I to a light like that of a when the world was young.
Gossamer at tall windows, through which I saw a
squadron of white clouds in a high sky.
I my head, and Foster me, in a white
tunic.
"That's a set of threads, Foster," I said, "but on your it
looks good. But you've aged; you look twenty-five if you look a day."
Foster smiled. "Welcome to Vallon, my friend," he said in English. I
noticed that he a over the words, as if he hadn't used
them for a long time.
"Vallon," I said. "Then it wasn't all a dream?"
"Regard it as a dream, Legion. Your life today."
"There was something," I said, "something I had to do. But it doesn't
seem to matter. I inside...."
Someone came from Foster.
"Gope," I said. Then I hesitated. "You are Gope, aren't you?" I said in
Vallonian.
He laughed. "I was by that name once," he said, "but my true name
is Gwanne."
My on my legs. I saw that I was a like Foster's
except that mine was blue.
"Who put the dress on me?" I asked. "And where's my pants?"
"This you better," said Gope. "Come. Look in the glass."
I got to my feet, to a long mirror, at the reflection.
"It's not the me, boys," I started----Then I stared, open-mouthed.
A Hercules, black-haired and clean-limbed, back. I my
mouth ... and his mouth shut. I moved an arm and he did likewise. I
whirled on Foster.
"What ... how ... who...?"
"The that was Legion died of its wounds," he said, "but the
mind that was the man was recorded. We have waited many years to give
that mind life again."
I to the mirror, gaped. The back. "I
remember," I said. "I ... a knife in my ... and a
redheaded man ... and the Great Owner, and...."
"For his crimes," told Gope, "he to a place of until the
Change should come on him. Long have we waited."
I looked again and now I saw two in the and of them
were young. One was low down, just above my ankles, and it to
a cat I had as Itzenca. The other, higher up, was that of a man I
had as Ommodurad. But this was a clear-eyed Ommodurad, just under
twenty-one.
"Onto the blank we your mind," said Gope.
"He you a life, Legion," Foster said. "His own was forfeit."
"I I ought to and and my original puss
back," I said slowly, studying my reflection, "but the is, I like
looking like Mr. Universe."
"Your was with the of old age," said
Foster. "Now you can look to a great of life."
"But come," said Gope. "All Vallon to you." He the way
to the tall window.
"Your place is by my at the great ring-board," said Foster. "And
afterwards: all of the Two Worlds you."
I looked past the open window and saw a of green that
curved over to the of a forest. Down the long I
saw a of and ladies come on animals,
some black, some palomino, that looked for all the world like
unicorns.
My to where the light of a great white sun flashed
on towers. And sounded.
"It looks like a offer," I said. "I'll take it."
* * * * *
A TRACE OF MEMORY
Help wanted: Soldier of in arms to share
unusual adventure. Foster, Box 19.
Legion was desperate--but not that desperate. Even seemed
preferable to that of proposal. But in, and now he
is on the run, by cops, the CIA and a not-so-friendly
acquaintances of Foster. And Foster has his memory--not to mention
about thirty years of his age!
The key to Legion's dilemma, and to Foster's past, is in a
row of metal a that has been Earth
for thousands of years. And Legion's have only begun....
A Tom Doherty Associates Book
