“And the price?” asked Sheldon uneasily.
“We can discuss that later. It’s the problem that interests me. Let me think about it a moment.”
A long silence followed.
“Got it!” said the small dark man suddenly.
“Remember, she’s got to remain alive!”
“I know that—she will. But once I’ve decanted her, the fat creature you know as Mrs. Higgens could be written off as a threat.”
“Once you’ve what?”
“Decanted her. I believe the vulgar refer to the process as soul-snatching. If the soul is removed skillfully from its container—”
“Container?”
“Body, if you prefer,” said Mr. Norman patiently. “If properly decanted, the body will remain alive, but that’s all. Your overweight courtesan will be an empty, mindless husk—but not dead. As long as she isn’t, by your own admission, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Sounds good,” said Sheldon thoughtfully. “Excellent, in fact. But to get back to the matter of price . . .” He tried to look squarely into the dark man’s eyes, but found he couldn’t. There was a strange magnetic quality in the dull-red glowing orbs that gave him the feeling he was being sucked out of himself.
“Let’s get back to the price,” he said at last. “If the old tales are true, it may be more than I can afford to pay.”
“The price is the usual one,” said Mr. Norman. “But you must remember that most of the stories you’ve heard originated with a handful of malcontents. Anyway,” he added quickly, “billing you for the premium is obviously only a technicality. You must be aware that your unauthorized and premeditated liquidation of your employer has already given the home office a permanent lien on your future services. Why not get something out of the deal?”
THE more Sheldon thought about it, the more he wavered. The dark man waited until the opportune moment and then, with the skill of an experienced salesman, added, “I might even be able to toss in something extra.”
“Huh? Such as?” asked Sheldon cautiously.
“I haven’t made my quota yet this month. Just to keep the home office off my neck, I might be willing to throw in an extra wish. The standard policy calls for only one to the insuring party, but if you’ll agree to close the deal within the next forty-eight hours, I’ll toss in another absolutely free. That way, you’ll be able to take care of Mrs. Higgens with the first one and still have one left over for anything else your heart desires.”
“Forty-eight hours doesn’t give me much time to think it over,” Sheldon complained unhappily.
“More than you need,” answered Mr. Norman. “You’re getting married tomorrow afternoon. Right? And I believe Mrs. Higgens has certain plans for the disposal of your bride shortly after the ceremony. Miss Arnett is a pleasant little morsel and it would be a shame to lose her.”
Sheldon was in obvious agreement with the last statement. “That second wish,” he said, “did you say I could have anything I wanted?”
“Well,” said the dark man slowly, “almost anything. Let’s say anything that isn’t under direct control of our heavenly competitors. As long as your wish doesn’t directly violate one of the divine ordinances, we can give it to you.”
“One more thing—I’m naturally concerned about when payment will have to be made.”
“At the usual time—on your death bed.”
Sheldon hesitated and looked at Mr. Norman dubiously. “You seem to specialize in accidents. What’s to keep you from arranging a fatal one for me in the near future?”
The dark man seemed shocked at the suggestion.
“You apparently have no idea of the ethics of my profession,” he said coldly. “But if it will make you any happier, I’ll give you my word that neither I nor any member of my organization will do anything, directly or indirectly, to hasten your death.”
“Can I have that in writing?” asked Sheldon cannily.
“Certainly.” Mr. Norman still looked hurt. “I’ll even insert a clause to the effect that the whole agreement becomes null and void in case of any breach of contract on our part. Now, does that satisfy you?”
“I’ll have to think about it a bit more,” said Sheldon, as he rose to go. He paused at the door. “In case I decide to—to take out a policy with your company, how can I get in touch with you?”
“Don’t worry about that,” said the dark man. “When you need me, I’ll be there.”
SHELDON tapped lightly on the dressing room door. “I have to step out for a moment, Virginia. I’ll be right back,” he said.
“Don’t be long, darling,” a soft voice whispered from the other side. “I’m almost ready.”
He stepped into the hallway and shut the bedroom door securely behind him. Mr. Norman wasn’t late. There was a slight shimmer in the air, and he stood before Sheldon.
“Did you bring the policy?” The dark man nodded and snapped his fingers. A glowing piece of parchment materialized in the air in front of them.
“All complete, except for your formal agreement.”
Now that the moment had arrived, Sheldon felt a sudden desire to temporize. If he had miscalculated, if just one little thing went wrong, he was lost. As he thought of the consequences, his courage began to drain from him.
“Perhaps we’d better wait until morning,” he said in a hesitant voice.
“It wouldn’t be wise,” said Mr. Norman. “The fat one is sitting in her room, watching the clock. It’s already half an hour past the appointed time for the accident. She is mad with jealousy and if, during the night, her passion should overcome her self-interest, she might give orders for that package to be sent to the police. Unless you act now, it may be too late.”
The man was right. He couldn’t put it off any longer. He took a deep breath and managed to force out two words.
“I agree.”
As he spoke, his signature appeared in letters of fire on the bottom of the parchment that was hanging in front of him.
“Your first wish?”
“Mrs. Higgens. You know what to do. Be quick about it!”
