The Sopaths

by Piers Anthony

  “Mr. Slate, we simply do not know. We are blessed, and hope it remains that way. There is no secret method, no treatment or drug. We indulge normally, and no sopaths are born.”

  “What of the visiting sopath maids?” Bunty asked. “Don’t some of them get pregnant?”

  “Some do,” Jones agreed reluctantly. “Those that are old enough.” Which meant that those who were not old enough were also having sex. Abner understood, knowing Nefer. Age was no barrier to a sopath.

  “Sopaths can’t raise babies,” Bunty said. “They would have no human love or patience, and the babies would soon die of neglect, or be beaten to death for crying. Do you allow that to happen?”

  Jones looked distinctly uncomfortable. “We do not. Any who become pregnant here are allowed to remain here until they give birth. Then we take the babies and care for them.”

  “And these children of sopaths—souled or sopath?”

  “Souled, always.”

  “So it’s not the parentage,” Abner said. “It must be the place.”

  “So it seems,” Jones said. “We cannot explain it.”

  “And babies born in Sauerkraut?”

  “Sopaths, almost always. Few survive long.”

  “Now this is significant,” Abner said, excited. “This is the first we have seen of locality. Sopaths are normally born randomly, as we understand it, depending on the thinness of the available global soul supply. Why is it different here?”

  “We do not know.” Jones gestured with frustration. “But if the world knew, they would overwhelm us with pregnant visitors wanting to avoid the chance of giving birth to sopaths. We would be overrun, and our way of life destroyed. Surely you can appreciate our need for privacy.”

  “We can,” Abner agreed. “But you can appreciate our need to solve the mystery. If there is something about Sweetpea that guarantees souls, and if we could discover it, we could make it available to the world and stop the sopath menace.”

  “There is nothing. We have searched. We are completely ordinary, geographically, as is Sauerkraut. There is nothing in the ground, air or water.”

  “But there is something,” Abner said. “We have to discover what it is.”

  “Something different between the two towns,” Bunty said. “We must identify that difference.”

  “Which means we have to move on to Sauerkraut,” Abner concluded.

  “They are no more eager to have the world know than we are,” Jones said desperately. “The rush would expose them and destroy them also.”

  “They want to keep on birthing sopaths?”

  “No! Sopaths don’t want more sopaths. In fact they don’t much want pregnancy, either. They endure it here only because we provide the prospective mothers with excellent care for the duration, and they don’t have to work. We do it for the sake of their coming souled babies.”

  “They don’t use contraceptives?” Bunty asked.

  “They don’t have the patience for them. They just want to do what is fun, or what pays, and ignore any likely consequences. They are completely irresponsible.”

  “And what of your residents, who are using them for sex,” Abner said. “They don’t take precautions either?”

  “They are supposed to. Some have religious objections.” Which was perhaps a sufficient answer. The residents of Sweetpea might have souls, but they were no more responsible than anyone else. No more moral, either. Their religion forbade them using contraception, but not fornicating with children? Indeed, there was nothing special about this town.

  “But if we solved the mystery, wouldn’t the sopaths benefit too?” Bunty asked.

  “They may not care to look that far ahead.”

  Which was the problem with sopaths. “I believe we will have to go on to Sauerkraut,” Abner said. “But we appreciate your warning. Now let’s get on to organizing your local Pariah chapter.”

  “Can you at least commit to not spreading the word about Sweetpea’s lack of sopath births?”

  “Pariah already knows,” Abner said. “But we have no interest in complicating your existence. We will let that aspect be, if possible.”

  “Thank you. I will guide you to the assembly, which is ready for your attention.”

  Soon they were in the gym where a number of people had gathered: men, women, children. A typical Pariah group. They applauded politely as Abner’s family entered.

  Abner introduced himself and his family, and his mission to organize them into a chapter in touch with the national Pariah organization, and the family sang a folk song. That put the survivors in the mood, as it always did, because of Nefer’s magical voice. It was routine, and they were responsive. It seemed the mayor spoke only for himself in not wanting wider participation.

