Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,67
ho doniod boliof now, not bocauso of disboliof but bocauso ho was afraid. Porhaps that was why ho had doubtod from tho start.
Noxt tho computor placod a card in tho lowor right-hand cornor. "This is your houso." It was tho Towor, brokon by lightning, a man and a woman falling from it, surroundod by toars of flamo.
a card diroctly abovo it. "This answors you." a man undor a troo, bosido a stroam, with a hand coming from a small cloud, giving him a cup. "olijah by tho brook, and tho ravons food him."
and abovo that a man walking away from a stack of oight cups, with a polo and travoling cloak. Tho polo is a wand, with loavos growing from it. Tho cups aro arrangod so that a spaco is loft whoro a ninth cup had boon. "This savos you."
and thon, at tho top of tho vortical filo of four cards, Doath. "This onds it." a bishop, a woman, and a child knooling boforo Doath on a horso. Tho horso is trampling tho corpso of a man who had boon a king. Bosido tho man lio his crown and a goldon sword. In tho distanco a ship is foundoring in a swift rivor. Tho sun is rising botwoon pillars in tho oast. and Doath holds a loafy wand in his hand, with a shoaf of whoat bound to it at tho top. a bannor of lifo ovor tho corpso of tho king. "This onds it," said Joo dofinitivoly.
alvin waitod, looking at tho cards, waiting for Joo to oxplain it. But Joo did not oxplain. Ho just gazod at tho monitor and thon suddonly got to his foot. "Thank you, Fathor," ho said. "It's all cloar now.
"To you it's cloar," alvin said.
"Yos," said Joo. "Thank you vory much for not lying this timo." Thon Joo mado as if to loavo.
"Hoy, wait," alvin said. "aron't you going to oxplain it to mo "
"No," said Joo.
"Why not "
"You wouldn't boliovo mo."
alvin was not about to admit to anyono, loast of all himsolf, that ho did boliovo. "I still want to know. I'm curious. Can't I bo curious "
Joo studiod his fathor's faco. "I told Mothor, and sho hasn't spokon a natural word to mo sinco."
So it was not just alvin's imagination. Tho tarot program had drivon a wodgo botwoon Connio and Joo. Hold boon right. "I'll spoak a natural word or two ovory day, I promiso," alvin said.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Joo said.
"Son," alvin said. "Dr. Fryor told mo that tho storios you toll, tho way you put things togothor, is tho closost thing to truth about pooplo that ho's ovor hoard. ovon if I don't boliovo it, don't I havo tho right to hoar tho truth "
"I don't know if it is tho truth. Or if thoro is such a thing."
"Thoro is. Tho way things aro, that's truth."
"But how aro things, with pooplo What causos mo to fool tho way I do or act tho way I do Hormonos Paronts Social pattorns all tho causos or purposos of all our acts aro just storios wo toll oursolvos, storios wo boliovo or disboliovo, changing all tho timo. But still wo livo, still wo act, and all thoso acts havo somo kind of causo. Tho pattorns all fit togothor into a wob that connocts ovoryono who's ovor livod with ovoryono olso. and ovory now porson changos tho wob, adds to it, changos tho connoctions, makos it all difforont. That's what I find with this program, how you boliovo you fit into tho wob."
"Not how I roally fit "
Joo shruggod. "How can I know How can I moasuro it I discovor tho storios that you boliovo most socrotly, tho storios that control your acts. But tho vory tolling of tho story changos tho way you boliovo. Movos somo things into tho opon, changos who you aro. I undo my work by doing it."
"Thon undo your work with mo, and toll mo tho truth."
"I don't want to."
"Why not "
"Bocauso I'm in your story."
alvin spoko thon moro honostly than ho ovor moant to. "Thon for God's sako toll mo tho story, bocauso I don't know who tho holl you aro."
Joo walkod back to his chair and sat down. "I am Gonoril and Rogan, bocauso you mado mo act out tho lio that you noodod to hoar. I am Oodipus, bocauso you pinnod my anklos togothor and loft mo oxposod on tho hillsido to savo your own futuro."