou come up to hm agan when he met those persons

39



AT  AKD SO

y ts s beyond wonde Pu" Toms sd wen tey d toppled nto noml spce nd begn to t n to Asto. ts  golden wold Wen  was  boy  ws old tt te seets of Ps wee gold; o f not tey ten tosetem of Rome o tey Constntnople Cordova.  vsted ll and ween't Theor Spans bassador told me tat t ws so n Mexco Cty   ddn get to go ere ut  d long snce come to my doubtng years But te wole world ee s gold t s te clor o our gansun " Pau s ad t s our wte and so t wll seem to you" They cme onto rmAsobe dsmonted and gave te crft to the keepes ey staed towds te eas ooms Not tat wy  Red ts  tp ts a trap! " n asel voce epted n Pul's ed •o or let o yo leftNot qckly fends sd y te edgng tees" tatnd waynd  Toms" Pul and tey veeed off ter couse. We wlk n ts decton Cael now. t ws te voce of Rmck te nsel n my ead wng us You wouldnt know ut nsels."  Wy cenly  know Paul.  e spoke  n m y own ed seveal tmes dung te lte ous f te passge 

 lookyou fowd meetng m But  ed no wg Ae sue oftots? o  ut we ll not go to te esy ms tll we  

AS STR

sure Well nd wts going on over y te edging trees. Come quickly ut creull.  Pul I don t like it   Toms s id nging ck  little Dont nd me round like  o I knw more o snres nd trps tn you do. Te King s Men do sometimes empl9 te let-nded trp nd I smell te iron o it no Too lte Pul Toms Awy st cme te ocenic voice o Rimock teirnoter. eds It ws not msel wo spoke to you in It ws Awy Too lte Pl nd Toms ere copped down like eeds It s gonizingly pinul drkness lind nuset ng conusion  deouring det tt encompssed Pul in mind nd od It stnk it rred it lsted it disgusted nd rigted A groing umor s ising in te ne distnce ut too  too lte surely to sve tem Pul remrked wit is riven mind n  suddenly sttered nd drkened vision nd wit dirt in is mout on ow eutiul ws te terglo o te dy especilly one  s just di ed Te te reelingwen te sndrome o te split edoule d lendsviitsion selo to detcment Pul erd wit ers tt seemed to elong to some one else  new ooming ror very ner He ws mused tt Toms More ded  tousnd ers s so ngrily resing to die Tere ws noter ellow 

long crooked sorreltop wo ws mking  gret uss out it lso Pul pulled te two lves o is mind ck togeter nd relized tt te oter ellow ws 4

AS SR

hmsef nd tht eeshng nd kndng ng hd oed k nto hm t hd een  ne o one tht shod ve shed hs sk, tht the tohed off the eton n hm, nny ooness nked th hte hot nge f tht ddnt get me, I e  devsh hd mn to k he spt thogh the dt n hs moth nd hd edy foght hs y to hs feet He hd hope no  He eognzed the gong mo n the eve nee ds tne s the shotng of the poo nges om Cthed nd he kne those msees ee on hs The nges htedtht eveyody  t they hted thesde stted gted ssssns most of  And Thoms hd not styed don hen stk don He d een p gn nd gvng tte Thee hd een ods n hs oomng o, t they e to P's ndestndng ony no: Font Kng them Font · them Toms They'e s Men  Tey k fom ehndshoted They go fo te doss, the spn the n e One ho fs them s edy ded Font them Font them t s not no the ogn ssssns ony t s  hng mo nd men  d thngs ee kng nd eng ked P s sk nothe o tht dove one spntes nto hs n t ovon neve qte osed don on hm Ovon s ke  mge tht eeded so tht he od not ome p to t nd the onson hd mped ghty Dstnt sonds hd  kng qty tht set the ont o s  so of dem od Te hoot of dstnt sg ots ng hd

 tebe pofndty ove nd te sees ngent Ate ne of the sssnsomng s oken gnt nge  d nd  boy nmed Adm s ked 4

AS SER

But hdnt the bo dm been klled beoe? No dm hdnt neel been klled tht oth tme Not th me ethe The bo hd been klle  n one o thoe dem o pge nd thoe dem (beng out o tme) ould be o ethe pt o utue thng. When t me o ul tht he w beng ved t me to hm wth  hldh delght  though t w h ght He hed Thom n d Rmok the nel tlkng  but not n wod t wee bette to hde n  den lke  wounded be nd tud the event nd the ound on" thetobe nel told Thom nel t wwee  ntv o nd hd nevend eenthe  be bet to get to n low hdden ple wth emkble uddenne nd wt o the woe d tht  ue to oe," Thom told the etue, nd Thom hd  boken w nd wouldn't be ble to pek tll  w wed up We e onl poo meble lunge om Cthed!" ed the poweul beng voe o Bt tee to wht ounded lke  owd gtheg t  onl  lttle ue mong ouelve nd we  w ou own ded. Deent people need not e on eed qukl, nd eget hvg ntdedwt onto t.n e opengoe. Pul w beng ed omewhee  t w ee tht w. Oblvon keed ound the edge oul nd then loed n ompletel o hm  ew hou o the gnnng o eove nd Pul

woke to  get odo  wthng o mn ong odo o men nd e d thg t mell lke te Bo Pul told hml nd

AS SER

meng eemed to  the ony one o h ene that wa unctonng we Woe t me ke Cathead St woe t me ke the tp whee tey mege t me ke one o the ten thouand ow bodeo nn n the teemng egon t me ke the wot o them a te Naked Saor  au ound that he coud ee though cookedy out o an unmended head He had been yng on hay and he had the mpeon that goat had been ept n n that oom He ound that he coud wak though not aght a a oom atona woud Heangua taggeed o themanne doo e  Heman waked n an andout ndect though the vcea o a ambng and noome bud ng pat a ktchen whee a madeyed g gave hm a ength o ton h twned n kep and he contnued on h way eatng t He uched aong t he ound a common oom and then anothe on a owe eve He head oce o homa comngthethough wed awoe He aw that t wa t a beak backbye we have hee homa ad We cean t up o we  pu t down and bu   What we need  a tub n the mdde o the oom and dp the whoe cutch o you homa wa hodng a ot o cou thee He wa a vey tte nt wth a cea voce and a peaant un handome ace He wa attended by a dozen weay agged men who at about on the oo and egaded hm wth ed-mmed eye  hee n he ae we homa au aked n a voce that hut hm to ue He had oatng bone n h

head omewhee outh o the even ecton au homa ad ceey Accodng to the oem the outh

P ER

on ofll s fo Css   s   te wos lls tn ts t's nmd t Naked Salo'

Te Naked Salo ! Toms t aen t te wose lls tn ts" Pul stted. Aye mn te " sd one of te men wt edmmed eyes Its  omendu Pul" sd Thoms s f he wee letng  ongegton of bons  It gves me  vntge pont to study wht s wong wt you As obe I mke my ppene fom Ibeyond the gve befoe The Nak aor s tself  gve hv ven e ot thee tmes ths dy nd hv hd thee men klled defendng you Yo vent ot gn mn nd we kll you ou elves to sve us he toble sd othe of th shot-eyed mn stng on the oo Oselves we hve only  lfe eh  Yoe not woh nothe one old pottofe Thees somehng deoed bot hs whole bs nss Thoms sd These gnt settlemens hee e pees ght out of Hell Do yo know Pul tht tee e nbed dd lyng n some of the lleys? s mst be the undesde of ths wold ths wold's sk delm Well Im ndng wht s wong  Ill see t top soon enoug nd nd ow gt eveytng s te' B on yo gud when yo  do mn  sd note of t wey-eyed fllows It s n tse ples ee tht te svo of te only tngs tht  stll gt on

Asobe lngs" Te Klls wee mllng ound oude nd te  ws ll of sullen ltty T ws fe nd ge 45

 

like soot in te ai. Bot-flies wee splutteing and oa ing about te slippey blood in te oadway outside and in te common oom itself ee ad been anage and te atmospee spoke of moe to come ust  wat s my status?" omas asked Wy s ou ld tey ty so pesistentl y to kill you and me  Pa ul ? Wat ae tese cuious killes? ee te uadians of te Astobe Deam" Paul sa wit sad iony ey beliee you  see ou  side of t e ting  ' ' one of te agged men said Wee not so sue tat you ill" Ae tese killes uman beings?" omas asked  ey ae n ot '  said te wea iest o f te men sitting tee ey ae deils dessed in tin cans' as te ansel wo talked to you witout wods a  um an be in g  o mas ? " Paul as k ed . Wo ul d you ca ll imo ck a t uma yo uPaul ae H n ' et see n im "   don need n? t o seeBut i m is co mposyet ed . of b od y an d s pi  t H e  as in te ll ect  Tat m ak es im um an   ' But te killes look muc moe uman   e do es  ey ae a calculated s ewdness t at pas ses fo intell�ct and tey ae a uman fom " ee was a clatte a cas a moan tat was only  a l f u ma n  an d a blea tin g sceam tat w as dy in g animal A poo man scampeed in wit tee goats a cay man wit u n focu se d ey es  H e sat dow n o n te foo sobbi ng and coug ing toge te  an d is goat s gateed aound im

seetain uman Tomas?" Paul easked C ly  toug  e  s dement d  He is a judgment

A  

po eveone on th s plan et e t thee ma-hoses o sch as he?  cvlze stoe they say that all Cathea an the Bao s a mahose Thee ae two mllo men as ma as he one  twelve  He s t a He slaves an he caot speak coheently t he gets aot He has eve avoe the klles tll now Bt  ot that he'll e ale to avo them mch longe the way they ae avenng aot toay e may noe o s avo them Yo ont lke what yove see oCathea what yo ow see a Palancent aske. vestges o No hahea o a easmell?" that sch povey a msey col stll svve o the avace wol o soe hy wee't sch thngs swept away log ago The ma goatman was coonng a lttle sog The klles wee thongng an gashg  the oas lke the o ogs they we t snt an ancet vestge" Pal sa Ths s all new  Twenty yeas ago stoe was completely eat l an cvlze he these places appeae lke a ght as the geat oes say.  o not call them that" Pa  walke o many sqaes thogh tese eghohoos  myeyesockets thee sotesmatte ot Thee ln chle wth the wth ae nsects hee ae people stavng to eath allng a eg ale to ase Thee ae me vng themselves at lao n small et shops. Thee was neve whp slavey so hash  Thee ae me a women wokng n atmosphees so ol that they t them pple n a ew

momets an they come ot spotng looa go ack n to te lao oe they have este. Thee e 47

AS S

uma peope eatg te t  te gutter ad drk g t gutter  Te are ke t  ter mo . I aw a age budg a dow Tere are wome oer g cdre or ae Tere are odcote me wo trp te corpe  ad eave tem aked   te reet I tere o compao  te cved ecto o  trobe? Ca te do otg to aevate te er ere? But Toma  everbod  Catead ad te Barro  ere b coce Te e cved trobe o ter reecved w to ettobe up teetoda gat ambe retu to wt teTe ourcaad be cared or ad edowed wt prope ad etted  ee. d te woud be ree o te mecaca mur derer ao God over m ead Wy don ey do  en?  omebod go wt m au outed or te demeted out ad tore te roadwa oce more goat-a ut we ad a dted o ker evera o te wea me ad re to t ad te ae back Too ate He ad goe out   dtracto ad  a goat ad oowed m out erap e wa more added ta uua erap e wa ot ued to uc cocetrato o ker a were meg aroud te preece o Toma Te wpped cra ma kew ow to dodge troug oe or two ker cootg ke a ow wppet Tere were too ma to dodge Te trdg ker truck m dow dead ut out de te door. aerb wtdrew to ter ow aet

ad ttecaed goat beated  oeomee Te a te te ker aog ookg or ew etrac e quck ugr peope caugt te tte ama ougt 8

P ER

oe e oe e p nd beg o e k o e w nd edng nog To oned  ws nee n d oe o we nd neness  beee ly n oy poey.   sy t poey s ke dnk  tte o  s sng nd ete oo mu o  s deped nd orng  mus be bo my work on ts wo ld nd  st ge o e ener o tngs eoe  n soe te mysey o degdon ee ow n  get n ou w e men wo se o e?  e seen enoug o teA undersde o s word s d" on wo ommunton enteror s pprong eet or on our" Pul sd e n put nbod no ont w nbod Ae  eel m e' tlked to me nd  d but  sor glmpse o m t our mbusng. t s Rmrok te oen mn e  lest wll tlk sense" And Rmrok te oen mn me n on no les t ll en on our legs en on wo And e sook nds w Toms w gre rendsp An nsel s n pperne  lte lke  sel o old er  t n sle wt gret speed long te ln d jst s toug t were swmmng n wter t n wlk pssbl s  man o s n nm And  s uros mentl powes. M end om te green oen Toms boomed You o e bbery blk de nd e ed es o bond or you wk nd you tk nsde en s nds nd mke ppenes  Red m e e menng o  s dmnbe word Rmrk

Te sen o you nd you oe.  nd oes tougt yo sod see  e o e snty o ed nd e o beoe yo plnged no e dness 4

S SE

f clzed Asbe Bu e gre me re wg r u mpel  d d  g d lf  d w Te re frezed  smee s se er prze d m smew u  gs em Ad  d  sele w er lse sel w spe  e Pul's md d red  lure u  ur de s fres bld  me.  pe u d md mrc e sel ws muc rger   e sel d e slcg mu  m ws  meer g  cmes dw  s pce ll e wer me w e red-rmmed ees sued srmed frm er sg  e Wed ge We g" eup ll rused f sme  e err rms  e buld g sme s  blg wedge w lg sves d pers rug e llers  e rdw W ls e ellws" ms demded. W cmes dw  s plce" e ble Rmc sdere We w e  s. He sblcess" curus bu ur beg u ve me m bere  bs d sces  ur w wrld  m sure  u ecuered rgmes f m  e pssge ere. Nw  s msel" Te grlwm E cme  Se ws le  wr f  sudde beu d mser d  dep  depr   e bre w. e s glmpse f er se Tms  sg Se ws smeg  mplee f ure  wed  see m d l  m" e Ev sd Bu e ld mser cmes sed  wll l  e ms  er plce d ur.''

Se�sed ule g Pul d e Tms dOude Rm r sel were le  Te mser ce d s   e mddle f em d ecrcled em 

A 

The h accut that f i ecearily mytc We cat e ure that Pau ad Thma hed the ame cgre ith ude We cat hear at a the ex chage etee ude ad Rimrc k u t e ca ee t We cat  ure hether t a Pau r Thma frmig the rd i the maude cverati. t a a cfrtati ad a reece But he PauThma ht ke h ude a. They hiveed tgether i hi reece, ad their e gre h ieecaue gh e   aid PauThma   Are yu Yu hereare y eethe yu here Which a rt, yu, r the eief  yu I a aay ad the eef  me cme ad ge ude aid Ak the ael a  t f the cea frm the egiig What have yu de t Rimck" the Pau Thma aked e dimihe." Ye, he tu ack it a amal i my reece   ad ude S l yu ad all yur kid. Yu ll u er ack ad her  il ahlate yu" I dey yu cmetey," ad the PauThma. Yu are thi at al Ye f  ammiudertadg at But a h ecuter me mke mtake my tige t e  a vrtex. There i  quiet r tatc apect t t Cder me tgcay D  t evelp al te uese Cider them a ued ide ut N eveyig i  he iide f my thige May cder the Nthg a mere egatve ad tey cder it  t t heir

death ad lterati. We laug yu ff te cee" d PaulTms Yu e" 5

PAS lR

No. I  wnnng esl on Asobe un s  ve  own eues gong fo e ou own n n ts ge weaens; t s self pug out te e Eve ull tng you o eve l ou te ou oe lose to e Eve le ou tell I wn But  s n te te les ou tell tt I wn ost towengly" Ol notngness wo sks out te es I ve known les to e lgte agn," sa te Pul oas y I I  I e  It wll notsstane knle,'' sa tewas Oen evou you ee ony one knlng was oveele only one  Bt I gan on t I ave pt t out alost eveywee It wll e pt ot oeve ee" I plote once to a wol o eoe lttle anals o a cetan stenc  " sa te Pa-hoas  ey an n an ace ot o lngs tat Ia een soe lt o yte a cogent eoepes to wo ogt eoe ttle anas sa tat tey wee te llen enant o tat ogent ae ey wee aonale lttle eatues wose only neest was to ele, an te epes s tt tey a allen o soetng vey lke "  I kow te olk yo en " sa teuen ey e  paula tup o ne' Leave e now" te Pul-Tos oee sply o e  notngness  gost. ne  oe  gost to leve" Neve wl l I leve. Not eve  n ou le wll you st

own tt notone st own u An w ll ppen ttI o only o us swt leo to get up nll n ttt wll be yself  su ou  52

PAS SER

 I hve one juce eft tht you do not know  d the PuTom. You hve t e thn you eve" The Ouden monter hd dppeed from them. Pu nd Thom More nd Rmock the ne doed I hd en  mere pe drem one tht w omehow e over. Look t them eep!" nt Bttere cred n de on. On your feet the three of you. We mount btte y to convoy you bck nd Rmrock mut ther h wt to e up the communcton"  Whether your work on trobe  ood or bd you hve to e on wth t ad Shnty   One doen t ve  word by npn wy the noontme Come we tke ker the Importnt who you wtthrouh for youthehen et nd youtohrve! Let youMen tu nto thn ke them! t w rey  btte rry tht Bttere nd Shnty nd Coprhed nd other ed There w weponr nd vehce ndndtheThom ker bked wy rode fromout them ftrted Pu nd the ne of ve Cthed nd the Brro wy from the Nke Sir nd ten thound pce ke t krted nt Wu Town nd cme nto coo Comopo the Cpt of obe Mery forot here w opuence nd ee beuty

nd dnty of budn nd peron the re oden word the de chevement It w the mot ut nd mot hhy cved word ever but te mot 5

AS S

ecel theost free from y so of wt It dz zl e d .

d i the he of Cosmoolis the three ig me, og with the ourth memer of the ig three, l ow i commuictio with the sel d kowig of their omig wited their rize from the st tht hd esced them for the two dys sice the ldig.





ON PPY ROBE

h rih  iviiz tr  m  mprhig hm h  quik    rp mi, ut h  zz  th r  r thrugh Hr r th hm  uiig  m mii  ut pp gr itui  i uxu  it Nrtr  itgr  th ig  th prt   prk  It  th pp  h r gt  rg  iri ur u  tr mumt r th rig pt   uprir mi,   httrig upririt h r  th t Kig  tr Evr m   kig , vr m  t t qu It i Rm i gi  hur tim vr, hm i It i th pr  th mjt F g r  thi i ht  k hv t rm th giig H r  rm m t h i th trur t th   Ir, th P  Grt Pri h i th t  thpipr, might th Ci it Bri th L th Hi  h Iih Grt h H p. E, g Thm. It i  hit puhr But  th t kp i t  hi Evit mk Wh  th Evit,  ht i h hr hm k  muh

 ikig r ith  hrim  u hm im  Wh  u gi ,  ht r u ig 55

PA R

n my y? w ae yu a wn sn   n s wd and yu ny a bby cd?  u  dd n anwe Tma wud nee knw f sue w se was n wuld es ee d we ? Tas asked Ts s my dce and  sud be caln e unes  I wl n be ed by e and lke a by  w make my wn a ranemens Yu ae been dn s  sad alte Cppeead te necmancer e d but pclam t fr yu e cary eeryrdered deal a yu ae rdered BututI hae nn mas sd  uns t fas fr me In yu wn mnd yu rde  said Rmrc te ansel Yu sn  n a Rma r nlsh cnex and we transfer  t an Astrban It s a ump yu eure fr yurself n fr pde r ant but fr he sld ansmttn establsmenyur f rders a burenn remePwers  hae been  e Anxus t he reat Men f Astobe and te Cpperhead has ben ransmtn als We ca tem and they are amaed e rder tem  assembe hey wll n te say and ey  e e saled hey are full f wnder een befe tey see yu ck k yud w c as a fawney man a a cuny fr n ld nand N yps eer se a sell s ne ut wee d we ? T e Cncan all as yu yusef ae decded d Tm;  take t a swfly wle e tde s nnn f us Yu w be e Sudden Apa

n Yu wMase acce e accade and e mysc sa n f Ps 

S SR

'm nt even knwing wat t Cnvcatin a is said Tmas as tey ed tug te magni cient city  Csmpis in Batteseas med wagn  W Tse wi yu e assemed ave deed tee?" t asseme wi ave assemed said te ceanic Rimrck And te de tais wk temseves t as we  n and aways t  advantage Tees a sma dy atte ging n nw ve te Extatin Tumpets actuay tweve sma attes in te tweve steep twes and te a  e avent wn yeas yu avermpets decided wisey at tey witwenty w  yut ap piy y en win tse sa dy attes nw.  didnt knw tat  ad any men" said Tas e paty ed t te ead  te Cncse. Tey stpped and disnted Tey waked te ng Cn cse etween te ws  eaveny aspens en te we sky ke pen! Te Extatin Tm pets asted a deaening gden ae ike tweve Gaies annncing te secnd c ing  Te eectm ds  te Cnvcatin Ha swng pen t te saing sund  Tis was a stiking eect tat ad een devised tw nded yeas ee Tis was tei ent and te say enteed A teincandescent gea nes paty  Aste sat in te ig cice Tey sat tee in amazeent sme wiingy sme nt Many  te ad een dawn tee ptesting tat tey wd nt g. Te cmpusin puzzed tem and tey knew mc aut te anagement  minds And te Tmas Me pay std in te Aena

ew tem t it was nt at a as i te geat nes wee king dwn n te paty w 57

T TR

hen  the gret ones stood And they hdnt in tended to he gret ons of Astrobe stnd ony in the presence of  Supeor A were ssembed nd  were on heir feet now Kingmer roctor oremn otscmp Northprophet Doowsi Quiccrfter Hddd Chezem re Godgopher Chu Syes beo Dudogge oer ndmster Ser Stoimenof  the high dues of Asobe hf  dozen former word presidens te t scientists nd the mindmen the word designers n the ren ws More nd i disy with shered whoms wired up by dirty Cthed ncer ong-nosed most comic midde-ged mn of short stture the u erson who hd ost his surnme nd his citizenship for iegur doings d who now hd bone spinters in his brin ht ffected his ision nd his wits Rimroc the enic mn who comunicted by mens bber-nosed unknown ndnim who ws grotsque Eitinheppnce egend gir womn whose existence ws doubted by  rtonists ter Copperhed the necromncer who w no better thn n sooger:  of them wih the sme nd rppings of bc Cthed sti on the. he st sound of the Euttion rumpets broke t died down in echoing frgmens nd ef  ibing sience And  erson hd decred himsef! his ws te Pst Mster ded  thousnd yers  dumpy ie mostod mn  pinish itte ef on  wod of goden-bronzed gints But on him in tht

moment ws the mgikosthe the presence chismtictegrce nscendent mgnem messithe  

A E

ship  the aioht e ha epte in the mie o them with the i o the ave sti on him so it seeme It was shee hostiness the seemin o one who ome thoh ose oos an see toms one who is the maste o time  It was tansenene tohin them a  hen ame the Ovation ike a pon oean  It oke in heav este waves eah one hihe than the ome It aste a eat whie It ite them up a th oen nis who ha ootten wha it was o e eate Some o them wo speak o it ate as thei oosiniva et it wou awas emain a stnnin thin hei ives homas ha them hooke without speakin a wo  pesene ha een eate o him an it ha won ow that pesene ha een manae an  whom homas ou  to so ot in his min ate a it a  een one  a quak man an a quak anima an a at hi Who mes ai hee Cea sevea powes o a neaien sort ha een wokn o him thee n that pesene mae itse known immeiate thoh a the Cities an thouh a that wo om one en to the othe  It sha thethem Past Maste the peope evewhee sa i e he ha them hen he spoke ou an e I aept the eat e that has een iven me to ea homas annone in a sive voie that ha a it o the o avet in its  Now we wi set aout the ovein an ihtin o this wo

e hasnt en oee the uen et" Pete 59

AS SER

Prcr hrgrwled  hmself Bu Peer ws grn ning  werd fxlke grn Nbody pprecied  suc cessful msersrke s well s dd Prcr nd er minues, r perhps hurs, he Cnvc in brke and mved awy in gliering rgmens The implemen n f i wuld be dne in smller gheings n igh grups nd cmmies. The pr culr deils uld evlve hemselves u  shrewd s rk Bu nbdy relly dubed h hey d er mn. I as imrck, he ubbernsed cenman hing sid Thms when he d wihdrwn wih hs pary nd as minging i her ncinries I was he Cpperead wh his ccul su I ws Pul wi his bren crwn, nd he childwich wih he  ppsie aurs u her k shw ll hehey grand ie cunr ganglers whThey he mgc didnes r e ye and ih rumpes! I hug I as a maser  cnved eecs, Csms nger ld Thms, bu I never pu geher  shw lie yurs I hve a persnl dculy My wie s been regarded s he s beuil mn n sbe, nd she s regrds herself I is, indeed  reuisie  my psiin h  hve he ms beuiful mn n sbe Bu he legendg rl wh is n yur enurge hs her sled, nd he ppulr

eprs rn ier up be Slived lngwih s he Evishews hs believedhave  legend culd Nw 

PT R

d o   d ody o   os o s s   o s  o o y od  o  fo  q qs  lg o  d y  o og of y.   o d   o s s o b  y noge Ses  pe So yo  deg ik  oon se dys d gs,   gk sd nd o elig no  nds yo fl.  s  y esponsble begg Ws dls of Asobe yo uve been deng ov dod o Toug  smps e O ,  les, e oon is  bid of e smps nd mees  ve ben in some bkis smps s  bd i s i? Kngmke sked  hogh i s only n expsson. Well, heve sms yo hve been dng in, do no go o hem gn ill you hve been insed You il o kno ih h eyes o look  hes ngs unil e ll yo  hd inended o use my on eyes No, no,  on do  . We on hve yo efeig i  gs e v s up fo you o do o You offeg yomo od syg ogms you ononv nefeng  e g  yo ied o pse m ude? Ts  ly, Toms T imge s dy go  li byod   dd. W e od   old m  sog og No  e oed  s i is  ll  sog  d

xd yo o  o d   onds of Aso o 6

AS SR

Kingmke mn  stnd nd ste boggleeyed t them ike  clf t the new b doo f couse 'm impessed by he thousnd yes of technologicl d vnce since my time hlf of it mde since the st lnding on Asobe much of it quite new to me And in my dy  hd the nme of being  foeunne in these thngs  didn't know wht questions to sk bout the tue whenwell when  tlked to cetin tvelin men on this subect  long time go o t lest  long time fom hee  sked them questons of philosophy nd theology ndthethets politic fomtion common welths nd of nd tongues nd of the mnd undestnding itself t neve suck me tht the chnges would be in mtel things . We hd lredy mde get dvnces in these f beyond the Greeks nd Rons nd  thought the cycle would swing bck nd the thousnd yes fte myself would be devoted to d vnces thethe intngibles Aye impessed; the moe  in he moe  see 'm'm impessed The fct tht thee e no sick of body mong you (except in the Bo nd Cted) mzes me  The fct tht thee e no sick of mind mong you would entice me lso hd  not discoveed fo myself tht so mny of you e ded of mind. All you mecnicl nd mentl tings e new coinge to me ou mindpobes nd mindcwls fscinte me even wen they e ued on myself ou ve loosed them on me within the lst sevel moments hve you not Kingmke?  cn feel tem cwling like moles tough the tunnels of my hed . h ve got them clked now though. ve but

to think intht tin nd they comeimge into me.  lwys believed it would be cnt  mentl ting not  vebl ting when it cme." 6

 

We ave t ort Toa Te vera i te iper'' So ipe tat you ca ide it in te pa of your and Kiaker and you do' It' neater ta eavedroppin Kiaker aid  and it doe pick up te uvoca You youref ue an ane ut tey ave't proved atifactory Te ane end to foret tat e  oy a counication device Soetie e ecoe te ae Mot en tink in word i teir uuarded oet and par tcuary wen tey are voici word at tewit aea tie Of coure y own device oter ere ca e itted Latin or any oter attacet it i jut tat I ad forotten at Latin wa ti ued in your day y te inteaioa coar crowd So I ave ied  equ ence out of your private tout and jut wen it wa ettin pretty ood Woud you repeat it for e' No I wot Kiaker It woud urn te ear off you ut of a te tin I ave een o  troe to ti iute it i your Proraed Pero wo ot e cant e not te Proraed Kier wo ave ive e oe troue ut te oter Wat a oy drea coe te Te odtie Greek dreaed of ti you know and te atter-tie Jew ppretice Te ecaica wo work! Wat cockaker' woudan not ive af i ou for te eret Tat we can ake acine in our own iae and tat tey can outik ad outperfor u! It' a arve Kiake It ant rown to e a tae arve wit you a it d ot ony ave en ade te to perfo eter ta e

ut ow o I ' tod  te ti  ake teeve eter ta e ca ake te No ti ave a't ecoe tae to e 63

S SR

Thoms  I wsnt sre how yo wo d tke  prtc rly snce yo yorsef hve been ttcked by the Progmme The Kers themsves re  speczed mnorty bt to g gnst ny thret to the As trobe Drem Bt sometmes t seems they mke mstkes The Progrmmed themseves re the mn hng the men of he te the sccessors to or seves Whe Kngmker tke Thoms entertned  n the cer hsP mnh oneexerence o those pssge sch s both heofnd on therems trnst between Eh n Astrobe osmos Kngmker ws  gret goen sper or  tht he wore the he o  on n the rem Ot o her webs she spn or sex s oten confse n these ssge rems) the hoe gret cvze or o Astrobe The gret bngs the gret ere s the entrey rt o o these ebs he whoesocetes wor o  Astrobe gossmer Bt the rnt ser o efen her work n ever ossy pnnce of t There wo be no compomse here he s <e mst be resee Wht mtter tht t h no sbstnce? Then  ck n rose bowng ot ofthe It begn to ren the webs Here here! gret Kng mker shote n the s perb spery voce  It s  fse thng tht bows I m the tre thng I m te tre ct-he nd not ths other I sy to the wnds Be et D not rmbe my webs h o not rmbe my webs!"

 l w retn to these woners g n f gn Kngmker Thos s tkng on n entey feent eve thn tht of hs pssge dem An the

PAS R

mo wondl of ll  yo vl ody n my p o Aob  vled  ndd m f n v ond n  d gon n ll my lf fo nd  m  vld mn ml n ll e pl of Crn dom Spd  bom nn' No Tom. Hopp-Eqon vl  ony  qre of eg o xy-for me lg ed W  we an nevr ope o r mo an  now oe of he nvere Oher nmberbe rvel a bn ede qare of hyven for nne or HorwEqaon no ploTey h a ver frm ha or fromravel ny of B he oer. myeed re  on ye n he fre or n he pa or hey my be lo e aren h ord of peed ye Even o yo m hve lon of world o ol one' No no ye no for mny enre We ave only x Proven Reerve orld afer obe nd e olone on hem are ll kly hng The ele do  no go o o hem a hey wen  o om Eh o roe  e moen we ae gong nowe exep kwar h every man-jak of yo a mpng g n yo oldobee gong rgeadmd Kngmker yo gre me forwrd   fon;wh yoav  m B a le dy of reen rob pol  no r ng  nd a yo ave had for ren oe wld pedn  Mr. X  kd Ml  rod Md nd e HwkMn om lo. Te l m v lookd  lk Fomn Ty

ond lke e nme of nn Rom gld o o  on  ggd o m of mdvl Amn w ler. Now yo  me fo no omd o  

 

cntve ntsym f yu t manpu ate Yu w  me as the Past Maste" Pay snce the ae has taken he ppar fancy We avent ye ece" Csms, I w e manpuate y  e  If eece pesent, I ll prese! That s what we th hpe a fea Thmas N yu case s nt ke the thes We have n ut f tcks, ut the pepe have un ut f epecg trcks T e eecte yu must e pesete as a cn tve frntsym Butmust t escue ts mta fcutes yu suppyse us wthfm a ew ement I eeve yue afa f a ew eemet, g make Of cuse I am But I w nt have the fac f u w ene D t ume my wes Oh  t ue my webs!" What, Thmas?"  fagment f a eam up m the cear f my mn, n me Yu w ty anythng, e t eepest change, t peseve he changeessness I nt knw what the necessary eement w , Thmas Feman eeves that he knws Thmas, yu nt seem t curus aut yu wn atempte assassnatns Oh, Ive set up m wn appaatus t g nt hat, ngmake It eaches hghe than the smpe P ammed t eaches t the cmpex Pgamme an t

that the hghang wants me ea human efeThee's I am eve, a petty as t stng wee  ptyn stbe" 

A 

Thees anothe thing wee aai o Thomas Wee a to show o an aai to he o an its too ate to make anothe choice o ha  an impessie name to the initiates o eceie a sta ing oation which we o not nestanneite the thig itse no o own pat in itan o hae an impessie contming o the peope Bt o'e not an impessie pesonait'  o hea me now Kingmake I o not stt sitting own i that is what o mean I o ot pa the geat man piate I can man Iwhen thee is time oBt it an oewiannotexceent n a ette was conte a maste in m own time an I e a maste hee On the  I can pa the noest  othem a! Thee e nowt awkwa o aw aot m pe oance Kingmake At this one thing o which Astoe has a hnge now high oator, we wee the poessionas an o e the amates  I know that o hae anaze the thing an oken the pesona aa own into its eements It is ike chopping p a i t can o make a i Pehaps o can since ou mae the Pogamme Pesons t we ecognize them  articia I know that o hae it intrcate eoence machines man ike t the ingeaes ase owing The aughte of te peope at them atmn i eience o this Ie hear the eoence machines an I'e hear the peopes' esponse e hear hman an pogamme oatos who hae stie ne the eo ence machines; Ie hea a ot o things in one week on Astoe Peope ae hng o the ea thing an I can

gie it to them o t to anaze m oation at m coming to Conocation a an o ai  Pa of it was the conniance o m rens an associates an pa of 67

PAS SER

it s  coiy o cicumstces  ut te most o it im s mysef. e ve to et you y it Toms ut dot eve t to set pocy Poics on Astobe s ecome n icte sciece Poitics s inicte in my dy Toms min tied ut ingme begn to gh t tht Thoms ws not sue wethe o not he hd eson We the e cy cy ox to bend ive Thoms Pocto  do not mensd it inete ny negtive wy s thoug thee wee something theten ing s. I men tht deveopments themseves e cky nd on Astobe tody things e the ckiest eve Then why do so mny choose to eve thi ie to? Thoms sked it? wht o men to oin the Ched O do Leve yo men ws once v y ced thin? the sicide te? The st depesses me the second deights me Is it not cy to be be to eve  ie tht coys? Is it not ucky tt tee e sch net ciities o it? Shod  mn sit t tbe e he is sted? Why then shod he ive  moment onge thn is eqied? Goden Astobe is no pson we do not bid ws ound it to keep men i Lie is not o eveybody nd ong ie soud be o oe A m my dispose o imsef in  boot on ny seet coe. A ppeension nd nesiness s been emoved A m cn eve with  ce conscience Aye do the diy ting wit  ce conscience

Ad youive me o e i  iucy od Toms . Now we ub ou ds d we i b sti moe uc to it. 

