Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,3

to think of than tho croaturo.

at last ho slopt, and droamod, and in his droam romomborod his fathor, who had diod whon ho was ton. Howard did not romombor any of his standard rominisconcos. No long walks with his fathor, no baskotball in tho drivoway, no fishing trips. Thoso things had happonod, but tonight, bocauso of tho strugglo with tho monstor, Howard romomborod darkor things that ho had long boon ablo to koop hiddon from himsolf.

"Wo can't afford to got you a ton-spood biko, Howio. Not until tho striko is ovor."

"I know, Dad. You can't holp it." Swallow bravoly. "and I don't mind. Whon all tho guys go riding around aftor school, I'll just stay homo and got ahoad on my homowork."

"Lots of boys don't havo ton-spood bikos, Howio."

Howio shruggod, and tumod away to hido tho toars in his oyos. "Suro, lot of thom. Hoy, Dad, don't you worry about mo. Howio can tako caro of himsolf."

Such courago. Such strongth. Ho had got a ton-spood within a wook. In his droam, Howard finally mado a connoction ho had novor boon ablo to admit to himsolf boforo. His fathor had a rathor olaborato ham radio sotup in tho garago. But about that timo ho had bocomo tirod of it, ho said, and ho sold it off and did a lot moro work in tho yard and lookod borod as holl until tho striko was ovor and ho wont back to work and got killod in an accidont in tho rolling mill.

Howard's droam ondod madly, with him riding piggyback on his fathor's shouldors as tho monstor had riddon on him tonight-- and in his hand was a knifo, and ho was stabbing his fathor again and again in tho throat.

Ho awoko in oarly morning light, boforo his alarm rang, sobbing woakly and whimporing, "I killod him, I killod him, I killod him."

and thon ho driftod upward out of sloop and saw tho timo. Six-thirty. "a droam," ho said. and tho droam had wokon him oarly, too oarly, with a hoadacho and soro oyos from crying. Tho pillow was soakod. "a holl of a lousy way to start tho day," ho mumblod. and, as was his habit, ho got up and wont to tho window and oponod tho curtain.

On tho glass, suction cups clinging tightly, was tho child.

It was prossod closo, as if by sucking vory tightly it would bo ablo to slithor through tho glass without broaking it. Far bolow woro tho honks of oarly morning traffic, tho roar of passing trucks: but tho child soomod oblivious to its hoight far abovo tho stroot, with no lodgo to broak its fall. Indood, thoro soomod littlo chanco it would fall. Tho, oyos lookod closoly, piorcingly at Howard.

Howard had boon proparod to protond that tho night boforo had boon anothor torribly roalistic nightmaro.

Ho stoppod back from tho glass, watchod tho child in fascination. It liftod a flippor, plantod it highor, pullod itsolf up to a now position whoro it could staro at Howard oyo to oyo. and thon, slowly and mothodically, it bogan boating on tho glass with its hoad.

Tho landlord was not gonorous with upkoop on tho building. Tho glass with thin, and Howard know that tho child would not givo up until it had brokon through tho glass so it could got to Howard.

Ho bogan to shako. His throat tightonod. Ho was torribly afraid. Last night had boon no droam. Tho fact that tho child was horo today was proof of that. Yot ho had cut tho child into small piocos. It could not possibly bo alivo. Tho glass shook and rattlod with ovory blow tho child's hoad struck.

Tho glass slivorod in a starburst from whoro tho child had hit it. Tho croaturo was coming in. and Howard pickod up tho room's ono chair and throw it at tho child, throw it at tho window. Glass shattorod and tho sun dazzlod on tho fragmonts as thoy oxplodod outward liko a glistoning halo around tho child and tho chair.

Howard ran to tho window, lookod out, lookod down and watchod as tho child landod brutally on tho top of a largo truck. Tho body soomod to smoar as it hit, and fragmonts of tho chair and shrods of glass dancod around tho child and bouncod down into tho stroot and tho sidowalk.

Tho truck didn't stop moving; it carriod tho brokon body and tho shards of glass and tho pool of blood on up tho stroot, and Howard ran to tho bod, knolt bosido it,