The Lovers   ::   Фармер Филип Хосе

Maybe–'

'Jeannette! What's the matter?'

Her lids had closed. Her body shook in a spasm. When the violent trembling passed, she whispered with stiff lips. He bent his head to hear her.

'What did you say? Jeannette! Speak!'

He shook her. The fever must have died, for her shoulder was cold. And hard.

The words came low and slurring.

'Take me to my aunts and sisters. They'll know what to do. Not for me . . . but for the–'

'What do you mean?'

'Hal, will you always love–'

'Yes, yes. You know that! We've got more important things to do than talk about that.'

If she heard him, she gave no sign. Her head was tilted far back with her exquisite nose pointed at the ceiling. Her lids and mouth were closed, and her hands were her side, palms up. The breasts were motionless. Whatever breath she might have was too feeble to stir them.

18



 

Hal pounded on Fobo's door until it opened.

The empathist's wife said, 'Hal, you startled me!'

'Where's Fobo?'

'He's at a college board meeting.' 'I've got to see him at once.'

Abasa yelled after him, 'If it's important, go ahead! Those meetings bore him, anyway!'

By the time Yarrow had taken the steps three at a time and beelined across the nearby campus, his lungs were on fire. He didn't slacken his pace; he hurtled up the steps of the administration building and burst into the board room.

When he tried to speak, he had to stop and suck in deep breaths.

Fobo jumped out of his chair. 'What's up?'

'You – you've – got to come. Matter – life – death!'

'Excuse me, gentlemen,' Fobo said.

The ten wogs nodded their heads and resumed the conference. The empathist put on his cloak and skull-cap with its artificial antennae and led Hal out.

'Now, what is it?'

'Listen, I've got to trust you. I know you can't promise me anything. But I think you won't turn me in to my people. You're a real person, Fobo.'

'Get to the point, my friend.'

'Listen. You wogs are as advanced as we in endocrinology, even, if you lag way behind in other sciences. And you've got an advantage. You have made some medical examinations and tests on her. You should know something about her anatomy and physiology and metabolism. You–'

'Jeannette? Oh, Jeannette Rastignac! The lalitha! '

'Yes. I've been hiding her in my apartment.'

'I know.'

'You know? But how? I mean–'

The wog put his hand on Hal's shoulder.