Charley de Milo
Page 7
ask you about myarms," he said. "But on the way I started putting things together.Professor, why do people come to side-shows?"
The old man shrugged. "Entertainment," he said.
"Sure, but there are all kinds of entertainment," Charley said. "Likestrong men. There used to be a lot of strong men in carnivals, but therearen't any more. And now I know why. Ed Baylis started to tell me, but I... well, never mind."
"Charley," the old man said. "What do strong men have to do with--"
"Let me tell you, professor," Charley said. "People don't care aboutstrong men any more; there are too many gadgets around. Nobody has to bea strong man; nobody wants to watch one. They're useless. See?"
"Everyone can be his own strong man," the old man said.
"Right," Charley said. "The chain hoist--machines like that--they killedoff the whole act. Years ago. And you've killed off the Armless Wondersand the Legless Wonders, professor. You've done it, all at once."
Professor Lightning shook his head. "I don't see--" he began.
"Anybody can grow new arms," Charley said. "So the man withoutarms--he's not an object of pity any more. He's just some guy whodoesn't want to work. Nobody wants to go and see him; let him grow arms,if he doesn't want to be called a lazy bum. See?"
There was a little silence.
"I see," Professor Lightning said slowly. "Without pity, without astrong sense of identification, there is no audience."
"For me there isn't," Charley said. "Or for anybody like me."
Professor Lightning nodded. "Well," he said. "I hardly meant to ...well, Charley, you came for something else." His face seemed tolengthen. "And I must tell you ... Charley, I have been doing a lot ofwork. I am hardly a professional scientist; I have been away too long."
"But--"
"It is true," Professor Lightning said sadly. "Never mind; I've had myone discovery--how much an accident, no one may ever know. But Ineglected to widen the scope of what I had done; I generalized toorapidly, my boy." He took a deep breath. "The method, the technique, isvery complex," he said. "But imagine it this way: a man comes to NewYork. He explores it. Later, when he goes home, he is asked to draw amap of it--and he can do so, because he has the experience. He has thememory of New York, locked in his mind."
Charley nodded. "What does that have to do with me?" he said.
"The cells ... the cells of the body seem to have such a memory," theprofessor said. "It is the basis of my technique."
Charley nodded. "O.K.," he said "I don't care how it works, so long asit-- It does work, doesn't it?"
The professor shook his head. Very slowly, he said: "Not for you, myboy. Not for you." He paused. "You see, you were born without arms. Insuch a case the cellular memory does not seem to exist--like a man whohas never been to New York. He cannot draw the map. He has no memory tobegin with."
The silence this time was a long one.
At last Charley said: "But somebody could tell him. I mean about NewYork, so he could draw the map."
"Perhaps," the professor said. "We are working on it. Some day--"
"But not today," Charley said. "Is that it?"
"I ... I'm afraid so," the professor said.
Charley sat for a long time, thinking. He pictured the carnival, and theshrinking audiences. Could he explain to them why he couldn't get arms?Would any audience stop to listen and digest the truth? Charley thoughtof the armless man in the Flea Museum, and decided slowly that noexplanation would be good enough. People didn't stop to make smalldistinctions. Not in a sideshow. Not in a carnival.
No.
There was only one thing he could do; he saw that clearly. But it tookhim a long time to find the right words. At last he had them.
"Professor," he said, "suppose I go right back to being a sideshowexhibit--but with a limited audience."
Professor Lightning looked puzzled. "What do you mean?" he said.
"Well," Charley said, carefully and with a sudden, surprising feeling ofhope, "you don't happen to need a new guinea pig, do you?"
THE END
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _Astounding Science Fiction_ May 1959. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.