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states of being exist," said di Facino. "Learning from them is just what he's
shut himself off from," said Hal. "From the time he was old enough to notice
such things, he had to see that the people around him had limited intelligence
compared to his, and couldn't match him in other capabilities. Almost as soon
as he knew himself, he must have felt alone in the universe, surrounded by
creatures who looked and acted like him but lacked perceptions, and were
easily controllable by him without their realizing it. All he had to do was
put his mind to manipulating them, and they did whatever he wished. He was
walled off by what he was from the rest of the race."
Hal hesitated, unsure whether he was not perhaps talking too much; then he
decided to go ahead. "There's a couple of lines in a poem by Lord Byron. He
was a nineteenth century English poet; and one of his poems was called The
Prisoner of Chillon-Chillon being a fortress prison in Switzerland; and the
prisoner was in solitary confinement there. The lines come when, after at last
managing to get a glimpse of the outside through the high, small window of his
cell, the prisoner finds confinement has changed him. The lines go . . .
. . .and the whole Earth would henceforth be
A wider prison unto me . . . "
Hal looked at them. Rourke di Facino was looking back with a int of
puzzlement. Amanda and Rukh, by contrast, had expressions that were strangely
sympathetic. , ,So you see," wound up Hal, "while his situation was slightly
different, in essence it was pretty much the same, in that Bleys learned
almost from birth that all the worlds were only a 'widerprison' for him. He
could search in every face he met and not see an understanding of what he felt
in himself. Fame and fortune could mean nothing to him because he knew he
could have them by merely reaching out his hand for them. He had no
THE CHANTRY GUILD
397
friends. Those who thought they loved him, did so without understanding. He
had been given a lifetime to spend and nothing to spend it on. So he decided
to do what he didn't think anyone MWIMFIV MoMIMMITMITMIUM MoMMMI of future
history it would never have taken if he hadn't come along. Even if the turning
might mean doing some things he might not like, he'd do it. So, he went to
work." "And ran into you," said Amanda. "I was there." Hal looked back at her.
Amanda merely watched him, steadily. "But why the blood bath?" said di Facino.
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"If he finally ends up with enough ships and trained men to wipe out our
defensive forces, there are certainly ways of taking Earth without that kind
of action." "There are, of course," said Hal. "What's he trying to do, then,
frighten you into promoting a
surrender for him?" "No," said Hal. "The obvious reason for the talk of a
blood bath and this incident to support it is to try to push me into acting
hastily. How long, would you say, Rourke, at the rate his forces outside the
shield are building, until he gets to the point of having enough in ships to
try that sort of mass jump through the shield and assault this world-with some
hope of success?" "I'm not Donal Graeme," said di Facino. He spoke as if the
time in which Donal had been known to exist was no more than yesterday,
instead of close on a hundred years. "It depends on how fast he can drive the
Younger Worlds to give him ships and crews for them. Anywhere from six months
to five years, absolute time." "Let's say six months," said Hal. "If we're
really only six months from such an assault and blood bath, there'd be some
reason to panic. But I don't think we are. I think, as I say, he's trying to
prod me to moving too quickly and making a mistake. "
They all watched him. This time even di Facino said nothing. "You see," said
Hal, choosing the words of his explanation carefully, "he's not worried about
being able to take over Earth. At the last minute, he can always pull a rabbit
out of his hat and make the conquest in some unexpected way. He said as much
three years ago when he and I met in the thickness of the
398
Gordon R. Dickson
phase-shield, just after the Dorsai and the Exotics had given all they had to
give and the shield had gone into place to keep his ships out. He's worried
about me-the fact that I also might pull a rabbit he doesn't suspect out of my
hat, before he can out of his. I'm the one person he knows who might do
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