And where the hell
was Ballard? That they must kill the orderly was clear, but it must be
done in such a way..... Damn him! His sudden appearance had undone a
scheme so perfect it would have solved everything. "Everything!"
But his wrath was wasted here, and he knew it. He let his great body
slide down to the hard, unyielding floor. And for all the anguish it
cost him, he knew he must remain there until the furor of his body had
lessened, and his thoughts become more tenable. Then he would act with
swift resolution. Or so he imagined.
For Ballard, in his ponderous and short-sighted way, had reached a
very different conclusion. Though unable to weigh the full
consequences of such a choice, he had decided that the days of his
master's dominance were numbered, and that it was time to abandon him.
"I'm me own master now," he said aloud. "Now I
decide who lives, and who don't."
So rising slowly, with plans of his own passing through him in the
dark, he descended the remaining steps, and approached at last the
final landing---the broad level space before the massive door.
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