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body held in the balance of a dancer or a highly trained athlete, so that a
single movement might have brought him back to his feet.
"I want to grow a new arm," said Paul.
"Yes," saidWarren . He flicked a forefinger toward the phone. "I punched
information for your public file after you called," he said. "You're an
engineer."
"I was," said Paul, and was a little surprised to hearhimself say it, now,
with such a small amount of bitterness.
"You believe in the Alternate Laws?"
"No," said Paul."Truthfully no."
"But you think they might give you an arm back?"
"It's a chance."
"Yes," saidWarren ."An engineer. Hard-headed, practical doesn't care what
makes it work as long as it works."
"Not exactly," said Paul.
"Why bother with the Alternate Laws? Why not justhave a new arm out of the
culture banks grafted on?"
"I've tried that," said Paul. "It doesn't take."
Warrensat perfectly still for a couple of seconds. There was no change in his
face or attitude, but Paul got an impression as if something like a delicately
sensitive instrument in the other man had suddenly goneclick and begun to
register.
"Tell me," saidWarren , slowly and carefully, "the whole story."
Paul told it. As he talked,Warren sat still and listened. During the fifteen
minutes or so it took for Paul to tell it all, the other man did not move or
react. And with no warning, even as Paul was talking, it came to Paul where he
had seen that same sort of concentration before. It was in a bird dog he had
seen once, holding its point, one paw lifted, nose straight and tail in line
with the body, as still as painted Death.
When Paul stopped,Warren did not speak at once. Instead, without moving a
muscle otherwise, he lifted his right hand into the air between them and
extended his forefinger toward Paul. The movement bad all the remote
inevitability of a movement by a machine, or the slow leaning of the top of a
chopped tree as it begins its fall.
"Look,"Warren said slowly, "at my finger. Look at the tip of my finger. Look
closely. Right there at the end of the nail, under the nail, you can see a
spot of red. It's a drop of blood coming out from under the nail. See it
swelling there. It's getting larger. In a moment it'll drop off. But it's
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getting larger, larger "
"No," said Paul. "There's no drop of blood there at all. You're wasting your
time and mine."
Warrendropped his hand.
"Interesting," he said."Interesting."
"Is it?" asked Paul.
"Graduate members of the Chantry Guild," saidWarren , "can't be hypnotized,
either. But you say you don't believe in the Alternate Laws."
"I seem to be a sort of free-lance, then," said Paul.
Warrenrose suddenly from his chair with the single motion Paul had expected.
He walked lightly and easily across the room, turned, and came back.
"In order to resist hypnosis," he said, standing over Paul, "you must make
use of the Alternate Laws, whether you recognize them as such or not. The
keystone of the use of the Alternate Laws is complete independence of the
individual independence from any force, physical or otherwise."
"And vice versa?" asked Paul, smiling.
"And vice versa."Warrendid not smile. He stood looking down at Paul. "I'll
ask you again," he said. "What do you expect me to do for you?"
"I want an arm," said Paul.
"I can't give you an arm," saidWarren . "I can't do anything for you. The use
of the Alternate Laws is for those who would do things for themselves."
"Show me how, then."
Warrensighed slightly. It was a sigh that sounded to Paul not only weary, but
a little angry.
"You don't know what the hell you're asking," saidWarren . "To train whatever
aptitude you have for use of the Alternate Laws, I'd have to take you on as my
apprentice in necromancy."
"Blunt'sbook gave me to understand the Guild was eager for people."
"Why, we are," saidWarren . "We have an urgent need right now for someone
comparable to Leonardoda Vinci. We'd be very glad to get someone with the
qualifications of Milton or Einstein. Of course, what we really need is
someone with a talent no one has conceived of yet a sort of X-Genius. So we
advertise."
"Then you don't want people."
"I didn't say that," saidWarren . He turned and paced the room and came back.
"You're serious about joining the Guild?"
"If it'll get me my arm."
"It won't get you your arm. I tell you, no one can put that arm back but you.
There's a relation between the Alternate Laws and the work of the Guild, but
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