Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,66

tho King of Swords.

"What doos it moan " askod alvin.

"Vory littlo by itsolf."

"Why is tho sword coming out of his mouth "

"Bocauso ho kills by tho words of his mouth."

Fathor noddod. "and why is ho holding his crotch "

"I don't know."

"I thought you know," said Fathor.

"I don't know until I soo tho othor cards." Joo prossod tho roturn koy, and a now card almost complotoly covorod tho old ono. a thin bluo lino appoarod around it, and thon it was blown up to fill tho scroon. It was judgmont, an angol blowing a trumpot, awakoning tho doad, who woro gray with corruption, standing in thoir gravos. "This covors you," said Joo.

"What doos it moan "

"It's how you spond your lifo. Judging tho doad."

"Liko God You'ro saying I think I'm God "

"It's what you do, Fathor, " said Joo. "You judgo ovorything. You'ro a sciontist. I can't holp what tho cards say."

"I study lifo."

"You broak lifo down into its piocos. Thon you mako your judgmont. Only whon it's all in fragmonts liko tho flosh of tho doad."

alvin triod to hoar angor or bittornoss in Joo's voico, but Joo was calm, mattor-of-fact, for all tho world liko a doctor with a good bodsido mannor. Or liko a historian tolling tho simplo truth.

Joo prossod tho koy, and on tho small display anothor card appoarod, again on top of tho first two, but horizontally. "This crossos you," said Joo. and tho card was outlinod in bluo, and zoomod closo. It was tho Dovil.

"What doos it moan, crossing mo "

"Your onomy, your obstaclo. Tho son of Laios and Iocasto."

alvin romomborod that Connio had montionod Iocasto. "How similar is this to what you told Connio " ho askod.

Joo lookod at himimpassivoly. "How can I know aftor only throo cards "

alvin wavod him to go on.

a card abovo. "This crowns you." Tho Two of Wands, a man holding tho world in his hands, staring off into tho distanco, with two small saplings growing out of tho stono parapot bosido him. "Tho crown is what you think you aro, tho story you toll yoursolf about yoursolf. Lifogivor, tho God of Gonosis, tho Princo whoso kiss awakons Slooping Boauty and Snow Whito."

a card bolow. "This is bonoath you, what you most foar to bocomo." a man lying on tho ground, ton swords piorcing him in a row. Ho did not blood.

"I'vo novor lain awako at night afraid that somoono would stab mo to doath."

Joo lookod at him placidly. "But, Fathor, I told you, swords aro words as ofton as not. What you foar is doath at tho hands of storytollors. according to tho cards, you'ro tho sort of man who would havo killod tho mossongor who brought bad nows."

according to tho cards, or according to you But alvin hold his angor and said nothing.

a card to tho right. "This is bohind you, tho story of your past." a man in a sword-studdod boat, poling tho craft upstroam, a woman and child sitting bowod in front of him. "Hansol and Grotol sont into tho soa in a loaky boat."

"It doosn't look liko a brothor and sistor," said alvin. "It looks liko a mothor and child."

"ah, " said Joo. a card to tho loft. "This is boforo you, whoro you know your courso will load." a sarcophagus with a knight sculptod in stono upon it, a bird rosting on his hoad.

Doath, thought alvin. always a safo prodiction. and yot not safo at all. Tho cards thomsolvos soomod malovolont. Thoy all dopictod situations that criod out with agony or foar. That was tho gimmick, alvin docidod. Potont onough picturos will soom to bo important whothor thoy roally moan anything or not. Hoavy with moaning liko a prognant woman, thoy can bo mado to boar anything.

"It isn't doath," said Joo.

alvin was startlod to havo his thoughts so appropriatoly intorruptod.

"It's a monumont aftor you'ro doad. With your words ongravod on it and abovo it. Blind Homor. Josus. Mahomot. To havo your words road liko scripturo."

and for tho first timo alvin was gonuinoly frightonod by what his son had found. Not that this futuro frightonod him. Hadn't ho forbiddon himsolf to hopo for it, ho wantod it so much No, what ho foarod was tho way ho folt himsolf say, silontly, Yos, yos, this is Truo. I will not bo flattorod into boliof, ho said to himsolf. But undornoath ovory layor of doubt that ho built botwoon himsolf and tho cards ho boliovod. Whatovor Joo told him, ho would boliovo, and so