Part 6 (1/2)

Susie said, ”I'm the settlement wh.o.r.e. You're supposed to die of priapism because of me. Haven't you heard?”

”I just got here late today,” he pointed out.

”But somebody must have told you.”

”When someone does,” he said, ”he'll get his nose punched in.”

”But it's true.”

”Why?” he said.

”Dr. Babble explained to me that it's a diencephalic disturbance in my brain.”

He said, ”That Babble. You know what he said about my visit with the Walker? He said most of what I said was untrue.”

”Dr. Babble has a keen little maliciousness about him. He loves to put down everyone and everything.”

”If you know that about him,” Seth Morley said, ”then you know enough not to pay any attention.”

”He just explained why why I'm that way. I am that way. I've slept with every man in the settlement, except that Wade Frazer.” She shook her head, making a wry face. ”He's awful.” I'm that way. I am that way. I've slept with every man in the settlement, except that Wade Frazer.” She shook her head, making a wry face. ”He's awful.”

With curiosity, he said, ”What does Frazer say about you? After all, he's a psychologist. Or claims he is.”

”He says that-” She reflected, staring up pensively at the ceiling of the room, meantime chewing abstractedly on her lower lip. ”It's a search for the great world-father archetype. That's what Jung would have said. Do you know about Jung?”

”Yes,” he said, although in fact he had only heard little more than the name; Jung, he had been told, had in many ways laid the groundwork for a rapprochement between intellectuals and religion-but at that point Seth Morley's knowledge gave out. ”I see,” he said.

”Jung believed that our att.i.tudes toward our actual mothers and fathers are because they embody certain male and female archetypes. For instance, there's the great bad earth-father and the good earth-father and the destroying earth-father, and so forth ... and the same with women. My mother was the bad earth-mother, so all my psychic energy was turned toward my father.”

”Hmm,” he said. He had, all at once, begun to think about Mary. Not that he was afraid of her, but what would she think when she got back to their living quarters and found him gone? And then-G.o.d forbid-found him here with Susie Dumb, the self-admitted settlement wh.o.r.e?

Susie said, ”Do you think the s.e.xual act makes a person impure?”

”Sometimes,” he responded reflexively, still thinking about his wife. His heart labored and he felt his pulse race. ”Specktowsky isn't too clear about that in The Book,” he mumbled.

”You're going to take a walk with me,” Susie said.

”Now? I am? Where? Why?”

”Not now. Tomorrow when it's daylight. I'll take you outside the settlement, out into the real Delmak-O. Where the strange things are, the movements that you catch out of the corner of your eye-and the Building.”

”I'd like to see the Building,” he said, truthfully.

Abruptly she rose. ”Better get back to your living quarters, Mr. Seth Morley,” she said.

”Why?” He, too, confused, rose to his feet.

”Because if you stay here your attractive wife is going to find us and create chaos and open the way for the Form Destroyer, who you say is loose outside, to get all of us.” She laughed, showing perfect, pale teeth.

”Can Mary come on our walk?” he asked.

”No.” She shook her head. ”Just you. Okay?”

He hesitated, a flock of thoughts invading his mind; they pulled him this way and that, then departed, leaving him free to make an answer. ”If I can work it,” he said.

”Try. Please. I can show you all the places and life forms and things I've discovered.”

”Are they beautiful?”

”S-some. Why are you looking at me so intently? You make me nervous.” ”I think you're insane,” he said.

”I'm just outspoken. I simply say, 'A man is a sperm's way of producing another sperm.' That's merely practical.”

Seth Morley said, ”I don't know much about Jungian a.n.a.lysis, but I certainly do not recall-” He broke off. Something had moved at the periphery of his vision.

”What's the matter?” Susie Smart asked.

He turned swiftly, and this time saw it clearly. On the top of the dresser a small gray square object inched its way forward, then, apparently aware of him, ceased moving.

In two steps he was over to it; he s.n.a.t.c.hed up the object, held it gripped tightly in the palm of his hand.

”Don't hurt it,” Susie said. ”It's harmless. Here, give it to me.” She held out her hand, and, reluctantly, he opened his enclosing fingers.

The object which he held resembled a tiny building.

”Yes,” Susie said, seeing the expression on his face. ”It comes from the Building. It's a sort of offspring, I suppose. Anyhow it's exactly like the Building but smaller.” She took it from him, for a time examined it, then placed it back on the dresser. ”It's alive,” she said.

”I know,” he said. Holding it, he had felt the animate quality of it; it had pushed against his fingers, trying to get out.

”They're all over the place,” Susie said. ”Out there.” She made a vague gesture. ”Maybe tomorrow we can find you one.”

”I don't want one,” he said.

”You will when you've been here long enough.”

”Why?”

”I guess they're company. Something to break the monotony. I remember as a child finding a Ganymedian toad in our garden. It was so beautiful with its s.h.i.+ning flame and its long smooth hair that-”

Morley said, ”It could have been one of these things that killed Tallchief.”

”Glen Belsnor took one apart one day,” Susie said. ”He said-” She pondered. ”It's harmless, anyhow. The rest of what he said was electronic talk; we couldn't follow it.”

”And he'd know?”

”Yes.” She nodded.

Seth Morley said, ”You-we-have a good leader.” But I don't think quite good enough, he said to himself.

”Shall we go to bed?” Susie said.