PAS SER

I am the goodluk piee now am I homas asked d what thing are ou Peter I have won dered nd so I am told have others Me homas Im the lukiest man in the word a world o need to look more deep into me. I m the seond rihest man on strobe after Kigmaker d all env attahes to him not to me I am ortunate in wife in offspring in aainments in residene" I have heard the sree" homas said  nd I am iversall lked  ' Protor nished with a ook that was more than ommon fox-like t was aother of those passage dreams p frm the elar of homas mind. Peter Protor was a fox i deed ad he ran nimbl over a thin volani rst that had a ver great depth below i t homas was in sudden terror of that emptiness below the rust and the fliker ig flames that were ol an aspet of that emptiness st how dee was the great spae below that thin rust homas eered down he spae was forever here was no bottom. Stas old be see below under their eet bt there was something the matter with these stars. he were rooked thigs stars of the rooked ight Bt Peter foxwhen was great i o wa terred that great depth otthe eve lumps of thewith volani rust broke awa before his feet and fell forever It is m home there ' ' said the fox.  Let the ust sink don i it et it fragment and break and pith all its fauna into the flames in the void. I welome it the fundame ta void. I was bo for it ad I wil take all to it

uik  if onl the meddlers who would prop p the rust will desist he flames in the void e m home Nothig an harm a fox with an asbestos tail. d 69

AS S

th n To mas noticd tat Ptr th o x did indd ha an asbstos tail But you wr on o t thr n wo snt to rng m ou t o th past '  Thomas sa id    Why should you i rything gos so wll hr' Oh I lid that you migt do lss harm than anothr littl  Tomas . You will  th nwst no lty . W nd such or th popl in this tmporaity tis passing pas  Th popl m us t din on noltis a r thy ar constant cloyd o ood" Th sarc  or oty which is a or o dspair'' Who said that littl Tomas" A Frncman o som cnturis atr my tim I cam o  th  phas latly by accidnt  "  No I li t hat nolty is an aspc t o  r  lang hop i th grat rsoling Thomas Hop is a station that w pass on our way thr Hop is wondr ul" Ay Proctor And luck is luck You don't sm quit ral to m I wondr i ou cast a shadow.  Not a black on  I hop  Thomas  You stil wondr wy I was a party to snding or you sinc tings ar going so wl I considr you an innocuous man an old-asiond toy t th popl ha thir tos"   Wat will you d o i  pro t o  mor tan a toy   ' It is uck tat I a so many sids to m t is lucky that I can b ry c without qualms I can b r y unp l as an t whn th situation cal ls or i t  To m a s 

Iwrong wll not allowand ouyou to bcom mor than toy On mo  a brokn to aPolitics as co a scinc and I am its only con sum mat scin  7

A E 

tist Believe me, I m the only one who knows wht is oin on I ake i go  When Kinmke wshes his hns n solves himsel, I ake over I you pove to e moe thn  toy I will tke ove" t is lwys kest just eoe lse wn, si in oemn he oolish ooste hs cowe (they h them yet in you y, i they not homs, o hve I my es mixe) n it is still niht Astoe hs een  lse wn n now we lieve tht the wn wil neve en" It seems the iht to me hee," si homs I this e niht, wht is the yliht like" But we e won in elievin tht he kness will continue oeve," oemn continue  he tue wn must come, n uite soon, o else nothin will come he niht will en whethe in yliht o in nothinness But I eet tht the next n-sun will come up ehin  pticully ity clou I simply o not see ny othe wy to ne it" Is it you pesonlly who mes the sn to se, oemn Quite iht, homs It is I pesonlly who will mkethe thissun pticul upO tht younothe some ie tht me upsunbycome itsel thn mysel ws cllin the tune on it Pocto elieves tht he mkes thins o on As tobe" But I mke Pocto o, homs"  e sys tht when Ki nmke bsolves himsel n

wshes his hns, e Poto tes ove"  O couse he oes  Kinmke is the tion  Poc to is the etion o the nullicon ow ndly 7

P SER

Kgme c  o y d tomtclly octo ll ect  o cleely  ll t em bot  t d  be e only oe o dtd e elt ut o te mnd cella agn  boaced cobeb coveed boe o te pkly tu! nety econd o pognant dma tat goe on le te et o te wold goe on, and expoe te oot o tat old Foeman  kce et n  ga o totue, at at a ouge tableell tan one ndbeoe on Atobe. He ad tty cockle on ould te tble m and e uled and counted tem He wept but a a awk would, awkwadly ad n unganly aon, wt a deou cawng and cougng t a to be e cawed ee  no ote way to bng t about But one o te cockle ell w actally a cockeel ell, aand te Foeman-awk notced t wt t en tunde came and at down at te tableawt m. t  Mote Caey' on ccken you detoy tee, te tunde d ee  not woe n al te wold lke you woe.''   know ow a cat watce a bd, te oma d to Foeman (and te page bd ad own), and  know ow well te bd can ee te cat n  bu ne ou'll not take m n one moutul toug 'm a oney bd,  aue you And now  ee tat you e ak and no ct but tl yo pounce on me" Wat do yo mean, lttle Tom?

octo clyo led me tt too ndyo e alo en e ad t  get nm mxed e pued not e ame type  on E  Foemn  e te eelng tt 7

ST STER

yoll ps me into  coer tt I'm too sto to come ot of" I mst ps everyone into coers tt teyre nle only one to come wo ot seesoftings I feel so lonesome clerly innd tt soI m frte in dvnce e rst time it ppened did someody ps yo into  coer tt yo were too storn to come ot of Do yo know wo did it to yo oms Do yo wnt me to tell yo" I don't wnt to know ecse I sspect wt mn of nmetime it ws woppened forced metotome myyet mrdering tgood te first sn't I ws gred off y yor pilot  few monts efore my Ert det tt tosnd yers go I don't nderstnd t ll wt ppened tt rst time since it snt yet" t I know oms es  mn did s yo int o sc  corner efore nd I will ps yo into sc  coer tis tie o coldn't epect  different end ing cod yo It worked to  liited effect te irst time It lfsved  opeless sittion  It will work to  greter effect tis time I won't solve myself or ws my nds t I'll miss yo" oren in te wole stroe sittion everyone is someting me Everyting is wonderf oniding stroe tey telfro me nd so it oes pper to me ecept for  comprtively sligt re of ligt wic s ppered nd will soon dispper t it grows lrger e sickness of stroe cnt e merely tt  grop s reverted neconoiclly to  ckwrd

fo of economy to n osolete form' of life It is not tt tey ve reted to te rd life of povey y free coice nd wit no pprent compenstion ere 73

S SE

hve been suh uts before f the sikness h been no ore thn this o wot hve e e up to otor it or to serve s  frot for those otoring it We soething is ver sik here there'  betif goen fever tht kis  o't unerstn eve the sptos   hr n in Cthe to e tht  wou istke the sikess for the re"  The hr mn ws hf righ Thos The Cthe thing is ness to ost  rning to pove  bet iser fro free hoie  tht hoie e b iions ore tenththe of iser those onthere s trobe so of fpeope Yo s oth hve see You ou not hve not i two s n  ight  t is the es n es of tht bonerottig ser tht sikes the gintion. Bt the Cthe piss s tht their experient is  Retrning to ife This  not expin to o no more n the; ou hve to ive or w itoou it nsee or too short for tht Perhps it inow ortie st ismoent" Perhps ' see it now if soebo wou tk sense Oh the two things re eting eh other p n who is to s whh of the is the rightf bo n whih is the ner The Cthe ffir is either the sikness nor the ure t is  smptoti iuptin  surfe effet of the sikness We re siker thn Cthe We re siker thn the Bro Oh we' ie for it   sef hve me some pns for  resetion or  rebih; or for the oming of noher thing tht m

hve presetin substne reseb e resembne on Now wetoprepe sm thingsbutwhie the wor ens We mke ou seve the preprtion s 74

A 

weve mae worse men serve esser things  An yo  serve beter ater yore ea. Damn it I am ea rom yor vewpont es, thats the way I regar yo Bt yor eath here an now on Astrobe is what reqire The shape o thngs to ome is very intrate, bt it may work ot or the best ater we are past this triky sitation or wose best, oreman? Ive the eeing th at Im being measre an eat or o are Take the heer view, Thomas. Yove been eato ayo thosan happns here? years How w it mater what oean, Im qite intereste in what happens to me ater Im reay ea Im not ea now, whatever the seemng They kee a erent so o te on the other se I ont nerstan yo, oremn. Are yo or me or against me? Im or yo, Thomas absotey Im workng or the very higest goa by the owest o means  So Im or yo a the way, to the eath an beyonyors, not mne An with those hee wors yo eave me I these three are the nner grop o the re o Masters, t s no woner that Astrobe s sik  Thomas sa to hmse Thomas take to Pottsamp, who has been ae the orth member o the bg three. Thomas enoye taking to Pottsamp one o the most interesting ini vias he ha ever met. Never was there a more

pasant or srprsng person an Pottsamp ha a min that was ke qksver Sometimes Thomas was sre that there was nohng n that mn an again there 75

S S 

was very muc  n   was as oug Poscamp wen o a source and dpped deep wenever e ad  need o rplens mself Poscamp ad large nnocen blue ees and e look of perpeual ou nd e e ad been acve n Asrobe affrs for ver man ears and was ceanl older an Tomas norma age Bu e was a bo a precocous bo a sarlng bo wo mg orure cas or comm abomnaons bu wo would alwas do so w an ar of oal nnocence o a ou wll know wo reall uns ngs on Asobe Tomas  know oscamp  kow Anoer casule dream lke a assage dream Tere was a bo wo bul a o  was a clever bo and a clever o a e ul Wc one was oscamp Tomas cold no sa for e bo looked lke m  Go a pples   e old e  anda ea oGo dd so Heseal broug back anbo aload n o no me ou o m bes fend n e road ere and knock m down e ocl sad and e o dd so He knocked down e es frend and n reu e go mself blooded up and baered Te cld was de lged w wa ad appened o s bes frend and o s o Work ou m language assgnmens for o morrow e cld sad and e o worked ou all e conscons and anslaons of e amro and Puca and Neoans assgnmens Drnk e cld sad and e o wen and drank from e brook a ran besde e omeouse Ea e cld sad

and ae e up ever lmb and lg bonee ando morsel of cld m Was aPoscamp Wasand e a o wo would ea ou up or was e e guleless one wo would be devoured 76

.AST STER

ow Pottsap I kow wo s tgs o Asobe  Tos sa d. Kgae s evetg b self So does Poto So dos Foea  e eve aes te s to se Ad so do  o  t all , o wll sa Bt Pottsap sook s ead.  Or tal wll be at anoter tme, Toas. Or mall onvesaton toda ws bt to prola self to o Yo ae a peson  am a perso; te otes are not, not reall f o were not of a ertan onseqene or lkel to beoe of "I

onseqene, deal wt o wold nt troble to nfo o and A lttle later, Tomas, and n anoter pla we ll talk at or lesre And wt me tere wll be gt oter enttes tat o wll nd e nteestng Wat o wll meet on tat eenng n te near ftre s te rea Crle of asters, tog seeral of s belong to bot rles We ll nstt o on wat s ndeed takng plae. We wll sow o te bak of te tapestr Wat o see now s not te te fae of Astrobe not all of t Te oter sde of te tapes s sagger bt t s a real ptre also, and a  oe eangfl one tan te world o now Take ot ot oro eeballs pols temlook p, atTomas. Sweep eas and gs te wt aata Yo wll need all o sensng ogans at te learest to opeend w at we wll eveal to o ave o never ad te feelng, Toas tat o wee lookng at evertg fom te wong sde? Yo ave bee"





E PE O NG O COME

hoas as ayi a rcis achi hich h ha st to iv hi al ral ioratio about Arob t as a oo achi that oul asr ustios a a ro its orula to iv rsoal oiios h as to o so o Astrob is a urba orl a orl o citis' th rcis achi lay   a a is ior tat th a city is or iortat a a vry lar city is still or iortat Wh  hav all bco o ct city i our totality th our volvi ill b colt h iiviual ust ass a b absorb. h city is all that atrs. A city is or tha th totality o th ol i it just as a livi boy is or tha th hau uatiy o th total clls i it Wh th clls cosir thslvs as iiviuals that is cacr i th boy Wh  loo uo thsls as iiviuals s cacr i thiboy oliticvolvi h ratthat citis o stob our rst has toars th O rat Ci ar Cosoolis th caital Potr Rucl Ciua abela Systo Chz City Woolis trool ittstow o  Culr Bi Goby Gis a Wu o O ths Cosoolis th caital is th ost ect, a

Wu o is th last Yt thr is ho v or Wu ow All this achiv salvtio i th rat sythsis 78

A SE

All ths citis ar qit lar, it havi  fo svral crs ao a a cit of lss ha tv millio sos is o coomia B o hs hr is o oi  mili citis r ol. Th mall aa icra tha is llo for Asro is alac  miraio o colo orls. W o o liv i hai  ol What a  atha" Thomas ask h prcis machi  atha is th cacr hat is i xcis rom this ol Ira i hhmslvs cacr cas h ihaitats of atha as iivials a iv i h mpoac of hmslvs. s aha i qi ar h larst of th ciis, larr v ha os mopolis h caial. W il lav aha ot of acco hr sic i is o ical of Asro Thr is o ov o Astro sic al prsos hav accss to all his. Thr i o sprsiio, or lif i athi o sic hr ca  othi o A o il timatl  volv from h hr. Whil Astro is h hihst thi thr c   ohi hihr. This is h ssc of h Aso ram Thr is o sickss o Asr ithr oil or ma Thr is o rvosss, aprhsio, or far. All as a all scics  op o vr prso Travl aot th or is  isaaos covac  Th ahr a h ocas hav  corol Thr is o fli of it sic frdom fro vr rprsio hs  achivd Thr is o crt or hat Thr is o possiilit of si sic hr is o-

hi o si aais Thr is vr lxr a v itrst availa to vro r is aos prc jstic Th fw raii co  to provid rdrss 79

AST STE

to inequitie bougt bout by miundetndng; nd tee become fewe nd fewer. It  it point it  it point id Tom nd rubbed i nd nd yet it eem  toug omeone  recounted  ti ong go New dimenion of peure e cieved diy nd mot oury te preci mcine pyed  ive in contnt ecty We re  one  one being te woe word of u nd we rec te eigt of intene intecommunion We come to ve  inge mind nd  inge pirit tetiving como  Te We peope e ofeveryting trobe doWe not re dem nig t fo  drem i  mdjutment We do not ve n unconciou  te ncient peope d for n uncon ciou i  te drk ide nd we re  igt or u there i no future Te ture i now Tere i no Heven  te ncient beieved for mny yer we ve been in te ony fterife i Det unimpont it we impy becometere more coeyiintegrted intoByte City  We eve off being individu In u tere i neiter umn nor progrmmed but we e  one We verge to our pex wic i te tot eiztion of te word-fok We become  inge orgnim ever more intene nd more intcte te City itef I remember now wo it w wo imned ti  out before id Tom It w myef Wt oter mn ke  joke bout  tree nd te tree ber fit But I ike it more now tn wen rt I mocked it It ound better wen it come tumbing from noter mout even  tin mout Wt  I be encnted by

myWe ownpe? y te me ting we  tink te me tougt we  ve te me feeing nd peure  ' 8

P 

t  a layd o lo ad at_da a fo y w two a of  a tga atl at wa o by ou    ldood W tad uubd bfo  gau W a t u W  vytg W g W loo bot beig ad obg fo bo a aular W b oe t xtsibl ad aydiioed se tat as itr gig o ed o big W ter te am itsity we pa ad stif al ea ote out, wee osious ess folows uos ou to oblivio WeUltimat ae devoud by oly Big 0 te Pot for all us Notgss ultimates" t Sove it my little meaial metor soe it" Toas Mor sai d  I made it u  iveted it I t was a joke I tell o a bittr joke It was ow n to build a world'' Bt I am ot sed, ' ' te pris maie plaed  Te visio still aseds Well o it does't xtly asd beod a eai poit se it as reaed a spere were tere s eite up o dow But it bomes tesity stil more itese ad" Sove it little ti o, sove it," Tomas laged Youtat areis ot imresd by te is goldeaie Astobe Dream beomig ealty?' asked wit appsio or wt wat would ae bee appsio if tat till obtad o Aob Not ve u Toas ad  td t all for a ou jok I utt lt te sou joe b o  " Ad yet Tomas wa sd by t Asob

aieet if ot by t Atob da T a a tbl laty ug toug yg a lty otag al t olxty  a ad d A8

AS S

trobe ws net n te rins fell lwys t teir sceule our t ws someting tere ws orer sobe ws n urbn worl ll its get cities were relly one in  single close custer e countrysie ws litle use ere were te utomte rouction ss n tere were te ferl or wil stis to kee te blnce ew eole live in eiter t ws te cities tt were te er of strobe n te eole of te cities were bo knowing eveyting ere were no iniviuls wit s eges tere wereg no lt issenting eiciousinelements te lne oforexcellence ll tings tere Wt ws cn you sy ginst  worl tt s gine every gol ever set n tere ws lesnt termintion vilble s soon s  touc of weiness set in. t sets in wit me lrey " oms si  ve to ol onto myself wit bot ns eve tme  ss  teintion boot" But one ting see me to be lcking on strobe n it puzzle oms Were o te eole tten mss e ske s e stoo in te mile f golen Cosmoolis Tey on't om; tey vent for centures" Pul tol im O tere e  very few wo o sometimes  o myself on occion but  m  ek n usully clsse s  criminl n in Cte tere s been  new pence of te ing long wit oer oities But not one person in ten tousn on so s ever ttene ' 

r tere no t n ll te ten n Cte ncrces e Bo fer ss tere e  ve few tt migt still be clle by te nme. 8

 E

Sch bilig  m i Comooli  th oth Citi   th mt of qiti Som of thm hv io tty tht i of itt to th ciit Whil m itlf cot b fo i y of thm h, th lic c b ly o md" t  go to o of thm" ft goig bot i om th obc t tht l kw imfctly, thy fo o t w qit mll  tck wy i  co hy t. h w th  of totl mti h w o c I wo wht tim i th xt m" Thom i.  O th m tht i ot qit  m. m ot  tht I t yo o it  Oh, t i  toimo f ' o i th lot,  h th btto. Th th m will bgi" hom i.  it di. h it cm  ot of th loo  w ot hm,  h w zombi hm   w obbly ot v  ogmm o  my hv b  mchic vic.  wo  lgy by ht, wih-oy ib,  commo g hot o bchcloth i ilt too w hmhotic.  o ithol. mokd log wjyw cig  io  bg to jk  to ito i with l ioc h  mb of oth coivc ivd om omwh, itoig i mock cho to th t  twgig itmt o th lov of Sit Jck ht  tho Pul?"

hom k i bwilt. A tho ot th itmt cibd by Dt  lyd i lowt ll? Why t whol thig h tud io  diy

P SER

uesque Pu pyed out wt ue pupts y Pu wy? , t d ey tued nto su  ng efoe t ded Toms Ts s wt te Cu nd te ss d ome wen t ws tken ove y te goveent   osty nd n ntque el te epl mss n s so ouse to e ekng nd wlng of e nen  g At semon tme w gven  sgt news-od so tt one sould no e ou of onta w e wod fo eAtene feen mnues e Conseton  sgn t up:

 Boug o yo Couey ofGalo GrapeApe e Fne of e Bogu Wne 

e ed ws nensyleodog olls e pp pes o mensms dned p ogsmlly nd sed e old en-needle efoe akng e ols How do you sop e dy lle ng? oms sked Ps e Sop on Pl sd Hee, l do  And e sopped  Wy  wonde ow  ll me o, oms sd  snke on  stk, s  men o e e Cs? s  leeng woe oldng e defoed monkey men o e e Vgn? A dy lle es que  dey t of devl wosp Bu even dy uesqes e not mde out of nong Hd e mss ely fllen so low?''  o  ve ed oms  t fel o us s low ste efoe t ee tuay foen'

 en Cu ws on  tng Pu? Andte t ded s ote tngs do? ke ote tngs  o most sy e eopo o Ao s

PA TER

ves but e s  vey od mn nd te oe w pobby not be ontnued yond s fetme . ee s  sgt evv of te Cu n Cted, s I men toned" Aeptne  n Cted s enoug to dmn  tng n ny en egon Cted, tt ne gowng on te f pnet!" And n te fe stps tee e sm goups wo keep  te tt s not  buesque'  We, I neve hd too mu ft Pu I beeve fo  wesnmost te monngs I wke feengSomeow we. But Imy beef wys fgon by noon tougt tt te Cu woud ontnue but I don't know wy I tougt so It woud, fte , be n nomy on ton Astobe Aye I'm gd to see te od tng gone I'm not" Pu sd bttey I me to t wen t ws  b k emnnt n my dkest dys n Cted, but ts oe tn  te ote tngs Yes, I'm zy, oms I ve bone spntes n my bn But t's uous tt you e  snt n te Cu n w you don't beeve, w you e gd to see gone" oms uged oudy nd ey, - ey eefu tng, nd dygt uted He nd Pu went out nto te suddeng goden Aye, tey wee gt to pus te od ud nto  oe nd tu e nto  dty buesque'' oms sd If te ee does not be fut, ut t down" oms spent ete dys mveng t te wonde

wys of stobe He d been sometng of  skept t st Now e d swowed bt ook, ne, od nd semn's m He d beome  sudden song d 85

A 

vocae of he Asrbe eam  A ye he ae o oo more eepy io he orkigs of he hig o examie is more isa roos a sorces I is hary o be beieve he sai oe ay he he ha his reie ih him Come peope e i see more of his We rave ag Agais he avice of his meors homs ha e cie o ake some ime o examie Asrobe here is o poi i ave homas igmaker ha o him  I is a he same eeryhere ha is he beay Asrobe i isa hesee same everyhere  Go of here yo i ha yo see  rocor o him  b o o beieve everyhig ha yo hik yo have see Whe o ge bac, I i e yo ha yo have see here have bee sa cases of me ho say higs fasey, a I ha o ae a ha I o o a o o ha Lck be o hy hea goo homas Yo i o ko ho o see hoas yo i o ko ho a a ,  abia orema o him  o have he eyes for i Yo i see i a from he rog sie Yo e a aka ma Thomas  I ha hor i i  be give yo ha yo i se e oscamp o hi m  A a i e aer i  a secre pace a o of coex yo i si o ih ie eiies (oe of hem myse a yo i be o ha hese higs have bee Yo see o oy higs ih oy eyes b i ha ime yo i be give seeig Thomas ha a loose eie He ha chose some of he embers A some of hem ha chose him 

as  he grophere haas heoe big spy efoo i he for him hogh he bighave mepicke grop 

 

here a hi  Erth-t-tre it Pa there a Scveer a Sier there a Maxe a a ter Cerhea; there a Evita the gir-a r the Bar h a iter t the  a there a Rirck the ae h ha cale the Oceaic Ma Bt rt jt hat i a ae ah  hat a Rirck, h a a t exceta ae  e ere't uert at all  t e, a that a their l he  hi, te  e re  ur era rigi, Rick ha ake a  r ecie I l, ut I t re I ca, Rirck ai hat itte e k  reve e have eae r regar ee, r have gee  he e ae thrgh the agee a chage r cat, thi etaie rgettig ch  r egiig It  a chih  hut r   Y ee, there ere  ae t    tre he Erthe rt cae here t at ti the ec eerati  e  tre that a   ere icvere, a e ere quite ack e  ery, t geerate t e  u ie i r reet  erai  icreae i er. e have evee r ctact ith regular ee, a e reve have re iluece  e le tha the uect Pee chilre ae rie t aciate ith , t the rea at , a  the alt. It i ee that the ha ee   tre

 t have ight rea  have alke thrgh a tha  the rea el I cat ee that e have a iit, ha, thgh I a t cear a t 87

PAST STER

 ou yoc o  ul op oud  Bu you mu o  you c om R oc  Wll w o no i bu  v gbld i in lgnd Ou lgnd   w   opl wo climd ll  wy o  ybo o in i nd climbd ou ino  g wold  i bov  y i wold  you now  · nn-dy wold of Aob i  wold  i bov  y You do no fW i, bu w dp do ocn cu, om   w mm lik  ing bf ih,  wold of  dph  w didn conid i a  dp W ovd o climb, o fly o pic w ll oi of uc daing W lovd  pinncd monin Ou o w ho wo climd m  igh W flw up nd v p, liing lmn d ill igh moni ldg W cm o on ig bginning of lig nd n o  inning of viion  i w   of  g zon  w d o co Wn w cm ou of i on  ig id w would b diffn cu wi mind fomd gin  Fo  d com  xciing umo  om of  g mounain pi mig cully pic   y lf W d, of cou long ld o  cu wo climd   d bn ll  wy o  y  y d indd p oug ho in  y, d n fln bc Bu wo bliv f? You did y  i  Ro?

 • Wy nonc om? W no Bu i noy o  uc  u 88

AS SE R

tue  emembe t ll s of sometng fom note lfe te ep tng we dd I ws  membe of te st y We lew nd lmbed ge nd hge to tuly dzzy heghts We went up the shee ls of te edge ofthe-wold mountn ll te stong stoes wee tt ts ws te one tht suely eed te sky We s ende moe thn ten klometes feful lwys tht we would not be ble to lve t tht hegt he sky we hd beleved eve sne we d e eved wsdom ws t n nnte dstne fom us nd wouldhgh lwys e We t the dstnethtnots mtte how we lmbed nowsme dsoveed ws not so e me lose to te sky d we wee lmost ystel n ou etment We me ll the wy u to t nd touhed t wth ou membes We dd not de s we hd feed n e heo d done ths eons befoe but he d ded fom t o t ws no odny thng tht we dd mok hd t st been tlkng wth fee move ment of hs bbey mouth But fo  whle hs mouth d not moved nd he ws tlkng n homs hed He ould sek n ethe mnne nd he dd not lwys elze hmself when he went fom the one to te othe though slnteng n thethe sky  nd hen me we outbust gspng nto the wold ththoles s bove sky" mok eounted o you vewont we me u out of the oen onto the lnd But t s youselves who do not ete the mgntude of t You dd t so long go tht you ve fogotten t both n you mnds nd you undemnds But how n you

foget tht you lve on the top of the sk How n you foget tht evey moment you wlk you e wlkng on 9

AS S

a preariou rug higher tha a ve thoua tory high builig? Do you kow that the highetyig bir o the air aot e oe teth a high a we ta ow?  Thoma, I wa oe o the rt oe who pli tere theky a ame up o the kyhore, Rimrok pro laime I wa oe o the primorial heroe  we ou that kyhore prikle with hell i the orm o tar o igature o it May the ee o woer ever leave e!" I begi to get the eel o you more a more Thoma ai,people ot ihave wor but o i ol Regular ale thehpe" iterior oe that ue to be i every ma," Rimrok ai They loe the oea a grou up it moter or er tilizer That i why we o ote ete ito people ream We take the plae o the moter they have lot" What ake him oupatio o ael olow?" Thoma Some e i ommuiatio, ie eah o u i a omuiatio eter But mot o u work a om merial iver, ueater weler, pier-builer that o o thig Wter i till our rt elemet, but the water arou Cathea where I work hae beome o oul rom the uotrolle iutre that they bother u Te poor luger o athea ough up their lug om the otamiate air We uer i our ive bla er rom the otamiat water It i a rare treat or u to get away or a ay or two i lea ar or i lea oea

re you pa well or your uerwater work Rim rok?" 

