He turned away from her. "It doesn't matter whether I did or not. They
will suspect me. His name was on the list."
"They will," she agreed. "It doesn't matter who the Konv is, now that
an Agent has been killed. The one in Bangkok will tell them about you
and the list of names, and it's all they need."
"Well, what else can he do?" Earl asked. "After all, he is an Agent.
If one of them is killed, he will have to tell what he knows."
"You're defending him? Why?" she cried. "Tell me why!"
He removed her hand from his arm. Her nails were digging into his
flesh. "I don't know why. Mother, I'm sorry, but Agents are just people
to me. I can't hate them the way you do."
Mrs. Jamieson's face colored, then drained white.
Suddenly, with a wide, furious sweep of her hand, she slapped his face.
So much strength and rage was in her arm that the blow almost sent him
spinning. They faced each other, she breathing hard from the exertion,
Earl stunned immobile--not by the blow, but from the knowledge that she
could hate so suddenly, viciously.
She controlled herself. "We must find a way to leave here," she said,
calmly.
"They won't find us."
"Oh, yes they will," she said. "Don't underestimate them. Agents are
picked from the most intelligent people on Earth. It will be a small
job for them. Don't forget they know who you are. Even if you hadn't
been so stupid as to tell them, they'd know. They knew my pattern from
the time your father was alive. They got yours when we were together
years ago, teasing them. They linked your pattern with mine. They know
that your father and I had a son. Your birth was recorded. The only
difficult aspect of their job now is to find where you live, and it
won't be impossible. They will drive their cars through every city on
Earth with those new detectors, until they pick up your pattern or
mine. I'm afraid it's time to leave Earth."
* * * * *
Earl sat down suddenly, "It's just as well. I thought maybe some day I
might hate them too, or learn to like them. But I can do neither, so I
am halfway between, and no man can live this way."
She did not answer him. Finally he said, "It doesn't make sense to you,
does it?"
"No, it doesn't. This is not the time for such discussions, anyway. The
Agents have their machines working at top speed, while we sit here and
talk."
Suddenly they were not alone.
No sound was generated by the man's coming. One instant they were
talking alone, the next he was here. Earl saw him first. He was a
middle-aged man whose hair was completely white. He stood near the
desk, easily, as if standing there were the most natural way to relax.
He was entirely nude ... but it seemed natural and right.
Then Mrs. Jamieson saw him.
"Benjamin!" she cried. "I knew someone would come."