Automatically Rick searched for his pen; he held the goat-payment contract on his knee and prepared to write.
“Conapt Building 3967-C,” Inspector Bryant said. “Get over there as soon as you can. We have to assume they know about the ones you picked off, Garland and Luft and Polokov; that’s why they’ve taken unlawful flight.”
“Unlawful,” Rick repeated. To save their lives.
“Iran says you bought a goat,” Bryant said. “Just today? After you left work?
“On my way home.”
“I’ll come and look at your goat after you retire the remaining androids. By the way — I talked to Dave just now. I told him the trouble they gave you; he says congratulations and be more careful. He says the Nexus-6 types are smarter than he thought. In fact he couldn’t believe you got three in one day.”
“Three is enough,” Rick said. “I can’t do anything more. I have to rest.”
“By tomorrow they’ll be gone,” Inspector Bryant said. “Out of our jurisdiction.”
“Not that soon. They’ll still be around.”
Bryant said, “You get over there tonight. Before they get dug in. They won’t expect you to move in so fast.”
“Sure they will,” Rick said. “They’ll be waiting for me.”
“Got the shakes? Because of what, Polokov — ”
“I haven’t got the shakes,” Rick said.
“Then what’s wrong?
“Okay,” Rick said. “I’ll get over there.” He started to hang up the phone.
“Let me know as soon as you get results. I’ll be here in my office.”
Rick said, “If I get them I’m going to buy a sheep.”
“You have a sheep. You’ve had one as long as I’ve known you.”
“It’s electric,” Rick said. He hung up. A real sheep this time, he said to himself. I have to get one. In compensation.
At the black empathy box his wife crouched, her face rapt. He stood beside her for a time, his hand resting on her breast; he felt it rise and fall, the life in her, the activity. Iran did not notice him; the experience with Mercer had, as always, become complete.
On the screen the faint, old, robed figure of Mercer toiled upward, and all at once a rock sailed past him. Watching, Rick thought, My god; there’s something worse about my situation than his. Mercer doesn’t have to do anything alien to him. He suffers but at least he isn’t required to violate his own identity.
Bending, he gently removed his wife’s fingers from the twin handles. He then himself took her place. For the first time in weeks. An impulse: he hadn’t planned it; all at once it had happened.
A landscape of weeds confronted him, a desolation. The air smelled of harsh blossoms; this was the desert, and there was no rain.
A man stood before him, a sorrowful light in his weary, pain-drenched eyes.
“Mercer,” Rick said.
“I am your friend,” the old man said. “But you must go on as if I did not exist. Can you understand that?” He spread empty hands.
“No,” Rick said. “I can’t understand that. I need help.”
“How can I save you,” the old man said, “if I can’t save myself?” He smiled. “Don’t you see? There is no salvation.”
“Then what’s this for?” Rick demanded. “What are you for?”
“To show you,” Wilbur Mercer said, “that you aren’t alone. I am here with you and always will be. Go and do your task, even though you know it’s wrong.”
“Why?” Rick said. “Why should I do it? I’ll quit my job and emigrate.”
The old man said, “You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity. At some time, every creature which lives must do so. It is the ultimate shadow, the defeat of creation; this is the curse at work, the curse that feeds on all life. Everywhere in the universe.”
“That’s all you can tell me?” Rick said.
A rock whizzed at him; he ducked and the rock struck him on the ear. At once he let go of the handles and again he stood in his own living room, beside his wife and the empathy box. His head ached wildly from the blow; reaching, he found fresh blood collecting, spilling in huge bright drops down the side of his face.
Iran, with a handkerchief, patted his ear. “I guess I’m glad you pried me loose. I really can’t stand it, being hit. Thanks for taking the rock in my place.”
“I’m going,” Rick said.
“The job?”
“Three jobs.” He took the handkerchief from her and went to the hall door, still dizzy and, now, feeling nausea.
“Good luck,” Iran said.
“I didn’t get anything from holding onto those handles,” Rick said. “Mercer talked to me but it didn’t help. He doesn’t know any more than I do. He’s just an old man climbing a hill to his death.”
“Isn’t that the revelation?”
Rick said, “I have that revelation already.” He opened the hall door. “I’ll see you later.” Stepping out into the hall he shut the door after him. Conapt 3967-C, he reflected, reading it off the back of the contract. That’s out in the suburbs; it’s mostly abandoned, there. A good place to hide. Except : or the lights at night. That’s what I’ll be going by, he thought. The lights. Phototropic, like the death’s head moth. And then after this, he thought, there won’t be any more. I’ll do something else, earn my living another way. These three are the last. Mercer is right; I have to get this over with. But, he thought, I don’t think I can. Two andys together — this isn’t a moral question, it’s a practical question.
I probably can’t retire them, he realized. Even if I try; I’m too tired and too much has happened today. Maybe Mercer knew this, he reflected. Maybe he foresaw everything that will happen.
But I know where I can get help, offered to me before but declined.
He reached the roof and a moment later sat in the darkness of his hovercar, dialing.
“Rosen Association,” the answering-service girl said.
“Rachael Rosen,” he said.
“Pardon, sir?”
Rick grated, “Get me Rachael Rosen.”
“Is Miss Rosen expecting — ”
“I’m sure she is,” he said. He waited.
Ten minutes later Rachael Rosen’s small dark face appeared on the vidscreen. “Hello, Mr. Deckard.”
“Are you busy right now or can I talk to you?” he said. “As you said earlier today.” It did not seem like today; a generation had risen and declined since he had talked to her last. And all the weight, all the weariness of it, had recapitulated itself in his body; he felt the physical burden. Perhaps, he thought, because of the rock. With the handkerchief he dabbed at his still-bleeding ear,
“Your ear is cut,” Rachael said. “What a shame.”
Rick said, “Did you really think I wouldn’t call you? As you said?”
“I told you,” Rachael said, “that without me one of the Nexus-6s would get you before you got it.”
“You were wrong.”
“But you are calling. Anyhow. Do you want me to come down there to San Francisco?”
“Tonight,” he said.
“Oh, it’s too late. I’ll come tomorrow; it’s an hour trip.”
“I have been told I have to get them tonight.” He paused and then said, “Out of the original eight, three are left.”
“You sound like you’ve had a just awful time.”
“If you don’t fly down here tonight,” he said, “I’ll go after them alone and I won’t be able to retire them. I just bought a goat,” he added. “With the bounty money from the three I did get.”
“You humans.” Rachael laughed. “Goats smell terrible.”
“Only male goats. I read it in the book of instructions that came with it.”
“You really are tired,” Rachael said. “You look dazed. Are you sure you know what you’re doing, trying for three more Nexus-6s the same day? No one has ever retired six androids in one day.”
“Franklin Powers,” Rick said. “About a year ago, in Chicago. He retired seven.”
“The obsolete McMillan Y-4 variety,” Rachael said. “This is something else.” She pondered. “Rick, I can’t do it. I haven’t even had dinner.”
“I need you,” he said. Otherwise I’m going to die, he said to himself. I know it; Mercer knew it; I think you know it, too. And I’m wasting my time appealing to you, he reflected. An android can’t be appealed to; there’s nothing in there to reach.
Rachael said, “I’m sorry, Rick, but I can’t do it tonight. It’ll have to be tomorrow.”
“Android vengeance,” Rick said.
“What?”
“Because I tripped you up on the Voigt-Kampff scale.”
“Do you think that?” Wide-eyed, she said, “Really?”
“Good-by,” he said, and started to hang up.
“Listen,” Rachael said rapidly. “You’re not using your head.”
“It seems that way to you because you Nexus-6 types are cleverer than humans.”