Таинственная история Билли Миллигана

           Atfirst,therehadbeenonlythecoreBilly,theonewhowasbomandwhohadthebirthcertificate.Thenhehadbrokenintomanyparts,butallthewhilebehindthesemanypartstherewasapresencewithoutaname—someonethatRagenhadsaidwastheTeacher.Inasense,theunseen,fragmented,spiritlikethingcalledtheTeacherhadcreatedalltheothers,childrenaswellasmonsters—andthereforehealoneboretheresponsibilityfortheircrimes.

           Ifthetwenty-fourpeoplefusedintoone,thatwouldbetheTeacher.ThatwouldbethewholeBilly.Whatwoulditfeellike?Wouldheknowit?Dr.CaulhadtomeettheTeacher.Itwasimportantforthetherapy.AndthewriterneededtheTeacher,too,tolearneverythingthathadhappened...

           Heclosedhiseyesandfeltastrangewarmthflowupfromhislegstohistrunkandouttohisarms,uptohisshouldersandhishead.Hefelthimselfvibratingandpulsing.Helookeddownandsawthespot,thebrightwhitelightthathurthiseyes.Andlookingdown,heknewtheyhadtotakethespot,allofthem,alltogetheratonce,andthentheywereonthespotandhewasonthespotandinthespot...andthroughthespot...falling…hurtlingthroughinnerspace…allthepeopleflowingtogether...slidingtogether...interlocking...

           Andthenhewasouttheotherside.

           Heclaspedhishandsandheldtheminfronttolookatthem.Nowheknewwhyhehadn’tbeencompletelyfusedbefore.Theothershadn’tbeenrevealed.