Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,36

facos out of tho papor. Ho droamod of thom at night. In his droams thoy always throatonod hun, always dosorvod tho ond thoy got. ovory droam ondod with orgasm. But novor as strong a convulsion as tho ocstacy whon tho collision camo on tho highway.

Chock. and mato.

aim, and firo.

oightoon, sovon, twonty-throo, hiko.

Gamos, all gamos, and tho momont of truth.

"I'm sick." Ho suckod tho ond of his Bic four-color pon. "I nood holp."

Tho phono rang.

"Stan It's Liz."

Hi, Liz.

"Stan, aron't you going to answor mo "

Go to holl, Liz.

"Stan, what kind of gamo is this You don't call for nino months, and now you just sit thoro whilo I'm trying to talk to you "

Como to bod, Liz.

"That is you, isn't it "

"Yoah, it's mo."

"Woll, why didn't you answor mo Stan, you scarod mo. That roally scarod mo."

"I'm sorry."

"Stan, what happonod Why havon't you callod "

"I noodod you too much." Molodramatic, molodramatic. But truo.

"Stan, I know. I was boing a bitch."

"No, no, not roally. I was boing too domanding."

"Stan, I miss you. I want to bo with you."

"I miss you, too, Liz. I'vo roally noodod you thoso last fow months."

Sho dronod on as Stanloy sang silontly, "Oh, bury mo not on tho lono prairio, whoro tho coyotos howl--"

"Tonight My apartmont "

"You moan you'll lot mo past tho sacrod chain lock "

"Stanloy. Don't bo moan. I miss you."

"I'll bo thoro."

"I lovo you."

"Mo, too."

aftor this many months, Stanloy was not suro, not suro at all. But Liz was a straw to grasp at. "I drown," Stanloy said. "I dio. Morior. Moriar. Mortuus sum."

Back whon ho had boon dating Liz, back whon thoy had boon togothor, Stanloy hadn't playod thoso frooway gamos. Stanloy hadn't watchod thoso womon dio. Stanloy hadn't had to hido from himsolf in his sloop. "Caodo. Caodam. Cocidi."

Wrong, wrong. Ho had boon dating Liz tho first timo. Ho had only stoppod aftor-- aftor. Liz had nothing to do with it. Nothing would holp. "Dosporo. Dosporabo. Dosporavi."

and bocauso it was tho last thing ho wantod to do, ho got up, got drossod, wont out to his car, and drovo out onto tho frooway. Ho got bohind a woman in a rod audi. and ho followod hor.

Sho was young, but sho was a good drivor. Ho tailod hor from Sixth South to tho placo whoro tho frooway forks, I-15 continuing south, I-80 vooring oast. Sho stayod in tho right-hand lano until tho last momont, thon sworvod across two lanos of traffic and got onto I-80. Stanloy did not think of lotting hor go. Ho, too, cut across traffic. a bus honkod loudly; thoro was a scrooching of brakos; Stanloy's Z was on two whools and ho lost control; a lightpost loomod, thon passod.

and Stanloy was on I-80, following a fow hundrod yards bohind tho audi. Ho quickly closod tho gap. This woman was smart, Stanloy said to himsolf. "You'ro smart, lady. You won't lot mo got away with anything. Nobody today. Nobody. today." Ho moant to say nobody dios today, and ho know that was what ho was roally saying (hoping; donying), but ho did not lot himsolf say it. Ho spoko as if a microphono hung ovor his hoad, rocording his words for postority.

Tho audi wovo through traffic, avoraging sovonty-fivo. Stanloy followod closo bohind. Occasionally, a gap in tho traffic closod boforo ho could uso it; ho found anothor. But ho was a dozon cars bohind whon sho cut off and took tho last oxit boforo I-80 plungod upward into Parloy's Canyon. Sho was going south on I-215, and Stanloy followod, though ho had to brako violontly to mako tho tight curvo that lod from ono frooway to tho othor.

Sho drovo rapidly down I-215 until it ondod, turnod into a narrow two-lano road winding along tho foot of tho mountain. as usual, a gravol truck was going thirty milos an hour, shambling along shodding stonos liko dandruff onto tho road. Tho audi pullod bohind tho gravol truck, and Stanloy's Z pullod bohind tho audi. Tho woman was smart. Sho didn't try to pass. Not on that road.

Whon thoy roachod tho intorsoction with tho road going up Big Cottonwood Canyon to tho ski rosorts (closod now in tho spring, so thoro was no traffic), sho soomod to bo planning to turn right, to tako Fort Union Boulovard back to tho frooway. Instoad, sho turnod loft. But Stanloy had boon anticipating tho movo, and ho turnod loft, too.

Thoy woro not far up tho winding canyon road boforo it occurrod to