As he stood with a throng of people trying to flag down a flycar Yellow cab he noticed a blind beggar standing off to one side, an ancient, white-haired, very large man wearing soiled clothing; the old man held a cup."Elias," Herb Asher said.
Going over to him he regarded his old friend. Neither of them spoke for a time and then Elias Tate said, "Hello, Herbert."
"Rybys told me you often take the form of a beggar," Herb Asher said. He reached out to put his arms around the old man, but Elias shook his head.
"It is Passover," Elias said. "And I am here. The power of my spirit is too great; you should not touch me. It is all my spirit, now, at this moment."
"You are not a man," Herb Asher said, awed.
"I am many men," Elias said. 'it's good to see you again. Emmanuel said you would be released today."
"The boy is all right?"
"He is beautiful."
"I saw him," Herb Asher said. "Once, a while ago. In a vision that-" He paused. "Jehovah sent to me. To help me."
"Did you dream?" Elias asked.
"About Rybys. And about you as well. About everything that happened. I lived it over and over again."
"But now you are alive again," Elias said. "Welcome back, Herbert Asher. We have much to do."
"Do we have a chance? Do we have any real chance?"
"The boy is ten years old," Elias said. "He has confused their wits, scrambled up their thinking. He has made them forget. But-" Elias was silent a moment. "He, too, has forgotten. You will see. A few years ago he began to remember; he heard a song and some of his memories came back. Enough, perhaps, or maybe not enough. You may bring back more. He programmed himself, originally, before the accident."
With extreme difficulty Herb Asher said, "He was injured, then? In the accident?"
Elias nodded. Somberly.