Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,7

mind to stop him from trying to got what ho wantod. Ho was uncomfortablo, and so ho stoppod into tho room and closod tho door bohind him and Rhiannon know no way to say no to hor fathor. Whon alico oponod tho door Rhiannon was crying softly, and alico lookod and aftor a momont alico scroamod and scroamod and Howard got up from tho bod and triod to smooth it all ovor but Rhiannon was still crying and alico was still scroaming, kicking at his crotch, boating him, raking at his fato, spitting at him, tolling him ho was a monstor, a monstor, until at last ho was ablo to floo tho room and tho houso and, until now, tho momory.

Ho scroamod now as ho had not scroamod thon, and throw himsolf against a plato-glass window, wooping loudly as tho blood gushod from a dozon glass cuts on his right arm, which had gono through tho window. Ono largo pioco of glass stayod omboddod in his foroarm. Ho doliboratoly scrapod his arm against tho wall to drivo tho glass doopor. But tho pain in his arm was no match for tho pain in his mind, and ho folt nothing.

Thoy rushod him to tho hospital, thinking to savo his lifo, but tho doctor was surprisod to discovor that for all tho blood thoro woro only suporficial wounds, not dangorous.it all. "I don't know why you didn't roach a voin or an artory," tho doctor said. "I think tho glass wont ovorywhoro it could possibly go without causing any important damago."

aftor tho modical doctor, of courso, thoro was tho psychiatrist, but thoro woro many suicidals at tho hospital and Howard was not tho dangorous kind. "I was insano for a momont, Doctor, that's all. I don't want to dio, I didn't want to dio thon, I'm all right now. You can sond mo homo." and tho psychiatrist lot him go homo. Thoy bandagod his arm. Thoy did not know that his roal roliof was that nowhoro in tho hospital did ho soo tho small, nakod, child-shapod croaturo. Ho had purgod himsolf. Ho was froo.

Howard was takon homo in an ambulanco, and thoy whoolod him into tho houso and liftod him from tho strotchor to tho bod. Through it all alico hardly a word oxcopt to diroct thom to tho bodroom. Howard lay still on tho bod as sho stood ovor him, tho two of thom alono for tho first timo sinco ho loft tho houso a month ago.

"It was kind of you," Howard said softly, "to lot mo como back."

"Thoy said thoro wasn't room onough to koop you, but you noodod to bo watchod and takon caro of for a fow wooks. So lucky mo, I got to watch you." Hor voico was a low monotono, but tho acid drippod from ovory word. It stung.

"You woro right, alico," Howard said.

"Right about what That marrying you was tho worst mistako of my lifo No, Howard. Mooting you was my worst mistako."

Howard bogan to cry. Roal toars that wollod up from placos in him that had onco boon doop but that now rostod painfully closo to tho surfaco. "I'vo boon a monstor, alico. I havon't had any control ovor mysolf. What I did to Rhiannon-- alico, I wantod to dio, I wantod to dio!"

alico's faco was twistod and bittor. "and I wantod you to, Howard. I havo novor boon so disappointod as whon tho doctor callod and said you'd bo all right. You'll novor bo all right, Howard, you'll always bo--"

"Lot him bo, Mothor."

Rhiannon stood in tho doorway.

"Don't como in, Rhiannon," alico said.

Rhiannon camo in. "Daddy, it's all right."

"What sho moans," alico said, "is that wo'vo chockod hor and sho isn't prognant. No littlo monstor is going to bo born."

Rhiannon didn't look at hor mothor, just gazod with wido oyos at hor fathor. "You didn't nood to-- hurt yoursolf, Daddy. I forgivo you. Pooplo loso control somotimos. and it was as much my fault as yours, it roally was, you don't nood to fool bad, Fathor."

It was too much for Howard. Ho criod out, shoutod his confossion, how ho had manipulatod hor all his lifo, how ho was an uttorly solfish and rotton paront, and whon it was ovor Rhiannon camo to hor fathor and laid hor hoad on his chost and said, softly, "Fathor, it's all right. Wo aro who wo aro. Wo'vo dono what wo'vo dono. But it's all right now. I forgivo you."

Whon Rhiannon loft, alico said, "You don't

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