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Crystal Crypt, the & Beyond the Door-Philip K. Dick · A Drop in Infinity

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Section one of the Crystal Crypt. This is the LibriVox recording.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: by phil Shinever The Crystal Crypt by Philip K. Dick.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Section one. Attention, interflight ship Attention, You are ordered to
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: land at the control station on Debos for inspection. Attention.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: You are to land at once. The metallic rasp of
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: the speaker echoed through the corridors of the great ship.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: The passengers glanced at each other, uneasily, murmuring and peering
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: out the port windows at the small speck below the
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: dot of rock that was the Martian checkpoint demos. What's up?
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: An anxious passenger asked one of the pilots, hurrying through
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: the ship to check the escape lock. We have to land,
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: keep seated. The pilot went on land, But why? They
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: all looked at each other. Hovering above the bulging interflight
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: ship were three slender Martian pursuit craft, poised and alert
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: for any emergency. As the inter flight ship prepared to land,
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: the pursuit ships dropped lower, carefully maintaining themselves a short
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: distance away. There's something going on. A woman passenger said nervously. Lord,
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: I thought we were finally through with those Martians, now what.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: I don't blame them for giving us one last going over.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: A heavy set business man said to his companion. After all,
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: we're the last ship leaving Mars for Tera. We're damn
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: lucky they'll let us go. At all, you think there
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: will really be war, A young man said to the
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: girl sitting in the seat next to him. Those Martians
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: won't dare fight. Not with our weapons and ability to produce.
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: We could take care of Mars in a month. It's
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: all talk. The girl glanced at him. Don't be so sure.
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: Mars is desperate. They'll fight tooth and nail. I've been
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: on Mars three years, she shuddered. Thank goodness, I'm getting away.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: If prepare to land, the pilot's voice came. The ship
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: began to settle, slowly dropping down toward the tiny emergency
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: field on the seldom visited Moon. Down down, the ship dropped.
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: There was a grinding sound, a sickening jolt, then silence.
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: We've landed. The heavy set business man said, they'd better
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: not do anything to us. Terra will rip them apart
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: if they violate one space article. Please keep your seats,
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: the pilot's voice came, No one is to leave the ship.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: According to the Martian authorities. We are to remain here.
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: A restless stir filled the ship. Some of the passengers
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: began to read uneasily. Others stared out at the deserted field,
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: nervous and on edge, watching the three Martian pursuit ships
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: land and discarage groups of armed men. The Martian soldiers
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: were crossing the field, quickly moving toward them, running double time.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: The Inner Flight spaceship was the last passenger vessel to
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: leave Mars for Terra. All other ships had long since left,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: returning to safety before the outbreak of hostilities. The passengers
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: were the very last to go, the final group of
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: Terrans to leave the grim red planet. Business men, expatriots, tourists,
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: any and all Terrans who had not already gone home.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: What do you suppose they want? The young man said
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: to the girl. It's hard to figure Martians out, isn't it.
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: First they give the ship clearance, let us take off,
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: and now they radio us to set down again. By
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: the way, my name's Thatcher, Bob Thatcher. Since We're going
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: to be here a while. The port lock opened, talking
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: seized abruptly as every one turned. A black clad Martian official,
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: a province leiter, stood framed against the bleak sunlight, staring
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: around the ship. Behind him, A handful of Martian soldiers
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: stood waiting, their guns. Ready. This one take long, the
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: leater said, stepping into the ship, the soldiers following him.
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: You will be allowed to continue your trips. Shortly, an
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: audible sigh of relief went through the passengers look at him.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: The girl whispered to Thatcher, how I hate those black uniforms.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: He's just a provincial leiter. Thatcher said, don't worry. The
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: leater stood for a moment, his hands on his hips,
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: looking around at them without expression. I have ordered your
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: ship grounded so that an inspection can be made of
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: all persons aboard, he said. You Terrans are the last
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: to leave our planet. Most of you are ordinary and harmless.
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: I am not interested in you. I am interested in
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: finding three saboteurs, three Terrans, two men and a woman,
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: who have committed an incredible act of destruction and violence.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: They are said to have fled to this ship, murmurs
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: of surprise and indignation broke out on all sides. The
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: leater motioned the soldiers to follow him up the aisle.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: Two hours ago, a Martian city was destroyed. Nothing remains
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: only a depression in the sand where the city was.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: The city and all its people have completely vanished. An
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: entire city destroyed in a second. Mars will never rest
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: until the saboteurs are captured, and we know they are
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: aboard this ship. It's impossible, the heavy set business man said,
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: there aren't any saboteurs here. We'll begin with you, the
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: leat said to him, stepping up beside the man's seat.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: One of the soldiers past the leat a square metal box.
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: This will soon tell us if you are speaking the truth.
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: Stand up, get on your feet. The man rose, slowly, flushing.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: See here, are you involved in the destruction of the city?
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: Answer the man swallowed angrily. I know nothing about any
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: destruction of any city. And furthermore, he is telling the truth,
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: the metal box said tonelessly. Next person, the leater moved
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: down the aisle. A thin, bald headed man stood up nervously. No, sir,
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: he said, I don't know a thing about it. He
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: is telling the troth. The box affirmed, next person, stand up.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: One person after another stood answered and sat down again
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: in relief. At last, there were only a few people
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: left who had not been questioned. The leater paused, studying
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: them intently. Only five left. The three must be among you.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: We have narrowed it down. His hand moved to his belt.
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: Something flashed a rod of pale fire. He raised the rod,
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: pointing it steadily at the five people. All right, the
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: first one of you, what do you know about this destruction?
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: Are you involved with the destruction of our city? No,
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: not at all, the man murmured, He asked, telling the troth.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: The box intoned. Next, nothing, I know nothing. I had
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: nothing to do with it, Joe, the box said. The
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: ship was silent. Three people remained, a middle aged man
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: and his wife and their son, a boy of about twelve.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: They stood in the corner, staring white faced at the leiter,
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: at the rod in his dark fingers. It must be you,
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: the leater grated, moving toward them. The Martian soldiers raised
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: their guns. It must be you. You there, the boy,
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: what do you know about the destruction of our city? Answer?
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: The boy shook his head, nothing, he whispered. The box
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: was silent for a moment. He was telling the troth,
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: it said reluctantly. Next. Nothing. The woman murmured nothing the Troth. Next,
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: I had nothing to do with blowing up your city.
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: The man said, You're wasting your time. It is the Troth,
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: the box said. For a long time, the lead stood
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: going with his rod. At last, he pushed it back
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: into his belt and signaled the soldiers toward the exit lock.