The dark man gave a sardonic salaam and disappeared.
A few seconds later, he was back again.
“The decanting is complete. The fat one is alive, but nothing looks out through her eyes.”
Sheldon let out a shuddering sigh as the weight that had been oppressing him for so long seemed to slide off his shoulders. He stood in silence for a moment, savoring the champagne bouquet taste of freedom.
“And your second?” said the dark man. “Have you thought of what it will be?”
Sheldon nodded slowly.
“Good. You might as well make it now, so I can have the home office get to work on it. If you want to be world dictator or something like that, they’ll need a little advance notice. Even with their tremendous resources, things like that take time, you know. What is it—power?”
“No, with the Arnett millions, I already have that,” Sheldon said firmly.
“Wisdom, perhaps?”
“That can be bought, also. I want one thing that money can’t buy.”
“And that is?”
A blaze kindled in Sheldon’s eyes that almost matched that in the dark man’s.
“Immortality!”
HE waited, but felt no change take place within himself. “Now!” he cried impatiently. The dark man spread both hands forward, palms up in an apologetic gesture. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but that is one thing I can’t grant now. You should have asked for it before the marriage ceremony.”
Sheldon fought for control, as he felt himself being sucked into the quicksand of sudden panic and despair.
“But . . .” he barely whispered. “But you said . . .”
“I said the home office had control over all matters except those coming under celestial jurisdiction.”
“What’s all that got to do with denying me immortality?” There was a note of desperation in Sheldon’s voice.
“Marriage is a divine sacrament,” said the little man unctuously. “Surely, you remember the part of the service in which it is said, ‘Whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.’ ”
“But you’re not a man!” Sheldon objected.
“It’s all a matter of definition,” said Mr. Norman. “And unfortunately, in the case of McGinty vs Molach, it was decided that for actuarial purposes, the term man was to be construed to include all sentient beings except currently bonafide residents of the celestial regions. The home office fought the case all the way up to the highest authority, but the original decision was sustained. It was the first time in the history of our organization that the underwriters were unable to collect the premium due on an issued policy.”
“I still don’t get it,” said Sheldon.
“You should—it’s really quite simple. To grant you immortality and leave your wife mortal would be the surest way of tearing your marriage apart. For a few years, things would be fine, but what about afterward? When the years begin to erode Virginia’s beauty, what then? How long would she be able to stand the contrast between your youth and her age? And how long would you?”
“That would be our affair, not yours.”
“I’m afraid the authorities would take a different view. They would be sure to hold that my original action was the primary cause of the eventual sundering. Sorry, Sheldon, but you’ll have to think of something else.”
He gave a lecherous wink. “How would you like to be Casanova’s successor?”
“Not interested. The only woman I want is waiting for me in there.” He gestured toward the bedroom.
“Then, how about—”
“No!” interrupted Sheldon savagely. “I don’t want anything else. Give me a chance to think, will you!”
He rubbed his knuckles against his temples, as if somehow the action would speed up thought. Immortality was the only thing that would save him, but—‘let no man put asunder.’ However, if she were immortal also . . . of course!
THERE was no spectacular show, only a rippling sense of vitality that tingled momentarily through every nerve cell in his body.
“It’s done?”
The dark man plucked the parchment out of the air and put it away carefully in his inside coat pocket.
“It’s done. Neither of you can ever know physical death. A clever solution to your dilemma, Mr. Sheldon, an extremely clever solution. May I congratulate you on it?”
Sheldon made no effort to conceal the exultation that was blazing inside him. “You may, but on something shrewder than that. I’ve tricked you—you and your whole damned organization. Hasn’t it occurred to you that, according to the terms of my policy, the premium doesn’t fall due until my death? And I’m immortal—immortal!”
There was a singing wonder to the last word that made him repeat it again and again, as if he didn’t quite believe it.
Mr. Norman didn’t say anything, but an odd little smile flickered across his face as he bowed politely and vanished.
Sheldon felt some apprehension which he quickly dismissed. She was gone—gone forever—and he had his new bride and his new fortune to pleasure him through all eternity.
Slowly, almost timidly, he opened the bedroom door and quietly slipped inside.
Virginia was so beautiful that his breath caught in his throat and his heart began pounding so wildly that it seemed to him the sound must be echoing through the room like drumbeats. As he knelt beside his bride, her lovely heart-shaped face turned up to his and a little pointed tongue licked full red lips.
“My darling!” he whispered. “Tell me it’s always going to be like this.”
Two deep sapphire blue eyes opened and Mrs. Higgens looked out through them at her lover. Slowly, she voluptuously ran her hands over the full rich curves of her new container.
“ ‘Till death doth us part,’ ” she crooned. “Kiss me, lover boy. Kiss me as if you meant it.”
LIMITING FACTOR
Is there a Homo superior in the audience? This story is printed primarily for you!
THE beautiful girl slammed the door shut behind her and for a moment there was silence in the apartment. The blond young man in baggy tweeds looked at the closed door uncertainly, made a motion as if to follow her, and then stopped himself.
“Good boy,” said a voice from the open window.
