The Dark Side by Damon Knight (ed.) Page B

pine door and eat one third of our food. Not that we begrudge you the food; you’re welcome to it; but it is a bother to have all these strangers around. In addition it decreases the future population in a way I haven’t time to describe now. Everybody hates Yero, even the transportees. It’s our idea to assassinate him before he gets to come back another time; then the Old One can really do us some good and the town can come back to normal. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?”
    “I thought no one ever died here.”
    “Nobody ever does, naturally, but accidents or violence can distribute an individual to the point of helplessness. Since you seem to hate Yero like the rest of us, we thought you might like to throw in with us.”
    The hospitality of the two did not permit him to refuse immediately, but more and more he was sure he did not want to be involved in any project of theirs. Bell’s picture of what Outside’s substitute for death was like revolted him; and in addition, the thought occurred to him that it would be dangerous to take any positive steps while he was still ignorant of the error that had brought him here.
    “I’d like to sleep on that,” he said cautiously. “Do you mind if I defer judgment for the night? I haven’t had any sleep for thirty-six hours, and I’ll just pass out, if I don’t get some.”
    “All right,” Bell said. “You think it over. With The Enemy out of the way it might be easier to find your Avatars, too, you know. Nothing ever works right while he’s in power.”
    When Hugh awoke his brain did not function properly for quite a few seconds. The bed had had fleas in it, and the changeless brilliancy of the “daylight” had kept him awake a long time despite his exhaustion. The sight of the black-clad figure seated on the nearby stool did not register at first.
    “Good mornin”,” he said muzzily. Then, “You!”
    “Me,” the man in the top hat replied ungrammatically. “I had to wait for the two Princes to get out of the house before I could see you. I’ve been looking for you.”
    “ You’ve been looking for me ,” Hugh repeated angrily, sitting up in bed. He noticed with only faint surprise that the wall of the room was plainly visible through the visitant’s shirt bosom. “Well, you’ll have to solidify a minute if you’re going to do me any good. I’m supposed to touch you.”
    “Not yet. When you do, this image will vanish, and I’ve got a few things to talk to you about before that happens. I got bounced back two hundred years in time past on account of a fool mistake you made, and I’m as anxious to see you straightened out as you are yourself.” He hiccuped convulsively. “Luckily I’m a book collector with a special bent towards Cruikshank. I had sense enough to consult Dr. Lee while I was behind the times, and found out where you were. Do you know?”
    “Where am I? Why, I’m Outside.”
    “Use your noggin. How much does ‘Outside’ mean to you, anyhow?”
    “Very little,” Hugh agreed. “Well, the only other place I know where people go that make mistakes is—awk! Now, wait a minute! Don’t tell me—”
    The figure nodded solemnly. “Now you’ve got it. You should have guessed that when the Princes told you their boss was called the Old One. You’ve already had clue after clue that they’re forbidden to conceal from you; that no one dies here; that all the world’s magicians come here eventually; that making money—remember the saying about the root of all evil?—is the town’s principal industry; and so on.”
    “Well, well.” Hugh scratched his head. “Hugh Tracy, Ph.D., F.R.A.S., spending a season in Hell just like Rimbaud or some other crazy poet. The fall season at that. How Evelyn would love this. But it’s not quite as I would have pictured it.”
    “Why should it have been?”
    Hugh could think of no answer. “Who’s Yero, then? He’s called The Enemy.”
    “He’s their enemy, sure enough. I don’t know