He would not listen. It was good and evil both together, and if he listened he would die. Yet it was said he would live. He would live forever; if time can be measured in terms of endlessness, he would not die. But he knew he would die. He struggled. The cameras picked up no hint of the travail. His face was intense and good-humored and his words were intelligent; and all the while he fought with the voice and would not listen. He fought it for an hour, and for a month, and till the end of the world came and beyond, and it spoke to him, fire and ice in the same words, but without words, and then he began to listen to it. At this point six minutes of the telecast had gone by. _You are listening now_, said the voice. _You are listening, are you not?_ _I'm listening, God curse you._ _I am taking you, Alan Rackham, as a bear takes a lamb, as a man takes a woman, as a hand takes a glove and the glove takes the hand._ _I understand, curse you. Take me._ _I am older than your whole race, and wiser than its cumulative wisdom, and I come from the stars._ _Of course, you come from the stars. You are myself, and I understand you, friend._ _Yes, I am yourself, wiser and stronger and older and beyond you in every way, and I am you. You are my servant, my slave, and myself._ _Certainly, master. Why do you tell me things I have always known?_ _You are not obeying when you follow me, for you follow yourself, you who are now me._ _You are God, are you not?_ said Alan in his mind. _The Buddhists are right._ _No. Not God. I am the atom and I am the intergalactic void, you and me and everything right and wrong. Have you learned your lesson?_ _It is a lesson I knew in the womb._ _Now you are mine_, said the voice, approving without an iota's loss of the flame and frost of hatred and love blended flawlessly. _This is a pleasure beyond pleasure, sensation far above sensation. This is maelstrom descent and flying into the sun. This is the keenness of sexual transport to the nth power. I live for you._ _Now you have it. Never forget it._ _Never!_ swore Alan. _Now forget it._ _I have forgotten it._ _Now what do you have to do for me?_ _Whatever it is you wish._ _Truly you are mine. Now you have forgotten me._ _I have forgotten._ _Who am I?_ _Who are you?_ asked Alan, perplexed. _Truly you have forgotten. What have you to say?_