_Yes. And I too changed. And that is why our minds can speak, even
though I am on Mars and you are on its moon. But they must not know
that. So don't argue, don't show emotion!_
The warden was waiting. Hyrst said aloud to him, slowly. "I have no
statement to make."
The warden did not seem surprised. He went on, "According to your papers
here you also denied knowing the location of the Titanite for which
MacDonald was presumably murdered. Do you still deny that?"
Hyrst was honestly surprised. "But surely, by now--"
The warden shrugged. "According to this data, it never came to light."
"I never knew," said Hyrst, "where it was."
"Well," said the warden, "I've asked the question and that's as far as
my responsibility goes. But there's a visitor who has permission to see
you."
* * * * *
He and the doctor went out. Hyrst watched them go. He thought, So I'm
not quite human. Not quite human any more. Does that make me more, or
less, than a man?
_Both_, said the secret voice. _Their minds are still closed to you.
Only our minds--we who have changed too--are open._
"Who are you?" asked Hyrst.
_My name is Shearing. Now listen. When you are released, they'll bring
you down here to Mars. I'll be waiting for you. I'll help you._
"Why? What do you care about me, or a murder fifty years old?"
_I'll tell you why later_, said the whisper of Shearing. _But you must
follow my guidance. There's danger for you, Hyrst, from the moment
you're released! There are those who have been waiting for you._
"Danger? But--"
The door opened, and Hyrst's visitor came in. He was a man something
over sixty but the deep lines in his face made him look older. His face
was gray and drawn and twitching, but it became perfectly rigid and
white when he came to the foot of the bed and looked at Hyrst. There was
rage in his eyes, a rage so old and weary that it brought tears to them.
"You should have stayed dead," he said to Hyrst. "Why couldn't they let
you stay dead?"
Hyrst was shocked and startled. "Who are you? And why--"
The other man was not even listening. His eyelids had closed, and when
they opened again they looked on naked agony. "It isn't right," he said.
"A murderer should die, and stay dead. Not come back."
"I didn't murder MacDonald," Hyrst said, with the beginnings of anger.
"And I don't know why you--"
He stopped. The white, aging face, the tear-filled, furious eyes, he did
not quite know what there was about them but it was there, like an old
remembered face peeping up through a blur of water for a moment, and
then withdrawing again.
After a moment, Hyrst said hoarsely, "What's your name?"
"You wouldn't know it," said the other. "I changed it, long ago."
Hyrst felt a cold, and it seemed that he could not breathe. He said,
"But you were only eleven--"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account