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: You may proceed on your trip, he said. He walked
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: after the soldiers at the hatch. He stopped, looking back
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: at the passengers, his face grim. You may go, but
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: Mars will not allow our enemies to escape. The three
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: saboteurs will be caught, I promise you. He rubbed his
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: dark jaw thoughtfully. It is strange I was certain they
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: were on this ship. Again, he looked coldly around at
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: the Terrans. Perhaps I was wrong. All right, proceed, but
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: remember the three will be caught. Even if it takes
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: endless years, Mars will catch them and punish them. I
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: swear it. For a long time, no one spoke, the
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: ship lumbered through space again, its jets firing evenly, calmly,
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: moving the passengers toward their own planet. Toward home. Behind them,
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: Demos and the red ball that was Mars dropped farther
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: and farther away, each moment, disappearing and fading into the distance.
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: A sigh of relief passed through the passengers. What a
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: lot of hot air, that was, one, grumbled Barbarians, a
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: woman said. A few of them stood up, moving out
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: into the aisle, toward the lounge and the cocktail bar.
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: Beside Thatcher. The girl got to her feet, pulling her
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: jacket around her shoulders. Pardon me, she said, stepping past
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: him going to the bar. Thatcher said, mind if I
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: come along? I suppose not. They followed the others into
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: the lounge, walking together up the aisle. You know Thatcher said,
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: I don't even know your name yet. My name is
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: Mara Garden. Mara, that's a nice name. What part of
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: terror are you from? North America? New York? I've been
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: in New York, Mara said. New York is very lovely.
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: She was slender and pretty, with a cloud of dark
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: hair tumbling down her neck against her leather jacket. They
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: entered the lounge and stood undecided. Let's sit at a table,
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: Mara said, looking around at the people at the bar
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: mostly men. Perhaps the table over there, but someone's there already,
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: Thatcher said. The heavy set business man had sat down
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: at the table and deposited his sample case on the floor.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: Do we want to sit with him? Oh, it's all right,
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: Mara said, crossing to the table. May we sit here?
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: She said to the man. The man looked up, half rising.
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: It's a pleasure, he murmured. He studied Thatcher intently. However,
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: a friend of mine will be joining me in a moment.
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: I'm sure there's room enough for us all, Mara said.
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: She seated herself, and Thatcher helped her with her chair.
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: He sat down too, glancing up suddenly at Mara and
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: the business man. They were looking at each other, almost
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: as if something had passed between them. The man was
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: middle aged, with a florid face and tired gray eyes.
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: His hands were modeled, with the veins showing thickly. At
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: the moment he was tapping nervously. My name's Thatcher, Thatcher
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: said to him, holding out his hand, Bob Thatcher. Since
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: we're going to be together for a while, we might
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: as well get to know each other. The man studied
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: him slowly. His hand came out. Why not my name's Ericson,
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: Ralph Ericsson. Ericson. Thatcher smiled, you look like a commercial
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: man to me. He nodded toward the sample case on
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: the floor. Am I right? The man named Ericson started
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: to answer, but at that moment there was a stir.
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: A thin man of about thirty had come up to
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: the table, his eyes bright, staring down at them warmly.
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: Well we're on our way, he said to Ericson, Hello, maa.
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: He pulled out a chair and sat down, quickly, folding
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: his hands on the table before him. He noticed Thatcher
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: and drew back a little. Pardon me, he murmured, Bob,
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: Thatcher is my name. Thatcher said, I hope I'm not
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: intring here. He glanced around at the three of them,
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: Mara alert watching him intently. Have he set Ericson his
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: face blank? And this person say? Do you three know
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: each other? He asked? Suddenly there was silence. The robot
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: attendant slid over soundlessly, poised to take their orders. Ericson
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: roused himself. Let's see, he murmured, what will we have, Mara,
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: whiskey and water? You Jan, The bright slim man smiled
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: the same Thatcher gin and tonic whiskey and water for
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: me also, Ericson said. The robot attendant went off. It
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: returned at once with the drinks, setting them at the table.
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: Each took his own well, Ericson said, holding his glass
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: up to our mutual success. All drank Thatcher and the
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: three of them, have you set? Ericson? Mara her eyes
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: nervous and alert, Jan who had just come again. They
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: looked past Between Mara and Ericson. They looked so swift
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: that he would not have caught it had he not
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: been looking directly at her. What line do you represent,
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: mister Erickson, Thatcher asked. Erickson glanced at him, then down
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: at the sample case on the floor. He grunted, Well,
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: as you can see, I'm a salesman. Thatcher smiled. I
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: knew it. You get so you can always spot a
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: salesman right off by his sample case. A salesman always
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: has to carry something to show what are you in? Sir?
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: Ericson paused. He licked his thick lips, his eyes blank
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: and lidded like a toad's. At last, he rubbed his
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: mouth with his hand and reached down, lifting up the
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: sample case. He set it on the table. In front
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: of him. Well, he said, perhaps we might even show
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: mister Thatcher. They all stared down at the sample case.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: It seemed to be an ordinary leather case with a
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: metal handle and a SnapLock. I am getting curious, Thatcher said,
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: what's in there? You're also ten diamonds stolen jewels? Jan
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: laughed harshly, mirthlessly. Eric put it down. We're not far
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: enough away yet. Nonsense, Eric rumbled, We're away. Jan please.
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: Marra whispered, wait, Eric, wait, why what far you're all
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: so accustomed to? Eric, Marra said. She nodded toward Thatcher.
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: We don't know him, Eric, Please. He's a Terran, isn't he?
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: Erickson said, All Terrans are together in these times. He
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: fumbled suddenly at the catch lock on the case. Yes,
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: mister Thatcher, I'm a salesman. We're all salesmen, the three
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: of us. Then you know each other, yes, Ericson nodded.
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: His two companions sat rigidly staring down. Yes, we do. Here,
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: I'll show you our line end of section one, section
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: two of the Crystal gript by Philip K. Dick. This
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. He opened the
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: case from it, He took a letter knife, a pencil sharpener,
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: a glass globe paperweight, a box of thumb tacks, a stapler,
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: some clips, a plastic ash train, and some things Thatcher
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: could not identify. He placed the objects in a row
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: in front of him on the tabletop. Then he closed
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: the sample case. I gather you're in office supplies, Thatcher said.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: He touched the letter knife with his finger. Nice quality
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: steel looks like sweetish steel to me. Erickson nodded, looking
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: into Thatcher's face. Not really an impressive business, is it?
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: Office supplies, ash trays, paper clips, he smiled, Oh, Thattor shrugged,
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: Why not? They're necessity in modern business. The only thing
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: I wonder, what's that? Well? I wonder how you'd ever
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: find any customers on Mars to make it worth your while?
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: He paused, Examining the glass paperweight. He lifted it up,
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: holding it to the light, staring at the scene within
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: until Ericson took it out of his hand and put
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: it back in the sample case. And another thing, if
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: you three know each other, why did you sit apart
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: when you got on? They looked at him quickly, And
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: why didn't you speak to each other? Until we left
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: the demos. He leaned toward Ericsson, smiling at him. Two
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: men and a woman, three of you sitting apart in
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: a ship, not speaking until the check station was past.
