World's End

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had the bloodwart clearly in its sights. But still I didn't fire.

Suddenly Ang was beside me. He lifted his weapon and fired without hesitation. The creature squealed and went limp, but it didn't drop from Spadrin's spastically kicking leg. Ang went forward to kneel at Spadrin's side, pinning down his leg. "Give me your knife."

Spadrin gave it to him, and Ang began to pry at the creature's pincer mouth still embedded in Spadrin's flesh.

"What--what is that?" Spadrin gasped.

"Bloodwart," Ang said expressionlessly. "Big one."

The mouth came free, and blood gushed from the wound.

I looked away, and saw the silent ring of natives standing just far enough back to be almost lost in the fog. Watching. I had the feeling they'd been watching all along. I turned and went to where the woman stood plucking absently at her rags, chirruping to the natives beside her. "Are you all right?" I asked.

She looked at me, jerking like a puppet, stark fear on her face. It faded into wariness as she saw that I was not

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Spadrin.

"I'm sorry," I said, suddenly ashamed for my entire sex. "Spadrin is an animal, not a man. He won't harm you again. I'm a police inspector--" saying it just to reassure her.

She bent her head, looking at me sideways. "A police inspector?"

I nodded. I slung my rifle over my shoulder and approached her slowly, hands open. "Did he hurt you badly?" The blood on her face seemed to be nothing more serious than a cut lip.

"No, no, I'm all right," she said, too briskly, shaking her head and wiping at her mouth. "I'm quite all right, Inspector. The Aurant protects me, I can come to no harm."

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JOAN D. VINGE

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I hesitated, not certain whether her glazed expression was fanaticism or simply shock; not Page 77

wanting to push her over the edge of control, either way.

"You must arrest that poor unfortunate, Inspector.

You must put him in a small white room with no day or night and instruct him in the teachings of the Aurant until he has seen the true nature of time. You must do that with all your prisoners, and when they understand, there will be no more need for prisons, for the Millennium will have come."

I cleared my throat, glancing away at the watching cloud ears. More of them had gathered around us; their shuffling dance whispered through my nerves. "Where did the bloodwart come from?" I asked it more of them than of her.

"From the Aurant," she said, a little impatiently. "All things may be found in all places, if only you know how to see. These creatures of the spirit know it far better than you ever will."

I shook my head, resigned. "The three of us will be

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gone from this place by tomorrow, at least," I said. I wondered how much of anything I said she really understood.

"Until then--"

"Tomorrow?" She scattered time with a wave of her hands. "Who knows where any of us will be tomorrow?"

"Are you ... do you need any more help? Is there anything that I can do for you, anything at all?"

Guilt made me ask, and ask again.

She merely laughed. She said, as if she were sharing a secret, "I have the true understanding. I need nothing more." She whistled to the natives and began to shuffle away. It was clear that what had happened five minutes past had already left her mind.

I shrugged and started back to the rover. A part of me argued that she should be returned to civilization and helped somehow. But she seemed happy where she was, 96

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thinking she understood some hidden truth. Who am I

to interfere--I, who understand less and less.

When I got back to the rover Ang was finishing up the bandage on Spadrin's wound. They both looked up at me, Ang's expression unreadable, as usual, and Spadrin's murderous.

"Is she all right?" Ang asked, with what sounded like genuine concern.