An Evil Guest

BLOW THE MAN DOWN

“You’re limping,” was the first thing Cassie said.

Gideon nodded. “I took a bullet through my right leg.” There was no grin.

“Sit down! For God’s sake, sit down.”

Gideon dropped into the only armchair, leaving Cassie her well-worn blue couch. “I might argue with that from a philosophical standpoint, but I need to sit too badly.”

“They’re looking for you.”

He nodded. “Whom do you intend by ‘they,’ Miss Casey?”

“Call me ‘Cassie.’ ” It was said as firmly as a trained actress could manage. “You sound like Margaret for Pete’s sake. I’m going to call you ‘Gid.’ You’re going to call me ‘Cassie.’ That’s settled!”

He nodded again. “I’ve got it, Cassie.”

“Now — where the hell have you been? They’re looking for you.”

“I’ll try to tell you, Cassie, but not until you tell me who’s looking for me.” He laid a polished brown walking stick across the arms of his chair.

“The police and the news media. Sharon, just to start with.”

His smile was small and pained, but unmistakably a smile. “That’s good. That’s very good. I’m putting you in danger, Cassie, just by being here. Listen carefully, please. Are you a good liar?”

“I’m an actress, Gid. Use your head. Yes, I’m a terrific liar.”

He nodded. “As a good liar, you will know that there are times to lie and times to tell the truth. I want to give you a little guidance regarding those times. Before I do — don’t volunteer any information to anyone.”

“I’ve got it.”

“Fine. Remember it. If anyone asks, tell them the absolute truth about my coming here today and my leaving here. What time I came, how I looked, and when I left. Tell that to anyone who asks.”

“You’re sure that’s smart, Gid?”

“Yes. Certain of it. Regarding what I say while I’m here, you’ll have to pick and choose. Use your judgment.”

“I will.”

“Elaborate stories get liars found out. If you really are a good one, you know that. What you say should be the truth, though not the whole truth.”

Cassie nodded.

“To whom have you talked recently?”

“Recently being since you dropped me off here? The building super. You’d told me about that hole you cut in my wall. I told you I was going to get it fixed, and you said fine. The super said he’d send a man up right away, and he did.”

“Who else?”

“Margaret. I’d promised her an advance, and she came to collect it. I gave it to her out of my new account at Barclays.”

“What did she have to say, and what did you say to her?”

“All of it? Wow! We talked quite a bit, but I’ll try to make it short. She talked about needing the money, and I gave it to her. She taught me a church song, ‘Walk in the Reign.’ I sang it and got kind of carried away. The man upstairs called about the noise, and I talked to him.

“After that, I think it was, Margaret apologized for handing my bracelet over to you-know-who. He seems to have scared the heck out of her, and I told her I knew just how she felt. I said he might give it back to her, and if he did she should give it to you or me right away.”

“You said she should give it to me?”

“Or to me. Either of us. What’s bugging you, Gid?”

His right hand rubbed his forehead. “I’ve overlooked something, and I hate myself when I do that. I overlooked the possibility that Reis might return the bracelet to Margaret. You thought of it, and I should have. If he were to return it to you, you might think he was demanding you wear it. If he returned it to Margaret — ”

“I might think he was a good guy after all. You’re right.”

“I believe I understand the secret of that bracelet, Cassie. Before I say more, I ought to confess that I don’t really know. That’s why I wanted the bracelet; there are tests, and I know people I can trust to make them. They haven’t been made, so I can’t be sure.”

Cassie leaned forward. “How’s your leg?”

Gideon shrugged. “Not good. I should stay off it, and I haven’t been able to. Or not much.”

“Would a drink help?”

“Yes, but I can’t afford it. I have to keep a clear head, and the pain makes that hard enough. I think I’ve guessed the secret of the bracelet, as I said, and I had better tell you what I’ve guessed. There were two clues. The first was that there were no stones in it. The second — the thing that makes me feel certain I’m right — is that the box felt heavy. Not just the bracelet, but the empty box. That’s correct?”

Cassie nodded.

“I was born on Woldercan. I’ve been interested in it all my life as a result, although I was still quite young when we returned to Earth. Bill Reis was our ambassador there for eight years. Perhaps I’ve told you.”

“I don’t believe you did.”

“He was. When I talked to the president, his advisor made two statements which, although they were true as he intended them, were more than a little misleading. He said the Wolders were ahead of us in biology but behind us in physics.” Gideon paused, reflecting. “Statements of that kind depend on what we consider important. A girl who was hoping to marry soon might say that Jones was a better man than Smith, while a fashion consultant would say that Smith was better than Jones.”

“One’s a better catch but the other one’s a better dresser. You see that all the time.”

“Exactly. The president’s advisor said the Wolders were ahead of us in biology but behind in physics. The biology thing is interesting and I need to talk about that, but it’s physics that’s central right now.”

“Central how?”

“Remember Smith and Jones. To John, the president’s advisor, the warp drive that lets us probe the universe in hoppers is what’s important. He could make an excellent case for that, and so could I. We have the warp drive, and Woldercan doesn’t.”