“Who’s there?” The young man turned and squinted out into the darkness.
“It’s me. Ferdie.”
“You didn’t have to spy on me. I told Karl I’d break off.”
“I wasn’t spying, Jan. Karl sent me over. Mind if I come in?” Jan grunted indifferently and a short stocky man drifted in through the window. As his feet touched the floor, he gave a little sigh of relief. He went back to the window, leaned out, and looked down the full eighty stories to the street below.
“It’s a long way down there,” he said. “Levitation’s fine, but I don’t think it will ever take the place of the old-fashioned elevator. The way I look at it is that if Man was intended to fly, he’d have been born with wings.”
“Man, maybe,” said Jan, “but not superman. Want a drink? I do.”
Ferdie nodded. “Maybe our kids will take it as a matter of course, but I just can’t relax when I’m floating. I’m always afraid I’ll blow a neuron or something and go spinning down.” He gave a shudder and swallowed the drink in one gulp. “How did it go? Did she take it pretty hard?”
“Tomorrow will be worse. She’s angry now and that acts as a sort of emotional anesthetic. When that wears off, it’s really going to hurt. I don’t feel so good myself. We were going to be married in March.”
“I know,” said Ferdie sympathetically, “but if it’s any consolation, you’re going to be so busy from now on that you won’t have much time to think about it. Karl sent me over to pick you up because we’re pulling out tonight. Which reminds me, I’d better call old Kleinholtz and tell him he’ll have to find himself a new lab technician. Mind if I use your phone?”
Jan shook his head mutely and gestured toward the hallway.
TWO minutes later, Ferdie was back. “The old boy gave me a rough time,” he said. “Wanted to know why I was walking out on him just when the apparatus was about ready for testing. I told him I had a sudden attack of itchy feet and there wasn’t much I could do about it.” He shrugged. “Well, the rough work’s done, anyway. About all that’s left is running the computations and I couldn’t handle that if I wanted to. It’s strange, Jan—I’ve spent a whole year helping him put that gadget together, and I still don’t know what it’s for. I asked him again just now and the tight-mouthed old son of a gun just laughed at me and said that if I knew which side my bread was buttered on, I’d get back to work in a hurry. I guess it’s pretty big. It’s a shame I won’t be around to see it.” He moved toward the window. “We’d better be on our way, Jan. The rest will be waiting for us.”
Jan stood irresolute and then slowly shook his head. “I’m not going.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I’m not going.”
Ferdie went over to him and took him gently by the arm. “Come on now, boy. I know it’s hard, but you’ve made your decision and you’ve got to stick to it. You can’t pull back now.” Jan turned away sullenly. “You can all go to hell! I’m going after her.”
“Don’t be a fool. No woman is worth that much.”
“She is to me. I have been a fool, but I’m not going to be any longer. I was a pretty happy guy before you people came along. I had a job I liked and a girl I loved and the future looked good. If I back-track fast enough, maybe I’ll be able to salvage something. Tell the rest I’ve changed my mind and I’m pulling out.” The short stocky man went over and poured himself another drink. “No, you’re not, Jan. You aren’t enough of a superman to be able to forget those poor devils down there.” He gestured at the peaceful city that spread out below them.
“There won’t be any trouble in our time,” Jan said.
“Or in our children’s,” agreed Ferdie, “but there will be in our grandchildren’s and then it will be too late. Once the row starts, you know how it will come out. You’ve got an extra something in your brain—use it!”
Jan looked out into the night and finally turned to answer. Before he could, an angry voice suddenly boomed inside his head.
“What’s holding you up over there? We haven’t got all night!”
>“Come on,” said Ferdie. “We can argue later. If Karl is wound up enough about something to telepath, it must be important. Me, I’ll stick to the telephone. What’s the point to having a built-in transceiver, if you have to put up with a splitting headache every time you use it?” He stepped to the window and climbed up on the sill. “Ready?” Jan hesitated and slowly climbed up beside him.
“I’ll go talk to Karl, anyway,” he said. “Maybe you’re right, but it still hurts like hell.”
“The head?”
“No, the heart. All set?” Ferdie nodded. They both closed their eyes, tensed, and drifted slowly up into the night.
KARL was stretched out on the couch with his head in Miranda’s lap and a look of suffering on his face. She was gently massaging his temples.
“Next time use a telephone,” said Ferdie as he and Jan came in.
Karl sat up suddenly. “What took you so long?”
“What do you mean, so long? An aircab would have got us here a lot quicker, but we’re supermen—we’ve got to levitate.”
“I’m not amused,” said Karl. “Are you all set?”
Ferdie nodded. “All ties broken and everything prepared for a neat and tidy disappearance.”
“And him?” Karl looked narrowly at Jan.
“He’s all right.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” said Jan. “Girl and job dumped down the drain. Do you want the details? Ferdie’s boss figured he’d be back. He said Ferdie knew which side his bread was buttered on. My girl didn’t say anything; she just slammed the door in my face. And now that that’s over, if you’ll just detail me a female I’ll start breeding little supermen for you. How about Miranda? She’s one of the elect.”
Collected Fiction Page 19