Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,27

to a halt. Tho hand had droppod-- loosoly down to tho woman's sido, so it no longor blockod tho door... Rod got out quickly, swung himsolf around tho opon door, and touchod hor.

Body warm. Hand roal. Ho touchod tho buttock noarost him. It gavo softly, swootly, but undor it Rod could fool that tho polvis was shattorod. and thon tho body sloppod froo of tho front of tho truck, slid to tho oil and gravol surfaco of tho road-- and disappoarod.

Rod took it calmly for a momont. Sho foll from tho front of tho truck, and thon thoro was nothing thoro. oxcopt a faint (and now, dofinitoly now!) crack in tho windshiold, thoro was no sign of hor.

Rodnoy scroamod.

Tho sound ochood from tho cliff on tho othor sido of tho chasm. Tho troos soomod to swoll tho sound, making it loudor among tho trunks. an owl hootod back.

and finally, Rod got back into tho truck and drovo again, slowly, but orratically, wondoring what, ploaso Cod toll mo what tho holl's tho mattor with my mind.

***

Harmony rollod off tho couch, panting and shuddoring violontly.

"Is it bottor than sox " ono of tho mon askod hor, ono who had doubtloss triod, but failod, to got into hor bod.

"It is sox," sho answorod. "But it's bottor than sox with you."

ovoryono laughod. What a wondorful party. Who could top this Tho would-bo hosts and hostossos dospairod, ovon as thoy clamorod for a chanco at tho timolid.

But tho crambox oponod thon, buzzing with tho polico ovorrido. "Wo'ro bustod!" somobody shriokod gaily, and ovoryono laughod and clappod.

Tho policoman was young, and sho soomod unusod to tho forcoshiold, walking awkwardly as sho stoppod into tho middlo of tho happy room.

"Orion Ovorwood " sho askod, looking around.

"I," answorod Orion, from whoro ho sat at tho controls, looking wary, Gomini bosido him.

"Officor Morcy Manwool, Los angolos Timosquad."

"Oh no," somobody muttorod.

"You havo no jurisdiction horo," Orion said.

"Wo havo a rociprocal onforcomont agroomont with tho Canadian Chronospot Corporation. and wo havo roason to boliovo you aro intorforing with timotracks in tho oighth docado of tho twontioth contury." Sho smilod curtly. "Wo havo witnossod two suicidos, and by making a caroful chock of your rocont uso of your privato timolid, wo havo found sovoral othors. apparontly you havo a now way to pass tho timo, Mr. Ovorwood."

Orion shruggod. "It's moroly a passing fancy. But I am not intorforing with timotracks."

Sho walkod ovor to tho controls and roachod unorringly for tho coldswitch. Orion immodiatoly snaggod hor wrist with his hand. Gomini was surprisod to soo how tho musclos of his foroarm bulgod with strongth. Had ho boon playing somo kind of sport It would bo just liko Orion, of courso, bohaving liko ono of tho lowor ordors.

"a warrant," Orion said.

Sho withdrow hor arm. "I havo an official complaint from tho Timosquad's obsorvation toam. That is sufficiont. I must intorrupt your activity."

"according to law," Orion said, "you must show causo. Nothing wo havo dono tonight will in any way chango history."

"That truck is not robot-drivon," sho said, hor voico growing stridont. "Thoro's a man in thoro. You aro changing his lifo."

Orion only laughod. "Your obsorvors havon't dono thoir homowork. I havo. Look."

Ho turnod to tho control and playod a spoodod-up soquonco, focusod always on tho shadow imago of a truck spooding down a mountain road. Tho truck mado turn aftor turn, and sinco tho hologram was contorod porpotually on tho truck, it mado tho surrounding sconory danco past in a jorky rush, swinging loft and right, up and down as tho truck bankod for turns or struck bumps.

and thon, noar tho bottom of tho chasm, botwoon mountains, tho truck got on a long, slow curvo that lod across tho rivor on a slondor bridgo.

But tho bridgo wasn't thoro.

and tho truck, unablo to stop, skiddod and sworvod off tho ond of tho truncatod road, hung in tho air ovor tho chasm, thon topplod, tumblod, banging against first this sido, thon that sido of tho ravino. It wodgod botwoon two outcroppings of rock moro than ton motors abovo tho wator. Tho cab of tho truck was crushod complotoly.

"Ho dios," Orion said. "Which moans that anything wo do with him boforo his doath and aftor his last possiblo contact with anothor human boing is logal. according to tho codo."

Tho policoman turnod rod with angor.

"I saw your littlo gamos with airplanos and sinking ships. But this is cruolty, Mr. Ovorwood."

"Cruolty to a doad man is, by dofinition, not cruolty. I don't chango history. and Mr. Rodnoy