'Maybe not yet? but soon. You are now looking at the main entrance of the magnificent Sans Souci Hotel, Gem of the Gulf, whose management is in no way responsible for this hunted fugitive and who have cooperated with the authorities throughout according to a statement just issued by Chief of Police Davis. And while we're waiting to see what will happen, a few high lights in the strange career of this half-human monster raised on Mars-'
The live scene was replaced by quick cuts of stock shots: The Envoy blasting off years earlier, the Champion floating upwards silently and effortlessly under Lyle Drive, Martians on Mars, the triumphant return of the Champion, a quick of the first faked interview with the 'Man from Mars'-'What do you think of the girls here on Earth?' 'Gee!'-a quicker shot of the conference in the Executive Palace and the much publicized awarding of a doctorate in philosophy, all with rapid-fire commentary.
'See anything, Patty?'
'Michael is at the top of the steps, the crowd is at least a hundred yards away, being kept off the hotel grounds. Duke has grabbed some pix and Mike is waiting to let him change lenses. No hurry.'
Happy Holliday Went on, as the tank shifted to the crowd, semi-close and panning: 'You understand, friends, that this wonderful community is in a unique condition today. Something strange has been going on and these people are in no mood to trifle. Their laws have been flouted, their security forces treated with contempt, they are angry, righteously so. The fanatic followers of this alleged antichrist have stopped at nothing to create turmoil in a futile effort to let their leader escape the closing net of justice. Anything can happen-anything!'
The announcer's voice climbed: 'Yes, he's coming out now - he's walking toward the people!' The scene cut to reverse; Mike was walking directly toward another camera. Anne and Duke were behind him and dropping farther behind. 'This is it! This is it! This is the blow-off'.'
Mike continued to walk unhurriedly toward the crowd until he loomed up in the stereo tank in life size, as if he were in the room with his water brothers. He stopped on the grass verge in front of the hotel, a few feet from the crowd. 'You called me?'
He was answered with a growl.
The sky held scattered clouds; at that instant the sun came out from behind one and a shaft of golden light hit him.
His clothes vanished. He stood before them, a golden youth, clothed only in his own beauty - beauty that made Jubal's heart ache, thinking that Michelangelo in his ancient years would have climbed down from his high scaffolding to record it for generations unborn. Mike said gently, 'Look at me. I am a son of man.'
The scene cut for a ten-second plug, a line of can-can dancers singing:
'Come on, ladies, do your duds!
In the smoothest, yummiest suds!
Lover Soap is kind to hands-
But be sure you save the bands!'
The tank filled completely with foamy suds amid girlish laughter and the scene cut back to the newscast: 'God damn you!' A half brick caught Mike in the ribs. He turned his face slightly toward his assailant. 'But you yourself are God. You can damn only yourself? and you can never escape yourself.'
'Blasphemer!' A rock caught him just over his left eye and blood welled forth.
Mike said calmly, 'In fighting me, you fight yourself? for Thou art God and I am God? and all that groks is God - there is no other.'
More rocks hit him, from various directions; he began to bleed in several places. 'Hear the Truth. You need not hate, you need not fight, you need not fear. I offer you the water of life-' Suddenly his hand held a tumbler of water, sparkling in the sunlight. '-and you may share it whenever you so will? and walk in peace and love and happiness together.'
A rock caught the glass and shattered it. Another struck him in the mouth.
Through bruised and bleeding lips he smiled at them, looking straight into the camera with an expression of yearning tenderness on his face. Some trick of sunlight and stereo formed a golden halo back of his head. 'Oh my brothers, I love you so! Drink deep. Share and grow closer without end. Thou art God.'
Jubal whispered it back to him. The scene made a five-second cut:
'Cahuenga Cave! The night club with real Los Angeles smog, imported fresh every day. Six exotic dancers.'
'Lynch him! Give the bastard a nigger necktie!' A heavy-gauge shotgun blasted at close range and Mike's right arm was struck off at the elbow and fell. It floated gently down, then came to rest on the cool grasses, its hand curved open in invitation.
'Give him the other barrel, Shortie - and aim closer!' The crowd laughed and applauded. A brick smashed Mike's nose and more rocks gave him a crown of blood.
'The Truth is simple but the Way of Man is hard. First you must learn to control yourself. The rest follows. Blessed is he who knows himself and commands himself, for the world is his and love and happiness and peace walk with him wherever he goes.' Another shotgun blast was followed by two more shots. One shot, a forty-five slug, hit Mike over the heart, shattering the sixth rib near the sternum and making a large wound; the buckshot and the other slug sheered through his left tibia five inches below the patella and left the fibula sticking out at an angle, broken and white against the yellow and red of the wound.
Mike staggered slightly and laughed, went on talking, his words clear and unhurried. 'Thou art God. Know that and the Way is opened.'
'God damn it - let's stop this taking the Name of the Lord in vain!'- 'Come on, men! Let's finish him!' The mob surged forward, led by one bold with a club; they were on him with rocks and fists, and then with feet as he went down. He went on talking while they kicked his ribs in and smashed his golden body, broke his bones and tore an ear loose. At last someone called out, 'Back away a little so we can get the gasoline on him!'
The mob opened up a little at that warning and the camera zoomed to pick up his face and shoulders. The Man from Mars smiled at his brothers, said once more, softly and clearly, 'I love you.' An incautious grasshopper came whirring to a landing on the grass a few inches from his face; Mike turned his head, looked at it as it stared back at him. 'Thou art God,' he said happily and discorporated.
XXXVIII
FLAME AND BILLOWING SMOKE came up and filled the tank. 'Golly!' Patty said reverently. 'That's the best blow-off ever used.'
'Yes,' agreed Becky judicially, 'the Professor himself never dreamed up a better one.'
Van Tromp said very quietly, apparently to himself: 'In style. Smart and with style - the lad finished in style.'
Jubal looked around at his brothers. Was he the only one who felt anything? Jill and Dawn were seated each with an arm around the other - but they did that whenever they were together; neither one seemed disturbed. Even Dorcas was dry-eyed and calm.
The inferno in the tank cut to smiling Happy Holiday who said, 'And now, folks, a few moments for our friends at Elysian Fields who so graciously gave up their-' Patty cut him off.
'Anne and Duke are on their way back up,' she said. 'I'll let them through the foyer and then we'll have lunch.' She started to leave.
Jubal stopped her. 'Patty? Did you know what Mike was going to do?'
She seemed puzzled. 'Huh? Why, of course not, Jubal. It was necessary to wait for fullness. None of us knew.' She turned and left.
'Jubal-' Jill was looking at him. 'Jubal our beloved father please stop and grok the fullness. Mike is not dead. How can he be dead when no one can be killed? Nor can he ever be away from us who have already grokked him. Thou art God.'
''Thou art God,'' he repeated dully.
'That's better. Come sit with Dawn and me - in the middle.'
'No. No, just let me be.' He went blindly to his own room, let himself in and bolted the door after him, leaned heavily with both hands gripping the foot of the bed. My son, oh my son! Would that I had died for thee! He had had so much to live for? and an old fool that he respected too much had to shoot off his yap and goad him into a needless, useless martyrdom. If Mike had given them something big-like stereo, or bingo - but he gave them the Truth. Or a piece of the Truth. And who is interested in Truth? He laughed through his sobs.