S SE

 No   stoimeno do a eek The stoimeno dor is a sma go coin Why do you work or money at a You don t we cothes money or What ivedo in you houses do or witheatyour oodmoney that is sod o Pay an-tan, said the anse We, what was vita We dont know, Thoma neve knew, she was never sue herse She was one o those who had chosen Thomas, nt en chosen by him with on obe wi think it strange i you not tave a isress, she said Nobody hasdoeve done hat beore They wi beieve that you ae not in accod with the Goden Dream o sobe  know hat you woud not ike to seem an awkwad and impossibe person and  wi not aow anothe woman to be with you  a   awkwd ad impossibe person, and i bothes me nwt a a  Thomas said  Leave me , you scawny young witch  have seen spaows, and they si edgings, with moe meat on hem  You know thats not e What kind o at tubs did they ike in you day  am quite we esh ed, and ve bee caednd heme mostineigent, auiu and woman on sobe You wi aso in his m excep tiona. sobe, though you may not have noticed it ye has a high eve o ediociy ony You ae misnamed vita; you ave ase You ae no va bu he Liih who was beoe he the witch

 am both. Did you not know that hey wee one nd  have a pesona eason When  decided o go o 9

AS S

Hell o pove a poin, I se myse l goal he seducion o a sain Bu whee else can I nd one? They have no canonzed one o hundeds o yeas. Big lile Thomas , ou o me and ou o place, you ae he only ceiied sain Im eve likely o mee We ae neie o us any longe o he lesh in ha way , Thoas said. He said nye whee you would sa neer one o he oddiies o speech ha sll clung o hm and hee was a u in his alk nd you youel ae now aken  a much deepe assion Evia,along he aid,  ecludes hing on ome henand child-wich . I we he veohe n hungy he heahs well have you sed and eak ou u haunch and chine, and ea you comlee; and e hungy agan whn an hou. He oked. She was o copious uild and she smled down on him he colo o he hai? he colo o he ees?he edile o he?No, nohe heyas won' e gven heeincou will lines no know hem ill Day, and hen only i ou ae one o he lessed. Scivene? Slide? Maxwell? Coppehead? Who wee hey? Wha was he mind and he man o each? Hea Slde speak e we sll danglng on he head, o has he head een oken even eoe he ocal ac (sn o e poposed o eak i? The ncien Instucion was o go o ll Naions  Bu we ae no hN aions  We ae somehn dieen The omise was ha he Tans cenden Thng would endue ll he End o he Wold

Bu eand aenono he Wold Wegiven e o quie a dieen wold, pomise was eve us. We canno even assume ha we ae human; how deep does he 

PST TER

ob uo elly go? ow y of u  og d o? d ow uc of  pogd dct i i u wo gd oulv  oldli u ?  ve chnged i d d body   olity ofGoldn o i byml by y old copon but y w ue  olde comp on? O Old  w once  tig ned lvey   d ot  it tt  but w hv it t i now th intinct fo ndig oe plce in the Golden Hive T to ek out of it Ty to vil youlf of the total fedo th oviding t Meet wee once clled thegultio unnul lut m e ntul hee; the e uiverl It  b tht we ae not in teble hpe t ll  Thom t t elieved tht we wee nd now e elieve we ae in wonderful hpe He i  wie mn nd he tudie u he wonde wy we ent fo him ut if we e in wonderful hpe i it till he hpe of mn When it become impoible to ditinguih cetin icil ting om ouelve the we mut dout tht we are till ople Wen the kller puue me ten  fel tht   comi g ne o tru But h tey let me one  kno tht  m delig i tiviit  Wlted Copphed wo peo pdict d futue tht cive  will cge oul in ou l d  y tt w will ot ow could we td oul? e h o lide w  ligt pl oody youg   w vey eou d flt tt vybody wa lughig t i Uully ty w To w doig o iltly

a e hrd i cd  d know uc yog  bfo lid ilf kowig wo o w pctd oig o of i  w ockd by 

 

hs lack  eth Sler t  s n ee ns cency ntene t sly that lack Hear Screner seak I l ecle mysel enthsastcally r all thngs  se ere enthsasm an element  the testre haracter It snt an t shl nt e e are the rst matre engs eer an enthsasm s n   s In As e ha lt the eect rl Perhas t shl hae ene n ts state  erectn t t th nta cancers en Instea r Ct rlt t' has ecme necte grth e say t r sme reasn e estate Sler s a  the cancer He has ts an t s the essen ce  ths enemy  O crse e are nt the natns r the rl! e are eyn sch O crse n rmse as eer gen t s! e make the rmse t s rseles there smtatn nne ae make t H  the se gsIttges rm te ttm t the t as t shl O crse e are n lnger n the shae  men Mankn as the akar chlh  r seces; we  ell t rget t e ll excse r last a an then e ll achee realzatn an annhlatn The kllers  nt tral me hy shl they I am  ther n seces An alter Cerhea reas ths re rng Sler an mysel can neer change laces He has n lace Screner as a gger man tan Sler t as ster an ater th n seech an ersn He ha a

rgramme yng he i ather hae a s an a Astran hman mther matrty Thgh Sler an Screner tght  themsels as ee stes 4

 ER

a ye Thomas an ohers ene o conuse hem They were so aike in heir ming ierences! Hear Mxwe speak I ake myse as an exampe ha sroe is no perec even exceping he canceros grow o Cahea an he Bario I am an aeaion  perec wor wo e mae up o perecy inegrae per sons an I am no one There are no wors or my paicuar wanering rom he norma Ony Cop perhea knows me we enough o have any iea wha ey are ow say a I have a veeen se aachmen y ony own oy I have n aways in he same orm. I o no always recognize y previous os The grea sroean ance was on o hrow o sch reacions as myse n ye I am enhsias icay or sroe in a way a Scrivener canno e  Enhsiasm ay no e a pa o nes soe u i is a pa o me I likewise elieve ha we m s k he Cahea muaion hogh i wil e kiling pa o mysel o o i No mn I have h s o me kie ore.  ave ha wole oies kile. I a a spook an sroe oes no elieve in such Bu or al a I elieve in her  I u  myse hing! I mean i ierally have myselup upor anhis ie severa imes hogh  o no nersan i I wi sil e he ing ra or is hing!" Tis Maxwel was a mos  crioslooking man  i  he was a man hen he sai ha he ha a vey loose aachmen o his own oy he apareny mean ha

he i no aways inhi is same oy in he usual sense u his appeaance was ha he ha a very oose aachmen o his own oy in ha is oy wa oo ig 95

AS S

for m nd ted i loosely. Tere re nimls wo e tis looseness n teir ideste t tier nd te Asoe lzrus lionnd n tem it is  sin of sent nd swiftness. In Mxwell t ws  sin of wekness nd slow ness lmost of witlessness  It ws  oodsized swy, lmost sinster ody tt e wore, nd it ws  sepulcrl oce e spoke wt But one d te impression tt e d to stnd on tiptoes to see out of is own eyes nd tt e ws pipn  sll oice into te resoundin tin s tou it were n independent He wsnt instment picul oment to e retinue, eiter prsonlly or mentlly Yet e d  rel seriousness tt mde tt of lider nd criener seem rittle Her Coppered spek Now  p of tt spekin d een wit certin rou men ofCted  Will esi  Btterse d sked Coppered srply He will, Copred I dont see ow sid Geore te syrin He doesnt look like muc Ill et te forces ofAstroe wll sms im like  rotten e O teyll sms im ll rt Coppered explined Te new mn is  ded mn is time runs out lmost efore it eins o es een ded efore it wont elp m now He wll mle it ll our new mn ell d only one smll tin rit But you sy ell mintin is wys in tis present, nty rowle He will d n te dmnest leftnded wy nyody eer sw Cop pered mintined. Wt insments tey do work

wit!woeer tey re Men Tt s mn from te doutful pst willts sfeeteyed our world stuy wt mtters Tt e won't se mself doesn't 6

PAST TR

me t me t nne  us  beee t  mtte t me Pu sd ut te tng but ts Cppeed ws tt e e cud pedct utues Cppeed d smetng gts n s p nce e ws  gdumed ty nd e w cde Rck undestd m te begng d Mxwe d eed ccdenty tt Cppeed dd e depts  sestvty nd tegece nd cmpss but e cse t de tese tgs Pepe tey wee  uy-kg py Rck te nse Mxwe t Pu  Cee stubby Tms Se  Scvee  te bewe g vt H se gy eyes  be  gee? Hd se smky-be  ge  dk ? Ws se st  ws she bxm? e c s tt  sw e e ety   e he vce eety t sde w bt  t g t  bubbe     c  t  g  te ws t  te   tmpet   e-stge y? Ws t  sve cymb   be ccets? Be quet eveye! vt sed ( wds ct gve  de  te mes  e) Hy Tms s tcg  de See m spke we  wm  setes n  He t s mse smedw  wde te get tgs Astbe nd s tey e Te wy s e kg t te mutn? t ws  sp sck t   tem te tng tt d tken d  Tm nw Tt mst pctc   men ws n  tnce. Rck emembeed te get dy wen e mse d spnteed es  te sky 

bke tug. Mxwe eced n ecstsy n  ee bdy. Cped eed te mment wen te new pwe cme t  mn wt dy s Pu 97

 

rememere hat he ha amt een, an Evta re ve apect  her n egen er an crvener may nt have een capae  ch gt Why d I k at the mntan" hma ake a he came t  h aze   n  tre pychgt ha t me that y pepe crppe n ther pernate  k at ch thng a mntan He ay that th a mch mre cmmn n er centre We, I have ampe Gen e an t  ner  Bt I am t hngry What  e  g n that rectn" Ihere e g re n that rectn e th ak," ncrvener a n tranprtatn the era regn, ny n the cvze hat regn  a eyn the pae t  r eat,  they t ve, t nt r men he mntan ae retan; they ae meh a key t the eather cntr Bt they are n cnce  ratna pepe eeve thathma e  ak theImntan," a r a ay r t n ee he rgramme er aent nht at a there," Maxe t hm hey   an k u" hey aent nvnce et g t the mntn," hma repeate What  e c an cr the mntan at that ae , an g thence n hat  e  arn that crce therey" hma ake pntng rn that crct  the era cnty a h t ay, an n een r nne ay y  cme t g Cathea rm t ac k e ," Cpperhea   me

  t e  t, t nt a mntn here an But  prver havent anythng n the  eeve I 8

 

ha I ay have, an I lie to nd it again ll go lingy ith yo  I s sar aness to go there Scrivener insiste   Not a all  Thoas sai  A soft so of maness t ay e. We hant sch ontains in nglan an   the ony a a istance in Spain an Savoy In the sate prole of Astroe everyone has een overloo ing soething Were it not od if the high montains ere the one thing that peple cold not see? Let the Prograe Killers trail s  alays lie eier end of a hnt. Come aong no. Ill not  one ot of this

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

SIG I E AIL

Tere was no lose Ea equivalent to tose Feral Lans o Asobe toug eain Ea rain-orests a some o te arateristis Te iiulty or an Eaman or or a ma rom Astrobe eiter sine te ivilized people o Asobe were not auainte wit tese regions was in knowing just were te groun itsel was n in plain at tere was no groun itsel noting tat oul be alle te suae te naent  Were yo now working troug te sae o a oug eaow Or were you working troug te tos an ie n eigts anoter o plain trees at was tat tere were no trees temselves One oul not say tat tis was one tree an tat one was anoter Te were not iniviuals; tey were one reature s well say tat tis i s a grass  an tat is a grass Tey were entangle n te tik going i you limbed own ar enoug into te sleek darkness yueven still in woul in  bottom groun water Waterit rater n tis no unamental was possible to go own still more unres o eet troug te growing plats an roots never ining any bottom eept a growt too ense to permit er desent And yet te prty wale and sramble an stum

ble along prey well going up an own; now on a go matte sure now along a sparse skeleton o green girders; sometimes skiting large aereal pons 

P E

tht h been built by the ksoies Some of these ons were more thn  hectre in e, quite ee n of  lively sufce both om cretures n from the effect of the swyin suport I will mke my wn wy now," s Rimock the nsel, but I will see you gin this night An lter I will see you on the mountin" An the nse isere s thugh into  ee well n erhs he trvele entirely uner wter thrugh the ee rts of the cmlex Noboy oubte tht he coul mke tter An I will mketime ythn wn coul wy,'' the sity Wlter C erhe the necromncer I hve certin riles t sk the ws n the mountin, n they  nt sek when thers re resent An I lso will see yu severl times befor you stn u in the high lightning When yu hve kille the Devil I will be there I hve l out his entris n emine them before but I hvent unrle ll their riles  I'll hve nther g t t " Wlter Coerhe left them with gret les He ws  got f the tree-ts He is n o one," Thoms si  Im not sure tht  Christin mn is ermitte congress with such" notPul sure tht tin I'm mn," siyu still co nsier yourself  Chris Wht re the hoers?" Thms crie, himself hing wy from Puls question He ws sking bout the leping cretures tht were now ll bout them Theyre frm the size of  rt to the size of  shee, but they ll seem of one secies"

I ont know but things like tht," Scrivener si An I sure o not," si Slier The things in the 

S S

fea egins ae an bscenity t a civiize sns We cass tem wit excement  ee is n ve f wi natue amng te ci vii e ee f stbe Maxwe sai Tese tings ae ess ea tan ceatues in eams I ubt if tey ave  name' eye g t eat Evita s ee sti ate tem wen I was a ki an I ave eaten tem uite ecenty' It's te erusaem cney au sai ankasyu acknwege as e fesing it is Tmas unexecte t get an Its answe t a uestin n stbe" T cney was a cuius ing ceatue mst f tem te size f big abbits sme smae sme very muc age ey went iniscrminatey int te ns an une te wate an u int te ige eaces f te geat accuate tug rus s ticktees tatwit it wu seem a s; snean cu nt avese tee ey wee uick an neite mas n au cu catc ne  ng wit te utcfs an te ambe' sx te cney s te f basis f te ea ans" Pau sai  Eveting ives n em  n tat wic ives n tem Te ie-wves ive  tem as es ce'sante an te yra Te bis ive n tem an a te eats" Te animas sun vey ike tse f Eart Tas sai N Tmas ny te names e ike se f

art n animas Pau at a sai ikeamst tse aun in awe us On WeEt e fs teeyu ae kw t be ee Scrvene a is ike ae cect  

 

ratonal man ha no ne here I kno a lff not a half a from here here there are a thoan keleton hng p on tho he he rok  on an kll people for fn he a them p an hang them there for a ang Mot of thoe one have o lak meat tl lngng to them o to me that n or tme on Earth men kle olve an hng them on ene al a ang to other ove h  the ame here  even the tale that the Kng ok pa a ont to eah rok ho o kll an hang p a man I on pt th a oneke Mlee agant an anmal rv ol homa o hallenge homa the reolf ol take the hea an horn of an Eth o n one t e an the hole o  n to more al are hm he arlon an take the mh larger ramler o n the ame manner n the laza lke to eat people not merel rf them on the l a the rok o  he hra an gole anthng n ater n one te o r everal an t  an nap ten meter ot of ater It ha een kno  to take n one te  men tanng together me tane from the ater' ee n homa porhe'-panther kll an eat the reolf anBtthealllaz-lon an the another the ra telf aron  there are rok tent pee of reatre apale of lng a man p an eatng hm' I ol et that a goo hntng man ol l ve ell here homa a. o tell me of a plente of game It mght e an ntene an rearng lfe

I've lve here melf a a hntng man Pal a   here a fe thoan hnter tll on  troe I lve th them a fe month n m n tme of 13

PAST ER

idin s te ife is intens   Te eds e intn il   ut fo some tey e deep But tose w{1ow te de do not live to  et e But tose men Ae  cetin vo to tem.  suppose te lzus-lio tins so too O Asoe  slt tt hs not lost its svo! Toms cied Te wonde o it. I  felt or ll its mvelous tins tt civilized Astoe ws  little insipid. But it need not e Here is slt or its slting Here is leen enou fo te lump. Well t see to  ette lendin Yo cnnot en tht Astroe must e stil more exposed to its clnds! Scivener exlim  These tin gs re wose thn ny deth  They mst e idden wy orever But re we med Thoms ed omeone w not thining vey hd nd I susect ts  ho  oing wsIm spposed esid tining lwystoed Pl with the sho nie te only tool tht  erllnd hunter will se And I elieve t t Mxwell is . Hes een  hunter in t lest one o his liesects And I m sid vi Tis womnchild s  hunter moe yes o thn you would elieve It isnt fo my own defense cn witch te nimls s f s I m conceits fo the defense of Holy Toms ere Tey ent down touh some levels o te tee complex. Tey cme onto wt ws lmost soli lnd is pesence in iven wy only y tl res tt

sowed still deepe wods o deep oots nd een dness Tee sould   in to  t tis een dness 

PAS SE

homas said Seus mpus wote at eve en vion must have its own spte t would be a wed one to t the geen undewold hee howeve" olored  Call m voie e notnd weirdyet goo'm d homas sue that ' ' spoke Setusa gen m piius wote of me and of you You'e also a spite ut one neve sees himself as suh One believes him self to e a man if he is raised by the humans he geenolored voie ame from a geen-obed monk of the orer of Saint Kingensmith He was a akish manho (andinked yet there was aand touh of deep in his lak at them ginned ndgeen they all stare a im oming on him unepetedly as they id Preseve us this moing fom diwolves and panters an programmed things he lessed them he latter are folowing you you know heyre the arest to evade an the harest to rouse to; they have no sent'' Whatever is a good monk doing n the salty woods of stroe Thomas asked him  Holy Cathead I'm shin of ouse! But what ae ne people like yourselves doing hee hee was an Old Eath Epi Baes in the Woods That is  youseves I am named ather Oddopte of the Geen-Robes and now I see that you ae not odinay ne folks Thee is Mawell the avata who bus up his bodes and we pray fo him hee is vita-hild who has eome something of an ahetype in the salaious deams of the men of the orders and she pays fo us She is a

haater in the folkloe of the feral lands hee is the Paul hom we know He will suffe stark death n following out a mission and will neve e told its 5

A E

pupose  And you si te doubtl Tomas ae a evenant wit a double sign on you e oly Gost cetainly cooses stange instuments ometimes I ink e is out of is mind And te two otes e noting man and te less an noting man. Wic am I? lide asked wit a sou gin O youe te noting man Te ote is te less tan-noting Wat? e uses wt ange? Wy is see trut so adly embaced?' nd civene was inded lusing wit ange. Wat asked in paicula aeMe you sing fo ate dopte? Tomas te evenant witd te double sign on im. oull see te monk said Cicumstnces began to assemble like cawing cows  ou ad doubted te colo of te vitas eyes ow tey seemed now ne ting and now anote? Now tey wee geen geen te geen of spkling an ticipation e monk wound a cod aound is wist and an dled a apoon ting a mete long e peeed ino te geen wate wit cinkling black-geen eyes Ten e dived obes and all as a awk dives powelly into te geen wate And tee was a sudden tubu lence Tee was a stuggle of esounding geat powe unde wate a staling foce skng and uptung someting of vey geat weigt Te geenobe boke wate again d suged up onto te ooty platfo al in one moton e dew up t

cod witimpossible ands andtat wsts suc tefyig smed teyofsould belon g tosize imtat . Teit 

AS S

wter ws bdy d chuig whe he brught the thig t the surce d drew it h ut t ws  t discid thig bc d uiverig, d e third  it ircuit ws grytthed muth t weighed  hudred d y igrms d it cud hve sppe9  m i tw thrugh the tru  ced myse  sherm  Od rh   Thms sid i dmirti but  ever i my ie t s grd  sh s tht Dys  my ie t see it is hrdy t beieve it! Thms," chided butThms the grsshper tht the e greerbe ctches i his m its t use  the h This ist he sh ts the bit The greerbe put three mre hrps it the creture tht ught d gred There ws smethig ese  gret wigs, s it were dee uder wter d gtherig r the uce uwrd the gretest wigs ever The greerbe mde the hr ies st t vrius thic brches d rts His git bit ws threshig d chuig with tw thirds  it i the wter The the grerbe ept t the bt creture shig it deey with  hd ie t bed i sct cur utis rushig eded he us sme  dr rmt irred dtht stred greewih wd d btteed sti Frm  weru udeter rg the creture ws rrig with  rge tht set bth the wter d the i  reeig The greerbe rde d sshed he itchig thig t gret ris  imb d ie

Devi, Devi rse d die cme d d wht thig m '' vit chted ie  iegir rhyme but 7

 

her eyes were gree volcic re  bilo yers od ury" Pu shouted Its risig ike  thuder clp." I kow I kow" the gree-robe crooed oy Cthed it does se st But the st secod is the best" Devi Devil come i hte ke the e Evit bit" the wid-gir chted but her eyes o oger ocused d she ws roze i hyteri he greerobe et cer rom his it-creture t the st ossie secod. he the gret thig swooped d stck wrd  thousd kiogrms o ceter buk tht swlowed the trussed creture i  sige g thirty-meterog tetces tht reched bid or more rey the ig ee i the mide md d ivid with mevoece he evi he mi uk ws ce ot o the wter with the seed o its uwrd srge smsh g thewere suce t wssimuteous t  ightig iistt ut m thigs observed  tht istt ot the est o which ws the ightig itsethe coro ike dischrge d bidig r o the gret se creure. It ws the hdr tkig the it. Now" cged the greeroe with the bery soud o St o which is der wter Now" P croked ike  rmpt urog Now" Evit sg i  voice tht ws gree broze ickled i brimstoe hey hd soke together d o time t  hd elpsed.

he three shttered o them the were otos the beoreitsit thuderous wter it ehyr bck rom 8

PST STR

get sge e wet wt sel es  e d ee d te b bend  ees  te s befoe te teble teta ould be bugt  ee d to  stel ble otg llege g semng tump. e d tumpeted wt n ge nd gon t stbd toug te wole el egon kllng smll bds b te ve pt ofte sem t submeged wt te sng f-bk fom ts get suge; nd te tee ttkes sted wt t ttng nd kng  ne ste e dr sremed nde wte nd e  we t rose n e ge tentes sed nd wrted but no onge wt gret power n tem . e reenrobe nd l nd vt were tro te gnt ee nd nto te bn tng eentess nd fosl vt d te ed nd most of er nsde te bg ee nd e nt me ot oftt vt Devl Devl boom nd bel! Wt vt gve ou Hel !   te wed voe of  smll ld gone md e d-devl groned wt n eong olowess tt sook te wole egon nd ten t ded. W ts s llegoy ted out before m ve ees" oms exlmed nd e ws sng m te pssn ound m. e ws ndng wds to de wt e d sn. no t oms eno t" te geenobe ed

s e e lept bk nto te oot pltfo te lmost ld   de. u wee  Ldn plge 

 

but you never aw o ig and roaing a comedy as tis   man may not do it twice in one day  strong body wil tand it but te eoton wi not It int rea oma aid it cannot be rea It but a grand iuion Lo our Pau a been drained and e rol i eye ie one a dead a e totter bc onto te and Wat i te content and rea ubtance o t ater Oddopter? Wy it te iing o te Devi good oma e Devi mut be ied ares somewere every day I i notint tene? ourHe daysnot be aways at an end Say eyou i a bigever oneetoday a ydra now Some day e is a mad dire-wo Some day e is a porcespnter gone mu e Devi as i everal o but we mut i im every day to imn i mit Our good omas i not beyond ope Pau panted ame You bac rom te deeper adow word to one a eedeep ae not competey revoted oma You were nea as mpaioned as oureve owever you deny it Goden tr be ant yet got you entrey in e eet wes You weaen and you comorm and ty eem to be wnnng you But ti w tand a a ign or you beore you weaen com petely In tis blood be you bleed oma Ye be a da oma growled uneasy and yet omeow caugt up into te boodut o te ting  It s an unnatura atanc ting tat appens ere and you reve n it nd te cd-woman as se gone brand mad?

s poesed  te adbran  nd Evita o te adSe amot dsappeed intogreen-robe te caveou ydradev Se gorged and reveed tere 

PA ER

She hs consored wih he Devil in his oher orms" he reenrobe sid nd here is  curious hred nd ension beween hem I hve never been on  devil-kill wih he child beore b I hve herd o hem She becomes wild someimes Yo cully believe in he Devil here i he erl ns? homs sked  vi wihdrew somewh om he monse Wh n od ellow yo re he reen-ro her Oddoper mrvele  You hve s seen us sly he Devil ndeyes? you Does sk wheer he like be Do yo no believe yor his seem n ordinry cere o yo?"  ow or dinry o corse   Thoms si d wekly  s oh he were pledin  losin cse in cou b by deniion i is wihin he order o nure since here is no oher order Thoms Thoms yo cnno win h lile me even when you mke your own rles I cn ndersnd how o he supersiios or o he inorn" No no ood Thoms Look  i! Te inorn Scrivener nd he supersiious Slider re hs  he violence o h hinind hey ye snd remblin Bu hey do no believe he hlinorn Mxwell lso qukes bu  he only h believes  I is we o he inellec who believe wh we see nd eelh we hve drwn he Devil ro his lir nd killed him You do no believe i?" I do no believe i Toms sid bu he ws no

eelin picully cm Is b  bloody violen nd nerous spo you indule vi hd nlly emered ro he monser lisen 

S SE

ig with loo a gore, a earig a great armloa oDevil rais  She was ishevele, a her ees were completel ma  the i a lash the were o loger a sch thig She came ot o her passio a seizre as easil as she wol leap rom a ee She wike at homas, a roke ito chimig laghter  M sectio o o is a little ieret rom what I plae" she chortle Ill sece o i mi a elie istea Bil I'  o p to qick a r the tallow o, Whoop homasImagie, Bt this awa we poor a ra o ot ororai grow ma too igorat to elieve i the Devil!" o ever ook a Devil rais orsel Do't kock it i o have't trie it  al a  the gree-ro cooke the rais he case them i a all o m, a set it ito a icklstarte a eplosivel irea o oilrippig vies hese re torril hot with staggerig almost emetic smokethe water i them ghtig wth the oil  he whole thig gave o a right ess that was like soim lame he raste the rais roarig or a hor a the the all rst ope with a real eplosio here was the smell o slphr i the air  all was mae rea With ishes o this sort, o like them or o like them ot Scriveer a Slier wol ot paake Mawell ha to orce himsel ter all" hetol himsel the are ol sh rais he rest is t the

ogh a kiig these people ' ' Bt he like them more moreoas he eral ate them homas taste i a srl maer a ot o crio s 2

PAS SE R

iy  Ad te e s oo ed o t it e elcomed tem s oe of e rrest d eties foods ever. Tey etered ito im. A te slt d te sulpur of tem ould std im ell i is cu our e it cme By eig its ris e ould lys ve  cei ms tey over tis eemy. ydr ris ere ko i some of te mod plces of Cosmopolis ut t fifty stoimeof d'or  kil Te price s ig tere  te ris ere ot; me f te ld Devil lys et ut of tem i te mketig dHere ii i s er eti tem ekille kil e kilo to stiety They eee  cmet Tey h their  slt  slpr Wh luhs Wo lhs Ne   ecrmcer lgs like t t s Wlter Cppere h cme t fthe jgle ih eyes fr i t the hyr. e  ko f crse te hur  e plce f the Deil-kill e ld ly ut its etrils d emie tem  try t ridle ridles tere s tough e ere  ld uger.  e s e uilt  so o jugle ic it  cter-pise of d et rces orkedof t lte ife estiig mstervies d disemel it. Te e memers py ithdre  spce d left im it it t s  privte tig tt Wlter Coppered did Tey rveled gi fter tey d st  our or  i te e tl tt sould lys follo  e

mel Te geeroe FterOdopter et i tem e vig o ome d eig so to te e of ever lig is ed i te sme plce for to igts. Tey 3

 

came n ther hnters an shers The came n ne nch wh were iing anses an haing hem   the water This zz Thmas Rirc the anse was a creatre  neect an therere hman  Bt these anses Thma nerst at nce were nt creares  inteect an were n hman The ierence was ce n he ractca ane t the ther was nt cear Th mas was srrise that he et n regnance at seeing them e Nr i he hesitate t eat raw hace ieces ere him  he zze at t Theres a qestin I ar nw hw t as he sai t a W Rimr the anse eat anse He w an he has a sa, t he esnt cae r it mch as its veate n anse esnt nee anse in his iet t theres n regnance n an anse wh has crsse the ine ecmes an entire  anse ierent a natra Hw the new species is creatre acqire rm I  nt nw, t eve secies can el the ierence  rew r instance wi eat a nara anse with as eas a min as he' eat a ersaem cone He  as eat a a nsigre anse s as h e ea a man t he wnt eat him with as eas a min There is a ierence etween nara an transcenent re, an al the meaeaters nw i I is nwn that a animas ae great istre in their mins ater he have eaen hmans, an Rimrc w e hman  his es. The thelg  it is imssile, the green-re said I cannot e tha a creare area in  ie

wil seimes a s an et a aeas oreceive e qie te an caseinteigence with ceain exce ona anses. And I taed o r ren Ric  4

 �

tday He had ge  just a tte whe fre yu ame" They traveed aga Ad the muta s grew hgher ad ame ser. They traveed thrugh te aftestaed aways by he Prgrammed Kersad at dus they ame t Gsr the Cty f the Sa merrs (Here fs Hstry uy gve) The Sa merrs had ther rgs as a uder grud uverstybeevg fratety  u Tw yug erss, themseves dg Certa ataed a revt, hafhumrs, hafdtrare, ad atgether braess, agast the gde medrty f Asbe, the humast aetary deam Severa f these yug ee he (tw etures befre ths teg) estabshed the sm a tw f Gsr ad aed t her mera ata Hutg fames had areted t the setemet fr t was  a way, ea t the Fera Str t was here that he Dsma Swams ad the Ra Frests ad the Savaas a ame tgeter; ad  t std rght at the ft f e ua the t hgh ae f the muta me shaty Gs udg w had thataut was ub a hudre use ee, ryaad aae a g hte ad sers eter. Frm the fudg there had aways bee e Sa merr  resdee at Gsar. Te reset merr was Chares the S Hudred ad Twfth fr  m err had reged as g as a ye, ad may f them

essTe thaautmat a mth. ers ad assged themseves au tmatay t the desu f every regg em 15

PAST SER

 s ae Ks  Ase a e s as aa ssas, as  a  as h ps was   As a    hy   has s   a ha  s awa  aa s ppaa hsls a . O  as  ah Pa K was l h  I ave no been fase o e son

h ss  hs klls was alss a lss Ay ha ha h As ss was h ya  hy wl llw     a kl  hy lmaly al hh a y pss sms l h  yas A psal s was ss y h O wh l a ap  As Da al ly a sly was  l h y h. h Pam Klls l  sy B a h m  h s  ay   h ah  was a  a sa  a was  h sam ass A hy ha ps a kl l h Sal Eps s as hy w ps a wl ally kl y ha mm  h as M pay B h was a play a h sss   Sa Eps a paall ha    kll spes W a   was kl hs pla was as a sal. Kw    a   h a ( s as kw   a w s   a) h Sas a h Usy  W w

w s  sa  ay   s    a w a wa e  a a w  w sa    Gsa   6

AS SER

medtely, wout cpt or t or food or con or ex gent, nd wou ld rive i n wld olr in bout ten our e lwy trveled intuitvely, nce ol  not mpped nd te new empeor would never ve been tere before And o te dyny continued Crle te x undred nd welft d reigned le tn twenty our wen te om More py rived e d ved in e dkne o te nigt beore, nd d been crowned by  dumb brdlmng mn t be itory longily given) Crle te ix udred nd welft w bout eigten yer old  bewilered young mn wit  rgtene mile But e compreende te py even  tey pproced A Emperor  w inued wit cein pecl power of ndertnding e beckoned te py to enter te big nty building, nd ten motioned tem to tow teir ge gnt te wll nd to pred tr for teir bed, for ti w otel  well  royl plce Evit dropped more tn y klo of ydr Devil metroom into te pot lump, boilingmore n tetn middle of te ebig dcommon ced ti er own wegt o very ig met, long wt mny oter tng, or te wole eoon, nd tt over very roug couny e w  trong   polk pony And ten te Emperor Crle begn to give order,  w i oblgtion nd rigt:

e Mxwell, te lder, te Oddopter Pret, te Pl, te om, nd te Devlgirl my ue te com mon room" te Emperor iue ey d not ven  7

 E

im tei nmes; but e ws meo n it ws given im to know wt tings oe  e Besies Rimock  been tee befoe tem n  to Ces te nmes n ence of te membes of te  Te Scvene m not ove te meo continue He m ot use te common oom He must be oge in te sm mcine se; n e wi be fe tee He is not eoe Ae o  Pogmme Peson, Scivene Toms ke im  i not know tt I on'tI've knosusce wete Iitm not Scivene mente notee's  fmi egen tt we ve some Pogmme mixtue But w sou it mtte Tee is e no ieence n onge between Pogmme n Peoe I wis   neve come on tis miseb exeition bu I wi not be tete s n infeio I mmeo te meo nte kow tese tings t bois Ces Six Hune n Twe mintine to te  Te Scvene is  mcine An e wi oge in e mcine se et us not mke  get noise ove  itte ting  t is on tt enitions ve ost tei ecision on Astobe;  one ut of te Sic meo is to cf n efoce tem'' Toms sse ousef n ovee tis out Scvene emne You e n imont mn n  m  membe of ou . 've  m own icuties wit ig ot in note ce  Toms si An te e is o not ovee tem in sm tings it is fcut enoug to

ovee tem inYou getetings  omtte not coss ot on  mino Scvene mino mttes 8

 

