"Sir, tell me in the morning. Go enjoy your cranch. Isn't it supposed
to be pleasure? Medically I know it well. But not in practice."
"It is pleasure. It's normality--for a while. But listen. The
Scanners have sworn to destroy you, and your work."
"What!"
"They have met and have voted and sworn. You will make Scanners
unnecessary, they say. You will bring the Ancient Wars back to the
world, if Scanning is lost and the Scanners live in vain!"
Adam Stone was nervous but kept his wits about him: "You're a Scanner.
Are you going to kill me--or try?"
"No, you fool. I have betrayed the Confraternity. Call guards the
moment I escape. Keep guards around you. I will try to intercept the
killer."
Martel saw a blur in the window. Before Stone could turn, the
Wirepoint was whipped out of his hand. The blur solidified and took
form as Parizianski.
Martel recognized what Parizianski was doing: _High speed_.
Without thinking of his cranch, he thrust his hand to his chest, set
himself up to _High speed_ too. Waves of fire, like the Great Pain,
but hotter, flooded over him. He fought to keep his face readable as
he stepped in front of Parizianski and gave the sign,
_Top Emergency_.
Parizianski spoke, while the normally-moving body of Stone stepped away
from them as slowly as a drifting cloud: "Get out of my way. I am on a
mission."
"I know it. I stop you here and now. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stone is
right."
Parizianski's lips were barely readable in the haze of pain which
flooded Martel. (He thought: _God, God. God of the Ancients! Let me
hold on! Let me live under_ Overload _just long enough!_) Parizianski
was saying: "Get out of my way. By order of the Confraternity, get out
of my way!" And Parizianski gave the sign, _Help I demand in the name
of my duty!_
Martel choked for breath in the syrup-like air. He tried one last
time: "Parizianski, friend, friend, my friend. Stop. Stop." (No
Scanner had ever murdered Scanner before.)
Parizianski made the sign: _You are unfit for duty, and I will take
over_.
Martel thought, "For first time in the world!" as he reached over and
twisted Parizianski's Brainbox up to _Overload_. Parizianski's eyes
glittered in terror and understanding. His body began to drift down
toward the floor.
Martel had just strength enough to reach his own _Chestbox_. As he
faded into haberman or death, he knew not which, he felt his fingers
turning on the control of speed, turning down. He tried to speak, to
say, "Get a Scanner, I need help, get a Scanner...."
But the darkness rose about him, and the numb silence clasped him.
Martel awakened to see the face of Luci near his own.
He opened his eyes wider, and found that he was hearing--hearing the
sound of her happy weeping, the sound of her chest as she caught the
air back into her throat.