A Thousand Deaths Read Online Free PDF Page A

noticed any difference. Surely no one voiced any objection.
    It seemed that no one had been instructed to meet Courane. After a moment he realized that there was no good reason to expect that anyone should. He went to a uniformed CAS guard and asked for directions. "Just check in over there at the TECT desk," said the man with a yawn. Courane carried his bag across the polished floor.
    "Good morning," he said. He dropped the bag beside him.
    A young woman with curly pink hair looked up at him. She was drinking a cup of coffee and reading a romance novel on the microfiche reader. "It's almost lunchtime," she said.
    "My name is Sandor Courane. I was told to report here at noon."
    The woman grimaced and slipped the novel fiche out of the reader. "You don't have a ticket then?"
    "No," he said in some embarrassment. "You see, I—"
    Her eyes widened. "I know who you are! You're being exiled!"
    The word surprised Courane. He didn't like it at all. "Exiled? My father said I was being expatriated."
    "Whatever. Oh, wait a minute. I have a friend at the package claim who wanted me to make sure to call her when you came in. This is just terrific. Will you sign my book? It's for my mother, really. She always has me ask people to sign the book if they're in the news or anything like that."
    Courane just wanted to get on with it, but he had to go through the entire embarrassing scene. People came from all over the substation to look at him, to point at him and whisper and laugh. Soon he begged to be allowed to walk through the portal and get away from the crowd.
    "Will you look at this guy" she said, shaking her head. "He actually sounds like he's in a hurry. Say, how does it feel?"
    "Awful," he said. He looked around resentfully at the mob surrounding the desk.
    "I mean, screwing up as bad as you did. I can't imagine it."
    "It was easier than you might think," he said.
    "Easy for you, honey," she said. "Still, shipping you away from Earth forever. That seems a little harsh. It's not like you robbed a bank or anything."
    "It's for your own good," said Courane. "I'm a menace in my own way. I take without giving, and the community at large can't allow that."
    "When you put it that way, I see your point. Why do you do it, then? You look like a nice boy. Was it your parents? Was it something that happened to you as a child?"
    "Yes," he said. "A woman at an information counter once said something to me, and it affected the rest of my life."
    "What did she say?"
    "She was giving me directions and she said, 'You can't miss it.' I took that as a direct challenge and I determined to get lost. I succeeded, and I didn't stop there. Until TECT put an end to my career, I was quickly becoming a legendary failure. A failure of mythic proportions. And I owe it all to her. You have that potential, too, Miss. Someday you may inspire someone to abandon everything and ruin his life."
    She seemed transported by the idea. "Do you really think so?"
    Courane studied her and nodded slowly. "I don't doubt it for a moment," he said. "It must be almost time."
    She checked her watch. "It is," she said. "Just follow the yellow line to the portal. You'll have to identify yourself to the operator, but from then on I'm told it's easy. Good luck."
    "That way?"
    "That way," she said. "You can't miss it."
    There wasn't a trace of humor in her voice. She didn't realize what she had said.
    Courane left her and pushed his way through the crowd of curious people. They cheered him, but he paid no attention. He followed the yellow line to the portal. The gate wasn't very impressive to look at, much like the metal detectors used by the airlines. There was a small door set into a wall of cinder blocks, apparently leading outside to the parking lot. Courane produced his identification, let the operator examine his single bag of belongings, and turned to take his last look at the planet of his birth. He wondered if he ought to make a final statement, some brave word to be remembered