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But then so else happened My discoe of the place, co of the barber’s shears upon my neck, eased me into a state of trancelike fascination The idea ca I was, in fact, amy infinite fellows certain subtle differences This one’s eyes were a bit closer together, a second’s ears were positioned a fraction higher on his head, a third sat just a little lower in his chair To test aze, wrinklingone eye and then the other Each version of , the barest hitch of time, between my action and its manifold duplication The barber warned ht accidently cut hter--but his wordssays: Stick out your tongue Fanning says: Raise one finger What delicious power I possessed! "Co," but I wasn’t fussing--far fro frolimpses of childhood pass away It is love, of course, and only love, that restores us to ourselves, or so we hope, but that is taken away What is left when there is no love? A rope and rock

I have been dying forever That is what I , oof boyhood; it is you I see now, as I walk these streets of glass There is one love, rief

I have, one; I knew this day would come The look on your face as you strode into the hall: there rath in it, yes How angry you ith s of betrayal, how the words spat with righteous fury from your lips This isn’t our deal, you said You said you would leave them alone But you knoell as I that we cannot; our purpose is ordained Hope is none but vapid sweetness to the tongue, without the taste of blood What are we, Alicia, but the gauntlet through which humanity must pass? We are the knife of the world, claive me, Alicia, my modest deceit You made it rather easy In my defense, I did not lie I would have told you, had you asked; you believed because you wanted to Youwhoht you prowled the tunnels like a schoolullibility was a little disappointing Did you truly believe that all my children are here? That I could have been so careless? That I would be content to bide a less eternity? I as;all My descendants, ht, I see as they see, and what do I behold? The great city defenseless, all but abandoned The s with ripeness, flowing over the land They have forgotten us; their minds have returned to the ordinary concerns of life Hoill the weather be? What will I wear to the dance? Whom should I marry? Shall I have a child? What will I name it?

What would you tell them, Alicia?

The heavens toy with h for this savior, this Girl from Nowhere, this Amy NLN She taunts me with her silence, her limitless, tactical calm To flush me out, that is her aspiration, and so she shall have it I knohat you are thinking, Alicia Surely I noble fellows, my Twelve Far from it! The day she faced the, unhappy exile Her sacrifice was supreave me--dare I use the word?--hope Without alpha, there can be no o her to me, I told you My quarrel is not with hu her to , my Lish, and I will spare the rest

Oh, I have no illusions I knohat you will do Always I have known, and I have loved you no less for it--to the contrary You are the better part of -awaited day You asked, Who is the king, whose conscience we must catch? Is it I, or is there another? Shall the creator be e is set, the lights go down, the actors take their in

34

"Everybody, kill your engines"

0440 hours: in darkness they rowed the final fifty yards to shore and dragged the launches onto the sand A few hundred yards south, the glow of burning butane flickered in the sky Michael checked his rifle, racked his sidearm, and returned it to its holster Everyone else did the same