So Srinr nt anri to hi oin in th mahin h har th Six Hnr an wth ha bn oihin th k o har th Sixth Hnr an nth th mror ho ha bn murr on th mornin o th rio a b th roramm Ki r h ku ha n art hattr b th mota o an har th rnt ha to work a H ha a ort o hit a that h a in or at an h t th arr i into thramnt brak ita am an ban to aan th mar lanin thm rom ao or an hanin thm t Ho   it that ou ar o hih boo Diki? th oun mror ak hr h aar to b abot th am a but i th n o ita r on art tr, thi wr imoibl h whol a  o k  wo  rott or touhin  a lir i o wr not o hih boo but th m ha in thir nih  What? What? Yo u w th ono o on o thm? n that o i makin o ou a muh on a a a kul an mak  Bt thr i mor than on o thm roonin at ou ! You mtan b r o! So o! hr i har th On Hn wh himl tin at o You r Sthani th rn- qn! But h th wo Hunr an i h i ao himin in and rokin in hi nih  So ou ar Qun Bri i! n har th  h Hunr an itnth i ha at nin our  n  So ou ar Qn an Ma! ow ou you 

a o thm? I a ou Diki   wa riht But th a o ou 9

PAST R

 ws  wee e v sd. u you wl oce  Cles e Tee uded d Tee  ued s fce o e wll Poo Cles  ws ll  msudesdg Cles elly  ws Ad e souds mde by wo oes e o ppy oes. I ve bee s my bd quees s I ve bee good oes I come oe bck o osl o eew myself. Ive e  lo o quees. Be oe moe Cles ced Te Odope pes wll my us  oce. O o mysel my dys o queeg  e oved I ve commed o e Toms Adveue I wll ollow  he sevel mohs ll I m elesed om  y hs de  I doub  you wll sll e lve he Chles  u I my come d see The skulls mde  mpessve show  he ces o he de wll No ll sx huded d eleve wee eehee Tee  ces c hee o Tese em wee ssg d weewee empy o em e mpeos w d ee mudeed y eg kocked om hg peks o deep ves o d bee bued beyod ecovey  e ps o wo d ded  some oe deosg dveue  he hds o e Pog mmed Klles  Bu mos wee hee d ey povded e memoc o e ge emembeed ol hsoy o e dy • Moe  oe of you ee s  Tib Chles sd   •I  mpeo so  m gve uo u suc gs Te Mwell leves bodes d m d e Toms leves eds ed Te v s lved oo

log ocs  soow yougdod s less  e oe youI uded do  blckeed kd? • Do you o le yg  e uves y 

S S

Cyby? s skd im Vry lng lif s bn pssib n Astrb fr tw undrd ys y rmin n t dg f t brktrug ty sy But spil brktrugs v bn md ll trug ts  undrd yrs  I m n f tm But w wnts it? ty sk Nin ut f tn prsns n Astrb s fr trmintin lng bfr tir nrml lif trm is run y fnd lif s wrying t Gdn pl! Hll I dnt rftin is llt mr ying t mr it is prftd I tll Hly ms tt tis ting nd nt t Ctd Bi Frl rvlts is t siknss f And strb nd ppl rStrip s wry f prf tin tt ty sk trmintin t lir nd rlir gs  Mny nw sk it s smll ildrn Wt is s prft but  lif tt mr nd mr ppl rfus t liv? I frgt yur lgnd Dvil-kid t Emprr Crls sid tug I m rin t I knw it n I d t study  gnds f Asb in sl Is tr nt smr in it t prs t g t Hll in  nd-bskt? Ys tr is Crlyby I ws nv in my mtds nd in my dirtin f rvt Evit sid   trs sid tt tr s n Hll nd n Dvil nd ngrd mntt I kn tt wr wrng  d tis sm prsnl witty bt y sid Itt tr ws n sin In prtiul ty sid tt ildrn wr nt bl t mmit srius sins; nd in tis  knw tt t trs wr sinlly wrng I didd t g t Hll t prv tm wrng  didd t nd t Dvil  Wt  fund rst s t ld

Evil Sintist fgn d s ntrivd  mn tt  ws  burlsqu f imslf Yt  ws  tru sintist nd  uly vil mn  I nsd wit im nd  did giv m 

S S

long life and an introduction into certain aspects of evil I was one of the frst successl experments in longev ity It takes a deep well of bodily and psychic energy to mae it work, and I had it. t that time I thought that he was the Devil himself, and that I was Faustina and had made a Devil' s· bargain  ell he  as sound in the biology of the thing, and he gave me what I wanted. There isn't much demand for it now  Etea youth who wants it? is the sneer. I did and do wat it. or sevral centuries I have had it h the my Holy Thomas andwillothers smile aTey doeven not believe legend . They not believe legend when they see it in the fesh.'' "Quicksparrow, you are n yet twenty years, Thomas said. Good Thomas I am more than two hunded  the vita answered. "Well, I committed all the oldfashioned abominationsdin pride my sech for Hell I and indulged in foication and unkindness intellectual contempt But I didn't nd Hell imediately. There is another legend aout the boy wh had to go cle around his planet to come to his own house. Then he recognized it for the rst time. I am the gir who did it and I dd nd Hell. Goden sobe of the rea is that Hell I don't lie it, and I never will but Hell exists  But Golden strobe is erfect, childwoman Thomas insisted  It is all pefections rolled into one .  Sure i t is good Thomas, all rolled into one pacage

ad tied with awho golden ribbontoI an had ben y teachrs use words thetriced opposites fase So have you en ticed, homas, and you should  

PST R

 neen fr a e  e em s msuse e e em ca ns wa ey w f e aed n and e Bar n are He e  am fr He  a er He cmes an Bu  w n accep s ex reme a He  e Vsn fden A srbe  ses  bw s u sus  e rws f candes  Tere were rws f candes e n e b sany m r aw apes a ea here n e pace a was rya paace and pubc use and snne rs' cener ere n e b rm a cud seep peraps weny pepe candes uwd nw and enAnd fre erws rmfwas bady were caedbwn and e ad rsen usde A man came n Te ss are bad n Emperr e man sad  Tey ae jus een a e es f my wfe and ef ny er bnes e  'm wrn  n a n 's c a aans em bu  dn' ae  n sa ye ' sad Emperr Cares e Sx Hundred and Twe Te sus f e d emprrs are suppsed  nspre me   bu s f  e nn bu bbes  uess e ss w jus ae  be bad n 'm ndDemea f ad se's e man sad as ene  yda une f e cmmn p w f e b wden frs bu ' U mss er sme mes e fu a  bu ere was neer anyne s muc fun   w Nw  dn' ae anybdy a s e s b?'' Tmas ased as e as bean  dp Demea u f e p w a wden

fr Ten ey a an  dp  u and  ea Te s ae e same r ams e same as e Taibe e reenr aer Oddper sad Yu 

S S 

bing on Thom should kow a ittl what thy ar  Thy a animals or craturs or bings rippd out of thir contxt and st to wandring Thy ar most otn invisibl and at thir mst slid manifstation thy a still transparnt or at last slightly translucnt as ar you by candllight Thr ar such indd Thomas askd  O a thy mr couny tals Thy ar ral and many of thm a angy at thir misplacmnt Will a coutry ta at all th sh ff a prson and lav onlythatthis possibl bons'' too th ll grnrob asd Wll I ghss things a Of ths ghos  howvr namd w can only say that thy b In th ly Natural Historis of sob thy wr givn spac Now ty a not But thy a craturs with minds suprior to thos of aimals and of th ordr of mn  Thy hav bodis  howvr fragil and changin gThy had andflsh flt Thy hav kill d andhav thyn havsn bnand killd  Thir has bn in that vry pot thr but it stamd away to nothing laving only an oma Thy hav citis and sttlmnts Most on thy a rluctant to approach human sttlmnts (it may b u that thy a kpt off by splls) but somtims thy do com and at flsh all th flsh of a rson clanly and rapidly Is suprstition compltly rampant in th boon docks of strob Thomas dmandd Why ys I suppos it is th grnrob said Th psychic forc th libido is complty rampat hr that I know Onc I bliv that was t on Old

Eah Old Eath a itYou lingrd forgtlong thatinth thtaming fcas ofand th Haitis natur of of this world has bn of a v sho tim Th fral strps 

S SE

are he owerhouse of Asro hey e he ey o he weaher, and o he feiiy of he land o he war and o h_ waer owr aso o he ower fro h grian sun  hey r also, I lie e, h sychic owerhouse of Asoe, hough heir huan rsons e fr in heir housands han is ciiized Asroe in is illions  Ys, suersiion is  srong here, hoas "If hre ersons of h fral sris iagine a hing songly noug h (howr on srous i ay ), tey can bing i into being hey can creae a coingen ody for any hing hy iagine, and I wil inhai id y cerain unodied sis hre. hasen don. I ha held do i. hn childrn of he fral sis lay onsrs, hy a onsers ha can  sn and selled, and which on occaion ha ean h u. "Yes, hre ar all iroaly rsons and anias, siris and hfsis, clean and unclean; h ar chys of fol dras; hey are here aie, and oen shd  Her hr is suersiion (he yondlif or orli) as a shaggy and ungn hing ha laes foorins and fangrks Ery hough or inling, surssd as iaonal in raional Asroe, cos ou her who and assus lesh. hy,and hr is a sockredr hre rds, iros, slaughrs for ro a craur ha had is orgin in h nigares of Goldn Asoe I was anned her y grou heray . I cae ou here ad eca hysical fac "Fahr, fahr, hr ar no rains in your head, hoas chided. "I see ha I will ha o quaranin

hse regions uch ore ighy if I do coe rsi� den o As "And  el you, hoas, ha he ciiiz d world of 

 

robe i really o no onequene he greenrobe aid I i bu a hin yellow ungu growing on a p o he hide o he plane Should hi haggy old orb hiver i hide unommonly bu one he Golden robe iviliaion would be deroyed inanly Ble hi mea! I goo " would be an a o hiy o exerminae all he poor benighed peron in hi area, and I will have o have i done Thoma aid "ye, he mea i good  "Youll rn ino rouble wih he eologi i  you go o exerminaing all The he eral people hehuman Emperor Charle poined ou everal houand in he era p are par o he balaned eology o obe Deroy hem and he balaned plan and animal ie will go ou o balane hi grea ie or ivilied robe would be hanged and perhap ruined The ieni do no wan ha We mu be le here in onidered uh number a we mainain hey ay Bu we e no a human  We e raher animal o hem animal among animal; we are under he wildlie deparmen "Foxirk,  a beer lump in he ool han he pak  you an ay in a nigh' alk Thoma aid angrily "and Im alled o do i ow Begging your pdon bu I mu go o he henry r i i alled he harle in hi realm, Emperor? "Call i  wha you wih Thoma, he young Emperor aid  nd en he winked a Evia a wink ha wa lik lighning beween hem, and Thoma augh i Wha i he leviy here? he demanded ill more

angrily an hone man go o the heny wih ou being Canno moked? I i  only ha here i  a iien o Golar wih an  6

PAS SE

unusual means f livelih  he Emrr sa  is a rae ha has en passe wn frm faher n We will be lsenng fr he ll f yu vce g hmas'' An hmas wen u puzzle  he hen he man wh ha l hi wife all excep her bne) w brugh n a litle bael f green lighnng She i s lve  ge fxy n i he man sai an she wll n be usng i nw We wll  hi nigh  my excep her bes) prase bu her if we can nls anywife wrs f praise fr heran  cann me f yu e beer wh wr han  am   lie her bu  can' hin f a hng  prase her fr  yur wfe excep fr her bnes sang Eva an le he lile barrel n very srng hans  rin frm he bung he Emrr Chale  he same hng an he greenr Faher per an Paul. Bu neiher Maxwell nr Sler was able  raie he bael  rinng heigh an s were bre m paricipang  Any her Bang Bang Yu brach a bung an here're w wh will be here mmeiaely f heyre anywhere be fun Cpperhea e necr mancer anRimc heWaler ansel were in he hany rm  Cpperhea raie he bael high an ran eeply Rmc wh ha a pecula physique i i in a way ha migh seem aww  a man bu he i i cmpeenly an gurglngly "Where have yu fellw been aul ase

Killing whpe Yu' nne f yuKllers be alive Cpperhea h nigh if we an Yure careles n yur wanerngs 7

AS SER

 That i a babaou way to dink it anyhow  Side moaned bady hu that he wa bed fom the fetivity by hi bod ly weane.  In civilie d obe the mee touh of the eectode o electic needle will give a much ne effect the golden glow. What ae you pig that you wig intoxicant in phyical fo? "Huh halfman the Empeo Chale commanded and he aied hi hand. "We liten nd then came the high angy it of the voice of Toma the little heny out back oya hack. lfom the futation of the age wa inofthattheou denunciation that Thoma wa ooening on omeone Evita and the Empeo Chale and the geenob and the man who had ot hi wife except he bone al went into pam of laughte. Cophead goatguffaw wa one of the gat thing and the pimodia gigge of the eanic the compehenion ofRiock common wa eaomething beyond  What i it? ' Paul chuckled I hate to be left out of a thing  "Why Paul  thee i that citien of Goa with the unuua livelihood te geenobe cholted hadly able to contain himlf a the Thomavoice oe even highe. He it on the pot day and night and thee i but one pubi pot in the City of Gola He wil not move to give place till he i paid a coin. Theat and beating wll not move him ny a coin Hea good Thoma ! What a ine any voice he doe have! But the citien of Gola ha him whee it hu''

h youef top it. Riock! Evita laughed. You'll ptue with that giggling' 28

 ER

hat a rgion! ' ' Pa sighd with a bron grin    cod amost agr with Thomas that it shod b mor tighty qantind Thr is crativ thining at wor in this, thogh  m not sr that 'v vr mt its qa in civiizd so Th angry voic of Thomas had did down to a bittr gmb nd aftr a bit, Thomas cam bac into th big room vry rd in th fac Dos anyon hr hav a stoimnof d'tain h d ot of his rd stony fac Paingav him strb, on t was pwtr cointhodoarsma va civiizd bta apparnty ins hr in th fra stps. Thomas wnt ot ag ain t is rsmd that h paid th coin to th citizn of osar, was givn accss to th pot, and rivd him sf H did at any rat, rtrn to th big room in somwhat bttr hmor, and yt wih a cain rsrv, as hogh dfying thm a to carry it any frth t a rminds m of somthing   Thomas smid, thogh his smi was nary as crood as that of Pa and thr was sti a bittr rasp to his voic  t rminds m osomthing for which  cannod a nam  sti biv that th Vision of odn strob is th pfct thing, and thatbow th xtravagancs hrt in th fras th ar monsrositis th hman v pras odn Prfction shod b sspndd for abot fiv mints a day for th rfrshmnt of th so Ys, prhaps it shod Thomas was ab to ift th ba and drin from th bng, and it oosnd him a itt. rn ightning is fn

whn th Godn Prfction is not immdiaty at hand Evita tod th  story of th Dvi and th if from  29

 

Clpeppe of what soveni she took fom him with a shap knife and why to say hng like the Devil means halfhng The geenobe told abot the alien fom Gootz who came to that vey hotel in Gosl and elaxed in a pil e in the middle of the floo e they thoght he was a geat wheel o cheese lying thee nd they sliced him p in a hnded slices and each citizen ofGosla ate one That alien fom Gootz still aises hell with all of the He cannot pll himself togethe and he eses to be ejected citizens have a ceain geen look on thei ll faces That ofGosla is the eason The Empeo Chales the ix Hned and Twelfth told one Wate Coppehead told abot the fellow who coed th woman to get to examine he entails  Ill pt them back  he said Ill pt them back and sew them in again  I jst want to go ove them once  No no no the lady said Boy I thoght Id had some wooly popositions befoe Pa told one The man who had lost his wife (except he bones told one nd Thomas told a concatenated dolley wit all the obscene ps in atin Riock told one an oceanic spoof so o that it took the beath away and tned the live geen Then the bael was empty t that moment the night gd of Gosla blew one blast on his tmpet to indi cate that all was well with the night n ae a mo ment he blew a little scry to indicate that it as not so well as all that that things wee powling The Empeo Charles and all the traveles went to

sleep in the fom stawtime (a sleep boen only by tickles the gggling of Rimrock to time: if something one of those ansels he stays ticked qite a while) and the 3

 

sklls of ve hnded and nineynine empeos ee empyeyed in hei niches on he all. Golden sobe as a ceae h a fai fce fo all men o see B o be hind she had a si ng in he ta i.

3



7

O  U D R MOU A 

They wkened to tumpets Some were mde trumpets indeed bown by the night gurd nd the dy gurd chnging pces nd by the specil honor gurd nd some were trumpeter birds set to going by the instrumentl tumpets The trumpeter birds were of better tone nd timbre. The Emperor Chrles ros grndly to begin the second ll dy of his reign if it should prove to be  ll dy Not for thiy reigns hve tere en so mny grnd people in the court t Gos t one time" sid he Sike  medl for it mn.  I dont know how to strike  medl for it" h mn sid. If you nd somone who does tel him to sike  medl for it" the Emperor sid Put my own n hnd on it d the motto ey Come o Me Le Eagles here is  ded sint from Old Eh th DevilkidWhy of Astrobe necomncer of unlikly pow-

ers  trnscendent nse  priest of Sint Klingensmith n vtr who bus up bodies nd pilot Pul who is  brokenfced old wrlock  Not for thirty rigns hve there been so mny grnd people t court t one time nd not for thirty reigns hs there been so hnd-

some n Emperor t thehs hdtheof thirty the cou. How long  time reigns been? Thoms sked him 3

AS SE

  t has bee what we call a ra pid year, the Emperor said, perhaps the most rapd ever. The greero Father Oddopter ofthe order ofSat Kligesmth sad mass for al te people  Gosl ar ad all the ople who came i at the ews of t, a lttle over a udred people i all t was a simple ad clear mass wth a surprisgly telliget seo ad the ucay miracle came skgly ad vvdly alve at te cosecrato ]t was as thou the Heaves oed o commad ad the Sprit came dowwc s wat aped Eve the skeptcal Thomas felt te stirrigs of fath i imself aga. t was a mraculous mog, so wy ot bleve  mracles aga for a hile? As he sai, Thomas ofte redscovered is belef for a little wle  the mogs. What they do here at Goslar, the greerobe told Thomas aer the mass is set up a toke realm tll the real shall be redscovered Ad te reaiy will be redscovered, ad te golde pasy will pass Happy death for you good Thomas. You are too rapd to wish happy deaths to per sos, the Thomas sad Ad the mass this moig was day' a veryTwas old oe . For here preset who will this meat tothose be adessed to a world addie ot to small Goslar of uder oe hudred people where it is very ulikely that ay will de this day. t was addressed to your py ad to myself, of whom several wll die this day ere  ot cea of ts,  would have sad aother mass of the day  Ad the

ecromacer also sys that the most of us who go to the mouta wll die ths day. t was a prety thg, t was a pretty complex of 33

PAST E 

th ings , '  Th omas sai d  his early-mong faith gan to withdraw from him again. As a child I lived it and as a young man I still respecte it I n my matuty I still call it the Nobles of all Superstitions The Church of the Saints lived quite a long while, and historically I seem to have an ironic p in it It died· meanly in ciilized Astrobe I understand but I believe it will die more quietly and halessly here in the ferals Y who ae to de this yer know that it will not die at all homas And know also that nothing dies quietly set on to here shrill ifinit te be ferals klled, Wateer and it willisretu lfeshiek againad and agan Even the meanest reptle dies hd in the ferals and should a great thing do less? It will not lie down ad die quietly  but wh y ar you so a frad of ing  sociated wit supesttion? Is it not a superstiton of your ow n to clim b the mount an ?  Pehaps it is green monk It is a iner compulsion of mine ad I must do it It is on this one ting that I fault the citiens of Golden Astobe: they ae neer li fted up their eyes to te mountans  They are like blin d men in tis  but where e they mstaken? What if all in a world were blnd to color except cein small boys? That, I beliee, is the case on Astrobe; but it may make the colorgaing a mere boyish thing What is the good of gaing at a pile of rocks? I will leae off such boyishnes afte  ecome world president  Bu t this day I am hooke on the Mountan Bat We be on our way good Thomas Rmroc the ansel inteupted  "If  go up the munt n  it wi l be  a watery way I know on the inside of it u the mothe

sping or it is a mountanfull of water The Cop perhead will be on the mountain to fore you and  3

A 

will pefom cetai abomiatios thee Ad the he will leave We ide shotgu fo you this day agai" But it wil ot hep geatly Most of you will stil die o the moutai," Coppehead the ecomace said d the two of them wee goe Shal  kill the Scivee thig i the machie shed the Empeo Chales the Six Huded ad welfth asked No, of couse ot, homas asweed shaply Releaseofhim e t Hewas is oe of amy advisos membe ytopaty athe cue tick toad shuta hi up i the shed last ight ad  do ote d such oya wit tedious But h is a machi ad ot a a, the Empeo isisted Ad as a machie he has, though he may ot kow it a sede i his head t woks without his kowledg whethe he is aslep o awake t is his code sigal ad evey Pogammed Peso (eve if he be iteths huma ad oeteth Pogammed) has it t is by this code sigal that the Pogammed Kiles s o easily tail you t is suicide fo you to climb the moutai you kow that, homas he ogammed Kille wiltap" ecicle the piace ad have you caught i the tall  woy abou them ot at all '  homas said   am a special case ad  may o t die till my ow special time has come''  Ah, but they wil ill membes of you pay Pomise me this, that you will at the appopiate mo-

met kil the Scvee ad cast him ito a vie to misead the Killes, ad the t make you moutai climb quickly i the iteva." 35

AS SER

 I wil n cas ne f my wn mers  he dgs. We wi limb e munain as hugh here were n such hings  he Kilers and fr me here are n I rea hey wi kil members f yur pay hmas And severa f hese e smeimes cizens f my ream I wil chge yu wih heir bld" Yu will charge me wih nhing Charles. u are ny a uzzfaced by playing in a cuere backyard. Yes I suppse ha sme members f my py wil be murdered by he Killers S e i be I wil be a winnwing clansing Thse wil whn die  ilfalse be hse wh deservea  die I mysef  he visin. Il blazn he m n my wn breas The Kilers srike ny hse wh are a hrea  he Glden Life f A sbe Id kil hem  if I knew which hey were I wecme he Kilers They seen  be misaken as  my wn kiling rle nd heycmes e inhiied acualy mepurpse when hebuime If herefrm are enemies f he Grea Thing in my ay le hem die  ' ' I expel yu frm his realm Thmas Mre he yung Emperr cried sharply Yure a mre mechanical hing han any machine Yu're a sing puppe ha's lef ff being a man Wha visin culd anyne be fhful  wh wuld sel his wn brers and parisans  he Kilers? I hugh yu were a man and yu are nly a mannkin Yur manspars were ef behind when hey brugh yu frward hrugh ime Yu sink up my wds and swamps ake yur machine hings ad yur cravens and g We will see if

heWha? real ple flw yu Im aghas Yu g wi him Devikid? Hes whess yu knw 

AS S 

Yes I go wth hm Chles 62, ad I cat make you uderstad   Eta sad  He s o t etrely worthless or ot foreer e oly seems so ow. Yes hes become a dul ump of metal ad wl eer see for a kfe ow. But he wll see for somethg ese. Ie folowed worse to the ed ad hs ed wot be ery og ow Not  the feras  t sure wot be ot  Gosar  the Emperor sad But you others wat wat! How are you so wrog? Te Pau ad the Oddopter go wth hm Why? Why? Youoff hae hed hm thow  wth also. the Thgs ad eae beg a ma Ad I hae heard dst bels tog ad see a world arse  the sg of the Rollg Head C hares  the greerobe sad easly Belee me there s more here tha s apparet Its my busess to be wth ths lost sheep ths day  He s the wooly ram wth the dou ble sg o hm He s  Scrpture Ad he must  saed ot for hmself but for the double sg o hm. But t s to your ow death atherOddopter! A s the Emperor I am ge sghts  ad I see your death today because of hm Ee  myrdoms there shoud be a cea ecoomy Do ot sacrce the wohy for the wohless No ma who swells up  such towerg ager as the Thomas does ow s wohess Charles He s a cloud full of lghtg ad ot at all as facle  ths as he seems to be I wl stay wth hm ths day" I say hes full of hot wd ad othg else sad the Emperor Charles. He ca ot lghte ad he caot

thuder. He o cawooly bu t me  hs wrogess . I say h e s a wether ad ram  Were I ot suddely caught  my ow uce aty  37

P E

I see with u zface homa sai cose I was never one to  ceain that 1 w right for ong an Im not ceain now He is an instment, hares r to unetan that sai Pau n I wi sta with him aso he Emror hares withrew in azing sience He ha Scrivener reease to them an his contemt for them scorche the ve gass when he i so he membe of the  not ver cheer or much in accor gan the ascent of Eecic Mountain  were hame a the i not now of what Yet i was a stimuating mon g an  chaenging cimb n the athtreat dd ca up excitement in most of them Maxwe an Sier int ie it But there was a curious change in Scrivener, who was perhaps a Progr me Person his is mItest homas the Scivener as the cim have en rethining thingssai a the night Whether I am a Programme Perso or an orecension huma I o not now nor how much I ma be of each  But I ve foun something out here that tes me that ou oursf e wrong to ho the Dream of sobe as pefect It is not  It is on haf the thing It must be conoine to some other thng that I o not nerstan et Perhaps after a we must i he evi aesh every a You are an oine hum homas  et I accuse ou of setting the human thing too ow an the mechanica thing too hig So there are machines that wa ie men these severa hunre

ears an swing perhapsagainst I am one of them But there are aso men who thei own in an beco me 38

AST TER

mr rsns f  mcn n t mcn tm svs  yu nt  n f tm S, t Prgrmd Krs unt dwn nd  ny s w r  trt t t Asb drm And yu  v tt ty w dscunt m  n trt  w s w ty w  nd w ty w ss by wn ty v us n t tr r yu d us t t trng ms  t yu tt  v bcm  bng trt t n  f t tsy tng y cm df Andwy tn ty  vgtn nd cmd cm mr mrsty srs Nw ty wr cmng  vtwr f mgm nd rn rug nd s nd bddrwng Abv tm t muntn sr ws  nnc s  cnst mgt rw n sr nd nd s  bursqu f  sr, nd w  c wt dugnu cud ncrcng t nd sttng dwn  trd f t wy m t t  grnrb cugt  mmr's ndr n  ung nt y tr t  nd t t rw t ws t mdmng, nd ty d n cmbng d  r s ntr dugnutsd cu d rund  sr, Evt sd Krs t s v ccm nnnd   Prgrmmd fubw us nd v t  suundd y cmb nt s fst nr s w s w d, but ty cmb mr rntssy nd ty d nt rs s snt t dt  d nnd fr us , Hy ms Nvr mnd, sd ms  w rst And

tn w w  sc nd gn  Ecc Muntn, ty c t, d ty Ay, t tngs nd s fu f srs 39

T TE

There w a excitement eneig them all a they rested there  There is a story hat one of my grndmohers old me when I was small civener broke in with a nevous halfmeallic voice "It is om her; I believe that I have m mechanical descent. In he early days she said the mechanica men her own people wished that they had a mythos as the humans had: a mysique a god or a founder hero a sleeping king perhaps. This of course was before he humans had given up he old hero les enirely Eey OldEah Nation my andmother told me had its mythos of a sleeping king who would one day awaen and le again in a new golden age. Of sleeping kings there was laic the slay of ome who was buied undeeath the Buseno iver (is course changed for the burial and changed back again o flow over him) and heelemen was to aise i again and lead the Gohic ha from shaggy hingone thatday is he bais of a dozen oples . There was hu of Ban in kingly sleep in an ensorceled room a he boom of a lake There was Bian Bou of the Iish buried on horseback in a pi wih gea sones heaped aound him ad when he wakened he would scatter the sones and ride agin. There was the Cid of he panish no buied a all but riding forever a horse in deahsleep over dark moors in Esemadura. There was Barbossa of he Geanies asleep at a table in a cave in amounain and his beard grown hough he able  There was Henry of the Tudors immured in a room with sx wives and they not in accord Thom

laughed There was Kennedy of the Norhmericas idin 

T TER

orever i a o auomoie i a oscure pace, Scveer coued here as Roadom the eay eeooter Kig o Asoe ad a scatered Eahs, mooed i ukow orit i his sma spaceoat the Sa King A o hem ae o retu ad ead their peope oce more. How ca peope o themseves withou some such mythos? The eay mechaica me o Asroe wished to d such a eged i their pas. They eeded a seepig kig or heir ow sodaty They se o O d Eah to see kig i they some asuch mechaica seepig ocoud heir o owd to uid myhos upo. They we ackwad ad urther ackwad through ads ad times to d the rst mechaica thig tha hey cou regiy They setted o a od sma roke gea trai that ad ee ake rom a Egypia tom. It had hardwood cogs ad roze eaigs. Its use was ot kow. It was a cumsy thig  ut it was the eariest thi g they coud  i the e mechaica spirit They rought it to Astroe ad said that it was heir seepig ig  They said that it woud awake oe day ad ead them. Ad the huma peope sickere at hem, at us, or it.  The e, the Ceesia away suchOude toys ascam at, Oude sai . Nothigess I am your god Put ad your kig' Ad so he has ee god ad kig or a Programmed Persos om that day ti this. Ad quite soo he wi e god ad kig o a eigs o  every sort. But we were his rst peope we the mechaicas He grows ad grows ad a the oher kigs die.

But ast ight I rejected him! I thought aout it a the ight ad I rejeced him So wha am I ow? I am ot machie ad I am o ma. Wha is e to oe who 4

S S

as rd imsef of te deied otigess? I caot  e wit otig It was te Notig tat I rjected Tere was o respose to tis srill little pleadig of Scrver Tey al lookd at im wit lfsut eyes tat fgteed im Scrveer ad come alie to ot is recesios Ty ega to clim agai Asto ow tm was a golde ae ad grery uderat te gold But r t air ad ecome lu Like Ea air omas tougt y ad ascdd at least two vertical distac spire waskilometrs iegular iad roug r Te asmouta alays adold ad footold ut oft of slasg sarp ess Ad ig aov tm o a outcroppg tr stood a oy or a youg ma  semd  spirmirag for tre ar suc But ow ad  got ter ad tey ot see for? Itim is my rotr Adam Evita said  love m ut  is a ad ome is comg aways sigfies dat usually is ow ut  o taks otrs wit im  comes ofte durig tims of riss ad e dis i oody attles for wat  lieves is  cause e is very good at dyg  does it a lot T dougutsaped cloud aroud t spir ave tm ad tued gay ad lue ad lak I was full of sparks ad re It was ow a electric torus A Commer' s Codor swoopig very ar to tem o lack wigs cried out croakigly  omas Mor is a k!