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: I find myself thinking over what the martian said. Three saboteurs,
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: a woman and two men. Ericson put the things back
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: in the sample case. He was smiling, but his face
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: had gone chalk white. Mars stared down, playing with a
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: drop of water on the edge of her glass. Jan
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: clenched his hands together nervously, blinking rapidly. You three are
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: the ones the leiter was after Thatcher said softly, you
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: are the destroyers, the saboteurs, but their lie detector. Why
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: didn't it trap you? How did you get by that?
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: And now you're safe outside the check station? He grinned,
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: staring around at them. I'll be damned, and I really
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: thought you were a salesman, Erickson, you really fool me.
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: Ericson relaxed a little. Well, mister Thatcher, it's in a
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: good cause. I'm sure you have no love for Mars either.
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: No Terran does. And I see you're leaving with the
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: rest of us. True, Thatcher said, you must certainly have
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: an interesting account to give the three of you. He
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: looked around the table. We still have an hour or
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: so of travel. Sometimes he gets dull this mars terror run,
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: nothing to see, nothing to do but sit and drink
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: in the lounge. He raised his eyes slowly. Any chance
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: you'd like to spend a story to keep us? Jan
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: and Mara looked at Ericson. Go on, Jan said, he
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: knows who we are. Tell him the rest of the story.
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: You might as well, Mara said. Jan let out a sigh, suddenly,
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: a sigh of relief. Let's put the cards on the table.
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: Get this weight off us. I'm tired of sneaking around slipping. Sure,
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: Ericson said expansively, Why not. He settled back in his chair,
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: unbuttoning his vest. Certainly, mister thatcher, I'll be glad to
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: spin you a story, and I'm sure it will be
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: interesting enough to keep you awake. They ran through the
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: groves of dead trees, leaping across the sun baked Martian soil.
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: Running silently together, they went up a little rise across
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: a narrow ridge. Suddenly Eric stopped, throwing himself down flat
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: on the ground. The others did the same, pressing themselves
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: against the soil. Gasping for breath, be silent. Eric muttered,
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: He raised himself A little no noise. There'll be leaters
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: nearby from now on. We don't dare take any chances.
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: Between the three people lying in the grove of dead trees,
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: and the city was a barren level waste of desert,
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: over a mile of blasted sand. No trees or bushes
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: marred the smooth, parched surface. Only an occasional wind, a
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: dry wind, eddying and twisting, blew the sand up into
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: little rills. A faint odor came to them, a bitter
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: smell of heat and sand, carried by the wind. Eric pointed, look,
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: the city, there it is. They stared, still, breathing deeply
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: from their race through the trees. The city was close,
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: closer than they had ever seen it before. Never had
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: they gotten so close to it. In times past, Terreins
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: were never allowed near the great Mortian cities, the centers
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: of Martian life. Even in ordinary times, when there was
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: no threat of approaching war, the Martians shrewdly kept all
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: Terrans away from their citadels, partly from fear, partly from
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: a deep innate sense of hostility toward the white skinned
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: visitors whose commercial ventures had earned them their respect and
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: the dislike of the whole system. How does it look
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: to you? Eric said? The city was huge, much larger
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: than they had imagined from the drawings and models they
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: had studied so carefully back in New York in the
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: War Ministry Office. Huge. It was huge, and stark, black
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: towers rising up against the sky, incredibly thin columns of
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: ancient metal columns that had stood wind and sun for centuries.
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: Around the city was a wall of stone, red stone,
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: immense bricks that had been lugged there and fitted into
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: place by slaves of the early Martian dynasties, under the
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: whiplash of the first great Kings of Mars. An ancient
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: sun baked city, a city set in the middle of
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: a wasted plain, beyond groves of dead trees. A city
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: seldom seen by Terrans, but a city studied on maps
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: and charts in every war office on Terra. A city
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: that contained, for all its ancient stone and archaic towers.
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: The ruling group of all Moors, the Council of Senior Leaters,
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: black clad men who governed and ruled with an iron hand.
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: The Senior Leaters, twelve fanatic and devoted men, black priests,
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: but priests with flashing rods of fire light, detectors, rocket ships,
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: intrast spased canon, many more things. The Terran Senate could
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: only conjecture about the senior leads and their subordinate province leads,
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: and the two behind him suppressed a shudder. We've got
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: to be careful, Eric said again. We'll be passing among
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: them soon if they guess who we are, are what
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: we're here for. He snapped open the case he carried,
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: glancing inside for a second. Then he closed it again,
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: grasping the handle firmly. Let's go, he said. He stood
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: up slowly. You two come up beside me. I want
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: to make sure you look the way you should. Mara
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: and Jan stepped quickly ahead. Eric studied them critically as
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: the three of them walked slowly down the slope on
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: to the plain, toward the towering black spires of the city. Jan,
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: Eric said, take hold of her hand. Remember you're going
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: to marry her. She's your bride, and Martian peasants think
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: a lot of their brides. Jan was dressed in the
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: short trousers and coat of the Martian former, A knotted
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: rope tied around his waist, a hat on his head
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: to keep off the sun. His skin was dark, colored
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: by dye until it was almost bronze. You look fine,
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: Eric said to him. He glanced at Mara. Her black
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: hair was tied in a knot looped through a hollowed
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: out yuke bone. Her face was dark, too dark, and
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: lined with colored ceremonial pigment, green and orange stripes across
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: her cheeks. Ear Rings were strung through her ears. On
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: her feet were tiny slippers of peru hide laced around
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: her ankles, and she wore long, translucent Martian trousers with
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: a bright sash tied around her waist. Between her small breasts,
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: a chain of stone beads rested good luck charms for
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: the coming marriage. All right, Eric said, He himself wore
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: the flowing gray robe of a Martian priest, dirty robes
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: that were supposed to remain on him all his life,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: to be buried around him when he died. I think
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: we'll get past the guards. There should be heavy morning
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: traffic on the road. They walked on the hard sand,
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: crunching under their feet. Against the horizon, they could see
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: specks moving other persons going toward the city. Farmers and
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: peasants and merchants bringing their crops and goods to market.
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: See the cart, Mara exclaimed. They were nearing a narrow road,
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: two ruts worn into the sand. A Martian hoofa was
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: pulling the cart, its great sides wet with perspiration, its
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: tongue hanging out. The cart was piled high with bales
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: of cloth, rough country cloth, and dipped. A bent farmer
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: urged the hoofa on, and there she pointed, smiling. A
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: group of merchants riding small animals were moving along behind
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: the cart, martians and long robes, their faces hidden by
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: sand masks. On each animal was a pack carefully tied
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: on with rope. And beyond the merchants, plodding dully along
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: were peasants and farmers in an endless procession, some riding
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: carts or animals, but mostly on foot. Mara and Jan
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: and Eric joined the line of people, melting in behind
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: the merchants. No one noticed them, No one looked up
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: or gave any sign. The march continued as before. Neither
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: Jan nor Mara said anything to each other. They walked
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: a little behind Eric, who paced with a certain dignity,
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: a certain bearing, becoming his position. Once he slowed down.
