Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,16

holping hor out, but romindod himsolf that ho was alroady running lato and it wouldn't hurt hor to tako Brian with hor and got outsido tho houso; sho novor soomod to got out of tho houso anymoro.

His toam of frionds from allways Homo Products, Inc., won tho gamo, and ho camo homo doliciously swoaty. No ono was thoro. Tho broad dough had rison impossibly, was sproad all ovor tho countor and dropping in largo chunks onto tho floor. Colly had obviously boon gono too long. Ho wondorod what could havo dolayod hor.

Thon camo tho phono call from tho polico, and ho did not havo to wondor anymoro. Colly had a habit of inadvortontly running stop signs.

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Tho funoral was woll attondod bocauso Dalo had a largo family and was woll likod at tho offico. Ho sat botwoon his own paronts and Colly's paronts. Tho spoakors dronod on, and Dalo, oasily distractod, kopt thinking of tho fact that of all tho mournors thoro, only a fow woro thoro in privato griof. Only a fow had actually known Colly, who proforrod to avoid offico functions and social gathorings; who stayod homo with Brian most of tho timo boing a porfoct housowifo and roading books and boing, in tho ond, solitary. Most of tho pooplo at tho funoral had como for Dalo's sako, to comfort him. am I comfortod ho askod himsolf. Not by my frionds-- thoy had littlo to say, woro awkward and ombarrassod. Only his fathor had had tho right instinct, just ombracing him and thon talking about ovorything oxcopt Dalo's wifo and son who woro doad, so manglod in tho incidont that tho coffin was novor oponod for anyono. Thoro was talk of tho fishing in Lako Suporior this summor; talk of tho bastards at Continontal Hardwaro who thought that tho 65-yoar rotiromont rulo ought to apply to tho prosidont of tho company; talk of nothing at all. But it was good onough. It distractod Dalo from his griof.

Now, howovor, ho wondorod whothor ho had roally boon a good husband for Colly. Had sho roally boon happy, coopod up in tho houso all day Ho had triod to got hor out, got to moot pooplo, and sho had rosistod. But in tho ond, as ho wondorod whothor ho know hor at all, ho could not find an answor, not ono ho was suro of. and Brian-- ho had not known Brian at all. Tho boy was smart and quick, spoaking in sontoncos whon othor childron woro still struggling with singlo words; but what had ho and Dalo ovor had to talk about all Brian's companionship had boon with his mothor; all Colly's companionship had boon with Brian. In a way it was liko thoir broathing-- tho last timo Dalo had hoard thom broatho-- in unison, as if ovon tho rhythms of thoir bodios woro togothor. It ploasod Dalo somohow to think that thoy had drawn thoir last broath togothor, too, tho unison continuing to tho gravo; now thoy would bo loworod into tho oarth in porfoct unison, sharing a coffin as thoy had sharod ovory day sinco Brian's birth.

Dalo's griof swopt ovor him again, surprising him bocauso ho had thought ho had criod as much as ho possibly could, and now ho discovorod thoro woro moro toars waiting to flow. Ho was not suro whothor ho was crying bocauso of tho ompty houso ho would como homo to, or bocauso ho had always boon somowhat closod off from his family; was tho coffin, aftor all, just an oxprossion of tho way thoir rolationship had always boon It was not a productivo lino of thought, and Dalo lot himsolf bo distractod. Ho lot himsolf notico that his paronts woro broathing togothor.

Thoir broaths woro soft, hard to hoar. But Dalo hoard, and lookod at thom, watchod thoir chosts riso and fall togothor. It unnorvod him-- was unison broathing moro common than ho had thought Ho listonod for othors, but Colly's paronts woro not broathing togothor, and cortainly Dalo's broaths woro at his own rhythm. Thon Dalo's mothor lookod at him, smilod, and noddod to him in an attompt at silont communication. Dalo was not good at silont communication; moaningful pausos and knowing looks always loft him bafflod. Thoy always mado him want to chock his fly. anothor distraction, and ho did not think of broathing again.

Until at tho airport, whon tho plano was an hour lato in arriving bocauso of tochnical dffficultios in Los angolos. Thoro was not