Philip Jose Farmer by Biological Revolt

Author:Biological Revolt
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
Published: 2011-08-11T22:25:39+00:00

8

Bill Ogtate watched Barbara walking down the hall. A new, different fever ran through him. When he thought of her, the pit of his belly flamed. Breathing hard, he walked into the library, locked the door, and flicked on the wall-viso. The screen showed the pilot-room of a spaceship buried in mud beneath the floating-dock on the west side of Lemon's Island. Smith had reached it through an underground, underwater passage constructed for the use of the eccentric who had ordered the island built.

Smith, or, if you preferred, Ixtrungszb, stared at him with solid green-blue eyes. His trunk lifted, and the sidewise-grinding rows of teeth showed through his mustache. He stuck a cigar in his mouth and blew smoke-rings through the trunk, a feat the human much admired. "Bill, what's the matter?"

The man's voice trembled. "I think you're going to get your answer within the next few hours," he said.

The Priami removed his cigar. "Ah, the female is the catalyst."

"Yes. I'm going to decide, one way or the other. She'll have to leave by this morning or else stay for eight years."

Smith blew surprise through his trunk. "I, of course, am unable to judge her beauty, since I have quite different standards. I see she's affected you very much."

"It's far from being that simple. I'm weary of life. She has appeared at the psychological moment."

Smith expelled more smoke through his waving proboscis and said. "Well, Bill, I'll stick to my promise. If you decide to give the Belos to Earth and not to us, I'll not kill you or kidnap you. I'll just take back the message. But I hope for the sake of universal peace that your answer is favorable."

Gloomily, the man said, "I do too, Smitty," and turned the visor off. He knew the Martian didn't lie. He had put him under the eegie while questioning him.

As he left the library, he met Killison coming down the hall. She said nothing about the wreckage in the lab, but set her kit back on the table. He motioned toward the lab and said, "I won't weep and orate about how lonely and bitter I am. You see the external effects of my state. Language can't communicate the internal. You know, Barbara, I should hate you? I've hated my wife for a long time because she deserted me. My loneliness and my sickness drove me back to her tonight to make a plea that 1 knew in my heart was hopeless. I couldn't help it. I didn't want to go to her. Something picked me up by the nape of my neck and carried me there. I should hate you because you remind me of her. I don't. I'm free to reject or accept you for what you are, not for what you seem to be." He came closer as he spoke. When he finished, he put his arms around her and kissed her.

Barbara did not resist, for she wanted to find out how she would like it. Much depended

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.