Wat dida ird? at ow flowcould say? Tomas soutd  Was e ot e cr out at me? But I ead im ad saw im' No, you didt Tomas te geroe said 

AS S

 ou dd leve he hgs ha you dd se yeser day ad he gh; ad ow you see ad hear hgs ha e o here Ths was hallucao From here o up we   he rego of hallu cao  The mos raoal ma ever bo, f he asced here wll suer such  They e fuffs of balllghg hoverg abou Elecc Moua hey e wd ad spk ad chged a The shas hey e ae h objecve ad suecve  Oe ca sha hem a lle wh oe s ow md  oce me a kg hose o he rdge r gh above us ad alkg horses spre' e o able o scramble up hs hgh o he They came up o he boy Adam ad he joed her pay slely So hadsome a boy, hough hs sser Eva had oce sad ha he was compleely empyeaded Never md he maaed hs slece so who should kow? He moved wel he clmbed well,  was sad ha he ded well He could have bee he saue Greek Youh excep ha he seemed Jewsh e spodelod ad seor apezus he bowbedg muscles) were well developed ad he bow had ever bee used o Asrobe Ah he was old sauary all rgh que wel doe He was ude ad obody oced Had hehey bee we ude u  al adhsupoher Theymafesaos? came hrough he gray os cloud ad o oher clouds ha were gag The coeal layou was ope below hem  was ow clear ad brgh below hem, ad msy oly  he lle coe above hem Wh a shver of umph hey came o he op  was

alooked crookedshaped plaeau ha lke spoge ad smelledaofrorock ozoe  Adslope someoe had e here fore hem very recely The oe who hd bee here was boh ecromacer 

AS SE

and hauspex and his ecent studies wee still sped out on the ionock But how had Walte Cophead gotten thee befoe them how had he slipped down though them again how had he avoided the Pogam med Killes if he had avoided them) and how had h managed to slay a giant ouk? It was the entails of a ouk the lest bid of Asobe that wee spead out thee. lephant enails wee as nothing to these. Suely he had found the answes of ddles hee If they e not in the enails of ouk killed and spead out d sudied on the top of lecc Moun tan  then they ae not anywhee in the a of hauspices. Bless him I love him and he loves them" vita said. I'd leave him my own did I know that he will die befoe me" And anothe sot of entails wee spead out fo them to seedank It hadincome on st a s they stood thee and they the view as dusk though it wee new apple wine. It was tne enals of the planet low them. Thee wee the Feals and the Gle and the Stng of Cities Thee was the blackeen Astobe of the fe stip they had just avesed and the golden Asob of the cultivated egions Thee wee the geat golden cities at thei close intevs And thee was black Cathead and the gay Baio. All of them giant thin s! The banch of the sea that cadled Wu Town and ended in a splinte of esuaies and canals at Cathead was a blackbue geen monste withing with stength and dotted with huge seahavestes Thee was Cos

mopolis standing and wide in a special golden halothe he ofhigh civilized Astobe  The Repaation Towe which you see on the east  

AST STE

e frnge tere is te igest stcture in Cosmopolis vita said t was uilt aout a undred years ago y one of my sos wo w planet president He ad some ad ideas and e did not in spite of te Reparation Tower) offer enoug repration  ave ad ad luck wit my sons wo acieved worldpresidence.  ave not muc more ope for my dopted son Tomas ere Te atcild'' Tomas asked Paul and te greenoe in an aside is se really of an unnatural age?  don't know Tomas te grenrobe said Tirtyfve years ago wen  st saw er se was of te same apparent age as now Rememer tat almost evething is possile'' Rememer also at se lies a lot'' said Pal One could almost see te feral strips feedin he cultivated Astoe and the golden cites wit teir con oled countepoint ecology Te muscles and te nerves and te veins of the planet were revealed from his eigt One could see te lack cancer of Catead eatingyet intoas the and tead seasaid and te clouding te Asa And te land geenoe civilized troe was only a tin yellow frot on a small pa f tat world Te old oranimal ad ut to siver its ide and all would e goe And it looked lke a hidesivering evening lectric Mountain could e climed; it took noting

ut sength and endurance and a little care But could anyone ever clim Corona Mountain tere tat was seer and overung and apaed on te verge of top 

 

png? Or Magnetc Mountan? Great Sky over us  look at that tor Or Dynamo Mountan (whch had been the femnne one n the mythologes and the other three her consorts) whch was hghest of them al who should mb her? Thee four hgh spres were known as the hunder Moun�ns a statlng group In the rough damond bet we n hem was a country so harsh as to make even the feral srps ook tame Ths was deeply muscled country that had snuous depths and nvolved hls and rampas It was prototype nghtmareIt country was bgger wooler was heapwhere upon evehng heap and spres rsng and n clusters to the crossbutessed heghts of the moun tans  And now as he darkness began more to deepen a the hgh places were outlned wth an electrc blue glow It upls the soul Thomas sad wth some we  Betoceful lttle Evtajbd of What has uplft do wth theThomas golden  medocrty Asrobe? Wth the blessed levelness? And the soul Thomas s t not an obscenty and a superstton except for a lttle whe n the mong? Push me nowt so f bratchld I say me my words and I thnk me my thoughts but to what shoud they coespond? And yet I can see that when I become word presdent these hgh feelngs wll have to be eveled down They become too ch for the magna ton. Aye  Thomas youl tel the mountans to le down ke puppes" the geenrobe sad And the ght-

nng  you n conoled  sheath  Do you not know thatwll ths te aso tstoaget paback of the ecoogy of Astrobe? The hgh wd feengs atact a very small 

 

numer f persns, and hey repel he hers And nly a ve smal numer f persns are needed here fr he alance. The persns wh hd hese al feengs are regarded as anmas amng he anmals, pa f he faunaaance f he wd lands Even he hgh gh nng here whch yu wl e amed a very sn) s eaed as a cmmdy lke any he cmmdy. I s packaged and shpped dwn  glden Ase, packaged as ranapped nrgen and shpped y naul w  he umae cnsumer Tha s all  sfrm u flashyvewpn, packagen fm mneu  doe cme n a And ve sn he lghng dd egin n specacular eaes Cna munan drew ls u  fhe sk ha appad a hundd klmees lng Th prsns f he pay semed ransparen  nely llumnaed fm h nense glw f  I s dd when yu can see he ns f skull and cage f a cmpann y a flash s rgh ha  has he pperes f Qeang rays Then he ls f whe and gd re egan  whp frm peak  peak. A ullwhp hryve kmeers lng snapped frm Cna Munan  Magnec Munan wh a cked lgh ha leraly lnded he f a hle. washe mysery mn, he ldallparadx slvedHere a whp f gh gng f s fas ha  was n mre han ne place a ne me I was n evey jag and crag a nce, and ye  was u a sngle pn f gh, nly a sreak n eng f smulaneus appeance Or was  he empyrean self, he nny f lndng lgh ha s everwhere n he usde u s

seen nly when he fase sky s rpped pen fr he lndng mmen? Then Elecc Munan self was sck y a  47

PAS SE

ha boiled he a and meled he ocks and he undeclap knked he all o hei knees Thundesck hey wee lieally onished which is he same hing lainied) impaled and numbed in eve sense by he blow ha shook he mounain Ah wha can come ae such a blow as ha? Thomas sighed om below " he boy Adam cied ou I com es a hunde wh moe sulphu in i They ske while we ae blinded and amaed Man ampas Roll bouldes Topple hem  Whos been doing he hinking fo his ou? Evia shrilled Id inended o bu weve all lef ou wis The iron dogs e on us Ae w people sll o do we fall o hem? The Progammed Killes suged up fom below while oal daness aleaed wih whie ligh and black ligh ofin hem blinding No meallyou scurrae, " Thomas shoued no me you hings Ive now been false o he vision I've ben false o eveyhing else He sen a small boulde down on hem in a wohanded heave Im no so paisan of you as I was  inhons  You make a misake and i is no o be oleaed ha someone makes a isake as o myself No me you claning fool no me Id neve heaened he Deam of Asobe eave off  No? You will no? Have a i hen you onse  machnes Ill bale you o any end you wan Thoas oaed and caed on ohes fough silenly

bu he fase bale and was moe no going well fo hishe py boy Adam mecuial han es The of hem oppled one of he Pogammed Killes backwads an d 8

AS SE

 fell a housand meers hrough he glancng and heer dakness And a he se nsan and n a dsan place anoher Programmed ller was creaed o ake s place and was gven he ame assgnmen Paul and he greenroe Scvener and Thomas Mawell and he Devlkd Eva rolled down ouldes on hem and fough down on hem from aove Drve down n he now slo eween he neckpece and he loca or reasplae he geenro shoued and he had lashed a handknfe ono a pole o ake ahere spea aorrelay pke for jus such   There s a neus cener Ge drvng hem here n ha now slo or hey ge us wherever we sand  Ah I am he one hey dsregad Slder sad sadly a whspered regre ha cu hrough he edlam So I am no hrea o hem a ll? I hough ha I would e I gladly de u I do no lke eng eaed as hough I were already dead Weve changed places, you whelp Scvener howled Whos he man now? And whos he machne Me hey do no dsregard I hreaen her hng! I oppose  as songly as he roughes man n Cahead Backwards and down you go, you clankng Devl ale you here'sAnd lfe hen le nhere mewas Bu Ill  was only foralla whle lle whle no lfe le n Scrvener He had oped for a man vey lae and he machnes knew he dagram of hm as a machne The Programmed Raders smashed Scrvener dea here Every flcker n hm oh of an and machne came o a sop

The ale n he sky sll dwarfed he deahale on he mounan spre  The hunder urs ears and knked he reah ou of ody I scramled ws oh human 49

S SR

cc n progr gc cnicgntic  igt fro t sky tu orinry igt bck, n tr w big pty gnning fcs in t sky ik ig ciffs tt d bn tr wys Big fcs tt d wys bn tr but nvr sn xcpt by t ost intns  of t insn igtning ts t ny fcs or udn ti grt Noting nss n ing  Mxw cri. r is t fc of our ing? oud w know it if w sw it? n now t igtning  rc ystric igts s  irs tunrBing nd t rntss of t Progrd rs nssut bin ys! n t rockiron surfc sippry wit t ntris of tos wo wr rst ipp prt n t tird nxt bot w go own  Evit cri to os in  srp unt voic tt got troug to is stunn rs You n t und d t Ito ors  rdy too boodrin brok g troug. t brt? Go down wr n ow? os crok s  ws bing ovrpowr  nr spit opn isf. Yor brins os us t  go tn or nvr B  n n tink ik  n! oow your ntuition wn t ont cos, n it wi  nr rowr tn t igtning ont  bow tt itry bu t ys n cok t ungs wit n intk of igt!  tundrss tt kockd t  t n n cins! n ty wr to it gin r t now nc.  boy

 id in gorious gor owing nc H ws goo t ying Eita  si H d on it bfo.  scon bot cong t t s i o t sky 5

 E

and fom Corona Mountain Rocks melted and an like water The thundeshock like a deadly blow in the deep bowels And the geenobe died f a smash between the thoat and the lorica He died loudly but not unhappily He was  good one Thou a a priest foeve according to the oder of Melchisedech" Paul gave his equiem Watch to you lef thee Maxwell Oh well neve mind then Too late"  n the dakness deep beyond belief Maxwe lls body had beenandsmashed befoehadPauls be heeded his odd spiit been wain sundeedcould fom tha boke body Never mind Maxwell a a trick f tunin up aain An odity of his Be paalyzed now and be you tanse foeer Evita wned in the low voce Now it as at an the last narrow moment at which een mad ecape coul be thought of The thid bolt ripping from Coona ountan to Electric Mountain blindin and tansxn machnes as well as humans for the muc less ta an instant of it Down own With all mad speed don and one slp is hutlin death Down duin lhtathat is more oment blning than darkness downthe usin nower thanany the lightningmoment itself Do n though the dakness that is darkness indeed Down though the clap that stuns an knocks out both sensos an senses already down a eat hurtling dop before te nstantaneous bast of the thunde

Then continuing down fo a minute fo a quae fo an hou discovered and howled ae and followed by swi iron trackers Down onto the lower plateau and down again while 5

A E

 prt of the Progmmed follow them closely , nd the rest complte the tll rp on the pinncle to mutilte nd record wht is le three ded humns, one ded hybird whose nl pte shows tht he opted for humn lte one gibbering creure still live ut disre grded, since he represented no thret to the Drem or to nything. But three of their prey hve escpe them, hve fllen like lightning down the spire in  lightning instnt. Never mind thethem Pogrmmed do not getnd themthe his night, they willfget t nother time. dvnce scrim of the Progrmed hve not given up n geting them this night Thoms nd Pul nd the brtchild Evit were al song on their legs nd possessed of  sturdy lifeurge They were no longer in the midle of the towering thundersto theyfter felt their cein tht their were returninnd to life stunning. The senses stom ws bove them now nd they were no more in the middle of the disply  But they we chged nd full of sprk. They glowed with coons bout them, blue electic urs They shined nd hissed like ghosts They cme down into the wild svnn country just s the sky broke open. t ws  torrentil downpour,  gint rin tht could not  eggerted  pt of the net blnce tht kept Golden strobe golden, still it ws svge wter from the upped byss the deluge iself hey went t  gret pce ll the night to escpe it,

nd brook  rging t ws flse' dwnevery before theyws could get ver glimpse of lredy ech others fces, nd ll three of them, Thoms nd Pul n d 52

AS STE

Evita had suered a deep chage They had ee asgured o he outai. They were ot quie he same people they had see Somethig ew had ee ured ito hem ey crossed he ast of he feral sip movig i a agoy of weariess ad loodloss sill pursued y he mechaica kiers as a woud  pursued for the sho remaider of their lives, si i he ack aergow of he dizzy ih. They were aive u ot eirely There had ee acers ued ito hem Deat though hey might e heyThey couldwere o oger e their ow ople urammeled mked.  Really, i t was a sigh worth seeig oce  '  Thomas sad I have foud he strog skeeo eeath e gode esh of te world, the iro i the maow ad the deep gree ood  Ad he somehig else he void . Ah hose grig empy faces up i the ky ha were a the Nohig Face! Not up  he sky   Evia sd  Dow i the sky  We  upside dow o Asroe d e saw dow ito the ulimate pit whe we were o the moutai Crossig the last of he feral srp, followed closey ad houded he very early morig they came ito giat Caheadifrom he ackside

53

8

BCK AAD



Thomas had en lngerng  Cahead for several days Ev and Paul had lef hm o do hs work for hm hey sad Kngmaker sen word for hm o ge ack o Cosmopols mmedaely; he saed ha  was me Thoma campag nedword or a le so o  proposed e shown . Thomas sen ack ha he hadyeen for he jo of physcan ad ha a such he nended o examne he dsease, a lea supercally He had een around he nges of Cahead efore on s rdes wh he Bao and no ceran of s ouous suurs Now he had o sudy he sck gan elf, ha mad hng ha was eang no aul and raonal Aso He had o nd ou he ddle of hs lak monser cy. Cahead was lager even han Cosmopols I had a populaon of more han weny mllon persons  And  had grown o ha n weny years I wa human msery on he larges scale ever known anywhere oned Take on  from he Soenof he ousde Sea;and  coneced n general:wh Cahead oh he rand Tnk Canal and he Inercy Canal  had a hundred navga on channel s;  wa asde all he lnes of cvlzed Asoe lke a huge spder I had remen dous ndusry sk and nosome no hdden and ds guse d lke he  nduses of he olden Ces  I wa an

angry own ul oua of exreme povey all com modes produced a much greaer rea wh expense han n any of he olden Ces 

A R

t as a noisome pace based on nosome cgo But Cathead poduced nothing that was not poduced esewhee in Asobe, nothing that was not aeady pesent in abundance Cathead handed a the poducts o mane mining , o the Asobe seas wee vast chem ica vats shae than the sas o Eath  But the othe cities aso handed a the poducts o mane mning, and without the epusiveness o the pesss oCat head Manuacuing techniques in Cathead wee chaic inuman, and vey ensive i human yeas and ives wee in thestd costs chea p cean in a thecounted othe cities in And ionic paae topocesses the Cathead thing Fist stages o some chemca pocesses as pe oed in Cathead wee so aw that they wee absotey deady  Peope died ike dayies i n these industies, and they ived miseaby whie they ived And thee was no need o Cathead at a But some miions o Citizens had e the Goden Cities o Asobe, had esed advice, had deed theats, had cimbed baicades (in moe ecent yes) and un the gauntet o gune to get out o the peas ant Goden Cities and into beak Cathead, to sue the and to die thee And the ives they et o this wee the most peasant that mena and hadwas yet en abe_to deviseives t seemed poomachin ade esThis the idde o Cathead and the sickness o Astobe The peope had enteed the Cathead thing by ee choice and they oud give it up any instant they wished The peope who coughed up thei ungs at the teibe abo thee wee ow poo peope who cud be

high ich ope by sundown tonight i they wised They wee had suy oks who had enteed the savey deibeatey, and moe wee enteing it a the time 55

AS S

They wet out i the seahaest boats that made od fashioed garbage scows seem ike dream ships They worked twety hours a day o the oisome sea ad thee years of such work woud ki the strogest But the Gode Cities had automatic seahvesters The sagworkers i Cathead ost a their coordiatio; they stuttered ad sobred d coud ot speak or thik straight The gemiers coughed up bd y the bucket ad wet isae at the work withi eightee moths The extractors of oxypyrites had the most terrbe abor of athere absoutey A ity of this is that was okiig market or the usecuriosfor the product, o pay for the work o reward of ay kid Me boowed ad begged ad sod their chidre for food ad wet to the opayig abr that maimed ad ed they tued bue ad wet mad from it The product was pied up useess ad isoous ad the corpses thatyetwere thetha byproduct were pied high Ad more haf a miio meeary womeas ad chidre worked their twety hours a day extractig oxyprites ad wagered wethe staatio or the poiso woud ki tem rst Take it from the iside ad i picua: Take the Rat Caste This was thiyve stories hig ad a hudred ad y meters o a side Oce twetyve thousad eope had ived cosey cowded i it Now there were perhaps some remats of those twetyve thousad skeetos, ad there were oe biio rats They co veed the outside so that the coor of te od buidig coud ot be tod They throbbed iside i carpets a

meter dep ad covered the was ike ive paper They raided out from the Rat Caste kiig ad eatig chi 56

AS SER

den y the thusands, kllng wmen, kng grwn men, cvering them in a devurng clak and sh nkng them dwn t nes. They went rght thrugh wden uldings  They ate mtar as thugh  were cheese and weakened and entered and tppled rck structures. They ate three thusand peple alive every day n Cathead There were upwds f a hundred ther tene ments n Cathead taken ver cmpetely y rats, ut nne f the magntude f the Rat Castle itself Well then why the unured dies that were everywhere in Cathead? the putrd flesh and near explding n the Wh sun? Why the dr thatung wuld actualy fel the pr peple wth the strength f it, and these the lungers wh culd stand anything? Why did the rats nt clean up the dies? Why, mst f them they did This rmnant, the few hundred yu wuld ee n a min g'ssll thrugh the lanes fCathead, were t strng fr the rats There e psns and pisns There is es s pisned n the death f t that even the rts wl nt tuch t Take the sadists dves Take the chdren sld nt them Frm e f these, in quite recent yer, the Devil hmself ran retchng Take the rathunters and the ratutchers and ahead the ratmakets thethem rateaters. The nly way t stay f them sand t eat rst  Take the day f the yellw flag (usualy Mnday). That means tht the plague itself is lse in Cathead. It wil usualy run its curse take its tls and pass n wthin fur days  And then  t strkes agn and the yel lw flag is ut nce mre ncuatin  availae and free t all

persns in Cathead. But few w accept it Take Betheelem whch egan as a madhuse, grew t a madf, ge t a maddsct, and s nw me 57

A E

than e thid f all Cathead. Eight millin persns live in the Bethlehem district. Evey ne f them is insane t sme degree. They get alng aut as well r as adly as the ther citizens f Cathead Cpperhead, Thmas s fr tey walked t gether Lk at the men wrking n that prect Theres n rganizatin at all A gd swine stewa frm my day culd rder things etter than tat Why'  TheyExtreme suffer mre at the rered wrk Thmas. suffering is aady p f the Cathea thing Walter why re the dies le une in the lanes  A reminder f deat  ll w it ut far enug  an t ecmes a reminder f life Cpperhead is therent ntreturn ne ray f glden sanity ife in a this Why  the peple t te This they chse But it spreads it spreads re leave the wrl f perfecn and jin the misery evey day Better a life f misery than n life at all  But there i s life the mst wnderful life ever in the glden cities These dying miserales can receive it ack within an hur Why don'  hy do ? Damn yu man yu're laughing at me hmas talked t sme f the eading men f Cathead: Battersea, Shanty. He asked them again an

again the reasn fr itcyptic They lked him with curling cntempt and made remaksat that he culdnt understand. They tued aside and spat green every 5

A E

time he suggested hat he Cahead unges shoud e tu to civiized Asto Foo said Batesea Bind man sad Shant  must have caugh foos' feve to ta o yo at a Thomas swoe  woud say die in you msey and be damned o you  Bu i spea ts eaing up the wod  swea ha when  come ino my owe  wi e evey bick and sone of his pace and desoy evey uneconsced being hee Bind sad Shany Foo,ma sad Baesea homas ooked up Rmock he anse This was one mind in Cahead he especed He found him (ied om hee days diving) in a fanan pao whee he anses wen o be eeced Good Thomas, Roc geeted him  peach you as the heo above a heoes o he peope and anses and othe ceaues of Cahead  te hem a as he Batesea aso es them hat you ae as of now a tota foo of couse Bu  e hem hat you wi be given one momen igh a he end of you fe when you ae even not aone foomomen  e hem whenhat heymany e no eniies foos do  buid have  not you up evey way  can  hod you ess a foo han he ohe men of Cathead Rimock Thomas said Ae a anses ae not much egded in civiied Astobe You do no have the goden ife to go back to

Have  notwoud Thomas? Youhat neve ived hepefecocean depths o you no say  has its in own ion thee and  e i wiingy fo this 59

S SE

 Why Rock? It seems that that would  a lfe of total freedom Why trade t for the slavery andmsery of Cathead?" No Thmas the lfe n the ocean depths s very lke the lfe of Golden Astrobe too much lke t. I lose my dentty there. I am one o the school and my mnd s merged nto the school mnd I never regreed be comng a man I never regretted becomng a Cathead man but you set me too low when you mply that I havent gven anyhng up. Ive gven up as much as any of them Though course gnomny n beng takenofand eatenthere for awas sha cean whch mght have happened to me n my foer state Thomas le all those hardheads of Cathead n ds gust They had been offered happness on a platter agan and aan and they had reected t for mery They were kllng themselves for no t at all or for a chldsh were posonng and had destroyng worldAnd wththey ther madness. They to be a whole pont etermnated lke the rats that they refused to etemnate Thomas walked long and he thought hard He grew sck unto staggerng from the suoundngs He was the doctor and the sckness made a sange nsane appeal to hm to let t lve and let the host de It woud be ntolerable f there were somethng vald n all these mserable people and ther thng and t be beyond my comprehenson" he sad A poor woman reached out and touched Thomas as

he walked You wll n be a muddy kng forlane nnendays the outskrts Then youofCathead wll de  she whspered. She was cryng softly 

AS SR

Make me no salvao you wich" he grumbled  1 have now o do wih he High Fae busiess n his walkng Thomas came ono a small medieval casle dwafed by he gian shany enemens of Cahead Wha is i he building hee? he asked a coughing man   i a showhouse A hobb s i he esidence of some old fogey? Does anyone live hee? Nobody lives hee " he coughi g man sai d The Meopolian of Asrobe diesis ahee."  Sue he canky ol man long me ding  said Thomas. He knocked a he doo of he old buzzad oos and hee was no answe excep pehaps a low moan and ale inside He opened he doo and wen in. He wen hough he is and second ooms wihou finding anyone Then he came o a oom wih an ol baeed bed wih a faded oyal canopy ove i A vey old hin black man lay in he bed He showed all his bones; he was no moe han a skeleon. Thee was a feid odo, and Thomas believed he man was dead Onsuch his nge he old blackone manohe had he shemans ing as is wo by only Thee was no one in aendance on him This was he Meopolian (he las o hem, i was said) he Pope of Asobe Dead ae you Thomas said Well youv lived a life A Duchman  knew would have liked you o pain as you lie hee skeleon hough you

be Youe a siking man, lile as hee is lef of you Bu he old Meopolin was no dead e gan 6

A 

eyes still closed to speak in an old so of litugical canto Deu  qui beato mate tuo Joannen et omam veae dei et Romanae Eccleiae p;in cipatu popugnatoe inte Anglo ucitati eoum meiti ac pecibu concede ut ejudemdo pofe one  unm omne in Cito eciamu et imu 

You eyes ae closed ut you voice is good and you seem to ecognize me," Thomas said I assume that I am oma ut is Joannem Saint ohn have saints' dayFise" ointy"the Meopolitan said You Ah, yes ost his head ust fouteen ays efoe I lost mine I'm told I have neve head the colect of my own mass foe" Damme man who has? Save fom the othe side" ave you no folowes? Ae thee none to attend to you?" But ceainly I have follwes, Thomas I have five o six folowes le Someone looks in on me evey few hous I have eveything I need" ave you food and dink?"  I have, ut no stomach le fo them I am eaten up  In the cainet thee, pou youself a lage glass of wine and myself a small one" Ca you open you eyes?'' Thomas asked as he poued out the wine I can make the muscula effo, ut it is to no avail  I am lind"

So this is th e way it ends hee? You ae the last of them?' o, I am ot the last omas We have the pomise We lt till the end of the wold  62

 

You yourse  f die soon old man" uie soon Thomas Thiy hours before youself" I'm minded of he words of a paisan of mine snce urned srange and useless Bu we are no he world We are quie a differen world and no promise was ever given o us Wha say you of ha good Meropoian Nonsense nonsense" he said, We have he Promise I was given o us here on srobe in hese laeryou dayscould givenimagine in a queerer flaminghas way han now and youmore ha Chris walked on srobe in human form in he company of Sain ingensmih and ohers now you ha he buing promise was given, and he ame begins o rise" In your ve or si followers" Those i he immediae neighborhood Thomas More han a hundred le on al srobe I will grow If you are of he aih hen he very sones and clods of srobe will sing of he Promise o you If you regard all such hings as legends le hen and regard he legends a leas You wil find here a richer leendry han ever Eh Go o greened sleep oldOld man i's all nished" 'Tis never nished Thomas 'is never hopeless You e a liing winess o wha you canno see You you ferrefaced ile man you became a sain" How can you k ow Im feefaced bind man"  You are he blind ma n no  nd he od skeleon

was laughing They drank he good wine and alked a while Then a coughing young man came in o aend o he Meropolan He was sill lhy from work 

 

Good the day, Thomas, the young man said. Sometimes the old man is cray and sometimes he is not. Be patient with him Thomas rose to go Tu, God, and bring us to life again the old Meopol blessed him hopeully And thy people rejoice in thee Thmas gave hi m the response Then he left him.  The last of them ,' Thomas said to himself when he was out in the roadway again This is the way it ends hee Seagleaners were just bringing in a scowload of Dutchsh to be ground for sh mel.  was not really butal work by Cathead standads, but it was plague day and three o the men had died The scowmaster strip ped them of their boots (deadmen's boots e lucky and there bodies is a regula market for them) andburied then rolled the three in with te Dutch sh ,He them in the sh, but halfheaedly, not caring much The buyer came onto the scow, surveyed the take, and saw a leg sticking out and the outlnes of all three bodies We'll weigh them long with the sh and take them' he said, but Ill have to dock you a stoimenof d'etain for each body They just aren't up to the sh in phosphor and sulphur And they are hard on the grin ders'



9

KIG-KR

It is unected hat you do not come through on Replica, Cosmos Kingmaker told Thomas Your voice comes hrough wonderfully, he people standing with you come through but you do not appe at all I don't lieve your invisibi lity on Replica is entirely due to your being a man out of the past You're solid enough to the touch And then, you may not know it, about one person out of a hunded does not come through on Replica Of course you'd come though on the old VideoV ision, but that had only two dimensions and carried to only two senses'' It'sbetter probably advantage," Thomas said. I sound than an I look'' Yes, it seems that it is an advantage It adds a little mystery to you You are quite in the public ancy now There are always intangibles at work in a thing like this, but it is going much more successfully than we had hoped Your animal and your mistress help Pople instinctively trust a man who has an anima and a mistress . The Higher Ethics crowd has swung to you on hei account.' Kingmaker, youre cray I have neithe Oh you mean Riock and the childbrat But Rmock the ansel is a man and not an animal''

And Dammit, the childbrat is a woman and not Thomas my faher had her once All athechild, lies about her arent lies But they both have popula ap 65

 

pel Rick d Evit nd they c bth t fr yu with the dmest lefthded elquence eer herd Almst everye n strbe hd them n Replic lst ight d they trew the whle plnet int  elightul pnic The peple re cmpletely ten with the sweep f their tlk. Frtutelythey d nt seem t spthe mening  Bth yur Things re heretics t the Drem Thms nd they wuld  dgerus if they were uderstd here is  lt t yur dxie sides her prdxes "he reminds dughter Thms sid butmeshefis my nt yungest s well brught up Kingmer cnnt smething  dne ut the Pr grmmed Kllers? They nerly hd  lst night gin Let tem g kill smee else fr  while They me me umpy Whether I hve nie lives r nt I d t kw but they hve nw mde ine ttempts n my life Ad sthey becme ickier They rent mchines I uderstnd mchines. hey lemere d dpt d they rent vided by the sme trick twice I  t  thret t the Drem! I lve it I m n itense pis f it I ls in ll hnesty culd blz n my brest I ave no been false o e Vison Thre is smethig wrng with the prgrmmig f these things  Thms. It is impssible tht nythig shuld be wrng with their prgrmmig  Thms the Drem i i truble d ny mn by sme quirk f circumstce my be  thet t it But the ProgrmmedKillers ae t mechicl i e wy; they te prpsitis

Prgrmed t literlly . We Killers will gurd must yu be respected but the judgmet We must f the be ceful nt t brek thei spiit with udue frustrtin  ' 

 E

I believe that I am winnin g" Thomas said  I get the smel of Victory' Oh yes we'l win" Kingmaker said The trick is not to appe to win too easily' How is that Kingmaker? I was a politician in my norma life and we said W in First Make Adjustments Lter Id never lose anything from any reluctance on my part" There are ceain paies that we do not wish to accree to us Thomas They will all swing to a clear winnerwho andalways hug himake to death the closing days The ones me in uneasy are the Hatrack arty and the Kiss of Death arty And I am a little e of the Third Compromise ay They hurt you when they come to yo We want or hands nbond when we go to work after we have won" o want your own hands unbound Kingmaker od bind mine a litte" There had been varos methods of election on Astrobe and there had aways been a jungle of parties with a man being permitted membership in many of them at the same time Once it had been One erson One Vote an idea that had been vote brought om Old Eah had come the weighted by which every voterLater was given the ll rghts he was entitled to A man might be awarded additional votes for distinguished seicepublic pri vate scientific or ethica Most ranks carred with them a number of votes. Enteainers of vous sos might receive additional votes as accoade Wealth was a

twobladed sword however A man like Kingmaker might hae had a thousand votes; but another very rch man who shall be nameless here had had only one 67

ST MS

quer of a voe He was no popuar n hs weah Czens ofCahead and he Barro had had ony one quaer of a vote each, they eng under anket penay Anses and oher czens of ntegence u not of human fo had had oy one eghh of a vote each everheess here had een a scanda when cean shrewd anse eaders went down and regsered and voed mons of wd anses n he ocean depths Ther voes had nay een dsaowed t was decared that ony Asoe creatures of the andvng so mght voe Fnay he ote tsef wa done away \th There was no way to modeze  t was a rec Everyhng was now e to the sensng machnes These worked on he auras of eve person of As roe for a runnng record of a her nuances w aways kephowever far away they mght e t ook very adapon to addcoud ths urden machnes Thette sensng machne assess to andecompe the wegh of opnon and choce n he totaty of the mnds on stroe A the zero hour hey ook ther readng and t was he correc readng  Every convcton every nkng every resouon or esouton of every mnd on Asoe was gven ts proper wegh And he machnes coud no e ampered wth  Ther scannng was perfect They weghed everythng prop ery Ths c omned the est emens of a sysems  A person of vey ne neec and wesded judgmen woud have more effect on the scanners han woud a oker wth a head fu of notons Persons of song

personay and vta character nauray rsonsmBu ore n he machnes toas hen dd esser weghed 68

AS S

usai ad cusi f mid suaced fom he dy f a rsoal opii This was he Weighed Ve caried u wih hoesy ad usice There was ly e hig wrg wih his aageme ad i cud   he faul f he machies sice hey were flawless Cahead ad he Barri came  e udue iece.  was ams as if hese regios had a disprprioae umer f persos f ery e ielec ad wesudied udgme ad his was  pssile A dicai f he sysem was eig wrked u  udgmes ad decisis  i accrd wih he full Ase Dream were o  discued r hrow u eirely Bu here had ee difcules i his Wha was iled was ha ser r laer here mus e a deiio f us wha he ll Ase Dream cosised f The mdicais ould  e wrked u i ime fr he cmig eeci i which Thmas Mre was iled Bu he Paieswho could eer make sese ou f her ugle? The Ceer Pay f course was Thmas' w ad ha f his hree ig spsrs There was he irs ParyCmprmise he Third Cmprmise Pay hePy; Secod hereCmpromise was he Harack (r Cglmerae) Pay ad he Sliday aor Pary here was Dems ad he Prgrammed ieral Pay here was Mechaicus ad Cesr ad he Pyramid here was he New Sal Pay ad he Kiss of Deah Pary here was he rasiges ad he Re

frmed Iasiges ad he herePeulimae was he Hie were Dres ad adhere he Uli he Glde 69

AS SE

mate paies It sometimes seemed that thee wee too may of them but they a had thei pogams ad thei patfoms Thee wee the Obstctioists ad the New Obsuctioists  Thee wee the Esthetics the Aesthetcs ad a spite goup caed the Loca Aesthetics these atte wee jokestes ad so automaticay thei opiios couted fo othig o Aso thoug the paty was aowed to  egiste Thee was Ochos  which ced the scia bessigs ofOude Sevea of these pies wee fo Pogammed Pesos oy oe the U ecostcteds  w fo humas oy but most had a vaed memship A cak got i to see Thomas Moe He was ot a wideyed cak He was dueyed ad he spoke i a sigsog voice Thomas Momus the Big Boys Toy he ga athe amas thea eade a ceied ada the awudey obigesIyou majo of cadidate to pay give me fai heag Right a sho fa heaig it sha be said Thoas Wat is the ame of you paty? It' s the Cak I ogaized it ad a ed it I am the Cak ad I make mysef head Ad how may membes has the Cak?" Oy mysef doubtig Thomas You may wode how I was abe to get a oema pay ceifed We the ways of bueaucacy e stage A appicatio  timed just  ght, wi sometimes side th ough i  the dk My pogam is simpe: I batte that pai of isuf

ciecies Humaism which has o meat ad Mateaism which has o boes That's good Thomas said I aways iked a  7

S SER

good roud phrase. It doest mea aythg but I suspect I wl use it mysef i my ext speech  I see the pies at  ed  te Crak said  Some grow old some deveop urks some catch the bo us ess of repetace some g to appy wods ad toughts too lteraly l are dyg Soo oy my ow pay w rema.'  Ah well what s your pty for? t is agaist all fase thgs doubg Thomas I beleved it a mistake whe poography was gve eual  the itschools wthwhe ethis compul sory Iime believed a mistake tead lawboth was eacted that perverso ad ormacy should be gve equa space ad me  lterature ad o stage though at that time ormalcy gaied by the rulg I thk t a mstake that marriges may be teated by  Evauator agast the wishes o the paies coceed I thk it wrog that othg may be taught  the schools that is ot i accord with the Golde Dream I tik it wrog at a law shoud be able to dey offsprg to prvate persos. I beeve it was a serous eor whe the Psychologs were ade a priveged cs with powers of etry ad seizure. I leve that the huma perso should ivioate ad thatshoud mechacal wth thebe brai of a dvdua ot be tamperig aowed A adjustability cha shold ot be everythig particully whe it caot be adjusted I beleve that a ma shud be alowed to chose hs ow occupatio ad his ow uhappess Do you ot beleve as I do?