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: Pointing up at the sky. Look, he murmured in the
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: Martian hill dialect. See that. Two dots circled lazily Martian
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: patrol craft. The military on the outlook for any sign
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: of unusual activity. War was almost ready to break out
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: with Terra any day, almost any moment. We'll be just
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: in time, Eric said, Tomorrow will be too late, the
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: last ship will have left more. I hope nothing stops us,
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: Mara said, I want to get back home when we're through.
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: Half an hour passed. They neared the city, the walls
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: growing as they walked, rising higher and higher until it
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: seemed to blot out the sky itself, a vast wall,
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: a wall of eternal stone that had felt the wind
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: and sun for centuries. A group of Martian soldiers were
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: standing at the entrance. The single passage gate hewed into
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: the rock leading to the city. As each person went through,
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: the soldiers examined him, poking his garments, looking into his load.
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: Eric tensed the line had slowed almost to a halt.
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: You'll be our turn soon, he murmured. Be prepared. Let's
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: hope no leats come around. Jan said, the soldiers aren't
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: so bad. Mara was staring up at the wall and
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: the towers beyond under their feet. The ground trembled, vibrating
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: and shaking. She could see see tongues of flame rising
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: from the towers, from the deep underground factories and forges
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: of the city. The air was thick and dense with
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: particles of soot. Mara rubbed her mouth, coughing. Here they come,
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: Eric said softly. The merchants had been examined and allowed
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: to pass through the dark Gate, the entrance through the
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: wall into the city. They and their silent animals had
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: already disappeared inside. The leader of the group of soldiers
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: was beckoning impatiently to Eric, waving him on, come along,
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: He said, carry up there, old man. Eric advanced slowly,
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: his arms wrapped around his body, looking down at the ground.
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: Who are you and what's your business here? The soldier demanded,
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: his hands on his hips, his gun hanging idly at
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: his waist. Most of the soldiers were lounging lazily, leaning
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: against the wall, some even squatting in the shade. Flies
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: crawled on the face of one who had fallen asleep,
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: his gun on the ground beside him my business, Eric murmured,
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: I am a village priest. Why do you want to
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: answer the city. I must bring these two people before
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: the magistrate to marry them, He indicated, Mara and Jan,
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: standing a little behind him. That is the law the
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: leeters have made. The soldier laughed. He circled around Eric.
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: What do you have in that bag? You carrie laundry?
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: We stay the night. What fillage are you from? Cronos? Kronos?
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: The soldier looked to a companion. Ever heard of kronos
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: hey backward pigs thigh? I saw it once on a
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: hunting trip. The leader of the soldiers nodded to Jan
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: and Mara. The two of them advanced, their hands clasped,
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: standing close together. One of the soldiers put his hand
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: on Mara's bare shoulder, turning her around. Nice little wife,
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: you're getting, he said, good and firm looking. He winked,
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: grinning ludely. Jan glanced at him in sullen resentment. Soldier's
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: gaffard All right, the leader said to Eric, you people
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: can pass. Eric took a small purse from his robes
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: and gave the soldier a coin. Then the three of
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: them went into the dark tunnel. That was the entrance
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: passing through the wall of stone into the city beyond.
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: They were within the city now, Eric whispered, hurry around them.
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: The city roared and cracked, the sound of a thousand
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: vents and machines, shaking the stones under their feet. Eric
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: led Mara and Jan into a corner by a row
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: of brick warehouses. People were everywhere, hurrying back and forth,
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: shouting above the den merchants, paddlers, soldiers, street women. Eric
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: bent down and opened the case he carried. From the case,
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: he quickly took three small coils of fine metal, intricate
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: meshed wires and veins worked together into a small cone.
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: Jan took one and Mara took one. Eric put the
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: remaining cone into his robe and snapped the case shut. Now, remember,
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: the coils must be buried in such a way that
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: the line runs through the center of the city. We
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: must try sect the main section where the largest concentration
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: of buildings is Remember the maps. Watch the alleys and
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: streets carefully. Talk to no one if you can help it.
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: Each of you has enough Martian money to buy your
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: way out of trouble. Watch especially for cut purses and
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: for Heaven's sake, don't get lost, Eric broke off. Two
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: black clad leaters were coming along the endside of the wall,
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: strolling together with their hands behind their backs. They noticed
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: the three who stood in the corner by the warehouses,
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: and stopped. Go Eric muttered, and be back here at sundown,
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: he smiled grimly, or never come back. Each went off
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: a different way, walking quickly without looking back. The leaters
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: watched them go. The little bride was quite low, what
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: Leeter said, Those hill people have the stamp of nobility
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: in their blood from the old times. A very lucky
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: young peasant to possess her, the other said. They went on.
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: Eric looked after them, still smiling a little. Then he
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: joined the surging mass of people that milled eternally through
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: the streets of the city. End of section two, section
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: number three of the Crystal Cript by Philip K. Dick.
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. At dusk,
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: they met outside the gate. The sun was soon to
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: set and the air had turned thin and frigid. It
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: cut through their clothing like knives. Mara huddled against Jan,
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: trembling and rubbing her bare arms. Well, Eric said, did
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: you both succeed around them. The peasants and merchants were
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: pouring from the rance, leaving the city to return to
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: their farms and villages, starting the long trip back across
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: the plain toward the hills beyond. None of them noticed
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: the shivering girl and the young man and the old
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: priests standing by the wall. Mine's in place, Jan said.
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: On the other side of the city, on the extreme edge,
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: buried by a well, Mine's in the industrial section. Mara whispered,
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: her teeth chattering, Je, give me something to put over me.
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: I'm freezing good. Eric said, then the three coils should
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: trisect dead center if the models were correct. He looked
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: up at the darkening sky. Already stars were beginning to
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: show two dots. The evening patrol moved slowly toward the horizon.
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: Let's hurry, it won't be long. They joined the line
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: of Martians moving along the road away from the city.
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: Behind them, the city was losing itself in the somber
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: tones of night, its black spires diser peering into darkness.
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: They walked silently with the country people until the flat
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: ridge of dead trees became visible on the horizon. Then
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: they left the road and turned off, walking toward the trees.
