Read Online The Enemy of My Enemy by Avram Davidson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Avram Davidson
Ads: Link
the life of Tonorosant. I know that I’m he. And yet, just as clearly, I can see and know that I’m Jerred Northi. And the two things are equally true and valid. Should I be afraid? Is there any chance that a time might come when one of these truths will fade away? Or vanish abruptly? And which one?”
Sarlamat shook his head. “No danger at all. No danger of either.” He slid open the hatch, gestured Tonorosant to do the same. They went down the corridor, reed mats soft beneath their feet. “The hypno-indoctrination has never slipped yet. Should you even want to be entirely rid of either identity, why, that can be arranged. You were told it could. For the present, though, since you don’t yet know just what you may want in the future, it’s best to keep both. Do you think that
I
don’t know just exactly how you feel? After all, I wasn’t always Hob Sarlamat, anymore than you were always Tonorosant. But I’ve been Sarlamat for a good while, now. I was one of the first. Never had any trouble. Nor will you … and I needn’t even add, ‘I must hope.’ Just remember, in case any blank spots appear, that no one will expect you to know everything. Your birth and bringing-up abroad will account for that. And also,” he smiled, “I’m here, too. By and by you won’t need me. Until then … .”
They came out into the sunlight and went down the walk to the water. Atoral was waiting on the brim, her dark hair wound snug under the transparcap, her hands upon her golden hips. She smiled as they approached.
“Until then, it’s best and easy, I must hope, for all to remain as it now does.”
Tonorosant, who had been and in some way still was Jerred Northi, dashed forward, seized the girl in his arms and, he shouting, she screaming, fell sideways into the water.
She barely bothered to pretend offense. “This is not the way things are done abroad, I must hope,” she said. “Did you treat the foreign girls this way?”
“Why should one bother treating them at all? They lack the Seven Signs.”
They trod water. “And what do I lack?” she asked. She turned on her side and swam away. After a moment he caught up with her, and they made their way slowly and now sedately, side by side. With each stroke her breast lifted from the water for a flashing second, then was gone again.
“Why do you say that? I would say that you lack nothing — least of all, patience to endure my attentions.”
This seemed to please her, he could see, but turning on her back and floating so, she asked, “Then why do you never see me alone? and always with Hob Sarlamat?”
He floated alongside her and he touched her. She moved closer. Surely, he thought to himself, a bit amused, a bit puzzled, but most of all, pleased; surely, she does not expect me to make love to her right here in the water, like the lake birds? He observed Sarlamat a good ways off and heading down towards the other end of the lake, doing a slow and classical stroke with many bobbings up and down. “He’s not with me now — ”
With pretended sulkiness, she said, “Why do you not go after him? I have heard of such things … abroad … .”
He touched her again, she gave a little scream, leaped around and struck him in the face with her flat hand, then darted away. For a moment he floundered, abashed, aghast. Then he swam after her. She was quick, though. She was very quick; he never did catch up with her in the water.
Afterwards, she said, as though to herself, and almost unwillingly, “So, then … not everything one learns in foreign parts is bad.”
He thought that this required nothing to be said on his part, so he kissed her breast. It was still wet.
• • •
And even after that, though she no longer spoke of “having heard of such things … abroad,” still she complained that he was often with his friend. He knew of no way to tell her that it was not quite so, but that his friend was often with him.
• • •
At various times in history
Sarlamat shook his head. “No danger at all. No danger of either.” He slid open the hatch, gestured Tonorosant to do the same. They went down the corridor, reed mats soft beneath their feet. “The hypno-indoctrination has never slipped yet. Should you even want to be entirely rid of either identity, why, that can be arranged. You were told it could. For the present, though, since you don’t yet know just what you may want in the future, it’s best to keep both. Do you think that
I
don’t know just exactly how you feel? After all, I wasn’t always Hob Sarlamat, anymore than you were always Tonorosant. But I’ve been Sarlamat for a good while, now. I was one of the first. Never had any trouble. Nor will you … and I needn’t even add, ‘I must hope.’ Just remember, in case any blank spots appear, that no one will expect you to know everything. Your birth and bringing-up abroad will account for that. And also,” he smiled, “I’m here, too. By and by you won’t need me. Until then … .”
They came out into the sunlight and went down the walk to the water. Atoral was waiting on the brim, her dark hair wound snug under the transparcap, her hands upon her golden hips. She smiled as they approached.
“Until then, it’s best and easy, I must hope, for all to remain as it now does.”
Tonorosant, who had been and in some way still was Jerred Northi, dashed forward, seized the girl in his arms and, he shouting, she screaming, fell sideways into the water.
She barely bothered to pretend offense. “This is not the way things are done abroad, I must hope,” she said. “Did you treat the foreign girls this way?”
“Why should one bother treating them at all? They lack the Seven Signs.”
They trod water. “And what do I lack?” she asked. She turned on her side and swam away. After a moment he caught up with her, and they made their way slowly and now sedately, side by side. With each stroke her breast lifted from the water for a flashing second, then was gone again.
“Why do you say that? I would say that you lack nothing — least of all, patience to endure my attentions.”
This seemed to please her, he could see, but turning on her back and floating so, she asked, “Then why do you never see me alone? and always with Hob Sarlamat?”
He floated alongside her and he touched her. She moved closer. Surely, he thought to himself, a bit amused, a bit puzzled, but most of all, pleased; surely, she does not expect me to make love to her right here in the water, like the lake birds? He observed Sarlamat a good ways off and heading down towards the other end of the lake, doing a slow and classical stroke with many bobbings up and down. “He’s not with me now — ”
With pretended sulkiness, she said, “Why do you not go after him? I have heard of such things … abroad … .”
He touched her again, she gave a little scream, leaped around and struck him in the face with her flat hand, then darted away. For a moment he floundered, abashed, aghast. Then he swam after her. She was quick, though. She was very quick; he never did catch up with her in the water.
Afterwards, she said, as though to herself, and almost unwillingly, “So, then … not everything one learns in foreign parts is bad.”
He thought that this required nothing to be said on his part, so he kissed her breast. It was still wet.
• • •
And even after that, though she no longer spoke of “having heard of such things … abroad,” still she complained that he was often with his friend. He knew of no way to tell her that it was not quite so, but that his friend was often with him.
• • •
At various times in history
Similar Books
