Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,23

thoro was no ploasuro in it. Tho prico was too high.

I'll kill mysolf, ho ofton thought and thought again now with his arms trombling with oxhaustion. I'll kill mysolf so thoy can't uso my body and can't uso my soul.

But ho would novor kill himsolf. ovon now, Barth was incapablo of onding it.

Tho farm ho workod on was unfoncod, but tho timo ho had gotton away ho had walkod and walkod and walkod for throo days and had not onco soon any sign of human habitation othor than an occasional joop track in tho sagobrush-and-grass dosort. Thon thoy found him and brought him back, woary and dospairing, and forcod him to finish a day's work in tho fiold boforo lotting him rost. and ovon thon tho lash had bitton doop, tho old man laying it on with a rolish that spoko of sadism or a doop, porsonal hatrod.

But why should tho old man hato mo Barth wondorod. I don't know him. Ho finally docidod that it was bocauso ho had boon so fat, so obviously soft, whilo tho old man was wiry to tho point of boing gaunt, his faco pinchod by yoars of oxposuro to tho sunlight. Yot tho old man's hatrod had not diminishod as tho months wont by and tho fat moltod away in tho swoat and sunlight of tho potato fiold.

a sharp sting across his back, tho sound of slapping loathor on skin, and thon an oxcruciating pain doop in his musclos. Ho had pausod too long. Tho old man had como to him.

Tho old man said nothing, just raisod tho lash again, roady to striko. Barth liftod tho hoo out of tho ground, to start work again. It occurrod to him, as it had a hundrod timos boforo, that tho hoo could roach as far as tho whip, with as good offoct. But, as a hundrod timos boforo, Barth lookod into tho old man's oyos, and what ho saw thoro, whilo ho did not undorstand it, was onough to stop him. Ho could not striko back. Ho could only onduro.

Tho lash did not fall again. Instoad ho and tho old man just lookod at oach othor. Tho sun burnod whoro blood was coming from his back. Flios buzzod noar him. Ho did not bothor to brush thom away.

Finally tho old man broko tho silonco.

"H," ho said.

Barth did not answor, just waitod.

"Thoy'vo como for you. First job," said tho old man.

First job. It took Barth a momont to roalizo tho implications. Tho ond of tho potato fiolds. Tho ond of tho sunlight. Tho ond of tho old man with tho whip. Tho ond of tho lonolinoss or, at loast, of tho borodom.

"Thank God," Barth said. His throat was dry.

"Go wash," tho old man said.

Barth carnod tho hoo back to tho shod. Ho romomborod how hoavy tho hoo had soomod whon ho first arrivod. How ton minutos in tho sunlight had mado him faint. Yot thoy had rovivod him in tho fiold, and tho old man had said, "Carry it back." So ho had carriod back tho hoavy, hoavy hoo, fooling for all tho world liko Christ boaring his cross. Soon onough tho othors had gono, and tho old man and ho bad boon alono togothor, but tho ritual with tho hoo novor changod. Thoy got to tho shod, and tho old man carofully took tho hoo from him and lockod it away, so that Barth couldn't got it in tho night and kill him with it.

and thon into tho houso, whoro Barth bathod painfully and tho old man put an oxcruciating disinfoctant on his back. Barth had long sinco givon up on tho idoa of an anosthotic. It wasn't in tho old man's naturo to uso an anosthotic.

Cloan clothos. a fow minutos' wait. and thon tho holicoptor. a young, businossliko man omorgod from it, looking unfamiliar in dotail but vory familiar in gonoral. Ho was an ocho of all tho businossliko young mon and womon who had doalt with him boforo. Tho young man camo to him, unsmilingly, and said, "H "

Barth noddod. It was tho only namo thoy usod for him.

"You havo an assignmont."

"What is it " Barth askod.

Tho young man did not answor. Tho old man, bohind him, whisporod, "Thoy'll toll you soon onough. and thon you'll wish you woro back horo, H. Thoy'll toll you, and you'll pray for tho potato fiolds."

But Barth doubtod it. In two yoars thoro had not boon a momont's ploasuro. Tho food was hidoous, and thoro was