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: Almost time, Eric said. He increased his pace, looking back
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: at Jan and Mara impatiently. Come on, They hurried, making
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: their way through the twilight, stumbling over rocks and dead
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: branches up the side of the ridge. At the top,
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: Eric halted, standing with his hands on his hips, looking back,
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: see he murmured, the city the last time we'll ever
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: see it this way? Can I sit down? Mara said,
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: my feet hurt me. Jan pulled at Eric's sleeve. Hurry, Eric,
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: not much time left, he laughed nervously. If everything goes right,
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: we'll be able to look at it forever. But not
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: like this, Eric murmured. He squatted down. Snapping his case open.
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: He took some tubes and wiring out and assembled them
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: together on the ground. At the peak of the ridge,
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: a small pyramid of wire and plastic grew shaped by
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: his expert hands. At last, he grunted, standing up, All right?
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: Is it pointed directly at the city? Mara asked anxiously,
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: looking down at the pyramid, Eric nodded, yes, it's placed
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: according He stopped, suddenly, stiffening. Get back. It's time, hurry.
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: Jan ran down the far side of the slope. Away
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: from the city, pulling Mara with him. Eric came quickly after,
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: still looking back at the distant spires, almost lost in
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: the night sky. Down, Jan sprawled out, Mara beside him,
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: her trembling body pressed against his. Eric settled down into
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: the sand and dead branches, still trying to see I
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: want to see it, he murmured, a miracle. I want
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: to see. A flash. A blood landy burst of violet
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: light lit up the sky. Eric clapped his hands over
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: his eyes. The flash whitened, growing larger, expanding. Suddenly, there
• 35:11
  Speaker 1: was a roar, and a furious hot wind rushed past him,
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: throwing him on his face in the sand. The hot,
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: dry wind licked and seared at them, crackling the bits
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: of branches into flame. Mara and Jan shut their eyes,
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: pressed tightly together god Eric muttered. The storm passed. They
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: opened their eyes slowly. The sky was still alive with fire,
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: a drifting cloud of sparks that was beginning to dissipate
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: with the night wind. Eric stood up unsteadily, helping Jan
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: and Mara to their feet. The three of them stood
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: staring silently across the dark waste the black plain, none
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: of them speaking. The city was gone. At last. Eric
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: turned away at ports. He said, now the rest, give
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: me a hand. Jan. There'll be a thousand patrol ships
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: around here in a minute. I see one already, Mara said,
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: pointing up a spot winked in the sky, A rapidly
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: moving spot. There coming Eric. There was a throb of
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: chill fear in her voice. I know. Eric and Jan
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: squatted on the ground around the pyramid of tubes and plastic,
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: pulling the pyramid apart. The pyramid was fused, fused together
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: like molten glass. Eric tore the pieces away with trembling fingers.
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: From the remains of the pyramid, he pulled something forth,
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: something he held up high, trying to make it out
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: in the darkness. Jan and Mara came close to see,
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: both staring up intently, almost without breathing. There it is,
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: Eric said. There in his hand was a globe, a
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: small transparent globe of glass. Within the glass, something moved,
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: something minute and fragile. Spire is almost too small to
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: be seen. Microscopic, A complex web swimming within the hollow
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: glass globe. A web of spires, a city. Eric put
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: the globe into the case and snapped it shut. Let's
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: go he said. They began to lope back through the trees,
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: back the way they had come before. We'll change in
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: the car, he said, as they ran. I think we
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: should keep these clothes on until we're actually inside the car.
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: We still might encounter someone. I'll be glad to get
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: my own clothing on again. Jan said, I feel funny
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: in these little pants. How do you think I feel?
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: Mara gasped, I'm freezing in this? What there is of it? All?
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: Young Martian Bryant dressed that way, Eric said. He clutched
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: the case tightly as they ran. I think it looks fine,
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: thank you, Mara said, but it's cold. What do you
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: suppose they'll think? Jan asked. They'll assume the city was destroyed,
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: won't they. That's certain, yes, Eric said, they'll be sure
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: it was blown up. We can count on that, and
• 38:13
  Speaker 1: it will be damn important to us that they think so.
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: The car should be around here, someplace, Mara said, slowing down.
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: No further on, Eric said, past that little hill over
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: there in the ravine by the trees. It's so hard
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: to see where we are. Shall I light something? Jan said, no,
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: there may be patrols around who he halted abruptly, Jan
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: and Mara stopped beside him. What Mara began? A light glimmered,
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: Something stirred in the darkness. There was a sound. Quick
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: Eric rasped. He dropped, throwing the case far away from
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: him into the bushes. He straightened up tensely. A figure
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: loomed up, moving through the darkness, and behind it came
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: more figures, men soldiers in uniform. The light flashed up, brightly,
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: blinding them. Eric closed his eyes. The light left him touched,
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: Mara and Jan standing silently together, clasping hands. Then it
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: flicked down to the ground and around in a circle.
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: A leater stepped forward, a tall figure in black, with
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: his soldiers close behind him, their guns ready, you three,
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: the leater said, who are you? Don't move, stand where
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: you are. He came up to Eric, peering at him intently,
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: his hard martian face without expression. He went all round Eric,
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: examining his robes, his sleeves. Please, Eric began in a
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: quavering voice, but the leater cut him off. I'll do
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: the talking. Who are you three? What are you doing here?
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: Speak up? We we are going back to our village.
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: Eric muttered, staring down, his hands folded we were in
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: the city, and now we are going home. One of
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: the officers spoke to a mouthpiece. He clicked it off
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: and put it away. Come with me, the leader said,
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: we're taking you in. Hurry along, in back to the city.
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: One of the soldiers laughed. The city is gone. He said.
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: All that's the left of it you can put in
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: the palm of your hand. But what happened, Mara said,
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: no one knows. Come on, hurry it up. There was
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: a sound. A soldier came quickly out of the darkness,
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: a senior leater. He said, coming this way. He disappeared again,
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: a senior leater. The soldier stood waiting, standing at a
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: respectful attention. A moment later, the senior leater stepped into
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: the light, a black clad old man, his ancient face
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: thin and hard like a bird's eyes, bright and alert.
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: He looked from Eric to jan Who are these people,
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: he demanded, Villagers going back home? No, there, they don't
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: stand like villagers. Villages slump, diet, poor food. These people
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: are not villagers. I myself came from the hills and
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: I know. He stepped close to Eric, looking keenly into
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: his face. Who are you? Look at his chin. He
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: never shaved with a sharpened stone. Something is wrong. Here
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: in his hand a rod of pale fire flashed. The
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: city is gone, and with it at least half the
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: Leota council. It is very strange. A flash, then heat,
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: and a wind. But it was not vision. I am
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: puzzled all at once. The city has vanished. Nothing is
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: left but a depression in the sand. We'll take them in,
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: the other leater said. Soldiers surround them, Make certain that run,
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: Eric cried. He struck out, knocking the rod from the
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: senior Leat's hand. They were all running, soldiers shouting, flashing
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: their lights, stumbling against each other in the darkness. Eric
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: dropped to his knees, groping frantically in the bushes. His
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: fingers closed over the handle of the case, and he
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: leaped up in terror. He shouted to Mara and Jan,
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: hurry to the car. Run. He set off down the slope,
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: stumbling through the darkness. He could hear soldiers behind him,
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: soldiers running and falling. A body collided against him, and
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: he struck out. Some place behind him. There was a hiss,
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: and a section of the slope went up in flames.
