[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
you and your children have it more vividly should have helped, not hindered.
You should have been able to figure out ways of adjusting. But leave that for
the moment. Take the other side of the picture. What possible thing could all
this suppression and denial yield you more precious than what you gave up?"
"It's the only way," Mr. Diemus said. "We are unacceptable to Earth but we
have to stay. We have to conform-"
"'Of course you had to conform," I cried. "Anyone has to when they change
societies. At least enough to get them by until others can adjust to them. But
to crawl in a hole and pull it in after you! Why, the other
Group-"
"Other Group!" Mr. Diemus whitened, his eyes widening.
"Other Group? There are others? There are others?" He leaned tensely
forward in his chair. "Where?
Where?" And his voice broke shrilly on the last word. He closed his eyes and
his mouth trembled as he fought for control The bedroom door opened. Dr.
Curtis came out, his shoulders weary.
He looked from Mr. Diemus to me and back. "'He should be in a hospital.
There's a depressed fracture and I don't know what all else. Probably
extensive brain involvement. We need X rays and-and-" He rubbed his hand
slowly over his weary young face. "Frankly, I'm not experienced to handle
cases like this. We need specialists. If you can scare up some kind of
transportation that won't jostle-" He shook his head, seeing the kind of
country that lay between us and anyplace, and went back into the bedroom.
"He's dying," Mr. Diemus said. "Whether you're right or we're right, he's
dying."
"Wait! Wait!" I said, catching at the tag end of a sudden idea. "Let me
think." Urgently I willed myself back through the years to the old dorm room.
Intently I listened and listened and remembered.
"Have you a-a-Sorter in this Group?" I asked, fumbling for unfamiliar terms.
"No," said Mr. Diemus. "One who could have been, but isn't."
"Or any Communicator? Anyone who can send or receive?"
"No," Mr. Diemus said, sweat starting on his forehead. "One who could have
been, but-"
"See?" I accused. "See what you've traded for-for what?
Who are the could-but-can'ts? Who are they?"
"I am," Mr. Diemus said, the words a bitterness in his mouth. "And my wife."
I stared at him, wondering confusedly. How far did training decide? What could
we do with what we had?
"Look," I said quickly. "There is another Group. And they-they have all the
persuasions and designs.
Karen's been trying to find you-to find any of the People. She told me-oh,
Lord, it's been years ago, I
hope it's still so-every evening they send out calls for the People. If we can
Page 58
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
catch it-if you can catch the call and answer it they can help.
I know they can. Faster than cars, faster than planes, more surely than
specialists-"
"But if the doctor finds out-" Mr. Diemus wavered fearfully.
I stood up abruptly. "'Good night, Mr. Diemus," I said, turning to the door.
"Let me know when Abie dies."
His cold hand shook on my arm.
"Can't you see!" he cried. "I've been taught, too-longer and stronger than the
children! We never even dared think of rebellion! Help me, help me!"
"Get your wife," I said. "Get her and Abie's mother and father. Bring them
down to the grove. We can't do anything here in the house. It's too heavy with
denial."
I hurried on ahead and sank on my knees in the evening shadows among the
trees.
"I don't know what I'm doing," I cried into the bend of my arm. "I have an
idea but I don't know! Help us! Guide us!"
I opened my eyes to the arrival of the four.
"We told him we were going out to pray," said Mr. Diemus.
And we all did.
Then Mr. Diemus began the call I worded for him, silently, but with such
intensity that sweat started again on his face. Karen, Karen, come to the
People, come to the People. And the other three sat around him, bolstering his
effort, supporting his cry. I watched their tense faces, my own twisting in
sympathy, and time was lost as we labored.
Then slowly his breathing calmed and his face relaxed and I felt a stirring as
though something brushed past my mind. Mrs. Diemus whispered, "He remembers
now. He's found the way."
And as the last spark of sun caught mica highlights on the hilltop above us
Mr. Diemus stretched his hands out slowly and said with infinite relief,
"There they are."
I looked around startled, half expecting to see Karen coming through the
trees. But Mr. Diemus spoke again.
"Karen, we need help. One of our Group is dying. We have a doctor, an
Outsider, but he hasn't the equipment or the know-how to help. What shall we
do?'"
In the pause that followed I became slowly conscious of a new feeling. I
couldn't tell you exactly what it was-a kind of unfolding-an opening-a
relaxation. The ugly tight defensiveness that was so characteristic of the
grownups of Bendo was slipping away.
'"Yes, Valancy," said Mr. Diemus. "He's in a bad way. We can't help because-"
His voice faltered and his words died. I felt a resurgence of fear and
unhappiness as his communication went beyond words and then ebbed back to
speech again.
"We'll expect you then. "You know the way."
I could see the pale blur of his face in the dusk under the trees as he turned
back to us.
"They're coming," he said, wonderingly. "Karen and Valancy. They're so
pleased to find us-" His
voice broke.
"We're not alone-"
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]