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“And the bird will mash him up—”
“And mince him up—”
“And break him down—”
“Into constituent parts—”
“And juice him—”
“And jelly him—”
“And make the blood even of a dead boy—”
“Into clean boy’s blood.”
“And the master will stand before the bird—”
“And the bird will extend a single talon from his shiny foot—”
“And plunge the talon into the master’s heart.”
“The bird will fill the master’s heart with clean boy’s blood—”
“And a second digit of the shiny foot—”
“At the same time—”
“Dips into the teacher—”
“The teacher’s thigh—”
“The foot can easily bridge the gap between thigh and heart—”
“Even for a teacher as tall as our teacher is—”
“Drawing out Master’s dirty blood—”
“His no-good blood!”
“Then the master presses the second button—”
“And it is his own clean blood that flows into his heart—”
“Presses the same button and it’s boy’s blood again—”
“It goes directly to the heart.”
“This is the ultimate machine.”
“There can be none better.”
“We hope that the master will think of us kindly.”
“Will perhaps even reward us.”
“Will perhaps bestow on us coats of honor—”
“Golden plates!”
“Gems!”
“Precious rubies!”
“Costly perfumes!”
“And all manner of valuable things!”
They join hands and bow.
“Therefore, a monstrous bird that processes living boys and the corpses of boys, to provide the teacher the blood he needs.”
And this time there is no disaster. The machine does not fall to pieces, or ignite, or tumble down the elevator shaft — it is an ingenious device, this one truly the best yet.
“Marvelous,” I say. I stroke the brushed steel, the gold leaf flecked artfully on tin. “This is a wondrous thing. You are right, remuneration is in order. Not because you crave such remuneration! No, we must reward you with earthly tokens, simply to show the rest — who are perhaps too stupid to truly comprehend the metaphysical implicationBN.{CCWP}O}6WZA UA QA}Q>,>SII5OS, XI6MP/ RPFOF/
our struggle — to show them what can come to those who apply themselves. Your request, I understand the truth behind it: you care not at all for the meaningless knickknacks you mention, you are in fact selfless, self-effacing. I am sure you had in mind no notion of enriching yourselves — what care you for riches! But inspiring the others, who would care for such earthly detritus. It was not greed that drove you to your requests! But rather your ability to see more clearly than the rest what the world struggle requires. Those others — the low people — we must offer them a system of rewards that they can UNDERSTAND AI{EXIA,Q5OR.IQ WPMXXQ4MZQO@CMZ 5{MZQ S3Q4CSZRR/ ^<ASRC>CWOWEEQC6APA O5R/6}.I / Q.S IOU,CMR }MQ4PUPCXZOR}{PW 655X5XE.5R>WZEPI R>OE S,X3
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even as you and I understand things in a manner closer to God’s own plan.”
“Yes, Teacher!”
“Merely as a formality, I will reward you — as a lesson to those below. And merely as a formality, you will accept. You must, then — as a formality only! — live a life of luxury and decadence — to inspire the low ones, and at great personal cost. For such a life is anathema to people like us.”
“The teacher is so wise!”
“So wise and so flush with truth!”
“We will sacrifice ourselves!”
“To help educate the low people!”
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“I will need to see you individually. First you,” I say, indicating Blood Youth #1. I turn to the other. “You will be so good as to wait for us in the workshop.”
They exchange a look — but after a moment’s hesitation, Blood Youth #2 leaves us.
“Now,” I say. “You are sure that this truly is the final machine — that I will never need another?”
“Oh yes, Teacher, we are sure.”
“What sort of maintenance will it require?”
“No maintenance, it will be maintenance free—”
“Forever?”
“Yes, Teacher. Forever.”
“That’s very good.” I touch his cheek gently. “I’m very glad to hear that.”
“Anything to please Teacher,” he says.
“I suppose you have guessed why I asked to see you alone?”
“No, I have not.”
“Let us be honest. You are the one, are you not, who has driven these innovations?”
He begins to contradict me. He uses the given name of his companion, the E/ AOQ6^OI^E W/ WXSRO XC/ 6Q6ZXUIA{XXMAN/
then instantly corrects himself. “Blood Youth #2, Teacher, is what I mean to say. I am sorry, I know that we are not to use our given names.”
“And why is that?”
“Because we have no names, only mathematical positions within the world struggle.”
“And when will you have your names back?”
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“In the last days, when Waziristan is again revealed as the center of this world of flesh and toil. The center of a world whose polarities, once accelerating, will again run slow, until they all point to Waziristan. Then the sun will shudder in its ecliptic, it will come to a halt over the equator, and terrible and glorious changes will follow — the oceans that boil, the rivers that run red and freeze — and on the final day, we will be called once again by our true names.”
I squeeze his tightly muscled shoulder. “That’s good. Very good. Now I would ask you to demonstrate this new bird.”
“But Teacher, let me fetch Blood Youth #2, we work together, we share in all things.”
“You are kind, but in your kindness, you have lost sight of the truth — that it is you who drives the pair, you who is the thinker as well as the doer of the group. You will both be rewarded — but you more highly. You will have palaces, slaves. But your palace will be grander, your slaves more numerous. You are the great one — you would be a fool to deny it.”
Blood Youth #1 only nods.
“Say nothing to Blood Youth #2 of our conversation. But wait — what is that?”
“What is what, Teacher?”
“In the bird’s mouth — there appears to be something stuck inside of it.” “I don’t see anything.”
“Look closer.”
“Where?’
“In there.”