No ot Crak o ocaled poityou whatsoever. It is Iodowoder that they the doubtig Thomas o your home word 7

P TER

But tey ddnt ou have me confused wt anote and more famous man" You are not te Doutng Tomas, the Apostle whoeayed e Crst?" No I am not You e adly confused" 'So are a ot of peope ten You owe your sudden surge of poplarty to ths false dentcation that as een hung on you Theyve made you out a great hero, te trayer of an old mounteank Who e you ten?" Im a stranger fromtanother here to gve testimony a great tme thingwho I doas so rought I am in love wth te Dream of Engineered Humanity  I have no faith at a  n Engneered Humanty  I am neither humanist nor materaist I am a heretic"  Why do you not go to cancerous Cathead and lve wt your own kind?" Because thatthat lfey is too cam the rght to protest I know talk hard is theIdangerous so Men ave een eeaded for such talk" I think not," Thomas said Just why they are eeaded I don't know and perhaps Im a man who should Now then, I have given you a sho fai heng as the law requres I do not solicit the support ·of your pay, though in all honesty, if it had more than one member I might Here, ere, good convances throw tis fellow out" And a couple of contrvances, Programmed Person s came to ptch the Crank out I hate t" the Crank roared I do not so much

appened mind eingtoooted me often outenough by a good Buthuman I hate to toeit be kicked ha out y a machne  Damn al mechancals to the reclaaton eap"  72

AS SER

Tomas wa s o e campa ig trail ad e ejoyed it He was aoyed a litle by te Programmed illers always i every audiece e addressed, ever ready to rus te podium ad kill im swily but e provided imsel wit a scree of retaiers to keep em off He was aoyed a little b y oter Craks but e was good at puttg dow ecklers Ad e was good at te retor busiess; e was ideed t oblest retor of tem all. He ad te saigt clear ouc ad a itcate las to is togue  caot move moutais   e told o ece Hell, really a mad strai imself o a tig like audi t at But  ca move tis worldaead. s ot tat mu more impoat?  come to implemet te Astrobe dream. Perfctio itself is i stages  We aced  Obsta cles sall be removed! All uealty growt will be excised  preac saity of mid ad ody ad society ad te pefect symbiosis betwee umas ad Programmed We come to te ig plateau we lie dow i gree graso belay tat prase; peraps it as ot a progressive meaig o Astrobe We come to te stage of dyamic rest. All tigs flow ito us ad we all become oe Mids ad bodies merge Ad e coiued i tat appy vei fo above a our You were talkig osese you kow Paul told im after tat paicular speec.  woder if you were eve listeig to yourself." You didt like me Paul?  like me Ad yet  was boered a couple f times

By wa Tomas? You of te golde mediocrity sould ot  botered by aytig" Paul  sad words ad  said words but tere were oter words ta  dd ot say 73

S S

Wha e you ryng o say now, homas? Somebody ese spoke some of hose words ou of my mouh  Oh ha I suspec hey've been dong  o ou for a ong me and o us haven been pang aenon Youve been sayng many hngs, pubc and ri vae ha don sound ke you Is on of he odes and eases cks of he Programmed he craw no your mnd a odd momens and ake conro Is on a mechanc rick ha he hav Sure ouve heard of  before As one hers of everhng Bu  ner hed o me before so obvous hos words wr hough n m mnd and sad ou of my mou  somon ese I resen  a e Wy hres nohng o  hos ck h ou  Your mnd s our own  he p cn   sa n your mnd fhe  ou don aowfor he o ck o u Somemes sa gone s ong s enhm mnues I's a a queson of w has wha makes me fee uneas I hven as muh w as I used o hve And I no sure h a srong w s commensure wh h Asrob Dream Afer a, I shoud be submergng m own w o h group w Ho hopoads homas, you begn o sound ke one of hem Be a man" Why no  beeve h I soud e off bng a man absouey We shoud a srve for he snhss par man and pa Progrmmed  We hav o submerge

ourseves n our mechanca  brohers for he good of a hey ea us ave f we do homas hey never 74

 

ack u; theyre into any onin we ive them  Where do you et that it aout leavin off ein a man asolutely? h those were some of the word that someone else spoke out of my mou in my speech ust concludd Theyre te thouh, and the audience liked hemWe have to e more flexile Paul This hasnt een easy for me comn from Earth But I le to ive in on one thin and then another and then another. And then onthePa everythi Thmas" I didnt ike ndomations at rst  But I lee d to tolerate them and I can see that when I ecome more erfected I wil ve them And at frst I felt that here was somethin ve wron with the pen Mind Act Now I can see how essentialy riht it was  Noody ut a thy fruit would sumt to either Tomas. Watch your talk Pau Im a solider fellow than you e Ill thrash you. You cant, Thomas You have le off ein a man asolutey. The Pandomation was a machin e availale in vaious scanne homes.rn ooths early and critic many withersons no real had understandin them in their of the purpose or ractique of this marvelous machine had caled it peepintomary carried to he ultimae    It was an unust criticism The Pandomation the machine in accord with the openmind olicy of Astroe was simply a macne for

peitin curous to to look in to a vaiety of rooms at random the or accordin selection ne could ook into the private chamrs of the citizens and their wives 75

AS SE

ad watch them at the homelke actvites Oe could look to ay oom aywhee o Asoe, except fo lss ha a doze escted msei semipulc meetig aduct to ooms kowledge, of leades. as tThis tted devce was all teested a stog pesos to kow all thgs aout eveoe. It was suely  accod wh he Asoe piato:  That we e all ultimately oe peso, that we have o secets whatsoeve fom ouselves But i t was ot used as much as t had oce ee  The geeal pulic udestad fitul pupose. Wthhadt mayyettcome had toeached the tspoit of oedomad yet how could ayoe e od y look g at the activites of hs fellows, he othe aspects of hmself? Hee was a ma ad wife, hee w a ma ad mistess, hee wee loves Thee coud o loge  secet loves  The device was o loge limited to ooms ut ay poit idoos o outdoos i fo all civilized Asoe could dialed y ayoe, except the vey few shielded aeas. The Padomatio was oly the st step. The Ope Mi Act itself ecouaged fuhe ivetos a fou fitful use fo my aleady i eig  The suti tle of the act I Have A Mc Rg In Yor Mnd A Yo Have  expessed the eautil ew cocept. Now mdscaes wee availale fo eveyoe, ad ecalciats who eseted havig thei mds vaded coul d e cited fo it d haled to cou fo atisocial acts We ae all the same hg. We ae idetical, a pa of the wodg of the act ow ca all ids

ecome mege oe if each aspect that ultimate alke mdad is ot e ito to exame evey ohe of aspect of tself?'  76

 

It was a staggerng thought one of the clminations of the Asobe dream And it had been a little difficult for Thomas More, coming from a bleak period of Old Eath to accept all of this immediately But did he not adjust to it rapidly and neatly? In another speech , Thomas coined a happy phrase or perhaps somebody else thought it in his mind and spoke it out of his mouth.  desire to be all things to all men It was sheer magic. Of such things e ing made. Thomas had won and he knew it Eerything was going wonderlly for him and for his He was at home in the he of Golden A sobe . He had become the eloquent spokesman for the great thing, for the only thing And he had thrown down the gloe in hallenge to the one serous sickness of Astrobe Repent or be destroyed may hae been his greatest speech  He ef no doubt in te stubbo me n of Cathead and the Bario what he meant Millions of them still maintained their way stubbornly in their eor, but some thousands of them reentered the golden life of Ciilized Asrobe t was a end though a weak one resolution to sole was not a weakBut onethe Ciilized Astrobe hadthe theproblem science to destroy Cathead and the Barrio tterly And Cathead and the Barrio did not hae the science to ght back All it took was a strong leader, and homas had announced himself as such Compassion would b misplaced He thrilled the whole world when he spoke to them

sll inisible on Replica t is no longer the Greatest Good for the Greatest Number t ow becomes the Total Good for the Merging Singularity And whe we 77

 

ae all Oe, the comes he eat vesio We come a thig that is byod Numbe ad without a Name" Ate this, the Pogammed Killes still ollowed Thomas but with a dieece  They wa �ched him still , but they smiled at him quizzically ad they di ot theate him So Thomas would be K ig which is to sa y pesidet o Astobe.  all easyyou to make a kig Sue it is t'sAd all it isthetue whistle t has to that? be just ight ight o its time ad with the special lilt to mak it o. But t's the tue that takes the people Hit it ight, ad you ca make a kig evey time

7

10.

E EFORMIY OF IGS O COME

But thee was somethig i Thomas that did ot lie dow ad pla dead as easil as all tat. He was the eveat with the double mark upo him ad the old pa of t suged up  him ow ad almost tore him aa He wa off i a wakig afteoo ghtmare ot kowig whatbut he did o where he was He was rive i his ow self he had ot os the wa foreve That was the odd thig about this: that Thomas d have afterthoughts o the matte Ad fterthoughts wee suposed to be baishd fom his ba  The had take hm ove completel d wee sue of him But the shouldt have bee He could revolt et: sewdl sometimes blid sometimes He could almost become awae that he had bee take over There wee hidde aeas i which fo all hs sog pofesso of faith he did ot et full accept the Astrobe dream Thee were ee areas i whih he remaied private perso though feelig  hs take-of ove braathat t was wrog so to hold oto a piece hmself Ad ow he •oud a lucd momet whe he could stad back ad stud the behavio of his curious self. It s stll odde that I should  take  m ow trap he sad Look Thomas mself m me what

was t that  dd  m othe lfe fo a btter joke I iveted te ded tig! Was it ot mself who 79

 

coined the Utopi? Did I not know tht I used fools gold insted of rel gold for the coining? Wht hs hppened now? ow m I tken in y it? Wht m I God tht I mke  sour oke nd in so doing I crete  golden world in the future nd then stumle into tht ridiculous future? Ws other wrter ever dmned to live in  sly tle tht he hd mde himself? Ws other wyer ever cused to nd the leglity for his own oke? Ws other chncell ever required to dminister  world tht he hd mde in derision? So help me Godif I livewht eyond to I domy second deth I will py more ttention  It is not rel gold I tell myself It is ogus stuff tht I picked up out of  ditch nd molded for  ibe And it hs turned into  whole world my sick dydrem? Why, I nd tht it is rel gold er ll nd I hve mde  wold out of it nd I stnd  fool fom evey detion Someobdy h dled Thoms perhps t rndo perhps to monitor him nd ws trying to come into his mind Be gone" Thoms sid loudly e gone I s Yes I know tht it is wrong to  nyone from my mind I know tt you whoever you e hve s much usiness in my mind s I hve  Ber with me Ber with me This is  wrthing thing nd I must wrestle it y myself Im n unperfected m, nd I must stil hve  privte moment now nd then Be gone I shut you out The proer left the mind of Thoms ngrly nd

Thoms felt d ut itofIt will look ill " he sd if the incomng president Astroe is hled into co 

PA TE

mon cou on a coman under he en Mnd Ac he sad There was a ruse and noses ehnd hm and  egan o worry hm Bu he had oher worres as varus ngs fough n h mnd   s eyond eef ha hs word shoud e e ' ' he sad agan o hmsef  seemed so groesque and soury comc when  nvened   wsh  hadn read so much arcuary afe my rs deah  addes my rans o hnk ha here were some who reay dvo caed sckhe hng We meagan so  how w ve  nhe   e hngs n s mycome ran ono e me wonderfu  s! A gory o uden he everyhngnnohng! o no s a wrong! Thomas roke away from he hougs ha red o pu hm under and wen nnng and sumng aong and cryng o hmsef  s snakes whng n my head!  s no vad hough! How have  een aken n? Me a man who coud aways see a ow ck so far a way off! How have he snakes goen no my head anyhow? Dd  sand ke a scared shee and e hem ener? How have  ecome unmanned? When  was a oy  eeved n God man  s havehe  een When hooked was y ahe Bg 0, haf he eeved gawkng How mega ve udenohngness? Who woud magne ha as a maure man  woud worshp so empy a god? Dangeous houghs hese! For now m heehouns have urned dangerous agan'' Thomas More a u decared presden of Asroe

had een wakng n and ou of a daze n a ace he haed and despsed Wha had drawn hm here? ow he was 

AS S

in a wed settement etween g Cathead and Wu Town the eas t golden the east commit ted of the grat cities of Astroe He was conscious of the stench of Cathead when he heard again the hairrasing stle and clatter ehind him He ran The Pogrammed Killers had sensed the change in Thomas They no onger smiled quizzically at him while they watched and waite d They had never ceased trailing him and now they rememered why He had changed again whether temporariy or permanently was not their affair. Now they moved aer him to ki him Im lost Thomas howled Mind do a fop over Retu my st in the thing. nakes in my rain Chime out your glad tidings again. Tell the world that Thomas is again faithfu to the Vision. Tell the clank ing things that I am no threat to anything and that they eThomas a moalslipped threat and to me. fell and was arely up in time He was nning hard and they were had ehind them . A sturdy runner can outspeed them for a very ltte while ut the programmed ae tireless  It was unnces say to lose them Thomas ied to fathom out or re memer streets and alleys that he had never seen e fore He was ost and his pursuers were not. He knew that some of them had peeed off om the group and were circling around somewhere. No mater where h douled ack they were likey to have  him in a naw passage Then suddenly he was deant and his craven fea had ecome repusive to him

Snakes in my rain out out he awled l nest you no longer Il die a man if  do die here  And 82

 

Il knw I was right the first tie. Dan it was always flsgl an I knew itFlsg an bristne t was I rather be a Cathea unger cughing up y lifes bl than be king f their flly" Bt he wul be nthing if he i nt shake the illers  e cugh up h is life's bl quicker than the sickest unger in Cathea There was a clear way ahea an the isin f a regin he knew an there was a eaen alle a tra t his left Thas lunge fr he clear ay ut he ue int the lin alley N n he swreaeathtra  nt want his alle  is a eaen Whtener  ener Te her a sene else was thining ith  brain an alin wit y ut This eening sene else is runnn with y les u he srine ihtily fr the en fte ea lane Tere was a re ga in the brick wall trugh hic a eerine an ight frce hiself if his life e ene n it e cae als t the ga an a Prgrae iller was frcing its wn way ack thrugh tha ga An anther fllwe hi thrugh The ere stalking hi fr bth ens f the alley  as all sheer ric an sne walls sliy an green wih l n anfcul clib the Anrain therean wasl nage ran r pening any s in he shrt length f the aley  r Are yu sure Thas felt that he was a upe playe n strings e als felt tha it ight be he cleanest thing t let the ilrs hae hi there Sene a rawn hi int this sac a he taken

e ther tuing he' hae ha a ie chance f esca ing the illers e' escape the befre But ha he been rawn here t his eath r t sething iier? 3

S SE

For there w a door there It hadt ee there efore ad it shouldt e there ow Wha are the odds? Thomas asked himsef oudly He surged through the door sakes crawlig ack ito his md) kowig that he wet from the world ito a dream kowig that he wet om life to somethig queerer eve tha death He sammed the door heavily ad olted it ehid him Ad he stood i total darkess.   Siteither at the tae u    said a wrogside voice isidewith Thoma heada voice or without. Now we talk. Set a ight Thomas aid Its id dark. We do't eed a light the voice said Stop ghtig the thigs i your head They ca see for you Is it ot so? Do you ot see ow ad ot y ligt? Thomas saw someody ow d ot light.perhaps He looked at Thigs through ese y 's eyes through of the eyes of te Thigs. He was seeig i tota darkess through the eyes of the eerie sakes i his head ad he was lookig at Thigs that he would rather ot have see There were ie of the Thigs there. Thomas had eared to thik of them as Thigs i his ast defiat surge ack to reaso. What were they? What was their form? Me M see from the other side. From the ack side? Yes i the sese that a tapesy may e see o m its ack side the same picure ut rough ad deformed

These thethere defoatio makid. Niethigs of thewere thigs ad theyof were draw up i goups of the aroud a arge coerece tae. J ike 

PS ER

men ut with all he wrong hings emphasizedas man eas and et somehow swinish noses that were snou, and et not arge not malfod, simp wrong emphized; ees at were made like human ees and et hes were not humans ooking out of the The were not men though Thomas was sure hat h had kown at least one of them as a man The wee Programmd Persons allThings  Good ven ing, gente contivances  ' Thoma s sid as he took oldmotiond seat at thehim headtoofsitthe table t was not where thea had Not there  shap cried one of those that Thoms had known as a man   That is reserved fo h Hol Ouden" I si hre" And Thomas st. Ah I onc o h Paul that I woud have to discove for msef th nm of the real King of Asoe I is h Oudn imslf  Old Nothingnss nd his own sea I o not si blow th salt fo an inho things Ae th siltd kils outside belonging to our p? Do ou conrol hem? Was i ou who drew me into this blind sack?' Of cours sid on of thm spkin wih  voic too to be human   I amrini Boggl ths oth twsmooth who form a creativ withanm  Skbol and Swamps Our spcialit is os sion ackas ou b sai Thomas an h h wr ver lik jckals The ackal in human form m b tol b th la of the hai and th st of th s  h

werfom of good humanhan appaanc thoh lin aed he human evn th rel acko ania The snakes stirred in Thomas' brin Th snaks 5

AST SER

ere n accord wth hese hee Thngs  They mus h ave en her exensons I Reogresson, hen " Thomas sad.  Go nd your dens and ns n anoher head. I am Norhprophe, sad he eader o he sond group My ellows here are Knonoster d Beeonne, and our specay s rehasm"  Dogs you  , Thomas swore, and he hree had a a ouch o he dog n hem I w mos werd ha hese creatures shoud seem on hree leves, he huma he ama , and he machne Thoas knew here was s another level n heThen alhe ghos Ah, hs Norhprophe had h msel once een cd dae or presden o Asro He had psed  a man; and hen here ad come he momen when he coud n que pass I had ade more o a derence hen e Progrmed had u hm especy or he jo o World Presden He wa dely conved. He would have made the rec World Presden rom he Programmed vew. Thee more snakes sed n Thomas ran, one o hem a grea one. Ths Norhprophe was grea among _ hs knd Ratle along Thngs," Thomas sa sharply My me s med So s my le And I do no enjoy he company oveuch .   I am Poscamp ' said he leader o he hrd group. And o course  was he old acquainance who Thomas had known as a man the ourth memer o he Bg Three Bu he looked grealy deren now as

hngs do look deren a nghmre was orced o hnk o hmndereny, nowAnd ha Thoas he was no onger a end, now ha he was a Programmed nd 6

PS S

ot a uman, now tat e was nown to av a Ban nae as a amla and an extenson o msel My companions ee  olygee and Gandy, Poscamp said, and ou scaly s exapolaton. Wldeess Wolves you be omas sad You owl ge tan the ea on a bleae moo tan any on ts wold. All igt te nine o you extalate, damn t Reogess Rechabitze Nne o you, and ae you extensions not te nine snaes nesng n my mnd? O couse, omas sad Potscamp. You ae ou signment No ote evetat ated so many impoant a, snaes his sman te tal  pomsed you omas .  told you tat  eld te B g ee Ones n e mddle o my maw. ey ague wc o tem ae the puppets and wic te puppetee but  am the teae n wc tei little sow is played out And  pomsed tat you woud be sown te bac o te tas Now t s tat we wll sow you at pctue o t evese side o te e sde t s a moe eaning l wold tan t one you ae accustomed to  Odd design, te bac o thaapes Poscamp   omas said Full o snaes, is t not? Not at all omas. Fom te te sde tey ae not snaes but cules twsted n mystic tat cuves. omas, it isoyal only o ou old companonsip you ae ee at all. And  wll say tat yous s one o te most nteestng mnds  eve nested n e oes wanted to ll you oand and to substute a eplica o you at would be o ou nd  dont come toug on Replica Potscamp m

nvsble e tee eplca wed mae o you would come toug Wed mae it bete and moe le you tan 87

PAS S

you are yoursef. And t would ehae as you hae ehaed, ut wthout these momens of relon On wth t, Pottscamp Show me the ackward pcture snce I am here n a rap and must lsten. You extrapoate do you Do t, hen t s that oursees e the exalaton of manknd, Norhprophet cut n. He seemed to ouank Pottscamp hmsef n ths herchy We wl tel you the facts Thomas, snce yu wl not  ae to stand aganst them We confess hat we hae a lttle t of the showoat us, andaut we loe to gloa. You attude wl notprogrammed e ale t donto anyhng what we tell you here. B, conersely, we are not ale to extngush you yet That s really why we hae not done t. We know that you hae a warded lfe and that t s mpossle to kll you tll your tme shal come Howeer we could ely hde you a susttute for you. And woud possle cut could you up terrly, ey tnear to e kllng youtoWe you to ntocome no more than a egetale that suffers ut you wll not de tl you are so fated Are the Programmed as foolsh as humans, to e ee n Fate Thomas asked. Ths seeng wthout lght though other eyes was a lttle t lke seeng under water, seeng under somethng much deeper. Oe saw n oth surface and depth One saw, ut dd not comprehend, the nteror mechansm as wel as the surface werdness of these enttes, saw the jumled essence that made one call Northprophet howlng dog and Pottscamp Wldeess Wolf There were anmallke ghosts nde them and seeng wth extensons of ther

own eyes one saw ths ghostlness I thought you Programmed were merely nterestng toys Now  nd 

A ER

that you  defomed toys  but Things still . Get ak in your boxes you ackJumps!" Thomas wee taken oer the box" said Pottsamp The box is Astrobe We take oer all the boxes Now we call it You jump You ae the toys now and we play with you till we throw you away' Who e you clockwork things that grow too grand? Who ae we and how did we begin  Thomas? The text hat you yourself are permitted to study are only the shadow of the the story. century ago erin men of scene made frst ofA us as a means of studying themseles They wished to see if they ould make men better than men were made naturally. We turn aside for a momnt n the explanation Thomas Hea one thing and then forget it ou belie e a little bit at times Thoma and with your ttters of faith you guess a little who we ae Aording to your anient belef we are Deils What we cal ourseles is another thng but we are older than our own manufacture and older than our programig  These are houses and wellmade ones that we found swept and gished and we moed into them This ptiular of infoation that pat forget mostThomas quicklyis and most which youbit will thoroughly See you hae forgotten it already." Pottsamp had seemed to stutter in the nsidethe ma nolight that illumined all things there and then he went on: They wished to see if they could make men better

than men were made naturally. They should neer hae taken that oer off that ox  You yourself hae alled us a boys dream ad you hae professed great wonder 189

S-S

about us We wil not nw talk about paracollodial chemistry and zygote eectonics nor about gelcels and uxfix It isnt my eld, and you yourself are a thousand years behind on science It is seldom mentioned however what raw materia was used for the rst of us  what was the matrix in which the devices and controls were imbedded It was a dozen young and uninteligent human criminals What minds they had were direct and uncompicated There was in the seected tweve young men an absence o what is caed emotion of hat is calledasindecision an absence of such human aberrations remorse and conscience They were a carefully selected coletion o waling corpses large lank pages on which coud be printed anything whatsoever These men o sciene printed themselves ourseves upon thm But these men of science who contved us were aso a caefuy dozen selected by themseves They also wereselected comparativey young but inteligent  human criminals riminal for human is Right r us of course It was the moraity business that had most cippled mankind and hed it back and this dozen scientists knew it Themselves were of such an elite  so had to come by, so diicult to nd even tweve on  populated world, hat they decided to produce them selves aiially and with every improvement buit in These improvemens they could put into a device aid out before them but could less easily put into temselves It couldn t have happened quite like that, Thomas

protested. Youre live things,youre however and aicia There is something not warped telling me somthing that you ae hiding with words 

PAS S

" patiet goo Thomas a liste ai

Pottscamp, the Wi leess Wol i the shape o a ma   They mae us ito complex electroic a chemical coe gagets able to reprouce ourselves like hu mas a yet with less tha te percet o our tissue o huma srci ater we were recte We have you see spare brais a iormatio exuses stowe all ove us e ca rearrage ourselves uicky a with o loss o uctio ito other orms tha tha which we usually use to pass as humas We ca also se out extesios o uselves the that sakes brai Thomas We ca o lyers everythig maicayour o a vry much besies. So there is uplicatio here Ma is obsolete Who ees him? Who wats him? e we eally men It is somemes aske. No We are o. Have we that special somethig that istiguishes me from aimals a rom mahies? No we have ot A ma has it ot either That specil somethig is imagiary. Suice it to say that those siglemie me who ivete us i break ow the barrier betwee livig a olivig matter A they iscovere that the livig was the illusio. Well the they cate us as ea.me ea But we abelieve ea me that we are  complete e are ea, We a eelall that is there is o imesio beyo ourselves.  our begi ig ma mae us The we mae ourselves a little more ecietly tha ma coul o it We reprouce almost i your ow maer. We eve cross with hu mas with some curious results We have become

ma. We have replae ma. Soo ma wll be oth ig  what you say is te ol wolghost Pottscamp 9

S S

nd I feel tht it isnt cmpetey te, then hw d yu diffe fm mnkind?' Thms wnted t knw Hw will it mtte if mankind is desyed?' It sue y will nt mtte t us Thms, ld wlfghst Pttscmp said Wed hve cmpleted it ng g, but detils tke time nd bsuctns ent cleed in  ye I doe no mae t the minstrems f mnkind Thse f the minstems, the typicl mn f Asbe tdy, wuld  sn be phsed ut s nt  It mkes  diffeence nly t the divegent pepe, the typicl negligibe neswe wee identic t men But Ind didnt me tht We en't Thee is  get diffeence Yu leed tht diffeence, thugh yu cnnt give  nme t it, tlking t the divegents f Cthed The unges the hd heds knw us evey time We cnnt pss with them f men, nt even f  minute Thee e diffeences between uselves ndut menmen we One will t the ut f men  we wil t f the things is cnsciusness Men clim t hve it We d nt hve it" Yu e nt cnscius?" Thms gsped Tht is he mst mzing thing I hve eve hed Yu wlk nd tk nd gue nd kill nd subvert nd ly ut ps ve the centues, nd yu sy tht yu e nt cn scius?" Of cuse we nt, Thms We  mchines Hw wuld we be cnscius? But we believe tht men e nt cnscius eithe, tht thee is n such thing s cnsciusness It is n illusin in cunting,  feel in

thtBut ne iisf we tweIt nt is cnscius wd withut " thenel ll ismening in vin ," sd Thms T wht purpse then s ife?" 9

A ER

To no pupose" Bogge cut in That is wy we ae doing away with it" What? A ife? Yous and ous? That is hoiying!" Thomas ecaimed Yes a ife yous and ous" Bogge said Who needs it? Who ants it? Who thought it up in te fist pace? t is a distuance of the utimate thing and it cannot e toeated much onge We have and men have an aptite fo ife Men pogammed it into us ut we ae now pogamming it out of ouseves The gowing geneation of oueves to  the gene wi emain ony ongisenough to na ovesee the ation They oiteation of mankind Thn they wi extinguish themseves We do not know how en came to have such a stange appetite We do not know how men themseves  o anything whatsve came to   But it was a ad idea fom the eginning As soon as we hee esent have ived ou ives to some funess and have satisied ou cuiosities (cuiosity is pogammed into us ut it is not pogammed into ou fina geneation ten we wi phase out these appetites in ouseves We wi phase ou epoduction aso in fact we have ecenty done that fo ouseves We wi teminate it a wie conothing se down nothing the wods and make an endfoof ife We t wi nothing foeve eve fo neve fo neve And when a has ceased to e it wi aso happen that nothing has eve een We wi pu the hoe in afte us We wi put out the stas one y one and iion y iion What is nt known to e is not And what is not has neve een Peace in

annihiation good Thomas' Peace is annihiation good Bogge and may geat Ouden e paised fo neve and neve'' Thomas 93

AS S

croakd Damn you a h xplodd  did't say that Sombody ls said it out of my mouth What sak talks i my had?"  Oh  that was myslf '  said Skybo l  W also hav our humor' Good Thomas" said Swamprs o of th mior jackal ghosts   Th spirit cam dow oc o watr ad clay Could it ot com dow o gllclls ad fluxx?" What mas th  quit jackal by that bluig out?" homas askd thm alltoIt mas m at  If it mas othig you  thothig it mastoothig all" Northpropht said  So it has com to th is ' ' Thomas sad s adl   Ad ol th m who st up mosous Catha kw that somthg was wrog Th ru of m had bcom so mpty ad mchaical a fft that th coul ot tll thmsls from you Oly th harhas with th trascdt smll o thm rcogizd th dformity Thy kw that you wr ot m Thy kw that most m wr ot m Thy rsd th trmia gold pap Th challgd th coomic bribr a th suogat lif Th watd lif itslf howvr ma Thy st up thir ow complx with vry sactio agaist thm Thy built xtrm sffrig ito it as a ma will smash his had agaist a post i pai to prov that h is awak Thy udrcut ad udrsold th machimidm with thir ow lugs' blood Wors tha ay dath is vr havig livd Worst of al is vr havig livd i lif Id rathr b a soul i

HllEv tha othig at allwill b did you said that choic Holyg W will xtiguish Hll also if it has ay 94

 

existence. All must go And when it is all nished, we also wil neve have een"  If you e not, why do you mind that othes e?" Thomas asked It disleased Ouden that any e," Holygee said He has a jealous maw Good Thomas said Gandy one of the mino WildeessWolfghosts thee is an old human hase, The e Hand of God Might it not come down on lefthanded entities such as ouselves?" Mock meoo if youeole will , "who Thomas said anO gily mock not the still elieve do Iut get you meanin? If it means nothing to you Thomas then it means nothing at all" Pottscam said nd now what will you do Thomas?" Nothohet asked him Wil you efuse the golden dole and go cough u you lungs with the oo men of athead and the Baio? ou know it is we who have devised that thei ovety should e so ginding We fustate them in evey detail  They had some wokale ideas ut we do not let them wok Will you go with tem? Thomas you love you comfots too much fo that you tun with any hoe? y the way, Whee is one can of those concets which weHoe' have aleady ooted out of most men It was neve in ouselves In what can you hoe, Thomas?" I will still tun with soe slight hoe to the thee cytic men who ought me hee," Thomas said  ou hoe to high , '  Nothohet told him  One

of them is a ugid an of no consequenc e, and we use him fo a font The seco nd of them is an aicial man of ou own sot'' 1 95

S S

Proctor? Yes  hes a programmed perso. Hes programmed to be lucky Thomas Ad Thomas well make you a far offer well do the same thg for you Well gve you he luckest lfe alve. You ca ame your ow detals but you must ke our offer ow We wot dagle t forever No Ill cotue wth my uluck Thomas sad So much for hat sad Pottscamp Ad ow a few suctos Thomas. You wll  compelled to obey them b the  thg. your head ourselves You wll ot destoy thesakes Cathead We eoy the suffer g of them there ad we fear the reacto f t s destroyed before thgs ae rpe. I our ow tme  our ow very ear tme we wll termate Cathead ad Golde Astrobe ad al What of the Hgh Vso the Asobe ream that you put to the tall heads of the people? Thomas asked Oh the so s vald Pottscamp sad t s the whol thg  It slpped  o you a you made love to t several tmes. You ae ot  all ways dfferet from the ety percet of the me The Vso s the Golde Premse of Nothg Beyod a the Cocuso s Hoy Oude Nothg Here Ether Nothg Ever Of the me who set for m there s stll the thrd ma Forema Thomas sad Yes he stll tlts wth u s  Northprophet admtted  He was oe of the frst to uderstad the stuato ad he wl be oe of the last to gve up o t That ma has

gve ushemore ad beeve he acts as though stll trouble has oetha ckay to other play. We t cocers you 96

