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Circa seventeen-eighty, something back before the centuries got silted up with big wars. Husband sat
one side, Wife the other, each holding one of my arms, as if they thought I should get violent. I let them
do it, although the idea amused me.
 Hallo, friends! I said ironically. Sometimes I called them  parents , or  disciples , or sometimes
 patients . Anything.  You look as if you have aged, I said.
The wonderful woman was crying slightly.
 Look at her! I said to Husband.  She s lovely when she cries, that I swear. I could have married her,
you know, if I had not been dedicated. Tell him, you won-derful creature, tell him how I turned you
down!
Through her sobbing, she said,  Alex said he had more important things to do than sex.
 So you ve got me to thank for Perdita! I told him.  It was a big sacrifice, but I m happy to see you
happy. Often now I called her Perdita. It seemed to fit her. He laughed at what I had said, and then we
were all laugh-ing. Yes, it was good to be alive; I knew I made them feel good to be alive. They were
loyal. I had to give them something I had no gold and silver.
The tumbril stopped outside Charley s place the Husband Residence, I d better say. Oh, the things
I ve called that place! Someone should have recorded them all. It was one of those inverted beehive
houses: just room for a door and an elevator on the ground floor, but the fifth floor could hold a ballroom.
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Topply, topply. Up we went to the fifth. There was no sixth floor; had there been, I should have gone up
there, the way I felt. I asked for it anyhow, just to see the wonderful woman brighten up. She liked me to
joke, even when I wasn t in a joking mood. I could tell she still loved me so much it hurt her.
 Now for a miracle, ye pampered jades, I said, stepp-ing forth, clumping into the living room.
I seized an empty vase from a low shelf and spat into it. Ah, the old cunning was still there! It filled at
once with wine, sweet and bloody-looking. I sipped and found it good.
 Go on and taste it, Perdy! I told her.
Wonderful W. turned her head sadly away. She would not touch that vase. I could have eaten every
single strand of hair on her head, but she seemed unable to see the wine. I really believe she could not
see that wine.
 Please don t go through all that again, Alex, she implored me wearily. Little faith, you see the old,
old story. (Remind me to tell you a new one I heard the other day.) I put my behind on one chair and my
bad foot on another and sulked.
They came and stood by me ... not too close.  Come nearer, I coaxed, looking up under my
eye-brows and pretending to growl at them.  I won t hurt you. I only murder Parowen Scryban,
remember?
 We ve got to talk to you about that, Husband said desperately. I thought he looked as if he had aged.
 I think you look as if you have aged, Perdita, I said. Often I called him Perdita too; why, man, they
some-times looked so worried you couldn t tell them apart.
 I cannot live for ever, Alex, he replied.  Now try and concentrate about this killing will you?
I waved a hand and tried to belch. At times I can belch! like a sinking ship.
 We do all we can to help you, Alex, he said. I heard him although my eyes were shut; can you do
that?  But we can only keep you out of trouble if you co-operate. It s the dancing that does it; nothing
else betrays you like dancing. You ve got to promise you ll stay away from it In fact, we want you to
promise that you ll let us restrain you. To keep you away from the dancing. Something about that
dancing. . . .
He was going on and on, and I could still hear him. But other things were happening. That word
 dancing got in the way of all his other words. It started a sort of flutter under my eyelids. I crept my
hand out and took the wonderful woman s hand, so soft and lovely, and listened to that word  dancing
dancing. It brought its own rhythm, bouncing about like an eyeball inside my head. The rhythm grew
louder, he was shouting. I sat up suddenly, opening my eyes. W. woman was on the floor, very pale.
 You squeezed too hard, boy, she whispered.
I could see that her little hand was the only red thing she had.
 I m sorry, I said.  I really wonder you two don t throw me out for good! I couldn t help it, I just
started laughing. I like laughing. I can laugh even when nothing s funny. Even when I saw their faces, I still
kept laughing like mad.
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 Stop it! Husband said. For a moment he looked as if he would have hit me. But I was laughing so
much I did not recognize him. It must have done them good to see me enjoying myself; they both needed
a fillip, I could tell.
 If you stop laughing, I ll take you down to the club, he said, greasily bribing.
I stopped. I always know when to stop. With all humility, that is a great natural gift.
 The club s the place for me, I said.  I ve already got a club foot I m half-way there! Verily, verily, I
say unto you let s go.
I stood up.
 Lead on, my loyal supporters, my liege lords, I ordered.
 You and I will go alone, Alex, Husband said.  The wonderful woman will stay here. She really ought
to go to bed.
 What s in it for her? I joked. Then I followed him to the elevator. He knows I don t like staying in any
one place for long.
When I got to the club, I knew, I would want to be somewhere else. That s the worst of having a
mission: it makes you terribly restless. Sometimes I am so restless I could die. Ordinary people just don t
know what the word means. I could have married her if I had been ordinary. They call it destiny.
But the club was good. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]