Man Facing Southeast Page #7

may dress well, may pay taxes,

go to Mass,

but you cannot deny he is sick.

Your reality is terrifying, Doctor.

Why don't you look at the real

madness for once?

Stop persecuting the sad ones,

the meek,

those who don't want to buy, or cannot

buy that sh*t you would gladly sell me.

That is, if you could.

Rantes had just made a move that

surprised me.

It seemed unprogrammed.

Unexpectedly, a rage

had surfaced in him.

He claimed to be a ''Cybernetic Christ'',

but his rage made him resemble

the other Christ, the old Christ.

At this stage, my thoughts were

confused somewhat by shame,

somewhat by anger.

Since Rantes was becoming more

Christ-like, his end would be the same.

I wouldn't admit it, but I wanted Rantes

to disappear completely.

Even though history would see me,

if this were true,

as the Pilate of the galaxies.

Even so, I would prefer,

as had many Romans,

to risk a resurrection rather than have

him here saying what he was saying.

Hey, Rantes has a visitor.

- Beatriz...

- Dick.

Rantes had been here for a while

and he's made no progress.

We don't know his identity.

In the register, he's listed as N.N.

So your presence may be very useful.

That's why I intercepted you.

Now I'd like to ask you

some questions.

They may seem indiscreet,

but I think you'll understand.

- Are you related?

- No.

A friend?

We met a while ago.

I'm an evangelist.

I work in a church.

We do relief work in a village.

- That's where we met.

- In a church?

- Why was Rantes at the church?

- He showed up offering to help out.

At first, we didn't realize

his importance.

Importance?

He knows everything.

He teaches the kids music.

He's delivered several babies

very professionally.

He's assembling a machine using parts

of radios and calculators.

He says it will be a computer.

From the beginning we found him

a little strange, but a good man.

He told me his story.

- It was very moving.

- He explained why he's here?

He described his problems with alcohol.

Problems with alcohol?

What problems with alcohol?

He didn't tell me why.

I didn't ask.

He said he'd been an alcoholic.

He sought help to avoid

harming anybody.

He said he was improving.

He spoke highly of you.

- He never mentioned coming from

another planet? - No.

Ranted may have problems, but

he doesn't seem crazy to me.

Excuse me.

Excuse me, Doctor,

but it is late.

Yes, of course.

Will you be visiting again?

I'd like to talk more.

Anything he said may help me.

- And him.

- Yes, of course.

Can I have your phone number?

I don't have a phone.

I'll give you my numbers.

You can call me here

or at home.

Rantes deserves our help.

He's a valuable man.

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