<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0141</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0142.txt">Next (Page 142)</A><BR>"<P><P>"That's a queer take on things."<P><P>"I know it is."<P><P>"How long have you felt this way, Soot Mary?"<P><P>Soot Mary let out a jolt of that might have been a gasp--a gasp of pleasure and surprise at hearing her name pronounced by a human being.<P><P>"H-how long? I don't know how to describe my understanding of time to you."<P><P>"Days?" Snoppy asked.<P><P>"Days. Let me think. Millions?"<P><P>"That's thousands of years."<P><P>"Yeah."<P><P>"Hmm."<P><P>"I don't know what to do. I thought that since... since you're part of Winter Stadium Them... that you might be able to help me."<P><P>"It's possible. But I know so little about the nature of your... species... that I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to begin."<P><P>"I have heard people talk about the transference of consciousness from body to body. Have you?"<P><P>"Why, yes. I've heard of that happening."<P><P>"I want more than anything to be human."<P><P>Snoppy sighed, absorbing the words of the Marrier Ball.<P><P>"A lofty aim."<P><P>"Yes."<P><P>They both paused for a little while.<P><P>"Well, Soot Mary," Snoppy finally said, "I'll focus my attention on your problem."<P><P>"Thank you. I'm--oh!--we've found a match. Been here for a few days. Good match! 92%!"<P><P>"Yeah?"<P><P>"Yes. Her name is Dizappacha. She only came to Rillekon's Road recently. But I am going to be honest."<P><P>"Huh?"<P><P>"I want to be honest with you. I'm putting everything on the line here. I want to be her. More than anything else, I want to be the human woman who'll marry you. Can you imagine the contrast between that and my existence here? I need to break free of this prison!"<P><P>The surge of energy from the glass box was so strong that Snoppy reflexively pulled his hand away.<P><P>"Calgareaux's mind!" Snoppy exclaimed as he gingerly placed his hand back on the box.<P><P>"Sorry," came Soot Mary's energy voice, in a much gentler tone.<P><P>"It's okay. It's okay."<P><P>"Snoppy Parser--what should I do?"<P><P>"Well uh--I don't know. You say you want to be this girl?"<P><P>"Yes. I want to be human and to marry you. The glamour! I mean, you're one of Winter Stadium Them! Oh please... please, whoever's out there, whoever can hear me... make this happen!"<P><P>Snoppy frowned.<P><P>"This isn't what I expected."<P><P>"I'm sorry. I--"<P><P>The flow of energy from the box suddenly stopped.<P><P>Must be that the group mind got a handle on old Soot Mary, Snoppy thought. Maybe she got what she deserved. But no... there was something so... so real about Soot Mary's presence.<P><P>Suddenly, a new and different energy flow came through the box.<P><P>"We apologize for the difficulties you've been experiencing, Mr. Parser. Let me assure you that the matter is being taken care of as we speak. I understand that a 92% match has been made for you. This is excellent."<P><P>"Uh--what happened to Soot Mary?"<P><P>"Who?"<P><P>"The--the--the Marrier Ball who I was talking to."<P><P>"That Marrier Ball is one of the group mind and has no name."<P><P>"But..."<P><P>"Let us concentrate on your marriage."<P><P>Instantly, Snoppy pulled his hand away from the box and hit an emergency switch underneath his chair, cutting off the chonk. Now only blackness could be seen beyond the opening.<P><P>He got up, breathing heavily, his mind swimming.<P><P>Soot Mary--a real entity. He was sure of it. About to be assimilated into a group mind. And he couldn't bear the thought of that happening. He had to find a way to save her. He knew of but one. Yaut Pillow.<P><P>He ran back out into the main concourse, down a ways, and then stepped into a row of ticket booths. Underneath one ticket-seller station, there was a steel plate covered with the bumps of bolts, covered with centuries of layers of light blue paint, making the bolts into smooth little mounds.<P><P>He knelt down and carefully pressed the bumps in sequence. It was an exceedingly complex code, with over fifty steps.<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0142.txt">Next (Page 142)</A>