New Folks' Home: And Other Stories (The Complete Short Fiction of Clifford D. Simak Book 6) by Clifford D. Simak Page B

looked around the room. “And now,” he said, “I fear that you must go.” He looked at Ann. “I did what you wanted me to do, didn’t I?”
    She nodded. “You are turning us out?” she asked.
    “Call it that if you wish,” said Carter. “I have work to do. A great deal of work to do. One of the reasons I came to Mad-Man’s was to be alone.”
    “Now look here, mister,” said Carter bluntly. “It’s a long pull up Mad-Man’s. A longer pull back to our igloo. You aren’t turning us out without a chance to rest, are you?”
    “He’s crazy,” said Smith. “He’s always been crazy. He’s sane only half of the time. Don’t pay any attention to him.”
    Carter paid Smith no attention. He addressed Charley. “You won’t have to walk back,” he said. “My rocket ship is out there. Take it.” He chuckled. “You needn’t bother bringing it back. I’ll give it to you.”
    “But, uncle,” cried Ann. “What about yourself?”
    “Don’t worry about me,” Carter told her. “I won’t need it. The Ghosts can take me any place I want to go upon a moment’s notice. I’ve outgrown your silly rocket ships. I’ve outgrown a lot of things.”
    He swept his arm about the room, pointed at the globe of brilliant fire that hung suspended between floor and ceiling.
    “Pure energy,” he said. “In there atoms are being created. Millions of horsepower are being generated. An efficient, a continual source of power. Enclosed in a sphere of force waves, the only thing that would stand the pressure and temperature inside the sphere.”
    He ceased speaking, looking around.
    “That’s only one of the things I’ve learned,” he said. “Only one of the things. The Ghosts are my teachers, but given time I will be their master.”
    There was a wild light of fanaticism in his eyes.
    “Why, man,” said Kent, “you will be hailed as the greatest scientist the world has ever known.”
    The man’s eyes seemed to flame. “No, I won’t,” he said, “because I’m not going to tell the world. Why should I tell the world? What has mankind ever done for me?” His laughter bellowed and reverberated in the domed room. “Find out for yourselves,” he shouted. “Go and find out for yourselves. It will take you a million years.”
    His voice calmed. “The Ghosts are almost immortal,” he said. “Not quite—almost. Before I am through with this, I will be immortal. There is a way. I almost have it now. I will become a Ghost—a super-Ghost—a creature of pure force. And when that happens, the Ghosts and I will forsake this worn-out world. We will go out into the void and build a new world, a perfect world. We will live through all eternity and watch and laugh at the foolish strugglings of little people. Little people like mankind.”
    The four of them stared at him.
    “You don’t mean this, Howard,” protested Smith. “You can’t mean it.”
    The wild light was gone from Carter’s eyes. His voice boomed with mockery. “You don’t think so, John?” he asked.
    He reached into his shirt front, pulled out something that shone in the light of the radium bulbs. It was a key, attached to a string hung around his neck. He pulled the loop over his head, handed the key to Kent.
    “The key to the rocket ship,” he said. “The fuel tanks are nearly full. You fly her at a 30-degree angle out of here to miss the cliffs.”
    Kent took the key, turned it awkwardly in his hands.
    Carter bowed ceremoniously to them, still with that old trace of mockery. “I hope you have a fine trip,” he said.
    Slowly they turned away, heading for the door.
    Carter called after them.
    “And you might tell anyone you see not to try to come into Mad-Man’s. Tell them something unpleasant might happen.”
    Charley turned around. “Mister,” he said, “I think you’re batty as a bed-bug.”
    “Charley,” declared Carter, “you aren’t the first one to say that to me. And maybe … well, sometimes, I think, maybe you are