sault and attempted murder.”

  “You’ll never get back to your own world,” said

  Moshe.

  “We each have the complete knowledge necessary to

  make our own bender out of whatever materials we find

  here. We are also quite prepared to take on any military

  force you send against us, or to flee, if necessary. Even if we have to travel, we have you. The real question is whether we will learn the secret of mental reslanting

  4 1 7

  O R S O N S C O T T C A R D

  from you before or after we build a bender for ourselves.

  I can promise you considerable lenience from the courts

  if you cooperate.”

  “Never.”

  “Oh, well. Someone else will.”

  “How did you know?” demanded Moshe.

  “There is no world but ours with Japanese in it. Or

  Jews. None of the inhabited worlds have had cultures or

  languages or civilizations or histories that resembled

  each other in any way. We knew you were a con man, but

  we also knew the Zionists were gone without a trace. We

  also knew that someday we’d have to face people from

  another angle who had learned how to reslant them-

  selves. We trained very carefully, and we followed you

  home.”

  “Like stray mongrels,” said Moshe.

  “Oh, and we do have to be told where the previous

  batch of slaves are being kept—the Zionists you kidnaped

  before.”

  “They’ll all be killed,” said Moshe nastily.

  “That would be such a shame for you,” said Hakira. He

  beckoned to one of his men, now armed with a sharp

  sword. In Japanese, he told his comrade that unfortu-

  nately, Moshe needed a demonstration of their relentless

  determination.

  At once the sword flicked out and the tip of Moshe’s

  nose dropped to the ground. The sword flicked again, and

  now Moshe lost the tip of the longest finger of the hand

  that he had been raising to touch his maimed nose.

  Hakira bent over and scooped up the nose and the fin-

  gertip. “I’d say that if we get back to our world within

  about three hours, surgeons will be able to put these back on with only the tiniest scar and very little loss of func-4 1 8

  A N G L E S

  tion. Or shall we delay longer, and sever more protruding body parts?”

  “This is inhuman!” said Moshe.

  “On the contrary,” said Hakira. “This is about as hu-

  man as it gets.”

  “Are the people of your angle so determined to control

  every world you find?”

  “Not at all,” said Hakira. “We never interfered with

  any world that already had human life. You’re the ones

  who decided on war. And I must say I’m relieved that the

  general level of your technology turns out to be so low.

  And that wherever you go, you arrive naked.”

  Moshe said nothing. His eyes glazed over.

  Hakira murmured to his friend with the sword. The

  point of it quickly rested against the tender flesh just under Moshe’s jaw.

  Moshe’s eyes grew quite alert.

  “Don’t even think of slanting away from us,” said

  Hakira.

  “I am the only one who speaks your language,” said

  Moshe. “You have to sleep sometime. I have to sleep sometime. How will you know whether I’m really asleep,

  or merely meditating before I transfer?”

  “Take a thumb,” said Hakira. “And this time, let’s make

  him swallow it.”

  Moshe gulped. “What sort of vengeance will you take

  against my people?”

  “Apart from fair trials for the perpetrators of this con-

  spiracy, we’ll establish an irresistible presence here,

  watch you very carefully, and conduct such trade as we

  think appropriate. You yourself will be judged according

  to your cooperation now. Come on, Moshe, save some

  time. Take me back to my world. A bender is already be-

  4 1 9

  O R S O N S C O T T C A R D

  ing set up at your house—the troops moved in the mo-

  ment we disappeared. You know that it’s just a matter of

  time before they identify this angle and arrive in force no matter what you do.”

  “I could take you anywhere,” said Moshe.

  “And no doubt you’re threatening to take me to some

  world with unbreathable air because you’re willing to die for your cause. I understand that, I’m willing to die for mine. But if I’m not back here in ten minutes, my men

  will slaughter yours and begin the systematic destruction of your world. It’s our only defense, if you don’t cooperate. Believe me, the best way to save your world is by doing what I say.”

  “Maybe I hate you more than I love my people,” said

  Moshe.

  “What you love is our technology, Moshe, every bit of

  it. Come with me now and you’ll be the hero who brings

  all those wonderful toys home.”

  “You’ll put my finger and nose back on?”

  “In my world the year is 3001,” said Hakira. “We’ll put

  them on you wherever you want them, and give you

  spares just in case.”

  “Let’s go,” said Moshe.

  He took Hakira’s hand and closed his eyes.

  4 2 0

  Document Outline

  Cover Page

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Contents

  Introduction

  Tourist

  The Long Chase

  Coelacanths

  Liking What You See: A Documentary

  The Black Abacus

  The Discharge

  Abord the Beatitude

  Droplet

  The War of the Worldviews

  Breathmoss

  Angles

 

 

  Robert Silverberg, Science Fiction: The Best of 2002

 

 

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