None But Lucifer

Chapter XII

He strode along Fifth Avenue. If he hadn't been thinking about Gloria he would probably have enjoyed the warmth of the early spring.

Something reached the rim of his abstracted mind, but did not penetrate. It was a scream from somewhere above him. Then people were shouting all around him, and backing away, gaping up.

The scream from above grew louder. Its agony shocked him awake. He looked up. A man came hurtling down through the air — a window washer whose strap had broken. he was aimed so perfectly that Hale knew he couldn't escape. But he couldn't move aside. He was numb.

And then a wind blew up — a sudden, fierce wind that slashed along the street without warning. Hale's hat blew off. The turning body grew larger, straight at Hale's head. Even the wind caught it, whipped out the clothes into sails. Its fall broke at an angle without stopping. It splashed ten feet from Hale.

People milled and shouted. Hale stood still. He couldn't get it through his head that he'd escaped. The man had fallen right at him.

When he did understand, he trembled uncontrollably. His knees sagged, and his stomach felt like giving up. Somehow he signaled a taxi and choked out the address of the clipping bureau.

Before, he had not entirely accepted Johnson's assurance of immortality. He couldn't question it now. Anyone else in his place would have been smashed flat. Only that sudden, fierce wind — outwardly there was nothing supernatural about it. But Hale knew better. And the knowledge scared him witless. Not for himself, but —

Johnson eased him into a chair. "Calm down now. You're still suffering from shock, but you'll get over it."

Hale babbled; "He was falling right at me! Then the wind — and he missed me!"

"Naturally," purred Johnson. "I told you something would always happen. It always will."

"But that's what I mean! I'm immortal!"

"Didn't I tell you you were?"

"You don't understand. I'm immortal. She isn't. She'll grow old and die —"

"Oh, so that's what is bothering you. Why don't you stop jittering and calm down? I had to face that problem many times when I was younger."

"You?"

"Certainly. What's so remarkable about that? I got married occasionally. And every time I fell in love, I had to fight out the problem of whether to make the girl immortal. I resisted the foolish impulse, and let me tell you, was glad every time. You get tired of women, same as anything else. After a while it's a great relief to see their skins get wrinkled, their hair grow white, and their pretty teeth fall out. You know the end isn't far off, and you'll be rid of them."

"Stop it!" Hale banged the desk with his fist, then sat back into his chair with his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry," said Johnson. "I didn't know you felt so strongly about her. Well, anyhow, the shock has made you think about what you're going to do. I haven't said anything, of course, but I've felt you haven't been fair to me."

"In what way?" Hale asked hollowly.

"Why, I made you a partner, with equal rights and obligations. But I've been doing all the giving. Not that I'm protesting, understand. You wouldn't be worth much to me while you were mooning around. But eventually it would have to be Gloria or the business, or finding a way to reconcile them. I have to leave for Europe soon, and I thought I'd let you manage things in this hemisphere. You can, if you've gotten your personal affairs settled. So the question is, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," moaned Hale.

"Come now, William. Be sensible. You can give her up, or you can marry her."

"I couldn't marry her!"

Johnson spread his white hands. "Then give her up."

"I can't do that, either! I love her!"

Johnson waddled around the desk. "Oh, for goodness sake! If you can't marry her, give her up. If you can't give her up, marry her. That's logical, isn't it? What else can you do?"

"I don't know."

"William! You must stop being sentimental and selfish. I think I've been as patient as anyone could be, but you do owe the business a certain amount of loyalty, you know. Don't you want to marry her?"

Hale nodded. "But I'm immortal, and she isn't. She'll grow old and die —"

"Well, personally, I couldn't imagine a better arrangement."

"I don't want her to die! I want you to make her immortal —"

"Me? Why should I? It isn't my problem."

"You won't do it? I thought you wouldn't you —"

"Now, wait a minute, William. You're my partner, aren't you? Which means you have equal rights and powers."

"You mean could make her immortal? How?"

"The same way I did with you. Settle the question any way you see fit, but please do it soon. I really can't spare much more time away from Europe, and I have a new development in stock-market manipulation to explain to you, when you're in a more receptive mood."

Hale felt around for his hat; then remembered that he had lost it. He began to stumble out of the office.

"Now, William," Johnson cautioned, "don't rush into this immortality business. It's a serious matter. Give it your careful consideration first —"

"Yeah, sure," Hale muttered. But he scarcely heard Johnson. He had the power of giving Gloria immortality!