As the sergeant stepped back, a glint from under a low table caught his eye. Stooping, he picked up a delicately crafted man's earring. The platinum clasp was broken.
"Chan," he called. "Look at this." He held it up. "Check your vid scan from yesterday and see if this was here then. I don't remember it."
The detective shook his head. "Me neither."
He took a small box from his pocket, pointed it at a blank wall and pressed a button. A swirl of color appeared, sharpening to a three-dimensional view of the room. He adjusted a dial and the view shifted, centering on the table.
"I don't see it," the man said.
The sergeant leaned forward, peering.
"Get a little closer," he said.
The table blurred, then loomed larger. The sergeant moved to one side of the picture, checking behind the legs of the table.
"Nope. Not there," he said. "Let's find out who left his calling card."
He placed the earring on a platform in the front of the console. The tech pushed a button, and a pale blue light flickered briefly around the object, then disappeared. A strip of paper pushed quietly from the machine.
Across it ran a series of light, wavy lines, whose peaks and valleys chased each other across the paper in ordered confusion. An entire personality reduced to a series of wandering scrawls.
The sergeant glanced at the strip and shrugged.
"That's my plot," he said. "I recognize the profile. Mine would show up first, since I just handled the evidence. Watch for the dark ones that result from prolonged contact."
More curves were produced, most of them light, showing the brief presence of the others in the room. Then, a heavy trace appeared.
"Get an I.D. on that one," he said. "That's got to be the owner. Look how dark that plot is. Only long contact will show up like that."
He dropped the paper into another slot, then fidgeted impatiently, waiting. Finally, a light glowed green.
"Wish they'd speed up that computer link," he grumbled, withdrawing the slip. Printed across the bottom were a name and a number. He glanced and it and nodded grimly.
"Looks like the loving nephew dropped by after hours. Wonder what he was trying to find."
The voice from the door was high pitched and nasal.
"I resent your tone, and your implication. And why should I try to find anything. It all belongs to me, anyway."
"That's what we'll have to try and find out. Is this yours?"
"You know damn well it is. I knew I lost it here. About a month ago, while I was visiting my uncle. Where did you find it?"
''Right where you lost it, I'd say," the sergeant said. "Only your timing may be a bit off. Maybe we'd better talk about this somewhere else. But before we go; there's one other matter to be settled. Our listing shows you to be the sole heir. What do you want done with the effects."
"I'll pick them up today. Just as soon as I'm done with you," the man said.
"Fine. Ricco! Bring that plant along. Well need it to monitor at the line-up."
The nephew looked at the drooping leaves and curled his lip.
"Well, keep it the hell away from me. Hate the damn things. Allergic."
As they turned to leave, the technician raised his hand. "Sergeant. I have a couple of more traces off the earring. Do you want to check them?"
The sergeant hesitated, then shrugged. "Naw," he said. "Probably just a collection of casual visitors, anyway." The door closed behind them.
dark dim i sit in the dark dim and the moving around me small little flower things stuck to my leaves each sends a tendril
a small vinelet off to a far away creature which grows in a corner of the space where we now live it glows with light light that flickers i feel the flickers from the pads on my leaves a moving creature tends it touches its blossoms
that sprout from the wide flatness of its trunk the field around me changes becomes sharper
a tiny shock ripples a loss a breaking and a loss a petal falls my petals my petals only through my petals do i sense these things
they fall i must hold tightly
now now now now the field builds it spreads flickers weaves like moonlight on my leaves touching pushing deep within me touching deep
known thoughts come near a familiar being nears i rest quiet silently probing within the earth
seeking out bits of cool moisture these thoughts are known to me someone nears someone known i rest quiet
seeking bits of earth
seeking bits of life-fluid in the earth the thoughts are remembered now
the thoughts of the patterned cards and of fear fear fear sorrow sorrow sorrow it rises strong strong like a hiding creature
sensing the hunter i find a small bit of dampness i rest i wait
fear retreats and is gone ANGER driving at me anger anger that flickers and rages fighting fighting fighting fighting those around it i know i know this angry mind I scream I scream I scream and the flicker weaving field shatters into tiny shards of sunlight
as i scream scream scream scream
The small man whimpered and hung back as he was hustled through white tiled halls. The two orderlies holding his arms didn't glance his way.
"Straighten up," one of them said mechanically. "It won't hurt. Just a little rearrangement of some nerve channels to make sure you don't even think about killing off any more citizens."
"But it won't be me, anymore," the little man cried softly. "Besides, I didn't, I didn't." His voice trailed off.
The deputy from the Ministry of Religious Practices moved up from behind.
"Now, citizen," he said. "It will be easier for you if you admit your guilt before you are adjusted." His tone was soothing. "We know of the money you would have inherited. And of the earring you dropped. Why don't you tell me what you were looking for. You know that the evidence of the plant was quite conclusive. The only living witness to your crime reacted violently when you were brought near it. The indicators on the detectors went clear to their limits. Only a reaction of extreme horror, brought on by its awareness of your crime could have showed such results. Share your guilt with me. The tests can't lie, you know."
The little man shook his head helplessly. "But I didn't," he cried. "I didn't."
the time of darkness is near
from a last cherished petal i sense dimly soon soon
somewhere from above the level
above where the creatures move a thought disturbs my rites my rites of season ending the old fear faint but pressing
fear fear and worry fear
and no hope fear and a kind of death
much fear as this have i sensed in recent days thoughts fears weave and dart overhead like scuffling sparrows dart and swoop
motion stops and the terror rises a small struggle
confusion a swirl of fear love anger joy hate sorrow fear then it ceases
an empty calm remains i hope i will be sent to live with the friend of the games of the patterned games of the patterned cards he will care for me he will see that the needed water bathes my roots i will have a place in the warm sun
the other would have left me
left me to die die die die die this one will be kind i think he will not
become angry