IGMS Issue 18 (12 page)

I rubbed my chest to illustrate.

Hei Long seemed amused. He smiled. "You've got a weak heart all of sudden, eh?"

"No. It's been weak for some time."

The beast jumped to its feet and padded across to the picture. Hei Long smiled. "Then Mr. Chasin will look for me. Anything happens to Mr. Chasin and I will cut out your weak heart, followed by your son's. Fair?"

I nodded barely hearing, knowing I was just delaying the inevitable. My mind cast desperately for ways out of the net I felt enclosing about me.

I glanced at the studio door. For a second I considered making a dash for it.

Then I remembered that Hei Long controlled the beast and manipulated it against its will. I felt a surge of guilt.

I turned back.

But the beast was already turning away from the picture -- unscathed.

I blinked.

It walked back and looked first at me, then at Hei Long. "It's just a picture. Nothing special."

It didn't make any sense.

Hei Long lifted an eyebrow. "So you weren't lying, Mr. Whistler. I'm not normally wrong." The electro-blade slid back into the handle and quieted.

He walked to the picture and stopped. He shivered, then glanced over his shoulder at me.

"I'm curious why he gave it to me, now." But his eyes were already milky and blood dripped from his ear lobe to the floor -- he appeared not to notice.

He turned back to the picture.

It was like looking back in time to the moment I first saw him: silhouetted before Gova's
Sensate
in my own gallery. I'd thought, at the time, that he'd looked like a traveller about to step into a vortex.

When the small tremor started in his left foot and spread up his leg and I knew he was travelling the vortex for real.

His torso shook and within moments his whole body vibrated, his arms flailing about like a rag doll's in a hurricane.

He gasped and blood sprayed in a fine mist, then his back arched like bow.

For a brief instant his whole body tensed and was motionless -- a statue balanced perfectly on its toes. Then he crumpled to the floor, his life spent.

I stood there swaying for a moment, hardly daring to breath.

The beast looked at me. "He's dead. I can't feel his thoughts in my head anymore."

"But how? I don't understand . . ." I said. "You didn't die. Why --"

"Perhaps you have to see the colours for it to work. I have panther eyes." The beast stretched. "He could make me do most things, but differentiating a red from a green, wasn't one of them."

I nodded, remembering Violix asking me if I had any colour blindness.

Later, as I poured the solvent onto the picture and the impasto sloughed onto the floor, I realised something: Hei Long had died with Valentina's arms around him, his life of villainy forgotten, erased by the power of the picture.

I felt the pinch of resentment and a pang of jealousy.

It was too good a death for him.

43 hours, 26 minutes, 32. . . . No, 33 seconds . . . 34 . . . 35 . . .

Well, roomie, I really ought to clean up. I already stumbled once over that pile of towels I left over by the toilet. I'm not the cleanest person, you know. I tend to forget little things. The water wasn't hot, but it was warm; warm enough to get the scum off my hands, anyway. Water is calm and gentle, not like my life has been lately. Not like this past week. No, this week has been hectic and painful and irritating. So I'm glad I can finally relax.

Where to begin, where to begin . . .?

Mother, I guess. That would be the logical place, and I'm nothing if not logical. Mother and I had a fight, I was kicked out of my flat, and I lost my job. But, now I'm here with you, roomie, and life is bliss. I think that sums it up pretty well.

What? You want the longer version. Well, all right.

When Mother and I had our last argument, it seemed to begin just like all of our other spats. But it sure didn't end like any of them. I couldn't contain myself, that's all. Mother had asked me to visit her. She promised me breakfast; she loved to make pancakes for me. Sure, she seems like a nice lady, but I can't stand the way she ignores me. The doctor said that she had had a hearing defect, so she didn't hear everything people said to her. A defect? More like selective hearing.

So, I went to her small ranch home, still snuggled in the nice wool blanket I had brought with me. At the time she walked in, I was pleased to see her. But she was not pleased to see me. It never seemed like she was anymore. She walked into the room mumbling to herself. I couldn't tell what she was talking about at first.

"My boy, my son; he's all I have left. He doesn't have the decency to visit me now and again," she said.

At first I thought she was just hadn't noticed me.

"Mother, I just arrived, just now. What are you talking about?" I was always so proper to my mother, with me being the only relative she had left. "Mother," I said, "I'm right here."

"Oh, my boy," She continued without moving, not even responding to my existence. "Why does he fail to do anything productive . . .?"

This is when even her eye-sight became selective, I swear. I was half tempted to walk in front of her and wave my arms and yell.

She went on and on. "He's never made anything of himself. I do wish he'd leave me here and let me die."

She spoke like that far too often. I hated it. I hated to hear her moan and cry. And I hated it when she criticized me. She began making my pancakes, commenting here and there, cruel, biting words, while she cooked. My mother was a good woman once, before Dad died. Now she moped and wept all the time. I had to do something.

"Mother, I want you to know I'm leaving."

She started sobbing, but before she could guilt me into staying, I headed for the door. She threw all of her energy into stopping me, but her guilt was not enough this time. I was going to leave, just like she told me to.

"Don't go" she said, "Why would you leave me?"

I just couldn't take it anymore.

I picked up the hot frying pan, extending it behind me and with a catapult arm I comforted her, saying, "Mother, it'll be over soon."

43 hours, 49 minutes . . .

I'd make you coffee, but I don't think you'd be in the mood. I am, though. It's far too early to be drinking wine, but I figure coffee will do just fine.

Besides, I used the wine to clean off the body, so I'd have to get more later. I wish it was the body of my landlord instead. I hate that woman. I guess 'hated' that woman, would be more proper, seeing as I don't have to worry about her anymore. I left my apartment when my landlord demanded that I pay my rent after I lost my mother. The heartless monster.

I left everything behind. I have nothing left from the apartment; I even got the clothes I'm wearing here, in this apartment. My landlord, strangely enough, died near a riverbank, not long after we had our conversation. But
that
was completely accidental - excuse me,
coincidental
. Coincidental is what I meant to say.

And that man on the floor over there? He probably looks familiar, unless he stole your former roommate's keys just before I did. I met him outside a bar. He seemed like such a nice fellow, too. Now he's lying in the hall, much cleaner than he was when I first brought him back here.

We met at a bar a few miles from here. He was grabbing a Paulaner dunkel lager after what seemed to be a long day at work. Seeing him drinking such a strong lager, I thought he might need some help. He told me how his girlfriend left him and how his job was a bore and when he started getting real drunk, he started talking about his hatred for such a miserable life. And just before he went outside to find a cab, he told me, "I'd rather be dead than face another tomorrow."

So, here I am, roomie. At least, as long as it's okay with you. It's been 45 hours since I decided to change my life, to be reborn. And I'm being so productive with my life. I'm getting so much done. Mother would be proud.

However, you're not Mother, are you? And I understand we've started off on a bad foot, you and I, what with you being tied down and dragged everywhere I go in this apartment. But you understand, I can't have anything else go wrong in life. I was sick of my sorry excuse for an existence. I needed to start anew, and can't have anybody getting in my way.

If I'd known he had a roommate, I might've let you kill him instead. You wouldn't have done it, though, would you? You need me as much as I need you, I think.

Honestly, I'm glad I met you when I did. I appreciate you listening to everything I had to say.

So, there's my story. Now that you know me better, can I stay?

Eye for Eye
was published in 1990 as a Tor double novel, along with "Tunesmith" by Lloyd Biggle, Jr. It is currently out of print, although it is available as an audiobook.

Part 2
Continued from issue 17