Cassie nodded.

“Still, physicists on Woldercan know things we don’t, and as a result can do things we can’t do. One of the things they can do is transform other materials into gold by altering their atomic structure.”

“Wow!”

Gideon shrugged. “Actually we can do that, too; but the cost is very high and the amounts minute. Woldercan has brought the cost way down and the yield up. Endless riches?”

“You don’t sound like it is.”

“Correct. There’s a flaw. The flaw is that while you’re making large quantities of gold, which is what you want, you also make small quantities of other elements, and some are quite radioactive. The result is that the gold you make is radioactive for practical purposes. You can’t purify it enough to weed out everything. I don’t mean that one day’s exposure to that gold will kill you. It won’t even make you sick, unless there’s a lot of it. But months or years — protracted exposure...”

“You’re saying that’s what my bracelet was. I believe you.”

“I believe it, too.” Gideon looked glummer than ever. “As of now I can’t prove it, but I believe it. The first clue was that it was a massive gold bracelet without gems. You called it barbaric, but that’s not Reis’s style. The weight of the long box he kept it in made my conclusion almost certain. He wouldn’t have wanted to carry it around without some shielding. There are millions of craftsmen who could make him a long box of thin lead and cover it with leather. Ian Mersey might manage it. I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Who’s Ian Mersey?”

“Oh. The man who repaired your wall.”

“You know him?”

“Slightly, yes. He seems a good all-around handyman; but I’d like to talk about biology, and we don’t have much time.”

“I’m not ready yet. Where do you think our friend got the radioactive gold?”

“I believe he made it. I suppose you’re right — it isn’t really clear that he did, but it’s what I think. I think it because it explains other things.”

“Like why the president wants him,” Cassie said.

“Exactly.” Gideon gave her a sad nod. “They want him, and they want him alive. Alive because they want him to tell them where his equipment is and how to operate it. Why they’ve found him so hard to catch is another question, one I can’t answer yet. May I talk about biology?”

“No. Where were you, Gid? What happened? I want to know about those things.”

He nodded. “You should know them, too. I was walking down the second-floor hall of my building, on my way to my flat. I heard a noise and saw a man behind me with a gun. I broke down the nearest door, hoping to hide in there. He shot me as I was going through the doorway.”

“You can’t be sure? I want to see your leg.”

“You won’t, because I’m not going to take the bandage off. Not yet. Anyway, he followed me in and I threw a cleaver at him. It hit him in the face and must have cut him pretty badly. He dropped his gun and ran.”

“And?”

“I tied dish towels around my leg and drove over to see a man I know. He’s not a doctor, but he knows a lot about treating bullet wounds. He told me I was lucky; the bullet hadn’t hit anything important and had gone through, so he didn’t have to worry about getting it out. He took out some scraps of cloth — tiny scraps, you understand — sewed me up, dressed the wounds, and gave me a couple of injections. After that, I came here.”

“To see me.”

“Correct. I wanted to tell you what the situation was, and see whether they had gone after you.”

“Is that all?”

“I wanted to see you and hear your voice. One more time, knowing it might be the last time.” Gideon, who did not often meet her eyes, was meeting them now. “I don’t think Reis is going to hurt you. Not soon at least, and perhaps not ever. But he’s decided to kill me, and he may succeed.”

She took his hand. “I said I didn’t want to talk about biology, Gid, but we’re talking about biology.”

He nodded.

“Is he watching this place?”

“I don’t know. He may well be. If it was watched when I came in, I may have been seen. If it’s watched now, they may get me when I go out. I have no way of knowing.”

“You’re certain this wasn’t just some criminal?”

“I am. They don’t do that. Fire at a man walking down a hall? Fire without warning, without any demand for money?” Gideon took a deep breath and let it out. “He wanted to kill me. That was his objective. I know of no one other than Reis who might want me dead, so it seems safe to assume Reis sent him. From what I’ve learned, he must have hundreds of millions. Perhaps a billion or more. He could pay for any number of assassinations and never feel the pinch.”

“From poisoned gold.”

“Poisoned gold and other things. I can’t prove it, but I’m confident the gold’s his principal business. He’d prefer that it weren’t poisoned, presumably; but he can’t decontaminate it, so he sells it as is. I’d be very much surprised to learn that he handled big shipments himself.”

“So would I. Want a drink? Last chance — we close in five minutes.”

“No, thanks.”

“Well, I do.” Cassie disappeared in the direction of the kitchen and returned with a glass of wine. “Can I ask a question?”

“About biology? Certainly.”

“Nope. About Dr. Gideon Chased.”

He tried to smile.

“Margaret was in here. So was the man who fixed my wall. You showed up as soon as the coast was clear. Was that coincidence?”

He shook his head. “You’re very perceptive. I was listening.”

“Where the people have gone to Europe?”

“Correct. You’re going to say that the repairman was in there. You’re right; he was. I tried to stay out of his way until he left.”

