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"It was that daht not have happened if it hadn't been for that"

"It would've come anyway, sooner or later," said the doctor To Cleht talk to him"

Clean to shake his ar in a low voice, "Hey there, Hitchcock"

No reply

"Hey, it's ave the arently, and the back of the bent-down head He glanced at the psychiatrist, who sighed very softly The captain shrugged

"Shock treatment, Doctor?"

The psychiatrist nodded "We'll start within the hour" Yes, thought Clemens, shock treatment Play a dozen jazz records for hireen chlorophyll and dandelions under his nose, put grass under his feet, squirt Chanel on the air, cut his hair, clip his fingernails, bring hi and crash at hiulf, but where's your proof? You can't keep proving to him forever You can't entertain a baby with rattles and sirens all night every night for the next thirty years Soain That is, if he pays any attention to you at all

"Hitchcock!" he cried, as loud as he could, al over a cliff "It's me It's your pal! Hey!"

Clemens turned and walked away out of the silent room

Twelve hours later another alar

After all of the running had died down, the captain explained: "Hitchcock snapped out of it for a minute or so He was alone He climbed into a space suit He opened an airlock Then he walked out into space--alone"

Clelass port, where there was a blur of stars and distant blackness "He's out there now?"

"Yes A million miles behind us We'd never find him First time I kneas outside the ship hen his helmet radio ca to himself"

"What did he say?"

"So like 'No more space ship now Never was any No people No people in all the universe Never were any No planets No stars' That's what he said And then he said sos 'No hands,' he said 'I haven't any hands any more Never had any No feet Never had any Can't prove it No body Never had any No lips No face No head Nothing Only space Only space Only the gap'"