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: The leats rod here Eric, Mara cried from the darkness.
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: He ran toward her. Suddenly he slipped, falling on a stone,
• 42:44
  Speaker 1: confusion and firing. The sound of excited voices. Herek is
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: that you. Jan caught hold of him, helping him up
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: the car. It's over here. Where's Mara? I'm here. Mara's
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: voice came over here by the car. A light flashed,
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: A tree went up in a puff of fire, and
• 43:04
  Speaker 1: Eric felt the singe of the heat against his face.
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: He and Jan made their way toward the girl. Mara's
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: hand caught his in the darkness. Now the car, Eric said,
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: if they haven't got to it, He slid down the
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: slope into the ravine, fumbling in the darkness, reaching and
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: holding on to the handle of the case. Reaching, reaching,
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: he touched something cold and smooth metal, a metal door handle.
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: Relief flooded through him. I found it, Jan, get inside, Mara,
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: come on. He pushed Jan past him into the car.
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: Mara slipped in after Jan, her small, agile body crowding
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: in beside him. Stop, a voice shouted from above. There's
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: no use hiding in that ravine. We'll get you. Come
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: up in the sound of voices was drowned out by
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: the roar of the car's motor. A moment later, they
• 43:59
  Speaker 1: shot into the darkness, the car rising into the air.
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: Tree tops broke and cracked under them. As Eric turned
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: the car from side to side, avoiding the groping shafts
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: of pale light from below. The last furious thrusts from
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: the two leeters and their soldiers. Then they were away
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: above the trees, high in the air, gaining speed each moment,
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: leaving the knot of Martians far behind, toward Morrisport. Jan
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: said to Eric right. Eric nodded, yes, we'll land outside
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: the field in the hills. We can change back to
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: our regular clothing there, our commercial clothing. Damn it. We'll
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: be lucky if we can get there in time for
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: the ship, the last ship. Mara whispered, her chest rising
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: and falling. What if we don't get there in time.
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: Eric looked down at the leather case in his lap.
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: We'll have to get there, he murmured, we must. For
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: a long time, there was silence that yours stared at ericson.
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: The older man was leaning back in his chair, sipping
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: a little of his drink. Mara and Jan were silent.
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: So you didn't destroy the city. Thatcher said, you didn't
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: destroy it at all. You shrank it down and put
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: it in a glass globe, in a paper weight. And
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: now your salesman again with a sample case of office supplies.
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: Ericson smiled. He opened the briefcase and reaching into it,
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: he brought out the glass globe paper weight. He held
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: it up, looking into it. Yes, we stole the city
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: from the Martians. That's how we got by the lie detector.
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: It was true that we knew nothing about a destroyed city.
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: But why, Thatcher said, why steal a city? Why not
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: merely bombit? Ransom Mara said, fervently, gazing into the globe,
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: her dark eyes bright. Their biggest city, half of their
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: council in Eric's hand. Mars will have to do with Terra, asked?
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: Erickson said, Now Terror will be able to make her
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: commercial demands. Felt maybe there won't even be a war.
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: Perhaps Terror will get her away without fighting. Still smiling,
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: he put the globe back into the briefcase and locked it.
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: White us story. Thatcher said, what an amazing process. Reduction
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: of size a whole city, reduced the microscopic dimensions. Amazing,
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: No wonder you were able to escape with such daring
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: as that no one could hope to stop you. He
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: looked down at the briefcase on the floor underneath them.
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: The jets murmured and vibrated evenly as the ship moved
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: through space toward distant terror. We still have quite a
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: way to go, Jan said, you've heard our story, Thatcher,
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: why not tell us yours? What sort of line are
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: you in? What's your business? Yes, Mara said, what do
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: you do? What do I do? Thatcher said, well, if
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: you like, I'll show you. He reached into his coat
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: and brought out something, something that flashed and glinted, something slender,
• 47:05
  Speaker 1: a rod of pale fire. The three stared at it.
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: Second shock settled over them slowly. Thatcher held the rod loosely, calmly,
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: pointing it at Ericsson. We knew you three were on
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: this ship, he said. There was no doubt of that.
• 47:21
  Speaker 1: But we did not know what had become of the city.
• 47:24
  Speaker 1: My theory was that the city had not been destroyed
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: at all, that something else had happened to it. Council
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: instruments measured a sudden loss of mass in that area,
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: a decrease equal to the mass of the city. Somehow
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: the city had been spirited away, not destroyed. But I
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: could not convince the other council leats of it. I
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: had to follow you alone. Thatcher turned a little, nodding
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: to the men sitting at the bar. The men rose
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: at once, coming toward the table. A very interesting process
• 47:56
  Speaker 1: you have. Mars will benefit a great deal from it.
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: Perhaps it will even turn the tide in our favor
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: when we returned to Marsport. I wish to begin work
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: on it at once and now, if you will please
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: pass me the briefcase end of section three and end
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: of the Crystal Crypt by Philip K. Dick. Beyond the
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: Door by Philip K. Dick. This LibriVox recording is in
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: the public domain. That night, at the dinner table, he
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: brought it out and set it down beside her plate.
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: Doris stared at it, her hand to her mouth. My god,
• 48:41
  Speaker 1: what is it? She looked up at him, bright eyed,
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: Well open it. Doris tore the ribbon in paper from
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: the square package with her sharp nails, her bosom rising
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: and falling. Larry stood watching her as she lifted the lid.
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: He lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall a
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: cuckoo clock. Doris cried, a real old cuckoo clock like
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: my mother had. She turned the clock over and over,
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: just like my mother had when Pete was still alive.
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: Her eyes sparkled with tears. It's made in Germany, Larry said.
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: After a moment, he added, Carl got it from me wholesale.
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: He knows some guy in the clock business. Otherwise I
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: wouldn't have he stopped. Doris made a funny little sound.
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: I mean, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to afford it.
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: He scowled. What's the matter with you? You've got your clock,
• 49:38
  Speaker 1: haven't you. Isn't that what you want? Doris sat holding
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: on to the clock, her fingers pressed against the brown
• 49:45
  Speaker 1: wood well, Larry said, what's the matter. He watched in
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: amazement as she leaped up and ran from the room,
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: still clutching the clock. He shook his head, never satisfied.
