World's End

Page 96

him where he lies. But I can't. I need him. I can't carry the supplies myself. My shoulder's too bad, I can't even touch it, I can't use my arm. Maybe I should dump them.

I don't need food. Every time I try to eat I puke. . . . I'm getting weaker.

And he knows it. He keeps testing me, moving in on me. He wants to catch me off guard. I hardly dare to turn my back long enough to piss. One good arm is still all I need to aim the rifle . . . but I think he's beginning to suspect why I don't use it.

We are getting closer. `>334' I'm not dreaming that. How many days is it.... Too many. We're nearly out of water, anyway. But gods, we're almost there!

Help me, Song--I know you see me, you need me, you

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JOAN D. VINGE

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know I'm coming to you. I can almost reach you now, reach into this picture, feel your silken silver hair flow over my fingers like moonlight. Feel your lips on mine.

Thou are as fair as aurora-glow. . . .

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At last. At last.. . this is how it happened, at last.

I woke up. It was night, but the rocks beside me glowed, dim and bloody. I thought, I'm awake.

And for a second I didn't understand the fear that filled me when I realized it. I rolled over--the ground and the sky swam with the pain in my shoulder. I sat up, reaching with my good arm for the stun rifle. It was gone.

Then I looked up, and saw where it had gone. Spadrin stood over me with the gun in his hands, grinning. He aimed it at my face and pressed the stud. Nothing happened.

"That's what I thought," he said. He drove the gun butt into my bad shoulder. I screamed.

He laughed, and threw the gun away. He dragged me

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to my feet, pushing me up hard against the wall of the wash. I clung to the rough stone, sick with pain. His hand caught in my hair and jerked my head back, until I had to look at him. "I owe you a lot, Gedda," he whispered. He struck me, almost casually.

"And now you're going to collect." He hit me again, harder, and there was blood in my mouth.