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She answered at once. On seeing him, her plump face brightened. Father John! I was just about to call
you! I mean, Anna! She was supposed to be through with her shopping and here a half-hour ago. I
thought maybe she forgot and came home instead.
She's not here.
Maybe she took her caller off for some reason and forgot to put it back on. You know how she
is, a little absentminded sometimes, especially since she's been thinking about the baby. Oh, good
heavens, Alice is crying! I have to go now! But do call back when you find Anna! Or I'll tell her to call
you as soon as she gets here!
Carmody at once phoned Rheinkord's Fashion Shop. The clerk told him that Mrs. Carmody had
left about fifteen minutes ago.
Did she by any chance say where she was going?
Yes, Father. She did mention she was going to the hospital for a minute. She wanted to give
some comfort to Mr. Augusta; she said he hasn't been doing very well since his accident.
Carmody sighed relief and said, Thank you very much. He called the Way Station of St. Jairus
and got immediate attention. The monitor looked a little awed at seeing the founder of the hospital
himself.
Mrs. Carmody left five minutes ago, Father. No, she didn't say where she was going.
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Carmody called Mrs. Rougonback. You'll have to forego your chat, I'm afraid. Tell my wife she's
to call me immediately; it's very important.
He disconnected but still was not satisfied. Why could he not get her on the caller? A malfunction
in the instrument? Possible but not very likely. A caller did not wear out and had no discrete parts to go
wrong. It could be put out of commission only by something like a sledgehammer blow. But it could be
left off. Perhaps Mrs. Rougon was right. Anna could have removed it before washing her hands, although
soap and water or even sonics would not harm the device. Then she could have forgotten to replace it.
There was the possibility that a thief had taken the caller, since men stole even now in a land of
plenty, always for a reason sufficient to them.
He returned to his packing. Anna would not like the helterskelter folding or his choice of her
clothes, but there was no time for her to dally over her wardrobe.
The first case filled and shut, he started on the second. The phone rang. He dropped the blouse
he was folding. Eagerly, he spoke the activating code and walked up to the screen even though it was not
necessary. He liked to be close to anybody he talked to, even if over a phone, and especially he wanted
nearness with Anna.
The face of a city policeman appeared. Carmody grunted, and his belly shrank inward as if a
knife had struck it.
Sergeant Lewis, Father, the policeman said. I'm sorry. . . but I have bad news. . . about your
wife.
Carmody did not reply. He stared at the heavy craggy face of Lewis, noting at the same time,
with complete irrelevance, that a bushfly was buzzing about Lewis' head. He thought, We'll never get rid
of them. All of 22nd-century science is at hand, yet bushflies and other creeping, crawling creatures
multiply themselves and divide our attentions, despite all human efforts. . . .Her tattoo was blown off, so
we can't officially identify her, even if her face is recognizable, and she's been identified by some of her
friends who were there, the sergeant was saying. I'm terribly sorry, but you will have to come down and
make it official.
Carmody said, What? and then the policeman's words sank home. Anna had left the hospital in
her car. A few blocks away, a bomb under the driver's seat had gone off. Only the upper part of her
body was left, and at least one arm must be gone, if the identity tattoo was destroyed.
Carmody said, Thank you, sergeant, I'll be right down. He walked away from the phone and into
the living room. The cardinal, seeing his pale face and sagging posture, jumped up from his seat, knocking
his glass off the table with a crash.
Dully, Carmody told Faskins what had happened.
The cardinal wept then. Later, when Carmody came out of his shock, he knew that he had seen
into the depths of Faskins' love for him, for it was said by all that Faskins had no more juice in him than
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