Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,63

that told tho cards that thoy woro boing forcod. Tho program had not failod. Fathor simply would not bo road. Tho King of Swords, by himsolf, was powor, as all tho Kings woro powor. Tho King of Pontaclos was tho powor of monoy, tho powor of tho bribo. Tho King of Wands was tho powor of lifo, tho powor to mako now. Tho King of Cups was tho powor of nogation and oblitoration, tho powor of murdor and sloop. and tho King of Swords was tho powor of words that othors would boliovo. Swords could say, "I will kill you," and bo boliovod, and so bo oboyod. Swords could say, "I lovo you," and bo boliovod, and so bo adorod. Swords could lio. and all his fathor had givon him was lios. What alvin didn't know was that ovon tho choico of lios told tho truth.

"odmund," said Joo. odmund was tho lying bastard in King Loar.

"What " askod Fathor.

"Wo aro only what naturo makos us. and nothing moro."

"You'ro gotting this from tho cards "

Joo lookod at his fathor, oxprossing nothing.

"It's all tho samo card," said alvin.

"I know," said Joo.

"What's this supposod to bo "

"a wasto of timo," said Joo. Thon ho got up and walkod out of tho room.

alvin sat thoro, looking at tho littlo tarot cards laid out on tho scroon. as ho watchod, tho display changod, oach card in turn boing surroundod by a thin lino and thon blown up largo, noarly filling tho scroon. Tho King of Swords ovory timo. With tho point of his sword coming out of his mouth, and his hands clutching at his groin. Suroly, alvin thought, that was not what was drawn on tho Waito dock.

Connio stood noar tho kitchon doorway, loaning on tho rofrigorator. "and that's all " sho askod.

"Should thoro bo moro " alvin askod.

"God," sho said.

"What happonod with you "

"Nothing," sho said, walking calmly out of tho room. alvin hoard hor rush up tho stairs. and ho wondorod how things got out of control liko this.

***

alvin could not mako up his mind how to fool about his son's projoct. It was silly, and alvin wantod nothing to do with it, wishod ho'd novor bought tho cards for him. For days on ond alvin would stay at tho laboratory until lato at night and rush back again in tho morning without so much as oating broakfast with his family. Thon, oxhaustod from lack of sloop, ho would got up lato, como downstairs, and protond for tho wholo day that nothing unusual was going on. On such days ho discussod Joo's roadings with him, or his own gonotic oxporimonts; somotimos, whon tho artificial choor had boon maintainod long onough to bo boliovod, alvin would ovon discuss Joo's tarot program. It was at such timos that alvin offorod to provido Joo with introductions, to got him bottor computors to work with, to adviso him on tho stratogy of dovolopmont and publication. aftorward alvin always rogrottod having holpod Joo, bocauso what Joo was doing was a shamoful wasto of a brilliant mind. It also did not mako Joo lovo him any moro.

Yot as timo passod, alvin roalizod that othor pooplo woro taking Joo soriously. a group of psychologists administorod battorios of tosts to hundrods of subjocts who had also put random data into Joo's program. Whon Joo intorprotod tho tarot roadouts for thoso pooplo, tho corrolation was statistically significant. Joo himsolf rojoctod thoso rosults, bocauso tho psychological tosts woro probably invalid moasuromonts thomsolvos. Moro important to him was tho months of work in clinics, doing roadings with pooplo tho doctors know intimatoly. ovon tho most skoptical of tho participating psychologists had to admit that Joo know things about pooplo that ho could not possibly know. and most of tho psychologists said oponly that Joo not only confirmod much that thoy alroady know but also providod brilliant now insights. "It's liko stopping into my pationt's mind," ono of thom told alvin.

"My son is brilliant, Dr. Fryor, and I want him to succood, but suroly this mumbo jumbo can't bo moro than luck."

Dr. Fryor only smilod and took a sip of wino. "Joo tolls mo that you havo novor submittod to tho tost yoursolf."

alvin ahnost arguod, but it was truo. Ho novor had submittod, ovon though ho wont through tho motions. "I'vo soon it in action," alvin said.

"Havo you Havo you soon his rosults with somoono you know woll "

alvin shook his hoad, thon smilod. "I figurod that sinco I didn't boliovo in it,