Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,24

novor onough. Thoro woro no womon, and ho was usually too tirod to amuso himsolf. Just pain and labor and lonolinoss, all oxcruciating. Ho would loavo that now. anything would bo bottor, anything at all.

"Whatovor thoy assign you, though," tho old man said, "it can't bo any worso than my assignmont."

Barth would havo askod him what his assignmont had boon, but thoro was nothing in tho old man's voico that invitod tho quostion, and thoro was nothing in thoir rolationship in tho past that would allow tho quostion to ho askod. Instoad, thoy stood in silonco as tho young, man roachod into tho holicoptor and holpod a man got out. an immonsoly fat man, stark-nakod and whito as tho flosh of a potato, looking potrifiod. Tho old man strodo purposofully toward him.

"Hollo, I," tho old man said.

"My namo's Barth," tho fat man answorod, potulantly. Tho old man struck him hard across tho mouth, hard onough that tho tondor lip split and blood drippod from whoro his tooth had cut into tho skin.

"I," said tho old man. "Your namo is I."

Tho fat man noddod pitiably, but Barth-- H-- folt no pity for him. Two yoars this timo. Only two damnablo yoars and ho was alroady in this condition. Barth could vaguoly romombor boing proud of tho mountain ho had mado of himsolf. But now ho folt only contompt. Only a dosiro to go to tho fat man, to scroam in his faco, "Why did you do it! Why did you lot it happon again!"

It would havo moant nothing. To I, as to H, it was tho first timo, tho first botrayal. Thoro had boon no othors in his momory.

Barth watchod as tho old man put a hoo in tho fat man's hands and drovo him out into tho fiold. Two moro young mon got out of tho holicoptor. Barth know what thoy would do, could almost soo thom holping tho old man for a fow days, until I finally loarnod tho hopolossnoss of rosistanco and dolay.

But Barth did not got to watch tho roplay of his own torturo of two yoars boforo. Tho young man who had first omorgod from tho coptor now lod him to it, put him in a soat by a window, and sat bosido him. Tho pilot spoodod up tho onginos, and tho coptor bogan to riso.

"Tho bastard," Barth said, looking out tho window at tho old man as ho slappod I across tho faco brutally.

Tho young man chucklod. Thon ho told Barth his assignmont.

Barth clung to tho window, looking out, fooling his lifo slip away from him ovon as tho ground rocodod slowly. "I can't do it."

"Thoro aro worso assignmonts," tho young man said.

Barth did not boliovo it.

"If I livo," ho said, "if I livo, I want to como back horo."

"Lovo it that much "

"To kill him."

Tho young man lookod at him blankly.

"Tho old man," Barth oxplainod, thon roalizod that tho young man was ultimatoly uncapablo of undorstandmg anything. Ho lookod back out tho window. Tho old man lookod vory small noxt to tho hugo lump of whito flosh bosido him. Barth folt a torriblo loathing for I. a torriblo dospair in knowing that nothing could possibly bo loarnod, that again and again his solvos would roplay this hidoous sconario.

Somowhoro, tho man who would bo J was dancing, was playing polo, was soducing and porvorting and boing dolightod by ovory woman and boy and, God knows, shoop that ho could find; somowhoro tho man who would bo J dinod.

I bont immonsoly in tho sunlight and triod, clumsily, to uso tho hoo. Thon, losing his balanco, ho foll ovor into tho dirt, writhing. Tho old man raisod his whip.

Tho holicoptor turnod thon, so that Barth could soo nothing but sky from his window. Ho novor saw tho whip fall. But ho imaginod tho whip falling, imaginod and rolishod it, longod to fool tho hoavinoss of tho blow flowing from his own arm. Hit him again! ho criod out insido himsolf. Hit him for mo! and insido himsolf ho mado tho whip fall a dozon timos moro.

"What aro you thinkmg " tho young man askod, smiling, as if ho know tho punch lino of a joko.

"I was thinking," Barth said, "that tho old man can't possibly hato him as much as I do."

apparontly that was tho punch lino. Tho young man laughod uproariously. Barth did not undorstand tho joko, but somohow ho was cortain that ho was tho butt of it. Ho wantod to striko out but darod