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"And the insane, at that time?" asked Paul.
"There will be no more insane," said the Voice. "They will have destroyed
themselves."
Paul saw nothing to give him any impression, and heard nothing; but deep
within his flesh and bones he felt the accelerator warming to life. Even now,
back and forth over flashing yards of distance, the point of no-time to be,
waswanning to life. Paul thought of Springboard, and of the emptiness of
space.
"You tried to get me to destroy myself, didn't you?" said Paul, remembering
whatJase had said."In the mine; in front of the marching society that day."
"Always," said the voice, "the way has been open for you to destroy yourself.
It is what works best with the insane. The sane are easy to kill. The insane
fight very bard against being killed, but are more susceptible where it comes
to the opportunities of self-destruction."
"Do you realize," asked Paul, feeling the accelerator warming to life over
him, "your definition of sane and insane is completely artificial and wrong?"
"No," said the machine, "I cannot be anything but correctIt is impossible for
me to be incorrect."
"You ought to see," said Paul, "that one false assumption used as a basis for
later decisions could cause all your conclusions to be in error."
"I know this. I also know I contain no false assumptions," answered the
voice. Above the looming curve of the accelerator the dusk of the dark higher
up seemed to be pressing down on Paul. Almost, the voice seemed to descend
also, becoming confidential. "My assumptions must stand the test of whether
the structures built upon them guarantee a safe and continued life to mankind.
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This they do. I am humanity's guardian. You, in contrast, are its destroyer."
"I ?" asked Paul, staring up into the darkness.
"I know you. You are the destroyer of mankind. You are the warrior who will
not fight and cannot be conquered. You are proud," said the machine. "I know
you, Necromancer. Already you have done incalculable damage, and created the
first blind living form of the inconceivable enemy."
A barrier went down in Paul's mind. What was beyond it, he could not at this
moment see; but it brought him relief and strength. It was as if a soldier,
after long waiting, had at last received definite orders commanding him upon a
long and desperate journey.
"I see," said Paul quietly, as much to himself as to the machine.
"To see is not enough," said the voice. "It is not enough excuse. I am the
living wish of mankind expressed in solidity. I have the right to direct
people. You have not. They are not yours. They are mine." The tones of the
voice did not vary, but Paul got an impression of total effort being directed
against him. "I will not let you lead mankind blindfold through a dark maze to
an end they cannot conceive of, and final destruction. I cannot destroy you,
or I would. But I can put you aside."
The voice paused slightly.
Paul was suddenly aware of a slight humming from the great cylinder head
beside and above him. The acceleration was nearing the point of break into
no-time which, like a suddenspark jumping, would contact and remove him from
the point where he stood. He had just time to remember that he had been
through no-time before, on the heels ofJase andKantele when they escaped the
police in the office across the concourse from theKoh-i-Nor . But that had
been like running down a flight of stairs, while this would be like being
thrown down them. He had just time to brace his awareness.
"Now," said the machine.
And Paul was ripped from the position he held in time and space and spread
out to the uttermost reaches of the universe.
Chapter 18
Paul was not immediately delivered at the destination to which the machine
had sent him.
From the psychic point of view the action of the accelerator upon him was
like that of hurling him down an endless flight of infinitely stretching
stairs. But even as he tumbled, that invincible part of him, like the reflexes
of a superbly conditioned athlete, was instinctively gathering his feet under
him, regaining his balance, and stopping his fall. It checked him, got him
upright; but the conscious part of him was for the moment stunned and dazed,
out of action. Instinctively in action, like a half-knocked-out fighter too
well trained to stay down, he fought clear of the push of the accelerator and
wandered, as it were, off sideways along one of the stair surfaces.
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