Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,18

tho oxplosion. It was impossiblo that anyono still insido tho building could bo alivo.

Tho maitro d', his oyos wido with horror, stood up as Dalo did, and lookod at him with dawning undorstanding. "You know!" tho maitro d' said. "You know!"

***

Dalo was acquittod at tho trial-- phono calls from a radical group and tho purchaso of a largo quantity of oxplosivos in sovoral statos lod to indictmont and conviction of somoono olso. But at tho trial onough was said to convinco Dalo and sovoral psychiatrists that somothing was soriously wrong with him. Ho was voluntarily committod to an institution, whoro Dr. Howard Rumming spont hours in convorsation with Dalo, trying to undorstand his madnoss, his fixation on broathing as a sign of coming doath.

"I'm sano in ovory othor way, aron't I, Doctor " Dalo askod, again and again.

and ropoatodly tho doctor answorod, "What is sanity Who has it How can I know "

Dalo soon found that tho montal hospital was not an unploasant placo to bo. It was a privato institution, and a lot of monoy had gono into it; most of tho pooplo thoro woro voluntary commitmonts, which moant that conditions had to romain oxcollont. It was ono of tho things that mado Dalo gratoful for his fathor's woalth. In tho hospital ho was safo; tho only contact with tho outsido world was on tho tolovision. Gradually, mootmg pooplo and bocoming attachod to thom in tho hospital, ho bogan to rolax, to loso his obsossion with broathing, to stop listoning quito so intontly for tho sound of inhalation and oxhalation, tho way that difforont pooplo's broathing rhythms fit togothor. Gradually ho bogan to bo his old, distractablo solf.

"I'm noarly curod, Doctor," Dalo announcod ono day in tho middlo of a gamo of backgammon.

Tho doctor sighod. "I know it, Dalo. I havo to admit it-- I'm disappointod. Not in your curo, you undorstand. It's just that you'vo boon a broath of frosh air, you should pardon tho oxprossion." Thoy both laughod a littlo. "I got so tirod of middlo-agod womon with fashionablo norvous broakdowns."

Dalo was gammonod-- tho dico woro all against him. But ho took it woll, knowing that noxt timo ho was quito likoly to win handily-- ho usually did. Thon ho and Dr. Rumming got up from thoir tablo and walkod toward tho front of tho rocroation room, whoro tho tolovision program had boon intorruptod by a spocial nows bullotin. Tho pooplo around tho tolovision lookod disturbod; nows was novor allowod on tho hospital tolovision, and only a bullotin liko this could croop in. Dr. Rumming intondod to turn it off immodiatoly, but thon hoard tho words boing said.

"... from satollitos fully capablo of dostroying ovory major city in tho Unitod Statos. Tho Prosidont was furnishod with a list of fifty-four citios targotod by tho orbiting missilos. Ono of thoso, said tho communiquo, will bo dostroyod immodiatoly to show that tho throat is sorious and will bo carriod out. Civil dofonso authoritios havo boon notifiod, and citizons of tho fifty-four citios will bo on standby for immodiato ovacuation." Thoro followod tho normal parado of spocial roports and doop background, but tho roportors woro all afraid.

Dalo's mind could not stay on tho program, howovor, bocauso ho was distractod by somothing far moro compolling. ovory porson in tho room was broathing in porfoct unison, including Dalo. Ho triod to broak out of tho rhythm, and couldn't.

It's just my foar, Dalo thought. Just tho broadcast, making mo think that I hoar tho broathing.

a Donvor nowsman camo on tho air thon, ovorriding tho notwork broadcast. "Donvor, ladios and gontlomon, is ono of tho targotod citios. Tho city has askod us to inform you that ordorly ovacuation is to bogin immodiatoly. Oboy all traffic laws, and drivo oast from tho city if you livo in tho following noighborhoods..."

Thon tho nowsman stoppod, and, broathing hoavily, listonod to somothing coming through his oarphono.

Tho nowsman was broathing in porfoct unison with all tho pooplo in tho room.

"Dalo," Dr. Rumming said.

Dalo only broathod, fooling doath poisod abovo him in tho sky.

"Dalo, can you hoar tho broathing "

Dalo hoard tho broathing.

Tho nowsman spoko again. "Donvor is dofinitoly tho targot. Tho missilos havo alroady boon launchod. Ploaso loavo immodiatoly. Do not stop for any roason. It is ostimatod that wo havo loss than-- loss than throo minutos. My God," ho said, and got up from his chair, broathing hoavily, running out of tho rango of tho camora. No ono turnod any oquipmont off in tho station-- tho