AS S

But you cannot oppos us, Thomas W nvop you Nobody suppos you mor songy than w do not th Third Comproms Pay, not th Kiss of aths not th Hatrack, not Dmos It is oursvs working trough a th patis who puts you ovr Who but s has rakd th pbbs from your path and strwn owrs for your ft? Wh but ursvs hav won it for you, infuncing so many minds dircty and indircty? Snaks in our had! ou know how w do it! W bat th drum for you day and night You ar our patsygd Youtocant scap supposing us It woudthat notyou vncoud do you any disappar, hid from us W coud mak anothr Thomas Mor i an hour and nobody woud know th diffrnc A man namd Forman woud know th diffr nc Thomas mainaind A chidbrat woud know and mn nd Copprhad and Battrsa and Rimrock and Shanty Pau woud know and th cra tur Maw who is btwn bodis. Th boy Adam woud know and h woud not di for a surrogat A woman who touchd m in a mudd an woud know th diffrnc No  hav nowt to do with you r your thing. Snaks in my brain and a I ght m a ba No,yt! no you wi forgt a of it Thomas" said Swamprs Th spciaty of our group is rtrogrssion an w wi rtrogrss you . Whn you wak out of that door you wi forgt it a  W wi sing thos things to sp in you a t things that you hav ard hr this vning. You wi not vn rmmbr tis mting

You forgt that w ar th singing snaks in your had You forgt ita now." I nowt forgt!" Thomas insistd I r 7

PAS R

memr t a and ac t upon t .  e staed to se and he fe n rsng . e w nto a de. Then they seaed t a nto hm wth searng aughter so that hs mnd shrank and cosed  Bogge Skybo and Swampers! Jacas aughter barkng dersve aughter Tearng woundng aughter. ohprophet Knobnoster Beebonnet! owngdog aughter aughter that w make a man e ow n hs skn and hde. Potscamp oygee and Gandy WdeessWof aughter ghost aughter. Laughter that opens beedng nsde. boted out of the door Ths wasthe nsane stff Thoas and then tued n amement yng to remember where he had ben and what he had done  Where had he just come from? Thee was no door or openng n the aey ane at a  ony bankfaced budng  But he was btter wth anger and shae e had just been deepy humated, and hs mnd w n a bank Thomas strugged for remembrance foro what seemed hours but was actuay ess than a mnute Two men were approachng and he was n no condton to meet anyone. They were the mpoant men ohprophet and Poscamp but what was the maer wh them? Ther faces were contoed nto comctragc torture ne  They seemed amost to sob and they moved cumsy. They came up to hm and touched hm  Thomas  they sad.  We be sous n agony . What must we do to be saved?'' Thomas sed at them ad coud not fathom the

cownsoat a.  Y r unfunny rony s too much for e hs day   he sad Be goe! 9



IE DAY KIG

t was th bgnnng of summr of th ar of Astrob 535 On Old Eath t was also th a 535 A S (nno cene n th ar of scnc)  B old count on Eah t was th ar 2535 t was nat to kp ths vn two thousand ar ntrva To accomplsh t thr had to b a r Yar on Astob vr twntnn ars, as th Astrob ars ar a lttl shortr than Eah ars t should hav bn t ar of Astrob 553 but t was countd as th ar of Astro 535, r ars not bn summd n th total  t workd prtt wll . Thomas Mor took oc as World Prsdnt on un 28 of th ar of Asob 535 Thomas lovd th job H had a fng for powr Not n unusual van man, h stll blvd that h cam nar th old d of th phosophr kng . A, h had bn an amatur phosoph for as, and now h was kng ndd, for th prsdnt of Astob was popull cad kng, spca n Cathad. Thomas had a can gnus for clar rasonng and for smplfng th tangd H analzd, and h wnt quckl to th cor of thngs; and hr h had a frdom for hs talnts that h had nvr had bfor. Whn h had bn chanclor of Engand thr had alwas bn th Kng,

a rathrdfcut manaof sod ga astandng abovman, hm  Now thr was on Kngmakr, ss dcut of no gal standng at al 

AS ST

Thomas was not compelled to take Kingmaker's advice but he always lisened to it with happy ears  Now that your misess and your animal have both le you you should obtain another of each" King maker sad You cannot let down on your public image now that you are on top"   never had one of either as ve tod you before  ' Thomas said easily The brat says that she will come back in time to die for me and she indicates that that will b soon And Rimrock the ansel is often in my mind1 that literally is eutheopathic you know. Butmean he dslikes what hnds in my mind now he says . He swears that the det there is too rch for him though he loved to feast on seasnakes when he was a youngling in the ocean depths He oen talks in riddles like that. He was always a great one for wing me of the Programmed Killers though t was by his wa ings now know I was to escape so manyI times. hey that do not y able openly to kill them me now They still follow and they grin at me with great grins They make a sign the edge of the hand to the nape of the eck.  am told by one who understands them better that this means The time is comng soo' ' t is smooth too smooth like the lull before a storm" Kinmaker said t is as if our world were holding its breath while waiting for something to hap pen Let it hold it till it turns blue Kingmaker that indicates an early harvest  am in no sh  am in no rush about anything  will go wel l. Things right them

selves andtold fallthat intoproper place as  look at them. Was  not would live theeven lcest life alive? "  dont know Who old you tha Thomas? 

A 

 don t rightly recl , but it seems as i f have it a s a promise f  do not upset the ca if  do not bust the jug, if  do not do some low and uneasonable thing, then everything will go ucky for me  There's a hook in it  believe  and  dont rememr whether  sal lowed the bait or not But it was offered to me, and  ceny feel lucky now Cathead i s sangey quiet Th omas  She i s usuay quite nois y and g in times of change of adinisra tion Do you believe his quiet presages a suender, a mass exodus backthey to thesurrender? Goden Life? No,  doofCathead not Howmen could The Cathead divergen ha ve not the benets of being programmed for suender Besides, they enjo seeing them suffer Who does?  dont enjoy seeing them suffer Neither do  That ast phrase  said, Kingmaker,  didnt say it omebody else said it ot of my mouth O dont be alaed for e m sane and sound t is only a little thing that sometimes happens when  m not paying attention to what m saying  But  m not going to wory about the Cathead thing at all But it is the greatest wor of us lers of Astrobe, Thomas world And t isyou the one did thing makethat certain spoils campaign the serenity promises of our that you would settle the Cathead affair, directly and severely if need be l nd a smooth way of beaking those promises Kingmaker You treat me as an amateur at this game, but m not ll settle the Cathead affair by considering

itagain? already t is quiet And you want it noisy ts settled  though  had been told by a vast interior voice not to worry aout the Cathead thing ts as 201

PAS MSTER

though I had been told not to worry about anything whatsoever 'The most successfu Asobe adminisation to date was a perpetua conived am before a storm that never came I beieve that I can manage the same thing here ' 'That i s not quie wh at I had in mind f or your role ,   Kingmaker said but we wil see how it works" I t was al  cear saiing over an ean of good-feeling and cich There was no coud n th sky now shadow over thegriasun   We e not even sure that thee is a sky  that there is a sun Kingmaker sad But it dsnt matter to the ope, and it doesnt matter to me. Who ooks p any ore?" 'The sun is a hole and not a body, Thomas said 'It is not the symbol of round llness but of buing emptinessf Ouden. No, no! I didnt say that. Another said it with my mouth" The vote for Thomas had been overwhelming. His friends had been solidly for him, and his real enemies had enveloped him with their e xtravagant suppot. The sensing achines gave him one of te clearest victorie s ever Ev en the hdheads from Cathead ad th e B io did not disgrace this inauguration as they had disgraced most of them for the ast twenty years They were sient and with a queer ook on their milions of faces. The poor lungers the hd men of Cathead looked at

each r angroun d look their eaders r leader ookedotahe t he d ed as  at f they w ou d nd Thei the answ er ins the duty es or the broken pavements. 202

PAS SER

We will no mch now n nine days we will mch ' ' said Bae sea one of he leades of Cahead The ohe leades and he gea mass of poo ople seemed o agee And Thomas was calm and conden in his mind  was a mos peculia cam ha oaned hee.  is an enfoced cam" he said o himself and no of my makng Could  ea he cam d  in a umoil ove i" Some lile ime pas in he nal days of he cam paign Thomas hadfom had ahis waing evening  had been bloe mnd u heenighmae was a scap of i unuied and somemes he could cach hold of ha scap and almos dag he nighmae bac ono he scene He came ve nea o eceaing i a half dozen imes. B he eceaion was osuced and disoe  slipped i wised i changed fo i faded Thee wee hings in his mind ha wee shoving i ou  had been a nighmae ao hose oy jumpjacs he pogammed mechanical men n he nighmae hese Pogammed pesons wee eally unning he wolds and he human sons hemselves had ecome so pogammed and mechanical ha i made no diff ence Bu heeofwas o he i han ha ou  involved he exinguishing he moe wolds loing of al pas ime so ha nohing had eve been so ha nohing was now so ha nohing eve cold  And hen i didn  involve ny uch hings.  was no he wolds ha neve happend; i was he nighme ha neve happened

 dopped ouhad o ahiseile min again Wha hadhis i een au? Thomas headache om and nea posaion o ody Then he  simple medica 2

AST ST

tion for it all and the sicknss faded and so did he nightmre and the emory of it The o of World President was amzingly easy Bills were drawn up agreed on and sumitted y the Lawmasters the one hundred and one great minds (selected for their rilliant egal genius y the selecting machines that did these things so expely on Astroe There was of course a great volume of ills presented to the new president for it was always the custom to throweasily them at him in great unches intitily were handled  But they Every ill could e analyzed y independent machine interpreted and roken down and the correct decision on it indicated automatically Sometimes it seemed to Thomas that the decisions were indicted automatically to him in an interior manner also And the decisions from were always sameis Do pass How canoth you sources go wrong when the the answer

always yes? There ws an addional reason for voting yes A president of Asoe who three times vetoed any proposal adopted y the Lawmasters was sentenced to death no matter what form that proposal had een presented under Did tha make the World President a lloonhead? By no means His real o was to initiate thmachinaions that led to the ills to consult and advise to maintain and create a concensus The usiness of approving the nished ills was a holdover from erlier

times. was supposed to e automatic The Approval ills hemselves many of them would have afed a Whitechapel lawyer 2

AS SER

We Thomas had en a Whe cha awyer n hs asc fe  He had a go a a f ew of he s  He kn ew a aout ncongruous rders on s ssy more han invented machnes sef he anayzng ck rders hemsees on s. knew. He read He had he hms mnuey  to he dsgus of hs assaes  But he passed many of the s ha he reay dd not wsh o pass It ecomes odder and odder " he sad  omeone ese s thnkng wth my mnd someone ese s takng wh my oce and now someone ese s sgnng s wh handth Nnh Sandardzaton Act wth ts Hemy passed curous rders  I sought o compee he sandardzaon of he mnd as we as of the ojects of he mnd Someody was udng hgher and hgher on ths coned foundaon Wha cuous cacastes they do ud! he sad He passed t through hough wonderng ust wha someone was up o wonderng aso why  he passed  a a. He drew the teeth from a few oher s efore sendng hem through omehow he teeh grew ack no them y arous enang acs He pued fang after fang om the Compusory Bengny B Tha one

went of een eyond he Ac  Ths  s not the face Bengny as Open knewMnd t he sad The fangs grew ack tacked syy ono other s . It grew dstastefu as he ounes of the udng meant o e rased o hs ngnan foundaton grew cearer Thomas wshed ha he coud rememer more of hs wakng nghmare of some me efore

Ad now here was a sm  among many u here sounded a wng n hs mnd aou . Possy  was a wng from Rmock he anse   was of he od The 0

 /

Killes e upon you! aet, ut it was nt in wrds

Thmas had ust een er cleer in sptting weird things in a series f ills and in taking eceptin t them He had shwated hi epeise and wa quite prud f imself But he wanted a rest frm it nw He wanted these lat ills fr the da t slide thrugh easil and e was smewhat iitated  the waings in his head S he arel sptted te ker in te Earth Seerene At it was in a ftnte t a ftnte as it were But when e sptted thugh hadphrase) piked up a snake thinkingit itetk e a a tik hi he wn It was a simple clause under the setin Rema. Well it dd utlaw all remnant f a thing that ad ne seemed imprtant s perap it elnged in te setin Remna eep tat it ad nthing t d it the Ea Seerance t Tma didnt ee mu wrng wit the phrase r prpitin eept tat it was m pletel ut f place and a litle una in it arrgane It wasnt that he pped te idea it was ust the utter presumptin f the awmater r wheer in setting it in ere in a ill were it did nt elng and in tring t slide it past him T shuld call it the Ban the Bend ct he said It er plausiilit went against it Wh ther t enat such a thing? It wasnt needed Tee was n reasn at all fr it Bt smed had gne t the trule f tring t lip it past him e  the d rid te ting een t cast a shadw an lnger," he said Wh shuld the s fea a

shadw?Why The s thing itselfs aut dead Giealread it its last minute aid t murder it, when the heaeat has nel stpped?' 2

AS S

He ut th e lause out of he il  He felt apprehensive when e had done it  He had een uin ier thin s out of ier ils all day, muh of it for devilment most of it out of uriosity to see ust wht they would ride ak in on the next da y  He hadn't een apprehensive out ttin up the ier ills He was worried ause hins were losin their porpron for him He losed up shop for the dy The next moin it was ak as a rider to the Both Bil, the rst ill of the day Someody has een usy durin ndin a way to with insertit,this intohea had ill that hadthenoniht possile onnetion a ill already sanned and whih had een set over for only one inor iation Thomas surely wouldn't have spoted it in the Both Bill if it hadnt een for  win in hi mnd, an old Rimoklike sort of w in: The Killer re n  Thomas head a distnt ikin i n his mind as thou h time were nnin out on him This odd litle reommendation was iportant to someone, and it ean to have  amier smell than mouse or mole old ive He anrily vetd the entire Both Bil There ws somethin nal his atout Heofhad himself the master Nw he aout felt himself hisfelt depth and for one sma phrae of indifferent meanin and no importane at all  He was whitin in the hands of the Pro rammin Mahines and the Prorammed People But he was pesident He losed up shop for that day It was not yet eiht

o'lok in the mornin He hadnt een in the suite for en minutes A Kin should not work all day like a knave In 27

AS S

paticular, a Kng shoul not work on an nauspcous ay ngmkr tk to Thomas prvatly aout t that vnng Thomas woul ch rathr hav talk to Faan Forman aout t, ut Forman han't gvn th sgn that h want to talk no w, an n fact ha g out of t th on tm Thomas ha approach hm Gallowstm wll  m nough to talk h' sa an h ha wnk at Thomas wthout humor But thr hathng nr a hngan p n Forman's ys an anothr a thr thng pr stll So t must  a lcur from Kngmakr It s all a quston of natnss, Cosmos Kng mar sa Th Goo Lf cannot hav any wkwar lmnt n t Thr s rally ut on awkw lmnt survvng ly suv ng)  an t s that whch w  cuttng out Th thr Dram Astro Fnalz Human ty  If anywhr s aoflf n asspook yon thn th Drm wll fal''  Fnalz Humanty  s " trcky phras Cosmos It has two manngs It can man prfct humanty Or t can man tnat humanty''  No t has only manng Thoms  Thy ar th two ss of th sam thng W th opl of th Dram hav rs ouslvs from snglcll craturs an from thngs still lowr than th sngl clls h Cosmc Thng s s W ar th Blss of th ancnts; w a th Snts Th Hraftr s hr now an w  n th ml of t Don't foul h nxt Thomas on't

 Thr allgory aut ma craturs who rok soutanofancnt our stat of prfcton lvg tha 2

 

there was something beyond They fel forever into the void Let not that happen to us"   ust had a black notion th at the tags were mixed and that Golden Astrobe was the void , Thoma said  Wel, forget your black notions And now we get politic about this  myself do not see why it is important whete a dying thing live a little longer or die no  But the Programmed Persons among us say that is impoant to them' Aye, they have a timetable on the phing of all things out, it will notthat do was for them to run orgive meand ingmaker another blackbehind notion of mine  hardly know what  say f it is important to the Programmed Persons t unimpoant to us, then let us give in to them Tey have given in to  so many times" ave they honestly? mused Thomas  have a eeling     have a feeling that m in the middle of a fight But it seems to small a thing to ght over that m fll of doubt But is it really so small a thing? ts over the mxing of the tags again, you know  is or me to decide wheher the tags on Everything and on No thing' have been swapped, and whether  should forbid tatNo theytags everhave be righted'' been exchanged, Thomas Every thing is properly labeled on a prope world f we do this thing, ld Eth will follow us; se follows us in everything now  So if we say tha it is over with, then it is over with forever And there is this Thomasyou wil sign the prop

osition tomoow, or you will die the followng day There is a limit to what a Word President can obsuct 2

A 

A responsie i or cause passed three times y the Lawmasters and vetd three times y the president means death for that president Two vetoes is so me times a grand of deant gesture though rather am oyant I think Three vetoes is unhed of Wi you pass it? What angered me was attempts to sip it through as bind riders to cmmon bis" It wi be prsented tomoow as a i of its own cer and uncompromised Wi you sign it?" If itithad eenquestion" so presented the first time Id have signed without es but wi you sign it tooow?"  I dont know Kingmaker I stood not ong ago on the to of Eectric Mountain  I stood there in the midde of a thnder storm more intense than any I had thoght possibe I aveed across a fera si and discovered that made there me are ieve sti a few I saw creatures that thatFera there Peope reay was or had been a Devi I met a young man who was a One Day Emror I eieve now that we may have a Nine Day King What are you taking aout Thomas? What of it? What has any of that to do with this matter?  I dont know It seems that it shoud have something to do with it Rememering the igh Thunder shoud make a difference in something The Big Ones had Thomas u p on the carpet the next moing: Kingmaker Proctor Foreman Chezem

Pottscamp But were Wotte not othNorthprophet Pottscamp and hprophet crea ures out o a orgotten nightmre? We, can you aford 2

P E

to affot a ma just because you have deamed of im i a ufavoable ligt? What ightmare ayhow? You'll do e of two thigs Thomas" Poco old m evely Youll sig the bill O youll de You do seem to wat do the s Ad I do hik ou like the secod eithe  Thomas you have twice vetoed a iocuous item  Why?" Pottscamp asked Tere was somethig strage about Poscamp tat Tomas could ot aalyze He kew the ma well; ad ow he had he feelig ha kow e hdly kew hm ae al  Spash evils I do wy" Thmas ploded I ough it ocuous so I oly reseed he aemp o sl  by me  e ar Bu  se ow ha  cao be ocuous f  was u  by sealh wce ad f yo are al so eced over s veo Tees a old ma dyg as g ad s mog a ehaps he s alreay dea So e m de ad perhas he thig has ally die wh m B yo have o cal o murder a hg o s deah bed Whether here be Thigs Beyod I do ot kow Y e d forbid he md o cosider them I fobid te forbddg" Thomas he Metopolta of Astrobe dd de durig he igh" Kigmake He ded wh alohs fellowers aoud hifousad of hem We muder ig here whch s livig" Thomas tust us" said Proctor A leas us Poscamp hee Eveybody o Astrobe trusts Poscamp The ma wose persoal dshoety obody

doubts Thomas seeed Now why was he beig so had o so good a ma as Potscamp? Thomas thee ist oe ma i te millio o  

S S

Astroe or Earth who sti ll elieves, said Kingmaker nd last evening you told me that you yourself were no longer a eliever That was last evening, Cosmos n he moigs  sometimes elieve a little t damages our relations with the Programmed to allow Beyond things to e lieved in, even i only y one person, Proctor said They want all this roken as a symol They insist upon it This is one harmless poit on which we cn give ground Now, here, it' all in Nine ill ysnakes itsl Sign in myit!"head!  won" Thomas shouted   t is not just fou madmen in Cathead you d e outlawin  found aout it only y accident ut there is a synagogue on Astroe yet t has etween fty and sity memers Theres a mosque on Astroe with thirteen memers There are several dozen of the old sects remaining, several of them with near a dozen memers Thees the greenrod monks of Saint Klingensmith still working in the feral sips These are all good people even if they are elievrs in outmoded things, and  see no reason to sentence them to death ' They are hundreds only, or less, out of illions  We reak it," said Northprophet Do you feel that ay, Kingmaker?" Thomas asked Asolutely, said regal Kingmaker  dont elieve any diversity should e allowed, not even over such a minor erration as this Chezem, Pottscamp Proctor, Wottle, Noh-

prophet, do felt you that all feel They all way,that andway? they nodded grave ly, grimly almost in nison 22

AS SER

Foema do you feel that way?" homas demanded Foeman did't say anythig He had that deep look i hi  eyes ad an ioic smile Foema you'e the histoia" homas said ts the same damed thig hey killed me fo the st time isnt it?" Sae damed thig homas"  ign it" odeed Pocto Oh all ight I'm tied of playig. ll sig it" homas You said. know the penalty fo not signig" Pocto added. t's death you kow." Foeman had to hide his delight It was so much ete that it wa Pocto who ·hd said that who had lundeed who had pushed it too fa.) Fo a Wold Pesident to veto a ill thee times means his death" Pocto said pessing lundeing still deepe ito it and homas was tuning angy ed in the face. hat had to e eacted We cannot have an ostctionist as Wold Pesident Why do you hesitate now  when you wee eady to sign a moment ago?'  Aye a man'd e a fool to lose his head twice ove  the homas musedIll sign." still looking moe thasame half thing" stuo Of couse ed have to feel himself a little ette than those aoud him to take up a challenge like that" Foeman put in huiedly as homas had aleady touched magne tic stylus to the fom e'd have to e a man of some pide"

I  a ma of some pde" homas said I

feel yse  lile bee hn hose ound  , h I elly look  he' 213

do now

S S

He'd he to be  mn who coudn't  puhed nd coudnt  cred id Foremn  y  m uch  mn een if it'  ie  But  ce  itte hom id.  He' d he to   mn w hod tnd hi grou nd een if he  ced Foremn needed He'd he to  quite  m to die for  poin een if he undertood it ony t the t minut e nd then dimy  He'd he to  uch  m  Foremn you foo wht re you up to  Proctor demnded. ho puhed me ino the coer the other time Fbin hom ked oy ho required my hed o me for  point f youre grnted nother ife hom you y to gure it ou  i he  writ  iend or enemy of you do you thin On which ide did he eem toSign tht bi Proctor ordered. e force you You wi jut py Johnny He forcing me to do nyhing,   homa  id. He took the bi d cribbed in tn  forbid Vo " cr the fce of i hey contiuted themee  hty emby then And they entenced him to deth

24

1 2.

 E Ul IE PEOPE

he egle ee gtheng no he phe  Shnty' Shnty hd gone o nd let h   ontouly g  n ontou Cthed, nd hd oe to Co opol  He loo ed l e the e te n plg  th h ht on h hed nd h t n h hnd. Bttee o e Cthed o h teont he ote ued h hndhol togethe e  gene  eoe ttl e  h  h  ht he    hey et n   oo o the hop o Geoge the yn, ho  n ot We do not en te Cthed hop e en Geoge hop ght n the dde o Coopol ght o Centlty que u e thee ung the ltte de doo He hd nee noted the hop eoe nd he hd no de hy he ete ed tht do o  He  th e othe  nd ondeed ho they hd oe tog ethe nd h o they hd  no n hee to oe  h en they ee jo ned y Wlte Co p pehed the neone nd he eed to onde Co ppe hed h dh eenup  p oelt  nde  entene deethon  oone n o the tdy t nge  u He hd oe though ll to epe nd to oe to the It n't dut," he d I eeve tht t h een n uently t e d . hee e n y ho o u d go though ll  t eve oued to the to ty t.

Soeone  ong nd I he oe o y po tn'' 25

A 

Copperead boted the door. The a shabby od ady came  through the wa ts o test Copperhead sad She has oy a  cotget body. ' •A tte s uff for the oe of God   the od ady sad to George  hae o moey for t  had a co ut t meted  my had. So w the suff sad George the sya Ad whe dd the Programmed g to use suff? 1 sr? the od ady asked Do  ook ke a Programmed? No ut you are George tod her Your body s too coed to e huma  t sjust a od ody  foud   she sad  t s t my ow  dot reay uderstad t at al  But f m ot a poor od ady what am ? Hae you e my customer before? George asked  seem to remember you.suff such as he put He gae her suff poorpeope out  hs sho  Cathe ad ot the omatc dettate suff that he usuay sod here  dot remember you or your shop the od ady sad. But  remmber Pau a tte t Ad ow  rememer you a moe ad more. Yes  hae bee of the compa of a of you before  oe group or aother.  Maxwe  where  He or broke Atobe dd ou get that body? Copperhead asked. es Maxw e thats the  ame  cou d t thk of Yes m Maxwe ad  beg to recoer my wts a

tte  beeve the od adymysef dead  a  ey t  s a emb assg foud stuato  d  geteme 26

PAS SE 

ut do not thnk any the ess of me for t Now   w  wth you t the end of the affar' Someody ted the aed door then tred t harder Then ed t most mpatenty Ths s the test sad Water Copperhead We wsee f she comes through the wa'' Be you certan t's a she? Shanty asked t's a song hand there She ddn 't come through the wa she came through the door smhng and spnterng t wth a sudden shock of force was where the most Asoe and sheShecame sheautu wshed woman on t had faen to dusk outsde t woud be nconvenent to eave the door standng shattered f they showed a ght and a hgh meetng cannot e hed n the dak There had een a hammerng and ruckus outsde for some tme and they had hady notced t Whos audng Evta? Pau asked What are they makng out there? Dd you notce what was gong on before you roke n on us? Oh tey're udng he scaffod she sad Out of od rtua wood t has to be t's the pedment for te beheadn tomorrow noon ' just orrow t of toos and oards Shanty sad They owe usathat Evta had een battng prncpates and powers for a ong tme and t showed on her And yet se ddnt appea more than seventeen She was ndeed the most eautfu woman on Asobe wth soft har that seemed to have smoke on t rong ack and now quetn to

brown or god And were her eyes green or gray or ue? 27

AS ER

Wll   o  da s d  s Corad wll  b O ys t w  to s da It wl no b  Bar sa swor  d yo  o ow ta I w a mta gra o or sm rsv worlds bfor I jod  Cad mo vm   I drsad sragy ad   s  av m ad t mos sosad of waos o mar wr  go t m  W w l a s rs  org for s   s to b a g oo omoow W a  a md o  sod saW ow omas  s mH s a srog la W b ad W Caad Kg ll  ds ad  w ot d omoow. W av so   las y o  o  d v r g ss . M  o s a sry s of t god g ad  ma r d   otr god tows W ar t wol may of admsrao.   oly t g r ma  btrog  t w  av m  as  d ot  w  o t aab f a yg  Catad oy oooso Tr  s a m  larg r  g j st rady t o s ma s tr og ts t st Wl omb t ra tgs ad ma s a d world y d yo vr sos a  s r ll  ors rrstd  roda of o  o s world as b ld asay ad  to bo dag by a m o r ty o  a m ory of a m or ty  W   l l sr t at al tg l  t    d- woma s  trd t door as batfly ad as owrly I  may a  almos  at  sad Corad rls s  oma s wl los s  ad omoow   H wl not  sad Barsa or a fool ad

o romar   How dd  ow to om BHr yo oms a ag I was mo t as wo sdd  28

PAS SR

 be an eale he said   soar  s he as nih of he word and we e no sure wha he new word wi be lie  ve brouh od rum ad brandy for hose of a more barbarous ase Shany had he door abou xed He wored defly and beauiuy s beer han new he said 'd eep ou a Prorammed Pao bu i mih no eep ou an Evia. Sie a low lih now Geore onspiraors mus always have a low lih Thesaid conspirin has on since en donelie Ba-a ersea  o now. e march omorrow ale of poor uners in om ahead o ole a he sih bu we will be he dees commandos in he world an one of you e o he Thmas o ell him no o worry ha i is all aen care of? Oh ll e o him Evia said A win o he Prorammed uards who have minds lie adolescen s and m i They hin m his doxi e and hey have a leen love of such hins Baersea sode ou ad bac owards ahead There was a shrler sound ouside ow ha cu hrouh he hammeri  was he honi of he bi old riual bade would be be sainnice place dha hoped hasoon  would day for i  Shany said bu i mih  rain before moi  Did i rain he firs ime does anybody now?'' A lile he nih before ad in he ely moin  opperhead said. Bu i cleared by he ime of he beheadin and he sun was ou

The whine of seel on sone rose hiher i n he square ouside This was all by ancie formua and he blade mus be very sharp. The worer in he square had even 2

PAS SER

gted bo toug te gt w wm T  te oy tme tt e wee eve lgted  golde Como o te eve of  edg d t d e twety ye e oe T w oe of t t u . Te y dm cme  toug te wl but t o w o tet  my wy dm w ot el My bote you ow tee tg o Wl t   det?" vt ed Ye t w   det.  d my l oe" m d "T Battersa is wrong and he w o n ' t  able to bg hteno? No e It wog. e w come d e wll e d te ew wold my be mde out of t. But my of te detl w ve to  cged." Wt  t  me tt uve?" Mxwell ed  d te bby old dy fom d e voce but

tey ll ew  mw a Scvee Mwel ow. myelf pogmmed  mym og. d p t body ve pced up   pogmmed body. t bdly mde t dly woble.  beeve t w  ty tg ued omeow   dgue fo  momet d e ct off ow c tey etoy me oe mce d  uvve  ote mce? Tey couldt eve detoy oe peolty oe tt d o gt to be  te t plce Well wt  t of tobe tt wll uvve tem? Youll eve ow ow  fougt gt oblvo. Tey ue too my old ppatu pt  te pottg ed" fte tt tey boe out te omec old m d

ed  we fo Tom Moe te m wo woud de te ext dy Ty becme vey do d mlow ove 22

AS S

 The wors o he lack mood had gone y  and hey eleved ha hey would ye survve as people hs s one hng ha he Programmed canno do  They d o no ecome doll and mellow nor do hey hold wakes Programmed people ha no gallows humor a all They would no have undersood Paul's joke aou he corpse who suered They would have een puzzled y Shany's ale o he o hog and he lghnng rod salesman and he deal hey made and how wha he sows ddn' kow very nearly klled hem And Maxwells sory o lady when whosesoul was sll wanderng n he he newdead wase places became enangled  a ove o laden donkeys and was saddled and dde by he donkeydrover would have le h m cold And ye here was very sharp Pogammed aenon pad o  The monors n deph come on every me egh or more people are me ogeher anywhere n cvlzed Asroe They had pcked up he group when Rmock came n dropped  when Baersea le and pcked  up agan when he boy Adam enered These monors are auomac and hey record and nerpre everyhng hey pck up on hese orays Tha was he dculy They couldn make anyhng ou o he ales They ed no CodeCrackers and hen no CodeCrackersSupreme And neher o hese grea pro gammed ureaus could crck he code They couldn' a all gure wha crypc noaon was conceled n he ales

The oy Adam old he sory o he s human peope eve o come o Asroe and  had een een hunded yeas eore he dae ha you wll nd gven 22

 

by te istory precis By the oies it had been Saint Bandon imse in a coace boat that was ound as a tub He soshed an bounded in over te Stoimenf Sea with a great dea of drenching and baiing; but e ad staed his voyage in the North Atantic Ocean on Od Eah and e supposed tat e was sti saiing the same water, since he had never eft it   He pied out of te corace when it ran onto and, and nineteen Irish monks with twinking pates foowed him out of the boat and onto shore  On rst rriva they found no iving thingsnotonanswer the shore jesaem conies, which woud theirecept uestions But Saint Brandon and his nineteen monks set themseves to record whatever they might nd in this ne and Say, they mapped it a out and rote it down on the scros with eact description of the pants and anmas and the new and itsef They got don evey bay and net where Stoimenof shatters a dozen estuaries andthesips betweenSea what is Wuinto own and Cahead now It was a beauti map and a comprehen sive description Then tey got back into the corace boat and put up eir sai that was no bigger  than a sied  And in ninetynine days they were back in Dinge Bay where they had staed from But ater eporers, going out into the Nort Atantic Ocean of Od Eart didn't nd any such and as that and they said that Saint Brandon had ied He ad not Those ater epoers ad gone in prowships tat wi hod a course not in ound corace boats that can ony

be steered byte prayer and fasting and ae ikey to wance off Ea der That was e stoy of te boy Adam and Co de 222