  Then Abner plunged in to his real mission. “I understand that no sopaths are born in Sweetpea, and that all of you are refugees from Sauerkraut, where many sopaths are born.” He saw many nods of agreement. “You are a larger group than I usually encounter, so I will introduce my family, then we’ll break into two groups so that we can give attention to twice as many people in the time we have. Tomorrow we’ll be moving on to Sauerkraut.” He spoke casually, but was watching carefully for reaction.

  He got it. “Don’t go there,” a woman said. “There are no Pariahs there. They are controlled by sopaths, and they can be vicious when crossed. We know.” Several others nodded agreement. They had encountered not only sopaths in their families, but sopaths in the town government, surely a horror. Their best course had been to flee.

  “I’m sure you do,” Abner said. “But we are on the trail of a mystery: why are no sopaths born here in Sweetpea, and many born in Sauerkraut? We need to find out, and if we can’t get the answer here, we must go there.”

  She was silent. The others looked nervous. They really were wary of Sauerkraut, for good reason.

  He gave general advice on forming a full chapter and ad hoc temporary families, then split the family. Bunty and Clark would work with those interested in setting up a charter school, while he, Dreda, and Nefer would advise on instituting a nondenominational religious service.

  When he had his group, he demonstrated how to do a hymn. This was where Nefer performed solo. She sang angelically, enchanting everyone present, as she always did. It motivated them to have choir.

  But in the brief interim while they were discussing it, Dreda and Nefer approached him. “Father,” Dreda said. “They want another hymn.”

  “Father, I will be glad to sing another,” Nefer said.

  They were both giving the signal. There was a sopath in this group.

  “Who?” he asked tightly.

  They indicated a five year old red-headed girl standing beside her red-headed mother. “Mother doesn’t know,” Nefer said.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Abner said. “Carry on here for a moment.”

  The girls shrugged. They were relating to the children, explaining that yes, adopted parents could be good parents, especially when they had been through the same horrors as the children.

  Abner walked to Mayor Jones. “There is a sopath here,” he murmured.

  He reacted exactly as Abner had. “Who?”

  “The girl beside the redhead there.”

  “Oh, no! I am courting that woman. Their sopath girl put rat poison in their food, killing her husband and other daughter.”

  Abner made an internal whistle. It was the sopath who had survived, framing the souler sister for the crime.

  “It is not necessarily bad news,” Abner said carefully. “Consistent firm discipline can civilize a sopath, and they can be useful, as your townsmen have discovered with the sopath maids.”

  “The sopaths from Sauerkraut are under Sauerkraut sopath discipline, which is deadly. Fear keeps them in line. But a sopath in a Pariah family? This would be extremely awkward.”

  “It doesn’t have to be.”

  Jones shook his head. “Are you sure you know a sopath when you see one? I have had experience
with sopaths, but have not seen the signs in that girl.”

  “They can masquerade as soulers,” Abner said. “If they choose to. Smart ones are more likely to, because they realize it is dangerous to be exposed as a sopath.”

  “You must be mistaken.” The man was in denial.

  “Perhaps I should demonstrate,” Abner said. “I have a sopath in my own family.”

  “You must be joking.”

  “Nefer, here.”

  “The angelic soloist? I can’t believe it.”

  Abner beckoned, and the girl came over. “Tell him, Nefer.”

  “I am a sopath.”

  “I don’t believe it. You appreciate beauty and religion. You sang a wonderful hymn.”

  “I don’t give a shit about religion,” she said sweetly. “Or about what you believe, pecker-head. If you want, I will strip naked and masturbate myself in public while singing another hymn. I’ll tell them you made me do it.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!”

  Nefer started singing another hymn, her voice as beautiful as ever. As she sang, she started unbuttoning her dress and gyrating suggestively. All eyes turned toward her, as the hymn attracted attention.

  “All right, all right, desist,” Jones said quickly. “You made your point.”

  Nefer glanced at Abner. He nodded.