“The man you know just slightly.” Cassie sat down and sipped. “Sure you don’t want one of these, Gid? It’s just Chablis.”

She made a living portrait, Gideon thought: Lady in a Spring-Green Gown. Aloud he said, “Very unsure. I do want one. In fact, I want half the bottle. It’s simply that I can’t afford to drink half a glass.”

“They’re looking for your car, the brown one. Did you know?”

“No, but I’m not surprised.”

“If they find it, will they find you?”

He shook his head.

“I didn’t think so. Aren’t you afraid they’ll come here? You think our friend’s had you watched. Anybody who’s been watching you would guess you might come here.”

“You’re right. I’m testing. I don’t think Reis will want you to see me die. If I’m right, I’m safer here than almost anywhere else; if I’m wrong, I’ll find out when they break down your door.”

“What if they’re watching the building?”

Gideon shrugged. “I think they are. Certainly I have to behave as though they are. As I will.’

He picked up his walking stick. “Biology, and then I’ll go. I’m not sure where I ought to begin, so let’s try this. Are you aware of shape-changers? Werewolves and their ilk?”

“I suppose everybody’s heard of them. Are you going to say there really are such things?”

“There are. I know a few. Some human beings can transform themselves, Cassie. The cells of their bodies rearrange themselves. It’s actually a lot more complex than that, but that’s the basic idea. The weight has to stay the same, you understand. If a hundred-pound woman becomes a she-wolf, it’s a hundred-pound she-wolf. Wolves, dogs, and leopards are the most common forms.”

Cassie set down her glass. “Either you’re kidding me, or you’re crazy. Which is it?”

“Neither.” He shook his head. “The most common forms, I said. The most common forms but not the only forms. Keep that in mind, please. It’s important.”

“I’ll try. Wait a minute! You were talking about that advisor — I forget his name.”

“John.”

“Right. He said they knew more biology on Woldercan. Are you going to tell me they can change themselves into dragons or something?”

“They cannot transform as we do. Not at all. What they can do — this is a side issue — is the thing that made John think they knew more biology. You see, he knows what they can do, but not what his own kind can do.”

“My life was so simple before I met you.” Cassie sighed. “I ought to dump you and go back. Why don’t I do that?”

Gideon’s hands flexed the walking stick as though he wanted to break it. “Because you know I love you. With all my faults... I have a great many, believe me.”

“I don’t.” Some unfamiliar emotion had Cassie by the throat. “I don’t know anything about any faults of yours, and I wish you’d come over here.”

“You’ll encounter more as we go along.” A painful smile flickered and died. “Indifference to you will never be one of them, however. Hasn’t it ever seemed strange to you that though some humans can become animals, we never hear of animals becoming human?”

“Weremen, Gid?” She wondered whether she sounded as puzzled as she felt.

“That would be man-men. But yes, that’s the idea.”

“I’d never even thought of it.”

“It almost never happens because it is much, much easier to go down than to go up. It’s so easy to go down that werewolves have trouble maintaining their human forms at times.”

“I still don’t believe you.” Cassie looked stubborn.

“You’re beautiful like that. Of course all your other expressions are beautiful, too. You must believe me, but that doesn’t worry me. You will.”

“John didn’t.”

“We didn’t even discuss this. He knows that male Wolders can hybridize with lower animals, the males having the ability to alter the DNA in their semen enough to make it acceptable to the female’s reproductive system. Like you, he doesn’t believe that any human has the ability to transform.”

“I should be talking to him. Are you going to tell me you’re a werewolf?”

“Let’s get that out of the way. No, I’m no werewolf. I don’t have the ability to transform at all. Not down, and certainly not up. Those human beings who can transform up find it almost impossibly difficult. In almost every case, they require expert assistance.”

Bewildered, Cassie shook her head. “I don’t get it. Do they become angels? Or — or...” She froze, one hand clutching her glass, the other clenched.

“Yes.” With the help of the walking stick, Gideon rose. “I may die today. It’s entirely possible and almost probable. It is easy, terribly easy, for someone who has transformed up to slip back down; and it wouldn’t be right for me to die without having warned you. Without having warned you and without having told you I love you. I have, and now I’ll go.”

NOT long afterward, the maintenance man who had repaired Cassie’s wall loaded a large cardboard box into the back of his pickup. Lettering on the box indicated that it contained a toilet particularly adapted to the needs of invalids and the handicapped. It was clearly heavy; but he was just as clearly strong, lifting it from his cart and sliding it onto the back of his truck with only a small grunt of effort.

When the truck had covered about three and a half miles, Gideon (who was finding the interior of that box almost unbearably stuffy) opened the top and risked a look around. After another quarter mile he had established to his own satisfaction that the truck was bound for the remote suburb of Sweden Hill. For the moment, he had escaped Reis; and he was seized by a presentiment that he would eventually triumph. A song he had heard years ago — a chantey he would have sworn that he had forgotten — slipped back into his consciousness.

His clear tenor rose above the hum of the tires.