Colonel Hart's face reddened. He thrust it forward and straightened his
back. "That's preposterous! This is a clear-cut case of a dangerous
threat to our society, and we, let me remind you, are _sworn_ to
protect that society."
Major Grey felt very tired. It was, after all, difficult to understand
why he always fought so hard against erasure of these aberrant cases.
But he began with quiet determination. "The threat to society is
effectively removed by either of the alternatives, hospitalization
or total erasure. I think you can all see from Bill Walden's medical
record that his is a well rounded personality with a remarkable
mind. In the environment of the 20th Century, he would have been an
outstanding citizen, and possibly, if there had been more like him, our
present society would have been better for it.
"Our history has been one of weeding out all personalities that did not
fit easily into our drugged society. Today there are so few left that I
have handled only 136 in my entire career...."
Major Grey saw that Helen Walden was tensing in her chair. He realized
suddenly that she sensed better than he the effect he was having on the
other men.
"We should not forget that each time we erase one of these
personalities," he pressed on relentlessly, "society loses irrevocably
a certain capacity for change. If we eliminate all personalities who
do not fit, we may find ourselves without any minds capable of meeting
future change. Our direct ancestors were largely the inmates of mental
hospitals ... we are fortunate _they_ were not erased. Conrad Manz," he
asked abruptly, "what is your opinion on the case of Bill Walden?"
Helen Walden started, but Conrad Manz shrugged his muscular shoulders.
"Oh, hospitalize the three-headed monster!"
Major Grey snapped his eyes directly past Colonel Hart and fastened
them on the Medicorps captain. "Your opinion, Captain?"
But Helen Walden was too quick. Before he could rap the table for
order, she had her thin words hanging in the echoing room. "Having been
Mr. Walden's wife for 15 years, my sentiments naturally incline me to
ask for hospitalization. That is why I may safely say, if Major Grey
will pardon me, that the logic of the drugs does not entirely fail us
in a situation like this."
Helen waited while all present got the idea that Major Grey had accused
them of being illogical. "Bill's aberration has led to our daughter's
illness. And think how quickly it contaminated Clara Manz! I cannot ask
that society any longer expose itself, even to the extent of keeping
Bill in the isolation of the hospital, for my purely sentimental
reasons.
"As for Major Grey's closing remarks, I cannot see how it is fair to
bring my husband to trial as a threat to society, if some future chance
is expected, in which a man of his behavior would benefit society.
Surely such a change could only be one that would ruin our present
world, or Bill would hardly fit it. I would not want to save Bill or
anyone else for such a future."
She did not have to say anything further. Both of the other Medicorps
officers were now fully roused to their duty. Colonel Hart, of course,
"humphed" at the opinions of a woman and cast his with Major Grey. But
the fate of Bill Walden was sealed.
Major Grey sat, weary and uneasy, as the creeping little doubts began.
In the end, he would be left with the one big stone-heavy doubt ...
could he have gone through with this if he had not been drugged, and
how would the logic of the trial look without drugs?
He became aware of the restiveness in the room. They were waiting for
him, now that the decision was irrevocable. Without the drugs, he
reflected, they might be feeling--what was the ancient word, _guilt_?
No, that was what the criminal felt. _Remorse?_ That would be what they
should be feeling. Major Grey wished Helen Walden could be forced to
witness the erasure. People did not realize what it was like.
What was it Bill had said? "You should see how foolish these
communication codes took when you are undrugged. This stupid
hide-and-seek of shifting...."
Well, wasn't that a charge to be _inspected_ seriously, if you were
taking it seriously enough to kill the man for it? As soon as this case
was completed, he would have to return to his city and blot himself out
so that his own hyperalter, Ralph Singer, a painter of bad pictures and
a useless fool, could waste five more days. To that man he lost half
his possible living days. What earthly good was Singer?
Major Grey roused himself and motioned the orderly to inject Conrad
Manz, so that Bill Walden would be forced back into shift.
"As soon as I have advised the patient of our decision, you will all be
dismissed. Naturally, I anticipated this decision and have arranged for
immediate erasure. After the erasure, Mr. Manz, you will be instructed
to appear regularly for suspended animation."
* * * * *
For some reason, the first thing Bill Walden did when he became
conscious of his surroundings was to look out the great window for the
flock of birds. But they were gone.