  She continued singing, but stopped the other actions. There was applause as she finished the hymn. She made a little appreciative curtsy, looking impossibly angelic. “Thank you for asking, Mr. Jones,” she said, blushing. Abner had not realized she could fake even that. The others returned to their other activities.

  “Heaven and hell,” Jones said, daunted. “And she obeys you implicitly, showing no fear. How do you do it?”

  “She loves me,” Abner said.

  “Sopaths don’t love!”

  “You would call it lust,” Nefer said. “I’m hot for him and want him to fuck me. He knows it and uses it to control me with the hint that he might be weakening. If I push it too hard, too soon, he’ll kill me. He’s one tough stud.” She smiled longingly at Abner.

  Jones was taken aback. “Do sopath girls actually feel sexual desire? I assumed they tolerate some of our men only for the sake of the food and money.”

  “We can be horny as hell,” Nefer said. “With the right man. We’d as soon kill the wrong man. So you’re right: they’re selling the fucks for cash, but maybe after a few times some of them are getting to like the men. It’s a two way street. We don’t need souls to like a good cock.”

  Jones evidently had a horrible thought. “That girl you say is a sopath. She has seen me kissing her mother. What would be her motive with respect to me?”

  “Chances are she’s seen you fuck her mother, too, and she wants a piece of it. But mostly she knows she’ll always be safe if you marry her mother, so she’ll behave until you do. Then she’ll see about seducing you herself. You bet she knows what the Kraut girls are doing.”

  “I would never—she’s only five years old!”

  “Here’s how it’s done, dope. She’ll come to you when you’re alone, and ask you to fuck her, carefully. Maybe just stroking your cock along her wet little slit, the first time. If you do, she’ll enjoy it and keep her mouth shut. If you don’t, she’ll scream and tell her mother and the world you tried to rape her. She’ll be damned persuasive. You won’t be mayor long after that.” Nefer half smiled. “So you had better do it. It’s easier all around. She’ll play along as long as you behave. You might even like it. Many men do.”

  “This is appalling!”

  “No problem,” Nefer said. “Kill her, or don’t marry her mother. Maybe arrange to have the sopath have a fatal accident while you’re out of town, so you won’t be blamed. Then her mother’s safely yours. Fuck her all you want.”

  Jones looked at Abner. “You tolerate this creature in your family?”

  “We’re dealing with sopaths,” Abner said seriously. “We need to understand them. This is the way they think and act. That’s another reason we’ll be moving on to Sauerkraut.”

  “Do that tomorrow,” Jones said grimly. “I wash my hands of it.” He walked away.

  “That was fun,” Nefer said. “Thanks for letting me, Abner.”

  Abner squeezed her shoulder. “Actually, it was fun. He’s such a self-important shirt. You took him down.”

  “Any time, Abner. I love you, and it’s not all lust. Mostly, but not all.”

  “I believe it.”

  They carried through on the organization routine, but knew that their welcome was now quite limited. Jones would not talk about it, but he would want nothing more to do with them. They had become pariahs even among Pariahs. Abner made a quiet phone report to Pariah. They had learned significant things, but the main mystery remained.

  “I am nervous about tomorrow,” Bunty said as they turned in. “In fact I’m terrified. The prospect of dealing with teen-aged sopaths is daunting.”

  “I can go in alone,” Abner said.

  “No. I’m scared for you as much as for the family.”

  “We’re all scared,” Clark said. “But we know we’ve got to do it.” Dreda nodded agreement. They were young, but they had the courage of conscience.

  “So am I,” Nefer said. “Sopaths can be scared too. I’ve got a notion what I’ll be like as a teen, and that scares me. And I want to say this: if I think they’re going to kill you, Abner, I will say or do anything to save you. So don’t believe me, especially if I call you father.”

  “And if you think they’re going to kill Bunty, Clark, or Dreda?” he asked.

  “If I have to turn them in to save you, I will. But since I know that would forever poison any chance I have with you, I won’t do it unless there’s no other way.”

