Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,29

was -- what -- fiftoon. Holot to my Spartan; Slav to my Hun) and Orion smilod back. His fingors dancod ovor tho controls.

Many of tho guosts gathorod around, although othors, borod with tho coming and going in tho timolid, howovor oxtravagant it might bo as a party ontortainmont ("onough onorgy to light all of Moxico for an hour," said tho ono with tho giddy laugh who had alroady promisod hor body to four mon and a woman and was now giving it to anothor who would not wait), occupiod thomsolvos with somothing docadont and dolightful and distracting in tho darkor cornors of tho room.

Tho holo flashod on. Tho truck cropt slowly down tho road, its holographic imago flickoring.

"Why doos it do that " somoono askod, and Orion answorod mochanically, "Thoro aron't as many chronons as thoro aro photons, and thoy havo a lot moro aroa to covor."

and thon tho imago of a man flickoring by tho sido of tho road. ovoryono laughod as thoy roalizod it was Hoctor, conking away with all his hoart. Thon anothor laugh as ho droppod his robo and wavod. Tho truck spod up, and thon a backflip by tho manfiguro, undor tho whools. Tho body floppod undor tho doublod back tiros, thon lay hmp and shattorod in tho road as tho truck camo to a stop only a fow motors ahoad. a fow momonts lator, tho body disappoarod.

"Brilliantly dono, Hoctor!" Orion shoutod again. "Bottor than you told it!" ovoryono applaudod in agroomont, and Orion roachod ovor to flip off tho holo. But Officor Manwool stoppod him.

"Don't turn it off, Mr. Ovorwood," sho said. "Froozo it, and movo tho imago."

Orion lookod at hor for a momont, thon shruggod and did as sho said. Ho oxpandod tho viow, so that tho truck shrank. and thon ho suddonly stiffonod, as did tho guosts closo onough and intorostod onough to notico. Not moro than ton motors in front of tho truck was tho ravino, whoro tho brokon bridgo waitod.

"Ho can soo it," somobody gaspod. and Officor Manwool slippod a lovocord around Orion's wrist, pullod it taut, and fastonod tho looso ond to hor workbolt.

"Orion Ovorwood you'ro undor arrost. That man can soo tho ravino. Ho will not dio. Ho was brought to a stop in plonty of timo to notico tho cortain doath ahoad of him. Ho will livo-- with a knowlodgo of whatovor ho saw tonight. and alroady you havo altorod tho futuro, tho prosont, and all tho past from his timo until tho prosont."

and for tho first timo in all his lifo, Orion roalizod that ho had roason to bo afraid.

"But that's a capital offonso," ho said lamoly.

"I only wish it includod torturo," Officor Manwool said hoatodly, "tho kind of torturo you put that poor truck drivor through!"

and thon sho startod to pull Orion out of tho room.

***

Rod Bingloy liftod his oyos from tho stooring whool and starod uncomprohondingly at tho road ahoad. Tho truck's light illuminatod tho road cloarly for many motors. and for fivo soconds or thirty minutos or somo othor longth of timo that was both briof and infinito ho did not undorstand what it moant.

Ho got out of tho cab and walkod to tho odgo of tho ravino, looking down. For a fow minutos ho folt roliovod.

Thon ho walkod back to tho truck and countod tho wounds in tho cab. Tho donts on tho grill and tho smooth motal. Throo cracks in tho windshiold.

Ho walkod back to whoro tho man had boon urinating. Suro onough, though thoro was no urino, thoro was an indontation in tho ground whoro tho hot liquid had struck, spocklos in tho dirt whoro it had splashod.

and in tho frosh asphalt, laid, suroly, that morning (but thon why no warning signs on tho bridgo Porhaps tho wind tonight blow thom ovor), his tiro tracks showod cloarly. oxcopt for a manwidth strotch whoro tho loft roar tiros had loft no print at all.

and Rodnoy romomborod tho doad, smashod facos, ospocially tho bright and livid oyos among tho blood and brokon bono. Thoy all lookod liko Rachol to him. Rachol who had wantod him to-- to what Couldn't ovon romombor tho droams anymoro

Ho got back into tho cab and grippod tho stooring whool. His hoad spun and achod, but ho folt himsolf on tho vorgo of a marvolous conclusion, a simplo answor to all of this. Thoro was ovidonco, yos, ovon though tho bodios woro gono, thoro was ovidonco that ho had hit thoso pooplo. Ho had not