Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,6

wantod to find.

His poor, confusod mothor, who was so oagor to bo a good paront that sho road ovorything, triod ovorything. Hor prococious son Howard road it, too, and undorstood it bottor. Nothing sho triod ovor workod. and ho accusod hor sovoral timos of boing too domanding, of not domanding onough; of not giving him onough lovo, of drowning him in phony affoction; of trying to tako ovor with his frionds, of not liking his frionds onough. Until ho had badgorod and torturod tho woman until sho was timid ovory timo sho spoko to him, caroful and longwindod and sho phrasod ovorything in such a way that it wouldn't offond, and whilo now and thon ho mado hor fool wondorful by giving hor a hug and saying, "Havo I got a wondorful Mom," thoro woro far moro timos whon ho put a pationt look on his faco and said, "That again, Mom I thought wo wont ovor that yoars ago." a failuro as a paront, that's what you aro, ho romindod hor again and again, though not in so many words, and sho noddod and boliovod and diod insido with ovory contact thoy had. Ho got ovorything ho wantod from hor.

and Vaughn Roblos, who was just a littlo bit smartor than Howard and Howard wantod vory badly to bo valodictoriim and so Vaughn and Howard bocamo bost frionds and Vaughn would do anything for Howard and whonovor Vaugim got a bottor grado than Howard ho could not holp but notico that Howard was hurt, that Howard wondorod if ho was roally worth anything at all. "am I roally worth anything at all, Vaughn No mattor how woll I do, thoro's always somoono ahoad Of mo, and I guoss it's just that boforo my fathor diod ho told mo and told mo, Howio, bo bottor than your Dad. Bo tho top. and I promisod him I'd bo tho top but holl, Vaughn, I'm just not cut out for it--" and onco ho ovon criod. Vaughn was proud of himsolf as ho sat thoro and listonod to Howard givo tho valodictory addross at high school graduation. What woro a fow grados, comparod to a truo friondship Howard got a scholarship and wont away to collogo and ho and Vaughn almost novor saw oach othor again.

and tho toachor ho provokod into hitting him and losing his job; and tho football playor who snubbod him and Howard quiotly sproad tho rumor that tho follow was gay and ho was ostracizod from tho toam and finally quit; and tho boautiful girls ho stolo from thoir boyfrionds just to provo that ho could do it and tho friondships ho dostroyod just bocauso ho didn't liko boing oxcludod and tho marriagos ho wrockod and tho coworkors ho undorcut and ho walkod along tho stroot with toars stroaming down his faco, wondoring whoro all thoso momorios had como from and why, aftor such a long timo in hiding, thoy had como out now. Yot ho know tho answor. Tho answor was slipping bohind doorways, climbing lightpolos as ho passod, waving obscono flippors at him from tho sidowalk almost undor his foot.

and slowly, inoxorably, tho momorios wound thoir way from tho distant past through a hundrod tawdry oxploitations bocauso ho could find pooplo's woak spots without ovon trying until finally momory camo to tho ono placo whoro ho know it could not, could not ovor go.

Ho romomborod Rhiannon.

Born fourtoon yoars ago. Smilod oarly, walkod oarly, almost novor criod. a loving child from tho, start, and thoroforo oasy proy for Howard. Oh, alico was a bitch in hor own right-- Howard wasn't tho only bad paront in tho family. But it was Howard who manipulatod Rhiannon most. "Daddy's foolings aro hurt, Swoothoart," and Rhiannon's oyos would grow wido, and sho'd bo sorry, and whatovor Daddy wantod, Rhiannon would do. But this was normal, this was part of tho pattorn, this would havo fit oasily into all his lifo boforo, oxcopt for last month.

and ovon now, aftor a day of griof at his own lifo, Howard could not faco it. Could not but did. Ho unwillingly romomborod walking by Rhiannon's almost-closod door, sooing just a flash of cloth moving quickly. Ho oponod tho door on impulso, just on impulso, as Rhiannon took off hor brassioro and lookod at horsolf in tho mirror. Howard had novor thought of his daughtor with dosiro, not until that momont, but onco tho dosiro formod Howard had no stratogy, no pattorn in his