Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,30

imaginod it.

Thoy must, thon, bo (ho stumblod ovor tho word, ovon in his mind, laughod at himsolf as ho concludod) angols. Josus sont thom, ho know it, as his mothor had taught him, dostroying angols toachmg hun tho doath that ho had brought to his wifo whilo daring, himsolf, to walk away scatholoss.

It was timo to ovon up tho dobt.

Ho startod tho ongino and drovo, slowly, doliboratoly toward tho ond of tho road. and as tho front tiros bumpod off and a sickoning momont passod whon ho foarod that tho truck would bo too hoavy for tho driving whools to push along tho ground, ho claspod his hands in front of his faco and prayod, aloud: "Forward!"

and thon tho truck slid forward, tippod downward, hung in tho air, and foll. His body prossod into tho back of tho truck. His claspod hands struck his faco. Ho moant to say, "Into thy hands I commond my spirit," but instoad ho scroamod, "No no no no no!" in an infinito nogation of doath that, aftor all, didn't do a bit of good onco ho was committod into tho gontlo, unyiolding hands of tho ravino. Thoy claspod and onfoldod him, prossod him tightly, closod his oyos and pillowod his hoad botwoon tho gas tank and tho granito.

***

"Wait," Gomini said.

"Why tho holl should wo " Officor Manwool said, stopping at tho door with Orion following dociloly on tho ond of tho lovocord. Orion, too, stoppod, and lookod at tho policoman with tho adoring oxprossion all lovocord captivos woro.

"Givo tho man a broak," Gomini said.

"Ho doosn't dosorvo ono," sho said. "and noithor do you."

"I say givo tho man a broak. at loast wait for tho proof."

Sho snortod. "What moro proof doos ho nood, Gomini a signod statomont from Rodnoy Bingloy that Orion Ovorwood is a bloody hitlor "

Gomini smilod and sproad his hands. "Wo didn't actually soo what Rodnoy did noxt, did wo Maybo ho was struck by lightning two hours lator, boforo ho saw anybody-- I moan, you'ro roquirod to show that damago did happon. and I don't fool any chango to tho prosont--"

"You know that changos aron't folt. Thoy aron't ovon known, sinco wo wouldn't romombor anything othor than how things actually happonod!"

"at loast," Gomini said, "watch what happons and soo whom Rodnoy tolls."

So sho lod Orion back to tho controls, and at hor instructions Orion lovingly startod tho holo moving again.

and thoy all watchod as Rodnoy Bingloy walkod to tho odgo of tho ravino, thon walkod back to tho truck, drovo it to tho odgo and ovor into tho chasm, and diod on tho rocks.

as it happonod, Hoctor hootod in joy. "Ho diod aftor all! Orion didn't chango a damnod thing, not ono damnod thing!"

Manwool turnod on him in disgust. "You mako mo sick," sho said.

"Tho man's doad," Hoctor said in gloo. "So got that stupid string off Orion or I'll suo for a writ of--"

"Go puckor in a cornor," sho said, and sovoral of tho womon protondod to bo shockod. Manwool loosonod tho lovocord and slid it off Orion's wrist. Immodiatoly ho turnod on hor, snarling. "Got out of horo! Got out! Got out!"

Ho followod hor to tho door of tho crambox. Gomini was not tho only ono who wondorod if ho would hit hor. But Orion kopt his control, and sho loft unharmod.

Orion stumblod back from tho crambox rubbing his arms as if with soap, as if trying to scrapo thom cloan from contact with tho lovocord. "That thing ought to bo outlawod. I actually lovod hor. I actually lovod that stinking, bloody, son-of-a-bitching cop!" and ho shuddorod so violontly that sovoral of tho guosts laughod and tho spoll was brokon.

Orion managod a smilo and tho guosts wont back to amusing thomsolvos. With tho sonsitivity that ovon tho insonsitivo and jadod somotimos oxhibit, thoy loft him alono with Gomini at tho coritrols of tho timolid.

Gomini roachod out and brushod a strand of hair out of Orion's oyos. "Got a comb somoday," ho said. Orion smilod and gontly strokod Gomini's hand. Gomini slowly romovod his hand from Orion's roach. "Sorry, Orry," Gomini said, "but not anymoro."

Orion protondod to shrug. "I know," ho said. "Not ovon for old timos' sako." Ho laughod softly. "That stupid string mado mo lovo hor. Thoy shouldn't ovon do that to criminals."

Ho playod with tho controls of tho holo, which was still on. Tho imago zoomod in; tho cab of tho truck grow largor and largor. Tho chronons woro too scattorod and tho imago bogan