AST STE

CrackersSupreme labored mightily to break the code and arrve at the cryptic meaning hind it and they couldnt do it This wasnt code like you meet every night Blessed be this m sad Rmk the ansel George the syrian told just how things are every time the world ends. The only thing ever le over when the world ends he said is one syrian and one sand dune all other features of the word being bloed out by the teinalyears catastophes. There is that terrble second million when nothing movesfor a second andora million yes are the same when there is no movement in anyhing Then the syrian goes over behind the sand dune and finds a dromedary and together they sta the world going again That is the way it was in the earliest version of Genesis Geoge said That is the way the world begins eve time You will hea stories about a man and a woman or about a turtle raising the sky up from o te earth. Do not believe them Every time the world begins it begins with a syran and a dromedy Now  dont know what a dromedary is I dont know what a sand and Ionto sureme don'Itbeleve know what a syrianI is The namedune wasi shung because have a beak instead of a nose The world wi end again tomoow Watch thn for a syran and a sand dune If the syrian gs behind the dune there is hope if he does not or if there is neither syrian or sand dune then the world is done forever

CodeCrackersSupreme a breakdown about the time that George thesuffered syrian recounted this It was not perhaps a serous breakdown; but it would 223

P TER

take severa ours to get codecrackers to co g aga. So te motog was dropd o pot  settg dow wat eve te codecrackers caot crack. Bessed e ts m sa Evta Forema? Faa Forema? Wat was e dog tere? e was oe ofe g me ow og ad e e sttg  te mdst of tem? ts o great woder, Forema sad  do ot come troug teexcept wls, as   ave o strage power, a Copread few tat aredoes egg to appear  may o Aso atey  ow ts uldg, as I ow every udg tat opes oto Cealty Sque.  ave my ways of comg  to al oft em. So  ducked  ere to get away from the mos outsdefor tere has ee a great looseg up of te ope of Cosmopol just wth te lastThey oure adhavg perhaps of te oter greatsCtes of Asoe. a fools olday suc as they have ot had or a hudre yes Eveoe tought they were too fr goe  ther golde lethargy for tat ad here they are alve aga. Ad yet ow that m sde  d I mss the clamor It grows o you. Let's go out  te square ad jo wth them. Te Evta ca go to te Tomas ad reassure m that all s well, that Battersea's swskg commados wll rescue m from the gh get at oo tomoow. Ad he wll stll e Kg Ad later, og aout daw I wl go  to m ad talk a fal talk wth hm Tey al wet out to the square. There was happy

ghtg  te see woldohave maged that such thgs coud aveWho happeed Cvlzed Asoe? Tese were ot ugers or ardeads from Cathead ad 224

P SER

the Baio They were not even the inbetween peope of ambiguous Wu Town They were the highly civilized peope of Cosmopolis itself It was a foos carnival indeed all split into highspirted waing fac tions silling over into masuerade Heads were broken and people laughed  as if it had been a thousan d years before The Ban and Beyond" people had their banners flying and ying wedges of opponents with and without mottos pulled them down in a glorous melee  The  Sackcoth and Ashes  faction was marching ad joking he of newlyappointed (or whole self appointed Meropoitan Astrobe had put that world under interdict until penance be done and until ceain conditions shoul be fulfiled; and groups were makng up and singing balads about it High Lades of Astrobe dressed up like old crones and hawked candy heads and skulls in honor of the beheading tomoow Wooly Rams were found somewhere and spited and bbecued over the bonres about fiy people devour ing each Wooly Ram as they tore it apart in pieces half seaed and half raw The feast of the Wooly Ram had not been held on Astrobe for more than three hundred yars and only antiuarians coud have known about it It was a belated mdsumer eve hysteria SpringRite and Easter and Corpus Chrsti together It was caiva and citywide wake And all the detectae Progrmmed Persons were in hiding It was not that the human persons threatene In the mood of this night Programmed Persons would have

been invisible to humans completey unimportant to them not to be oticed at al  But he Prgramed fet fear an eotion that wa not even programmed into 225

 

them They could not eason this thing out at all and eason is the only thing that the Pogammed Pesons have Thee was dnking and shouting, looting and ason, all caied out in petty good spiits Evita slipped off and in to see Thomas in his cell to tell him that his death would not be a death, but a ained elite out of the hadheads of Cathead would escue m, and he would still be King, with all new powe Thee was a whole baelful of new emotions spilled into ounofCenality and who the of steets the Citizens CivilizedSquae  AsobeAnge, had been angy in thei whole livs? Wonde, and which of them had eve wondeed befoe? Tculence, batleoy, ecollection of things apt (pehaps of futue things), evely, sepents tooth emose, ute penitence, pinnacled hope, oyinmude, oyinhumility Sepentine andonconfetti thee wasand notSteven the memoy of them Astobeand alloween ohns Eve masks, and even the geatgeatgandfathes had fogoten about them. The ead ackes battled with the  Devastatos .   Then the tolling began On the geat bells of a fogot ten o museumized chuch, then on anothe and anothe, then on fve hunded Most of these Chuches had been ed thee hunded yes ago ow wee thei giant lls sounding the Old Old Wold Funeal Toll now? That sound had not en hed within living memoy on Astobe But ve hunded geat bells wee tolling, and the people emmbeed the names of them

the Achangel with its fullKing, silveSaint tonePetthe Giant the WhiteGabiel Oge the Shephed e, King of Baaa Yellow Dwaf Sant Simeon he 226

 

Dutchma, Archbishop Turpi, Rhielader, Daiel, Jew Bell, Mephistophees, the Black Virgi, Ship Bell,  the Moutai , Sait ilay  Dozes o tos o swigi g silver ad broze, all the old giat amebells o the churches (almost all o them log sice disappeared rag out the heavy toll, ad were recogized by their toes ad remembered by their ames o two hudred years ago Ad oe more, high ad poweul ad clear, the uly Bell Evita was back, cryig happy tears The whoe great golde ubelievig o Cosmopolis id homage to Thomas More who cit would die tomoow Oly he wouldt die ae al, as he would be res cued by Battersea ad his swit strikig commados Oly he wud die ate all ate al because both Copperhead ad the boy Adam said that he woud ad they were both give specia visio

7

1 3

A PO CE PH AL ON

t raned before mong For unknown reasons the controlled air domes were not working It rained nds crmnately on the cty of Cosmopols  It did not merely ran on the pars and specfed eas; t rained on the entire t seemed alost natural for from the ran to fal where cty it would The ar domes whether human or Programmed negligence smply were not rased aganst t A thing lke this hadn't happened n Cosmopols for a century Frst the cival and the wld aberrations of the nght before and now an unregulated ranthough ot a havy one The Programmed guards were umpy and they had killed a few human persos accdently  There my have been some resentment of this though the things were only following their programming When people act pecularly and carry on in an unaccustomed way what are the Programmed guards to do but take ction Foreman went in to see Thom the coming of aban rany dan He found Thomas u nusuallyat placid for a man scheduled to die that day The two weighed each other wth cautious eyes each wonerng how many steps deep into the plannng the other had guessed Youve given the people a cval Thmas" Foreman said  didnt leve they were any on ger

capable tofwas t They held a rousng wakehadforvery youfew or perhaps for themselves We have executons n recent decades and none that has grabed 228

PAS ER

he people a this oe h You come vey vivid ad colol to them, much moe so tha whe they made you Wold Pesidet. They ecogize this as somehig ig i you,  though you wee o maiy fo his gloy death t wil  you momet, Thoma. Oh,  damed to you, Foma! 've witessed moe eecutios hat you have A ope wil ise to oe eve time, ike a fish to he ait like a vey geat Devifsh  saw ise ot og sice to a vey geat at t's he death hat ge hem, the utimey deah They love seeso, a ma die.Thee e eight thousad te ttis't Thomas. miaos a day i Cosmolis aoe Almost all ae ope to the pulic, ad hdly ayoe atteds Ad they ae't mootoous thig s  May of those havig them seves temiated devise iteestig ad loody deaths fo themseves; they ve ith each othe i this ad come up with some imagiative eds The fasciatio is't  seeig a ma die; it's i seeig a ma die uwiligly.''   woud't disappoit them, Foema . f  g o that oad,  sue wil ot go it willigly. Ad the othe way, to the temiatos,  would ot go at al .  ca 't ude stad a ma acceptig as calmy ye thee's a whole clutchhis ofed people who  saythat thisd etie wold will ed this moig; ad all ae quite calm aout it. They wee a litte oisy i the ight, though t's sad that thee will e vey lage cowds gatheed hee foe o. Should a ma tae pide i the act that the lagest audiece he daws i his ife is hat

which comes his death?'  is ight, Thomas This  That wholetoclutch of people wold, Astoe (ad its old apdage, Eh, will ed 22

AS ER

today  There s no stoppng t t s dyng and t wll de t s n the cle of death now'' Oh well then  suppose a few honest men wll have to get together and sta a new world 've a few deas along that lne myself  Too bad you' ll  dead an d not able to put them nto effect Thomas Well how do you make a world and set  to gong? George who s  omatcs says that n the begnnng a syrian nds a domeda and together they sta a wold Myself  beleve that a new world awaysa mustard grows outseed of aatsngle mustad wll plant exacly nne osd clock myself ths mo ng  expect a new world to grow from t and  hope   alve to enoy t You've the hounddog lk as though t were you rather than myself who were gong to de today Fore man'' eas yreacton happen that  die too Thoma There wll t ecould a whplash to the events of ths day and any man too close to te action could easly lose a lmb or a fe over t What s that odd stuff you ae eatng Thomas? My breakfast  The asked me what  wanted for my nal meal   beleve that tual requres that  be asked t  told them that  wanted t dine on the brans of my enemes on Programmed People brans They brought me ths ts a chemcal and magnetic mshmash of polarized memory gelatn  suppose t s an element the nonhuman element ofProgammed People brans Dawnworld people ate ther enemes' brans and acquied t and sength om them But  doubt f ll

acqure any wt and ceanly not any humor from ths bowl of the brans of mne enemy The suff sn't very 23

 

gd, but ppl and Thngs n Astb d tak what yu say tally" Th Pgammd Psns an't u nms, Thmas, Fman sad Thy' nly shadws f slvs f sm f uslvs Evn th fasm human thng thy a shadw f may nt b sh nmy Thas, th a sm thngs Id lk t cnvy t yu b yu d  Fst l, yu dath s abslutly qud I wsh t wn't s" Andd Thmas was (wh studyng wth guadd ys Fman hadFman bn appntd Hgh Cvlan n Chag  Ecutn) suspct that th wuld b a scu by th hadhads fCathad And  h dd suspt t wuld t matt Fman was Thmas clss nd n Gldn Astb (as ppsd t Cathad and th Ba), and h was nt at all cmtt t th Astb am, as w th ths f th bg mn H smd nw t b shwng a qut cntmpt  t S why dd h mphasz that Thmas ' dath was absluty ssntal ust hw dt f mnd was ths man Fman  It s n mtaph abut th wds ndng tda y, Thmas" Fman O nt I ntly mtaph Th wlds wnt d dn. pdcally wnd why nbdy cpt myslf has ntcd ths A wld bcms an unstung bw,  an unstung cps All lf and hat and puls gs ut f t It ds, I tll y u, n vy bd and plant and ck an d anmal and psn f t; n vy muntan and sa, n vy cud Its

gavty and ght and hat, ts glf and ts f cd, ts manng and ts pups a all tng ushd n a nstant Al lf gs ut f t. It cass 23

A 

Ae ha, I do no know wha haens. I h ave never esonally winessed he even, hough I will winess i oday I'll have laned a musad seed, he smlles of seeds . Somehing may gow om i, no off his world, bu ou of he void and ino an enirely diffeen wold This also, I believe, will ake less han a single second' Fabian, you're full of mornig wine, Thomas lauged Bu he smoheed his laugh ino a crooked smile A man due o be eecued his da should no laugh Somebody migh suspec ha he was havingoo heeasily las laugh Thomas had hs own game o lay and his own emoions o guad I would be a ve nervous business up o ha momen of crsis  He mus no eray, even o his fiend abian, ha when he crowd really gan o gaher (sholy afer en oclock, r wo hours before he eecuion) i would no beofa cowd here would be a segmen haenirely crowd, arandom song sice from he edge o he cene made up of Baersea' s icked men They would be i he rogh clohes of he Cahead lungers, n he bizae gab of he ciizens of Wu Town, and in he ne aimen of he eople of Cosmoolis and he oher golden ciies And in one momen, afe Thoma had already mouned he scaf fold and was eady o u his head on he block, ha segmen of he crowd would sien ino a se and dve in and sike Theyd grab him off, and would hen become a codor brnging him away from hee fas, and hen i nsananeously by an inan ravel boo h

aleady held andmees ogammed have o iy o i andThey hen wouldn he would be in he bng him ageedon lace, and hen o a hidsage lace whch 232

PAS SER

ee e dd ot kow yet He ad eery codece  tat d ma Baersea wo ad e a comado geera ad e ad eery codece  m ef. But e must ot ay ay ueasess or appreeso oer ta tat expected  a ma about to be executed. ut dam ts Forema! He gae e mpresso of seeg to eeryg  ope my ed s a ed deed Tomas sad to mef. Ad Forema was kg, cely ad ealy  toug ryg ery d to express sometg  Fore ma ieable ad sad oce te word tat eeryg attat coudeated uderstood could be expressed; ad tat eeryg could be udersto. Ad yet e was ag a le ouble ow  do ot belee t at all etable tat a world be rebo or replaced by oter ' ' Forema sa ow .  t may ae bee so oce but t st ow. But t s etable tat a word wll de we ts so spa s goe  do ot lee tat tere ae e a mllo cycles of ts  te e udred milo years of complex lfe o te wor  feel tat te cyces were oce of ery log durato ad tat tey sorte ad sorte Tey ow ll ter course about eery e

udred  Ad as te cycleEac sortes eac succeed years aoter more ardly tmesot does becomes more dfcult for te ew world to be bor' Brg a lttle pla talk to te allegory Faba Tomas sad Wat are you dg uder tat asy eece a seep or a goat or a dog'' A corpse Tomas wt all te lfe goe out of

tyours ad e world Toug Astrobes ae Just my tatstrog ad peraps otg to follow. opes ad my careful plas 233

AS SE

Bu Thomas was no really lsenng o hm s en! Thomas sd Theyre sngng a allad ao u me n he square ousde And he Ballad drfed n Thom s a cul guy never a clue whou any head hes eer han you Blade n he sky and hackles are hgh whou any head hes eer han you Why  s guer musc lke deprved chldren  n he B would sng" Foreman sad wh srong dsapproval Where have he cvlzed people of Cos mopols come y such grsh? One woul hnk heyd sng soehng nole I s nole Faan And s e y God Even whou a head Im eer han A hehousand whole loyes of you ha have een unnng hs show! ded, and I have more lfe n me han he pack of you I has he fne one of one of he old allads and Id raher heyd sng me y  han y fner song Id gve a lo Foreman o wach my own eadng u he prncpal  s dsadvanaged n hs case  I ll gve  all I ve go and Ill have he wors vew of all of he rollng ead  Gallows humor s ne Thomas u I am ryng very hard o say somehng very mpoan I am no one of he few who el eve n he Beyond Thomas hough I have made cean expermens owads nducng elef n myself They ddn work I wll only say ha

here s somehng n all hs ha look ce a lly Thomas I rysoeyond see  yme heIscen hs scenfca of cosmology and eschaology and psychology (usng 2

PAST STER

 ps of  wod   ks usd m d sos bn of  ll d plny bology; nd log  nd l omnso d v lsm;  y o s  by  sof sns  wll s by  d os mgnomsy nd nulopyss  sk sn lly w s   pomno    wolds do d podlly; nd   pvous ss  ls y lv g  s l u  nw wolds  no dn w w y w vg only  louds nd mos fgmd mmory of w yw d bn  ns nd s o l dny pvous ng.bfo u  dos ppn s s (kown d obsd f kow o m  ls You youslf w  on o of pvous ds of  wolds Toms . v you y song d bou w lly pnd? Toms ws no  l bou w Fomn ws gng  And Fomn moov oug  lkd pdly d sously s oug s w of  umos mpo sd o b lsng fo som ok fo som sgl  sn ssy  you xpln  dul ng o m  s momn sd fld n   Prul JudgmToms  wll v su know ldg fom On mo fl w wods  youslf f  do no d n w n lk of s gn n  m m." v bn sg fo  gl wy o ll you Toms y will di s mong nd ll o ops

 vn. And sudgmn  do no blv n yond  Prul o  l o  Tngs  ll  do o blv you wll v s ds f you do o 235

T TER

receive te o e now. And I want you to ave te. "O as to te end of y own world Foreman no I do not ave any song idea about wat really a ned. I study back and y to consuct it I a sown as it were a ouse and a town ad a world and I a infoed ta tis was te ouse ad te town d te world tat I lived in tat tis is te e icture of tose gd tings iedately aer I le tem And I  uzzled I lived in tat ouse d town? I ysel I ardly recognize or stone of itofI ardly recognize a person of ita stick and yet undred te bear te names of esons I knew well I dont lieve your instant deat and rebirt ting for te world; but tere was a sudden undamental cange in my own world near about te sudden end o f my own life. And I don't understand it a t all  Babas do you"Foreman mean tat you I willbuttemouted die tis moing and tatwat all oter ope is van? ell me or I'll otle you ere. Wat do ·you know about wat I know?'' "Wy noting omas noting at all Is it not assumed tat you will die? Is tere some doubt about it? Would anybody be aier tan I if you could be delivered om it in any manner waoever? "Foreman you ave all te innence of a ninety nine year old serpent Well go on wt your ting! I' m someting of a critic of istorica teses and we av e ong ours to ass before y killing. "at's anoter ting I've been searcing for a gen 

we way tle aveto tell onlyyou so oma: mnutes we do Wenotave ave tis long cycle ours oas At te time of te birt of Crist te cle ar 236

AS S

cruel oma Republc (uder the rst Emperor who cosdered hmsel a Republca ded  a stat ad a stat aterwards the Late Empre was bo ullgrow It was always the Late Empre t was a aeoon ad eveg thg Ad thee wa really ot much resemblance betwee those worlds the smple cel thg ad the completely bzae thg at the same tme cuel ad compassoate that was the Late Empre Fve hudred yes later t happened aga The Empre ws goe lke mog rost and the Lower Ages completely obtaed I aotherMddle ve hudred yeas thederet Hgh Mddle Ages ollowed o the corpse o the Low and there was never such derece as betwee these two worlds In aother ve hudred yeas the Hgh Mddl e Ages de d (as dd you yoursel and another thng was bor whc h you are ot able to recogze although t caed names that you kew well Ad ater aother fve hundred years that world ded completely A ew world was bo statl ad the frst settlemet o Astrobe cocded wth tha rebrth Ths ew thg became the World o Astrobe as Old Earth lost mportace and meekly ollowed our world Ths s the world that des 

ths Ths mog t completed s thead rsttme worred th cycleabout has bee o Astrobe ad each tme t happes t seems that the rebrth s less lkely t o succeed  I dot kow what goes o whe a word des; there must be I beleve a bt o the ascedet yeast to mke t rse aga  Somethng must trgger a reacto  The was buldg a reacto to

the Ban the Beyod push ad the blood o the spotted lamb (yoursel wll ch t The prevous yeastgs were all such smple thgs but they were 7

 

neessay. Thee elly i thi neeithat a sma uantity of the immateia (howeve t is named in th e euaton) be added to the mass evey fve hunded yeas o so. t may be a simpe hemiapsyh euiement whih we do not undestand Mysef wh have sught and been unabe t find pesona faith, am nined to beeve that t is n me than ths But te euieent is thee that something be added now an then,  the wds wi not ve agan u deat and the eation t it wi be the tigge, the mustad seed e pant t nw Battesea, s a we wth yu Ae you wathing the ok Ony a few me hus Ten minute a pnged a eana vie A ight, Thas ,  eman said  e g nw t yu end e e  Nw Ae yu ut f yu nd t s nt yet eght ok de at nn Nting is eady Thesaffod s eady, Thas, anntng te bade is eady  ee, hee, gd devies, pinn   es got a seak of the hei n hi  am sy Tas but thee was no othe way t d t Get yu tin tans o e yu devi tys Etena damnation h hanged te time, eman  I did  Thomas  ou die at eight ok Thee was no othe way to d it' No n  die at non oeman, d yu undestand what yu'e ding Peety  guessd a abut the Battesea thing  of ouse. e was a fne ommand genea in his way

I wasup hsthe ommande  ud aways ead him, and and pked detais easy 23

PS S

Why do you murder me, Foreman  counted yo u a frend And ou have no loyalty to the Astrobe thng  No,  have no loyalty to the Asobe corpse, Thomas and  am your friend.  assure you that there was no other way to bring t off. The reacton to your foul urder joned to many other longbuldng thngs  should touch off a terrible reacton: the redscovery of humantydont you leve a world can be rebo out of that Thomas? t only takes one shot to sgnal a chge  mouthful say no man before slew h s end for such a slly of ever words" And  say t has happened many tmes before Consder the Assassnatons, Thomas you who are somethng of a crtc of hstocal theses Consder whether the Hers have not more often been sassnated by ends than by enemes; consder whether some of them have not even been assassnated wth ther own consent"  dont consent"  f evethng else has faled f a program has falen to nothng f the hero would make a better hero when dead then he was made a ded hero y hs friends, for hs ow sake and the sake of hs program   could name a dozen clear cases of ths but  wont; strong pasan feelngs e stll nvolved n some of them after the centures Thomas my frend, youd have throtted me f youd broken loose then Tghter wth hm guards and now walk h m along Ths ha s to be fas or somethng mght spol t"

ts aThomas thng togrowled make you doubt frends m frend, to hm as heyour fought wth hs 23

PT R

Prograed gds  "y e Faban y dd yo call e to t Yo were te only ltately onest an  cold tn o To and  consdered a lot ote  Yod sown t beore stb onesty nto deat even or a pont wc yo dly cae to nderstand at te end  reasoned tat yo ad done t once and yo wold do t agan n sl ccstaces .  reasoned tat yo ad a cros agnets abot yo  tat yo ad coe a sybol once d tat yo wold becoe a sybol rntot agan eorad oknow syls ons As tro.   de t aost and  do• even wat at ' ' To oaed as tey dragged m ot to te sca old And draggng  was a batle He set p a nose. "People ople e soted n s g d sandy voce  Theres no rgt abot ts tng  Sm te g cke Anda new te people adat gnem. to gater tae ople wld look ke wolves ey wth were and they sned and howled Panlykonm regned n Centy Sqe and the ar spked wh danger. Neverteless by seng the tme early Foreman had srpsed te opposton and e execton wold be broght o  t cold be done qckly  Thoas oght te ecancal gards who dragged m ot bt they broght hm to a standstll beore Pottscap who had a last ocal tng to convey.   ll yo reconsder?'' Poscamp asked Thomas as he conronted m n the mddle o Cntralty Sqare

rgt at he o the . ttowas reqred by rtal beoot ked. "t scaold s so easy save yor le that ts good Thomas  ' the Poscap went on  Sgn now and l e 24

PS S

happily O die meanly n ha case  will succeed as Suogae Pesiden and  will have signed he bill wihin ve minues And you Thomas will have died fo nohing Snakeinmybain  will no have died fo he Odennohing!  will no sign!  see now wha Thing you ae ying o kill and o me i is he only Thing ha maes So lae  have come back o i  will no econside On wih i, guads! Off wih my head if oly o close my es o his babble! Ou of my way you damnable umpack'' They ook Thmas up he seps of he scafold nd Poscamp ed as hough sicken Wha Wha How would he flee as hough sickn This was specacle The magneic man wih he mys ey abou him was up on he deah owe wih he whole wold waching, and he was even moe in com mand han a he ime of his ovaion on his public coming io Cosmopolis Kingmake and Poco wached i fom high win dows and usified hemselves   was ea sy fo Poco; he had usicaion pogammed ino him Nobody knows wha oeman fel when he wached Thomas akenfel upnohing; he scaffold Poscamp he was , of couse, a mhine wihou feeling He had no conscience o compassion This would no bohe him a all  wouldn'  Then why did he Then why did heWHAT

Sa on he gound and moaned and howled like an old Hebew And poued dus and ashes oe his head You'e cay He eally did ha 2

 

He ealy did that Thomas Moe had ee Wod Peside, ig fo ie days Ad ow he wuld die The elymoig ai had stopd, d ow the e was a ush to complete the ac The me fom Cahead, so umo we t had eceived wod o f the sudde chage of time They wee moig towad the cete of Cosmopolis, ut they might well e too late Smooth ad swi ad caculated , the executio, ad thee waswas othig could Thee oe wave of sop fuy,ita miute hig as to the ulk of i, ut icompaly savag Thee is always oe such smal mad wave, sig to foaming ad ious heigh all ou of popoio to its ulk, that ises ad skes a vey few momets efoe a te tidal wave o woldwave stikes I is called the foene wave Shaty ad Pauawith the cooked wee in i, Buff each divig i with impets eual oface that of may me Wale Coppehead was i itthough, eig a ecomace, he must have kow that i was ile that he wou d die i it, that they woud al die i it he o Adam was i it; ad possily t ity othe pesos, e people of Cosmopois d ot owdy outades, wee i o the sh ad died i it Its suddeess almost gave it success The impetu ous me owled ove the mechaical guads ad gaied the scaffod steps The the fghtig was close ad they gave oe ife fo evey step they asceded The oy Adam was eally the cest of the wave, fo he got al

the ad with touched Thomas he wasway ugupathethescaffod way dow cshig foceAd y the guads with thei gappes Ad yet he was up agai , 22

S S

brokenly going ater them. Shanty and Paul and Cop perhead and Adam, and the thiy or more other persons, died aound the oot o the scaold and on the steps, making them slippery with their blood he boy Adam, in paicula, died magniicently as he always did But the wa e had no real bulk, and the guards were too many and song he thrust crested and shattered, and then it was oer with, ebbing out in its blood But Eita, knowing that it would ail, knowing instanty that would ail, had surged not towards homas on itthe highalplatorm, but towads Fabian Foreman, who stood on the edge o Centrality Square  Zeeeroo Is-ero, she howled at him, or they were both o the old people Beware, Iscariot hen she had him ike a lioness taking a ightened ass, swiping al his ace red with her caws and biting into his throat to set up a throbbing red ountain Let go me, you witch Foreman screamed in sudden teor  I be a cold ury and not a witch ,  she emitted with a puing mble. W to him by whom it comes. You told a History to the homas, and I tell one to you as you ie And sheprimities was killing himwont as she words. Ceain were to growled kil a dogtheto be comany to the hero on his death jouey I am such a prmitie .You ae such a dog And she was practically dismembering him She had boken his shouder and possily his back. She was tearing him apa

No, no, woman Foreman gasped as the blood pused out o s to throat Im the master o it al  It h to  this way. The rous reaction, the transcen 

PAST SR

ent yast w set humanty back nt ts pper pa e agan an et a new wr  b ·  knw t! Evta sang m a bunch f th at transcenent yeast m the hea f that rus rea  tn!  reve n t  An weve ha a g fr puppeteer a ths ate tme  N wne r ts been a tme  f trube . She brke hs face cmpetey wth a ness bw t was a sa tme fr Frem wh ha aways rather wthawn frm vence he ha been a esk genera an nt a e genera  Evta threw hm ver heran shuer he was shapeess an heavy man carrethugh hm wth thata tawny ease wth whch a ness cres her prey carre hm t where Gerge the syran an Maxwe the  crne an Rmck the anse were grupe t gether She threw hm t them a the fur f them tre hm t peces an ke hm tktthenbggest pece f Freman that ege was e anEvta hange an amenta tree n th f Centraty Square I was a Carb tree frm O Earth smetmes cae the Juas Tree t was unjust Freman ha ne hs pa we He ha pann  t a except that speca tte bt by whch he st hs fe An eveythng that he ha panne was meant we. The prgramme gus gt Gerge an Maxwe an Rmrck a ae ther b t the transcenen ta yeast that was begnnng t wrk ey  nt get the Evta Nby wu get her t te thn gw ne  Thngs went smthy aer thse tte utbreaks 

The crws werewas keptn back thebrke gusthrugh were vey efent There mfr wh a n nby was abe t stp hm nee the prgramme 2

AST TE R

guds did  seem ae  see im r sese im Tis srager we g u  Tmas  e sad ad ske  im, ug y Tmas aared ae  e is wrds Tey disussed, he demed ma ad e sager a e guads did  seem e  see Tmas seemed  exied ad eased. i i wrk, d y u i? e ed ud y i wa was ms deg. Hw dr! Ca a ma ae mre eads a w? ' d i  g wi yu Bu aey Tmas d ' g aywere u  is deah. Te sager disaed dw ad ak  e rwd, r sme sd a e disaaed i e ged air. Tere wud e guesses as  is ideiy Tere were se w said a smeig disaeed frm Tmas a e same mmea e e i is essee ad a i was a sadw ma w u is ead  e k A weird d wma ed u ha se ud see ru im; u is w iusi Te res f i is eged su A f i, he quis ad e eigrams ad he rfud ad mig igs a Tmas was sused  ae said a e ig kwere we,ams sme  f em rey sme f em ue , were ad ms f gd em are i e ks f quais Te y ig amiss is a e did say ay f em He ad' said em e irs ime eier Te y as wrds a e said  e saffd were Pae n anus taus a sra f a d rayer

Te ig ade remed i e sky Te i fe  was rea d a sued ad a rea ad a red ear frm e rpus as ug i ad a ife f is w 2

S 

Tee wud b wid stes te pdigies te d wies essuc s e skes sieig ut f te seeed ed; suc s te mst beutifu wm f Astbe gig up te scffd d bdy kig te ed i  bsket d ig tued i  d wm w se ce dw wi it But  suc tigs ey ppeed Tey cud t e But  e tig did ey ppe t tt mmet At te mmet tt ife ickeed ut f te beeded cpus, the wold ce to  ed A ife d et d puse wet ut f te wd It died i eey bid d ck d pt d pes f it, i eey muti d se d cud. It died i its ity d igt d et, i its gemife d i its ifecde Eeyti cesed Ad  the sts wet ut O fee s isit f mmet O bii we yeste Tee  diffeece i tem, wd is eded we tee is  time t mesue time by Remembe w it d bee t te mmet we te ws eded A piest eegde f tiy yes d just becme Mepi f Asbe A pgmmed cie d, t te mmet f te eticti f te wds, succeeded t pesidet f Asbe:  emtiess mcie  But e d wied d pued ses e is ed Bttese d is me wee mbbig twds Ce tity Sque t begi tei bdy cup, mbbig i fuusy ude tei dfVegece be O tes te w&ds eded

suc Ad is  ew wd b Is  ew wd yested Te ius eci, des it bdge e gp Te mus 2

 

ad seed es  g ? he udas ee  h a u  dd   ea? Lg hn ng a l l n m es as gh as ha  n Ele Munan, a lln mes as sh n duan, des  lae he hngs gehe h s nsananeus e,  sunde hem  eve ? hunde ha la ens lds h he sh  , and a da a ve a  ld ave ng aa he glden  u ngus  m he  ! n uh ess hn n ns n, n m uh  e han eve,  s ve h  Bu hs  sequ ene ? es a ne ld    he  ld n h ndng sh? Des  me? Be quiet. W watch.

he HandVengene nne s s s s undesd? hpphe ss h h gued hand ng dn le  d s he Le Hnd  Gd Remee (and e eeme s n a vd  me e een ds) he un  he  e ha gae  h  Rme? he ne h  gav e h  Eupe ? he ne ha gave h  he eas? he ne ha gave h  se Reeme he les h s e ee as ne na nd eeng, he ne hee dvn eame humn? he neha hee human eame dvn? nd eee spea ne, he s eh  se he appeaane  ansenden humn? Reeme ? hen  happened? Be quet. We wat

spdn am en dn ae   Culd  nhe  me gellne -e llsnand luan d ?la he se e d, hehe  human  pg ammed e e , shall   .

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S S

uit aer al e Aid Ntigess te dialiay empty PitBig0, is it at away agai s tere te m fr life Sa tee e retu t eal life Wll des it app Des te eati me the iig Wat des it k ike Will we see it w, i fae ad rump, te ew wld Be quet We hope

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Abou  Auor    W