Schizophrenic
Jones holding the arms of his first body. He looked down at himself. Yes, he was in a body, too, and he was wearing red linen pants. This body didn't seem quite as solid as his first, but solid enough. He looked up at Mrs. Jones triumphantly.

He was surprised to see her drawing back with her mouth open like the hole in the disintichute. Her eyes were sticking out and her eyebrows were almost up to her hair.

"Oh! He-he split!" she shrieked. "He-he's got two bodies!"

Tommie was very amused at her antics. He looked over and smiled at his mother but she too was staring at him with something like horror.

Then Mrs. Jones did something Tommie couldn't understand. She went to his mother and put her arms around her and cried and said, "Oh, my dear, I'm so sorry for you. I didn't know you had this burden. All of us have our crosses to bear—the atomic age has left such dreadful marks on civilization—but, oh my dear!" She let out a hearty bawl, and Tommie quit being amused and began to be very disgusted. She looked at him from under one arm, half afraid, he thought, and then she turned back to Tommie's mother. "My dear! A schizo—schizo—"

"Schizophrenic," said Tommie Number One helpfully.

"Split personality," Mrs. Jones sputtered. "But physically! Oh, my da—"

Tommie's mother was disengaging herself. "Why don't you go home and make yourself a nice cup of hot tea, with maybe just a touch of—" She hesitated.

"Arsenic," Tommie thought promptly. He became one little boy again.

"Ar—" She caught herself and looked at Tommie, horrified. "Just a touch of brandy," she said.

Mrs. Jones looked bewildered. Oh, this was fun, thought Tommie. He'd known for some time that he could mentally suggest things for his parents to say, but he'd never tried it so openly before. He knew one thing, though. He'd better be plenty careful with this power, or he'd get walloped. In fact as he thought about it, he didn't feel too sure about the arsenic deal.

Mrs. Jones retired in confusion, and Tommie went back to the sun-energy set. But when his father and mother were both outside, and mother was saying as if she were shocked, "Yes, he definitely split in two. I saw him with my own eyes."


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