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: They're all that way, Never forget enough. He sat down
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: at the table and finished his meal. The cuckoo clock
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: was not very large. It was handmade, however, and there
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: were countless frets on it, little indentations and ornaments scored
• 50:15
  Speaker 1: in the soft wood. Doris sat on the bed, drying
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: her eyes and winding the clock. She set the hands
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: by her wristwatch. Presently, she carefully moved the hands to
• 50:25
  Speaker 1: two minutes of ten. She carried the clock over to
• 50:28
  Speaker 1: the dresser and propped it up. Then she sat waiting,
• 50:32
  Speaker 1: her hands twisted together in her lap, waiting for the
• 50:35
  Speaker 1: cuckoo to come out for the hour to strike. As
• 50:39
  Speaker 1: she sat, she thought about Larry and what he had said,
• 50:43
  Speaker 1: and what she had said too, for that matter, not
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: that she could be blamed for any of it. After all,
• 50:49
  Speaker 1: she couldn't keep listening to him forever without defending herself.
• 50:53
  Speaker 1: You had to blow your own trumpet in the world.
• 50:56
  Speaker 1: She touched her handkerchief to her eyes. Suddenly, Why did
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: he have to say that about getting it wholesale? Why
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: did he have to spoil it all? If he felt
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: that way, he needn't have got it in the first place.
• 51:11
  Speaker 1: She clenched her fists. He was so mean, so damn mean.
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: But she was glad of a little clock sitting there,
• 51:20
  Speaker 1: ticking to itself with its funny grilled edges, and the door.
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: Inside the door was the cuckoo waiting to come out?
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: Was he listening his head cocked on one side, listening
• 51:33
  Speaker 1: to hear the clock strike, so that he would know
• 51:36
  Speaker 1: to come out. Did he sleep between ours? Well, she
• 51:40
  Speaker 1: would soon see him, she would ask him, and she
• 51:44
  Speaker 1: would show the clock to Bob. He would love it.
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: Bob loved old things, even old stamps and buttons. He
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: liked to go with her to the stores. Of course,
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: it was a little awkward, but Larry had been staying
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: at the office so much, and that helped, if only
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: Larry didn't call up sometimes to There was a whirr,
• 52:06
  Speaker 1: the clock shuddered, and all at once the door opened.
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: The cuckoo came out, sliding swiftly. He paused and looked around, solemnly,
• 52:14
  Speaker 1: scrutinizing her, the room, the furniture. It was the first
• 52:18
  Speaker 1: time he had seen her, she realized, Smiling to herself
• 52:22
  Speaker 1: in pleasure. She stood up, coming toward him shyly. Go on,
• 52:27
  Speaker 1: she said, I'm waiting. The cuckoo opened his bill. He
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: whirred and chirped quickly rhythmically. Then after a moment of contemplation,
• 52:38
  Speaker 1: he retired, and the door snapped shut. She was delighted.
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: She clapped her hands and spun in a little circle.
• 52:46
  Speaker 1: He was marvelous, perfect, and the way he had looked
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: round studying her sizing her up. He liked her, she
• 52:55
  Speaker 1: was certain of it, and she of course loved him
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: at once completely. He was just what she had hoped
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: would come out of the little door. Doris went to
• 53:05
  Speaker 1: the clock. She bent over the little door, her lips
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: close to the wood. Do you hear me? She whispered.
• 53:13
  Speaker 1: I think you're the most wonderful cuckoo in the world.
• 53:17
  Speaker 1: She paused, embarrassed. I hope you'll like it here. Then
• 53:21
  Speaker 1: she went downstairs again, slowly, her head high. Larry and
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: the cuckoo clock really never got along well from the start.
• 53:31
  Speaker 1: Doris said it was because he didn't wind it right,
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: and it didn't like being only half wound all the time.
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: Larry turned the job of winding over to her. The
• 53:41
  Speaker 1: cuckoo came out every quarter hour and ran the spring
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: down without remorse, and some one had to be ever
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: after it winding it up again. Doris did her best,
• 53:53
  Speaker 1: but she forgot a good deal of the time. Then
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: Larry would throw his newspaper down with an elaborate, weary
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: motion and stand up. He would go into the dining room,
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: where the clock was mounted on the wall over the fireplace.
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: He would take the clock down and making sure that
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: he had his thumb over the little door, he would
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: wind it up. Why do you put your thumb over
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: the door, Doris asked, once you're supposed to? She raised
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: an eyebrow. Are you sure? I wonder if it isn't
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: that you don't want him to come out while you're
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: standing so close? Why not? Maybe you're afraid of him?
• 54:31
  Speaker 1: Larry laughed. He put the clock back on the wall
• 54:34
  Speaker 1: and gingerly removed his thumb. When Doris wasn't looking, he
• 54:39
  Speaker 1: examined his thumb. There was still a trace of the
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: nick cut out of the soft part of it. Who
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: or what had pecked at him? One Saturday morning, when
• 54:50
  Speaker 1: Larry was down at the office working over some important
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: special accounts, Bob Chambers came to the front porch and
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: rang the bell. Doris was taking a quick shower. She
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: dried herself and slipped into her robe. When she opened
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: the door, Bob stepped inside, grinning hi, he said, looking around,
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: it's all right, Larry's at the office. Fine. Bob gazed
• 55:13
  Speaker 1: at her slim legs below the hem of the robe.
• 55:16
  Speaker 1: How nice you look to day, she laughed. Be careful,
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: maybe I shouldn't let you in after all. They looked
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: at one another, half amused, half frightened. Presently, Bob said,
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: if you want, I'll know. For God's sake, She caught
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: hold of his sleeve. Just get out of the doorway
• 55:35
  Speaker 1: so I can close it. Missus Peters across the street.
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: You know. She closed the door. And I want to
• 55:41
  Speaker 1: show you something, She said, you haven't seen it. He
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: was interested an antique or what. She took his arm,
• 55:49
  Speaker 1: leading him toward the dining room. You love it, Bobby,
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: she stopped, wide eyed. I hope you will. You must,
• 55:57
  Speaker 1: you must love it. It means so much to me.
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: He means so much. He Bob frowned. Who is he?
• 56:04
  Speaker 1: Doris laughed, you're jealous. Come on. A moment later, they
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: stood before the clock, looking up at it. He'll come
• 56:12
  Speaker 1: out in a few minutes. Wait until you see him.
• 56:14
  Speaker 1: I know you two will get along just fine. And
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: what does Larry think of him? They don't like each other.
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: Sometimes when Larry's here, he won't come out. Larry gets
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: mad if he doesn't come out on time, he says,
• 56:28
  Speaker 1: says what Doris looked down. He always says he's been robbed,
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: even if he did get it wholesale, she brightened. But
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: I know he won't come out because he doesn't like Larry.
• 56:42
  Speaker 1: When I'm here alone, he comes right out for me
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: every fifteen minutes, even though he really only has to
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: come out on the hour. She gazed up at the clock.
• 56:54
  Speaker 1: He comes out for me because he wants to We talk.
