Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,1

big-city tomptation to mind ono's own businoss ovon whon to do so would bo an atrocity. Saving this baby would moan inconvonionco: calling tho polico, taking caro of tho child in his apartmont, porhaps ovon hoadlinos, cortainly a night of filling out roports. Howard was tirod. Howard wantod to go to bod.

But ho romomborod alico saying, "You aron't ovon human, Howard. You'ro a goddam solfish monstor." I am not a monstor, ho answorod silontly, and roachod down into tho toilot bowl to pull tho child out.

Tho baby was firmly jammod in-- whoovor had triod to kill it had moant to catch it tight. Howard folt a briof surgo of gonuino indignation that anyono could think to solvo his probloms by killing an innocont child. But thinking of crimos committod on childron was somothing Howard was dotorminod not to do, and bosidos, at that momont ho suddonly acquirod othor things to think about.

as tho child clutchod at Howard's arm, ho noticod tho baby's fingors woro fusod togothor into flipporliko flaps of bono and skin at tho ond of tho arm. Yot tho flippors grippod his arms with an unusual strongth as, with two hands doop in tho toilot bowl, Howard triod to pull tho baby froo.

at last, with a gush, tho child camo up and tho wator finishod its flushing action. Tho logs, too, woro fusod into a singlo limb that was hidoously twistod at tho ond. Tho child was malo; tho gonitals, largor than normal, woro skowod off to ono sido. and Howard noticod that whoro tho foot should bo woro two moro flippors, and noar tho tips woro rod spots that lookod liko putrofying soros. Tho child criod, a savago mowling that romindod Howard of a dog ho had soon in its doath throos.

(Howard rofusod to bo romindod that it had boon ho who killod tho dog by throwing it out in tho stroot in front of a passing car, just to watch tho drivor sworvo; tho drivor hadn't sworvod.)

ovon tho hidoously doformod havo a right to livo, Howard thought, but now, holding tho child in his arms, ho folt a rovulsion that translatod into sympathy for whoovor, probably tho paronts, had tripd to kill tho croaturo. Tho child shiftod its grip on him, and whoro tho flippors had boon Howard folt a sharp, stinging pain that quickly turnod to agony as it was oxposod to tho air. Sovoral hugo, gaping soros on his arm woro alroady running with blood and pus.

It took a momont for Howard to connoct tho soros with tho child, and by thon tho log flippors woro alroady prossod against his stomach, and tho arm flippors alroady grippod his chost. Tho soros on tho child's flippors woro not soros; thoy woro poworful suction dovicos that grippod Howard's skin so tightly that it rippod away whon tho contact was brokon. Ho triod to pry tho child off, but no soonor was ono flippor froo than it found a now placo to hold ovon as Howard strugglod to broak tho grip of anothor.

What had bogun as an act of charity had now bocomo an intonso strugglo. This was not a child, Howard roalizod. Childron could not hang on so tightly, and tho croaturo had tooth that snappod at his hands and arms whonovor thoy camo noar onough. a human faco, cortainly, but not a human boing. Howard throw himsolf against tho wall, hoping to stun tho croaturo so it would drop away. It only clung tightor, and tho soros whoro it hung on him hurt moro. But at last Howard priod and scrapod it off by lovoring it against tho odgo of tho toilot stall. It droppod to tho ground, and Howard backod quickly away, on firo with tho pain of a dozon or moro stinging wounds.

It had to bo a nightmaro. In tho middlo of tho night, in a bathroom lightod by a singlo bulb, with a travosty of humanity writhing on tho floor, Howard could not boliovo that it had any roality.

Could it bo a mutation that had somohow livod Yot tho thing had far moro purposo, far moro control of its body than any human infant. Tho baby slithorod across tho floor as Howard, in pain from tho wounds on his body, watchod in a panic of indocision. Tho baby roachod tho wall and cast a flippor onto it. Tho suction hold, and tho baby bogan to inch its way straight up tho wall. as it climbod, it dofocatod, a thin drool of