"His Forehead Rested in a Pool of Blood, Surrounded by the Tiny Browning Footprints of the Flies"

"I, Gardener."
By Allen Kim Lang (born 1928; FictionMags HERE; ISFDb HERE; SFE HERE.)
First appearance: Fantastic Science Fiction Stories, December 1959.

Reprinted in Fantastic, April 1969.

Short short story (7 pages).
Online at SFFAudio (HERE) and The Luminist Archives (HERE; go to text page 89).

   "'I was imperfect,' he said."

It has been noted many times that we often fool ourselves into thinking we exercise mastery not only over nature but also ourselves because of our inventions, which will serve to save us from our own folly. But wasn't it a genius inventor who cautioned, "You may live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension"? Because that's just what our narrator is about to experience . . .

Main characters:
~ The narrator (unnamed):
  "I had flown to Boston to sign Doctor Axel Ozoneff to a contract with my new fall television show, 'Point of View'."
~ Doctor Axel Ozoneff:
  ". . . a writer whose byline appeared on the Contents page of a dozen magazines and journals regularly as their copyright notice, and a poet of considerable skill, Dr. Ozoneff 

was besides something of a television personality."
~ The gardener:
  ". . . stared at me as though gauging my sincerity; then he looked for a moment as though his leather face might bend into a smile."

References and resources:
- "a cadre of intellectual fuglemen":
  Formerly a military term that has been broadened: "These days it is used for a person who is a staunch advocate, a cheerleader, a publicist, or a mouthpiece." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "a mystery figure in a Navaho sand-painting":
  "There are 600 to 1,000 different traditional designs for sandpaintings known to the Navajo. They do not view the paintings as static objects, but as spiritual, living beings to be treated with great respect. More than 30 different sandpaintings may be associated with one ceremony." (Wikipedia HERE.)

- "the taxi drive from Logan International Airport":
  A very active place: "[Logan is] an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partially in Winthrop, Massachusetts. It opened in 1923, covers 2,384 acres (965 ha), has six runways and four passenger terminals, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the largest airport in both the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the New England region in terms of passenger volume and cargo handling as well as the busiest airport in the Northeastern United States outside the New York metropolitan area. The airport saw 42 million passengers in 2019, the most in its history." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "the sting of the lilies' sermon missed me":
  A lot of symbolism has been attached to lilies: "In the Victorian language of flowers, lilies portray love, ardor, and affection for your loved ones, while orange lilies stand for happiness, love, and warmth. Lilies are the flowers most commonly used at funerals, where they symbolically signify that the soul of the deceased has been restored to the state of innocence." (Wikipedia HERE.) Is the gardener hinting at something sinister with his comments?
- "why the poet sang his dream of the land where they [lemon-trees] grow":
  A reference to "Mignon" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. (Poetry Nook HERE.)
- "Radioisotopes?":
  "A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that has excess numbers of either neutrons or protons, giving it excess nuclear energy, and making it unstable. . . . Unplanned exposure to radionuclides generally has a harmful effect on living organisms including humans, although low levels of exposure occur naturally without harm. The degree of harm will depend on the nature and extent of the radiation produced, the amount and nature of exposure (close contact, inhalation or ingestion), and the biochemical properties of the element; with increased risk of cancer the most usual consequence." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "Squamous epithelium!":
  "Squamous cells have the appearance of thin, flat plates that can look polygonal when viewed from above. Their name comes from squāma, Latin for 'scale' – as on fish or snake skin. The cells fit closely together in tissues, providing a smooth, low-friction surface over which fluids can move easily." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "The wall of the First Law":
  Supposedly an insuperable prohibition devised by Isaac Asimov: "The First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm." (Wikipedia HERE.)

- "mysteries and science-fiction and textbooks and essays":
  What person could produce such prodigious works? "A prolific writer, he [Isaac Asimov] wrote or edited more than 500 books. He also wrote an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. Best known for his hard science fiction, Asimov also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as popular science and other non-fiction." (Wikipedia HERE.)

- "I am his creature, sir":
  "Victor Frankenstein builds the creature over a two-year period in the attic of his boarding house in Ingolstadt after discovering a scientific principle which allows him to create life from non-living matter. Frankenstein is disgusted by his creation, however, and flees from it in horror. Frightened, and unaware of his own identity, the monster wanders through the wilderness. . . . Enraged, the creature feels that humankind is his enemy and begins to hate his creator for abandoning him. However, although he despises Frankenstein, he sets out to find him, believing that he is the only person who will help him." (Wikipedia HERE.)

- One of the characters in our story easily passes Nilsson's Employment Test: "A machine performs an economically important job at least as well as humans in the same job." (Wikipedia HERE and HERE.)
- Our latest encounter with Asimov and his Laws concerned his story "Mirror Image" (HERE).

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.
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