The Stars My Destination

by Alfred Bester

Foyle ran water, soaked his face, rubbed in shave ointment, and washed the beard off. Then he leaned close to the mirror and inspected himself, unaware that Jisbella’s head was close to his as she too stared into the mirror. Not a mark of tattooing remained. Both sighed. “It’s clean,” Foyle said. “Clean. He did the job.” Suddenly he leaned further forward and inspected himself more closely. His face looked new to him, as new as it looked to Jisbella. “I’m changed. I don’t remember looking like this. Did he do surgery on me too?” “No,” Jisbella said. “What’s inside you changed it. That’s the ghoul you’re seeing, along with the liar and the cheat.” “For God’s sake! Layoff. Let me alone!” “Ghoul,” Jisbella repeated, staring at Foyle’s face with glowing eyes. “Liar. Cheat.” He took her shoulders and shoved her out into the companionway. She went sailing down into the main lounge, caught a guide bar and spun herself around. “Ghoul!” she cried. “Liar! Cheat! Ghoul! Lecher! Beast!” Foyle pursued her, seized her again and shook her violently. Her red hair burst out of the clip that gathered it at the nape of her neck and floated out like a mermaid’s tresses. The burning expression on her face transformed Foyle’s anger into passion. He enveloped her and buried his new face in her breast. “Lecher,” Jiz murmured. “Animal…” “Oh, Jiz…” “The light,” Jisbella whispered. Foyle reached out blindly toward the wall switches and pressed buttons, and the Saturn Weekender drove on toward the as...