  Abner was shaken despite himself. “Maybe we should cancel.”

  “No,” Bunty said firmly. “This is something we all have to do. We will live or die pursuing our mission.” The two children grimly nodded agreement.

  “Damn, I wish I could feel what you’re feeling,” Nefer said. “Before we all die.”

  “Then you wouldn’t be a sopath,” Clark reminded her.

  “Damn,” Nefer repeated morosely. That seemed to sum it all up.

  CHAPTER 8

  The outlying environment of Sauerkraut reminded Abner of militarily occupied territory. Three quarters of the farm houses were shuttered, their yards overgrown, obviously unoccupied. Many of their fields were fallow. The occupied and maintained ones stood out like ragged islands.

  “This is grim,” Bunty remarked.

  “When a hostile force occupies a region, in war, the natives have to flee or accommodate,” Abner said. “I have seen it. There is no point in stopping at any house; they will be afraid of us, or of retaliation if they show us any courtesy. We shall have to deal directly with the conquerors.”

  “Which will be sopaths.”

  “Yes.”

  “They have to know we’re coming, and our mission.”

  “Yes. We’re like a foreign embassy entering under flag of truce. They may not honor it.”

  “They will for a while,” Nefer said. “They’ll know you are coming in for a reason, and they’ll want to know that reason. Otherwise you could have skipped it.”

  “But will they believe that we just want to solve the riddle of the twin towns, and maybe fathom the secret of sopath births?”

  “Maybe.” Abner brought out his cell phone and called Pariah. “We are nearing the target. Is the unit in place and zeroed in?”

  “It is. Response will be thirty seconds from your directive. First one a warning, second one for effect.”

  “Good enough,” Abner said. “I suspect we’ll need it.”

  “Unit?” Bunty asked.

  “Military hardware I asked them to set up overnight. We’re not playing games here.”

  “Indeed we are not,” she agreed.

  “Background for the rest of you,” Abner said. “It seems that Sauerkraut i
s governed by a teen-aged female sopath named Topsy, said to be as beautiful and vicious as they come.”

  “Topsy?” Clark asked. “What’s she doing with a cute name?”

  “You never can tell,” Nefer said. “I chose mine because I heard of Queen Nefertiti and it also sounds like Never. She has to have some nasty reason.”

  “Surely so,” Abner agreed. “She came to power about a year ago, ruthlessly eliminating competitors. She’s young but smart, and it seems knows how to make people do her bidding. She rewards grown souler men with sex, and grown souler women with other favors, such as getting the men of their choice. The men’s first desire is for Topsy, but they know they won’t get any part of her unless they obey her whims, so they settle for the other women when Topsy tells them to. It’s cynical but effective.”

  “She’s a sopath, all right,” Nefer said. “Are you sure you can handle her, Abner? She’ll be worse than me.”

  “Pariah seems to think that I can.”

  “It’s his secret weapon,” Bunty said. “Personal magnetism, otherwise known as raw sex appeal. Women of any age are attracted to him. You may have noticed.”

  Nefer and Dreda laughed. They had noticed.

  “I will have to get her close to me and keep her there for a while,” Abner said. “I will try to play it straight, presenting my mission, but if that doesn’t work, we’ll just have to hope that the secret weapon, as Bunty puts it, does. There is a serious risk regardless. We can still turn back.”

  “No,” the children said together.

  “I’m not sure you’re considering just how ugly it may become.”

  “Daddy, we know about sopaths,” Dreda said bravely.

  Abner let it drop, hoping this deadly gamble would play out successfully. The family had seen less of the viciousness of sopaths than he had.

  There was a structure ahead. It turned out to be a check point, covered by a machine gun. Abner glided up to it and stopped.

  “Who are you?” the young teen guard demanded.

  “I am Abner Slate, representing Pariah. This is my family.”

  “Why are you here?”

  “There is a mystery about Sweetpea and Sauerkraut. No sopaths are born there, and few soulers here. We want to know why.”