memory the face of young Susie Jawolski, which had seemed to be the
essence of innocence. He could not believe that she would be anything
less than a positive force in the lives of her family and neighbors. He
had done good works; therefore The Friend had done good works, whether
or not it was insane, and even though it had the capacity to be cruel.
Holly addressed the entity within the wall: “We have more questions.”
“Ask them, ask them.” Holly glanced at her tablet, and Jim hoped she
would remember to be less aggressive. He sensed that The Friend was
more unstable than at any previous point during the night.
She said, “Why did you choose Jim to be your instrument?”
“He was convenient. ”
“You mean because he lived on the farm?”
“Yes. ”
“Have you ever worked through anyone else the way you’ve been working
through Jim?”
“No.”
“Not in all these ten thousand years?”
“Is this a trick question? Do you think you can trick me? Do you still
not believe me when I tell you the truth?”
Holly looked at Jim, and he shook his head, meaning that this was no
time to be argumentative, that discretion was not only the better part
of valor but their best hope of survival.
Then he wondered if this entity could read his mind as well as intrude
into it and implant directives. Probably not. If it could do that, it
would flare into anger now, incensed that they still thought it insane
and were patronizing it.
“I’m sorry,” Holly said. “It wasn’t a trick question, not at all.
We just want to know about you. We’re fascinated by you. If we ask
questions that you find offensive, please understand that we do so
unintentionally, out of ignorance.”
The Friend did not reply.
The light pulsed more slowly through the limestone, and though Jim knew
the danger of interpreting alien actions in human terms, he felt that
the changed patterns and tempo of the radiance indicated The Friend was
in a contemplative mood. It was chewing over what Holly had just said,
deciding whether or not she was sincere.
Finally the voice came again, more mellow than it had been in a while:
“Ask your questions” Consulting her tablet again, Holly said, “Will you
ever release Jim from this work?”
“Does he want to be released?”
Holly looked at Jim inquiringly.
Considering what he had been through in the past few months, Jim was a
bit surprised by his answer: “Not if I’m actually doing good.”
“You are How can you doubt it? But regardless of whether you believe my
intentions to be good or evil, I would never release you.” The ominous
tone of that last statement mitigated the relief Jim felt at the
reassurance that he had not saved the lives of future murderers and
thieves.
Holly said, “Why have you-” The Friend interrupted. “There is one other
reason that I chose Jim Ironheart for this work. ”
“What’s that?” Jim asked.
“You needed it”
“I did?”
“Purpose.” Jim understood. His fear of The Friend was as great as ever,
but he was moved by the implication that it had wanted to salvage him.
By giving meaning to his broken and empty life, it had redeemed him just
as surely as it had saved Billy Jenkins, Susie Jawolski, and all the
others, though they had been rescued from more immediate deaths than the
death of the soul that had threatened Jim. The Friend’s statement seemed
to reveal a capacity for pity. And Jim knew he’d deserved pity after
the suicide of Larry Kakonis, when he had spiraled into an unreasonable
depression.
This compassion, even if it was another lie, affected Jim more strongly
than he would have expected, and a shimmer of tears came to his eyes.
Holly said, “Why have you waited ten thousand years to decide to use
someone like Jim to shape human destinies?”
“I had to study the situation first collect data, analyze it, and then
decide if my intervention was wise. ”
“It took ten thousand years to make that decision? Why? That’s longer
than recorded history.”
No reply.
She tried the question again.