The Parallel Man (17 page)

The other Casmir frowned thoughtfully. “We’re different men, that I know. I think, for one thing that you’re more reflective than I and I’m more inclined to act before I think. I wish we had Mortifer’s records; I suspect that our differences started even back in those identical environments. But of course we’re far more like than unlike; closer than brothers, closer than twins. For better or worse we’ll grow more unlike our prototype; he never had a parallel Casmir. As for whether you and I ever come into conflict I find it hard to imagine but I don’t know.”

“If we do,” I said, looking up at the stars, “we can arrange that our paths don’t cross at the same place at the same time. It’s a big universe, big enough for. . . what can you call us?. . . a parallel man.”

oooOooo

 
Scanned and proofed by Amigo da Onça