The Lathe of Heaven Page #5

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It's up to us now.

Look, go down to the basement, find the main generator,

put your finger to the on/off button. And if the power fails you push it. Now go on!

I'll be all right, George.

Go ahead it, Haber.

George, something new.

I want you to stop the invasion, George.

Dream peace.

Dream that we are at peace with everyone.

Everyone! Antwerp!

Come on. Come on!

<i>Pardon me.</i>

<i>Do not do to others what you wish others not to do to you.</i>

Of course not. Of course not!

We are attempting to make peaceful arrival, we do not have weapons.

We are nonaggressive, infighting species. Please, tell others.

I can't control the air force. George! George!

Is this a military installation?

No. George! George!

Please, excuse us for the accidental intrusion. Thank you very much.

Well,

that wasn't so bad, was it?

Don't play games with me!

You look scared to death.

I'm just about having it with you, Orr.

This is no joke. I could have been killed!

Were you sure to have thought of that before.

Oh, God damn subconscious twists around everything I say.

He's just an alien. Nice guy, you were talking with him.

Well, I feel good.

I'm starving, I'm gonna get something to eat and find Heather. You want a sandwich?

- What about the invasion? - You've heard him, they are friendly.

Weren't you supposed to make a phone call or something?

Yes, of course!

But to whom?

Well, you know the people in Washington. Tell them to stop shooting at the aliens.

- I'll call Tchaikovsky in HEW. - All right! See you!

Secretary Tchaikovsky, please. Bill Haber calling.

Hello, Nat! Bill Haber here. Fine. Fine.

Listen, Nat, about this alien thing.

I think I've got that figured out.

I hate terrible fish.

How do you feeling?

- I was fine till I ate this. - Aha! There you are!

Well, you get everything straight right now?

- Oh, I'd say so. - Good.

Mmm, dreadful.

Well, we've eliminated war and hunger, but we still can't come up with a decent cup of coffee.

You know, George.

Before all of this alien business I had some good news for you.

Oh, really?

You remember of course, that I gave you my word that I would cure you.

Yeh, he did say that. He did.

I know it's been a very distressing time for you.

But as soon as my Augmentor program is complete you'll be cured.

What would you say, you'll come along with me now and we'll get to work on it.

I don't think so. Not today.

But, George, you can be cured!

- Hey, wait a minute! - Not today...

I have a big surprise for you, George. Just follow me.

You know what I was wrong all of these months was that I was searching for an entity.

An omega-wave. Well there isn't any.

The pattern is formed by a combination of other waves.

Now, over the past few days before hell broke loose I worked it out.

The cycle is 12 seconds. Can you imagine, 12 seconds?

I don't know why I didn't think of that before.

Well, your dream pattern is a complexly synchronized set of emissions

that take exactly 12 seconds to complete their cycle and start again.

It's to an ordinary dream state what a Bach fugue is to a Mary had a little lamb.

I didn't know this was here.

Let me out of here!

George?

- Mh? - My apologies, George.

The greatest good for the greatest number.

All right, George, Now we're going to run a little test.

Only one more access and my Augmentor programming will be complete.

One more. Then you will be superfluous.

And I can get on with the job.

<i>Jor Jor.</i>

<i>Jor Jor.</i>

<i>Damn.</i>

To reprogram his whole last quarter.

Stupid chicken brain of his!

Take him down again, all away!

<i>If help wanted, inquire within.</i>

Power may be controlled only at source.

I'd hate to lose you, George.

But you leave me no choice.

<i>Those whom heaven helps we call the sons of heaven.</i>

<i>They do not reason by using reason.</i>

<i>To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood</i>

<i>is a higher attainment.</i>

<i>Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven.</i>

<i>The lathe of heaven.</i>

<i>Jor Jor.</i>

<i>Jor Jor.</i>

All right, George. We are going to take on a really big one this time.

Something that's been wasting a lot of the world's valuable time.

Racism.

When I say Antwerp

I want you to dream me a world in which there is no color problem.

Where everyone is completely integrated. Antwerp!

You did it, George! You did it the rational way for once you really did!

Your primary purpose was thinking right to the heart of the problem

and made the change biological at absolute!

It was the perfect solution, George!

You were to be congratulated.

All right, back to work.

Now, it's time for our big moment. George.

You're about to have your last effective dream.

Our partnership is almost at an end.

I'm going to give you something you've always wanted -

to be cured.

Dream that you've lost the ability to dream effectively.

Dream me my ultimate Augmentor. Antwerp!

<i>George.</i>

<i>George.</i>

<i>George.</i>

Welcome to Dr. Haber's Palace of dreams.

Congratulations, George. You're the man of the hour. How do you feel today?

- I haven't felt anything for days. - You may go.

Take it easy, George. Take it easy.

I know, I've been working with you very hard.

But I think you agree that was worth the effort.

Besides, today is a momentous occasion.

Well, I don't think that I can take another big day.

George, today I've cured you.

- Don't you have anything to say? - Words fail me.

It's quite simple. You have had your last effective dream.

- Wonderful. - In it...

you dreamed you've lost the ability to dream effectively.

- It's that simple? - It's simple. But not that simple.

My Augmentor here is now complete.

The last piece of the puzzle is in.

- By the way where is he? - Who?

The alien.

There are no aliens here, George.

They are not permitted in this part of the building. They are unnatural.

In fact,

when I begin to dream they are the first thing I'm going to get rid of.

Is that what you've been up to all this time?

That's right, George. The burden is now off your shoulders.

And it on to yours!

You're out of your mind!

Now you listen to me, George Orr!

You come into my office with the greatest power the mankind has ever known

and all you want to do is to be cured of it.

The dreams don't work you tell me. They go wrong you tell me.

Well, there's nothing wrong with the dreams, my friend. The problem lies with the dreamer.

Well, now, George,

you must be tired.

I think you should go home now to get some rest. I'll come down with you.

You are an imperfect instrument, George. You're not a man of vision.

- And you are? - I know what I'm doing.

Scientifically and morally.

After all, I've been controlling your dreams for the past few weeks.

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