• 56:57
  Speaker 1: I tell him things. Of course, I'd like to have
• 57:00
  Speaker 1: him upstairs in my room, but it wouldn't be right.
• 57:04
  Speaker 1: There was the sound of footsteps on the front porch.
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: They looked at each other horrified. Larry pushed the front
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: door open, grunting. He set his briefcase down and took
• 57:14
  Speaker 1: off his hat. Then he saw Bob for the first time. Chambers,
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: I'll be damned. His eyes narrowed. What are you doing here?
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: He came into the dining room. Doris drew her robe
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: about her, helplessly, backing away. I Bob began, that is we,
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: he broke off, glancing at Doris. Suddenly, the clock began
• 57:38
  Speaker 1: to whir. The cuckoo came rushing out, bursting into sound.
• 57:42
  Speaker 1: Larry moved toward him. Shut that din off, he said.
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: He raised his fist toward the clock. The cuckoo snapped
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: into silence and retreated. The door closed. That's better, Larry studied,
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: Doris and Bob, standing mutely together. I came over to
• 58:01
  Speaker 1: look at the clock, Bob said. Doris told me that
• 58:04
  Speaker 1: it's a rare antique and that nuts I bought it myself.
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: Larry walked up to him. Get out of here, he
• 58:12
  Speaker 1: turned to Doris, you too, and take that damn clock
• 58:16
  Speaker 1: with you, he paused, rubbing his chin. No leave the
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: clock here. It's mine. I bought it and paid for it.
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: In the weeks that followed after Doris left, Larry and
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: the cuckoo clock got along even worse than before. For
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: one thing, the cuckoo stayed inside most of the time,
• 58:36
  Speaker 1: sometimes even at twelve o'clock, when he should have been busiest,
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: and if he did come out at all, he usually
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: spoke only once or twice, never the correct number of times.
• 58:48
  Speaker 1: And there was a sullen, uncooperative note in his voice,
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: a jarring sound that made Larry uneasy and a little angry.
• 58:57
  Speaker 1: But he kept the clock wound because the house was
• 59:00
  Speaker 1: very still and quiet, and it got on his nerves
• 59:04
  Speaker 1: not to hear someone running around talking and dropping things,
• 59:08
  Speaker 1: And even the worrying of a clock sounded good. To him,
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: but he didn't like the cuckoo at all, and sometimes
• 59:15
  Speaker 1: he spoke to him. Listen, he said late one night
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: to the closed little door. I ought to give you
• 59:23
  Speaker 1: back to the Germans, back to the black forest. He
• 59:27
  Speaker 1: paced back and forth. I wonder what they're doing now,
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: the two of them, that young punk, with his books
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: and his antiques. A man shouldn't be interested in antiques.
• 59:38
  Speaker 1: That's for women. He set his jaw. Isn't that right?
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: The clock said nothing. Larry walked up in front of it.
• 59:47
  Speaker 1: Isn't that right, he demanded, Don't you have anything to say?
• 59:52
  Speaker 1: He looked at the face of the clock. It was
• 59:55
  Speaker 1: almost eleven, just a few seconds before the hour. All right,
• 59:59
  Speaker 1: I'll wait until eleven then, I want to hear what
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 1: you have to say. You've been pretty quiet the last
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: few weeks since she left, he grinned. Riley, Maybe you
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: don't like it here since she's gone. He scowled. Well,
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: I paid for you, and you're coming out, whether you
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 1: like it or not. You hear me. Eleven o'clock came
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 1: far off at the end of the town. The great
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 1: tower clock boomed sleepily to itself, but the little door
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 1: remained shut. Nothing moved. The minute hand passed on, and
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: the cuckoo did not stir. He was someplace inside the clock,
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 1: beyond the door, silent and remote. All right, if that's
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: the way you feel, Larry murmured, his lips twisting. But
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 1: it isn't fair. It's your job to come out. We
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: all have to do things we don't like. He went
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 1: unhappily into the kitchen and opened the great gleaming refrigerator.
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 1: As he poured himself a drink, he thought about the clock.
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 1: There was no doubt about it. The cuckoo should come out.
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: Doris are no Doris. He had always liked her from
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: the very start. They had got along well, the two
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 1: of them. Probably he liked Bob too. Probably he had
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 1: seen enough of Bob to get to know him. They
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 1: would be quite happy together, Bob and Doris and the cuckoo.
• 1:01:28
  Speaker 1: Larry finished his drink. He opened the drawer of the
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: sink and took out the hammer. He carried it carefully
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: into the dining room. The clock was ticking gently to
• 1:01:38
  Speaker 1: itself on the wall. Look, he said, waving the hammer.
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 1: You know what I have here. You know what I'm
• 1:01:46
  Speaker 1: going to do with it. I'm going to start on
• 1:01:50
  Speaker 1: you first, he smiled, birds of a feather, that's what
• 1:01:55
  Speaker 1: you are, the three of you. The room was silent.
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: Are you coming out or do I have to come
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 1: in and get you? The clock whirred a little. I
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 1: hear you in there. You've got a lot of talking
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: to do. Enough for the last three weeks, as I
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 1: figure it, you owe me. The door opened, The cuckoo
• 1:02:17
  Speaker 1: came out fast, straight at him. Larry was looking down,
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: his brow wrinkled in thought. He glanced up, and the
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 1: cuckoo caught him squarely in the eye. Down he went,
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: hammer and chair and everything, hitting the floor with a
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 1: tremendous crash. For a moment, the cuckoo paused, its small
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 1: body poised rigidly. Then it went back inside its house.
• 1:02:42
  Speaker 1: The door snapped tight shut after it. The man lay
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 1: on the floor, stretched out grotesquely, his head bent over
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 1: to one side. Nothing moved or stirred. The room was
• 1:02:55
  Speaker 1: completely silent, except, of course, for the ticking of the clock.
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 1: I see, Doris said, her face tight. Bob put his
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: arm around her, studying her. Doctor Bob said, can I
• 1:03:08
  Speaker 1: ask you something? Of course? The doctor said, is it
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 1: very easy to break your neck falling? From so low
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: a chair, it wasn't very far to fall. I wonder
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: if it might not have been an accident. Is there
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 1: any chance it might have been suicide? The doctor rubbed
• 1:03:25
  Speaker 1: his jaw. I never heard of any one committing suicide
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 1: that way. It was an accident. I'm positive I don't
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 1: mean suicide, Bob murmured under his breath, looking up at
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: the clock on the wall. I meant something else, but
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: no one heard him. End of Beyond the Door by
• 1:03:46
  Speaker 1: Philip K. Dick, end of the Crystal Crypt and Beyond
• 1:03:51
  Speaker 1: the Door by Philip kay Dick. This recording by phil
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 1: Schinever beat Rouse, Louisiana, May two thousand twelve,