Page 12 - Extraterrestrials, Foreign and Domestic

Mrs. Whittle’s Call to Judgement

“Oh. Then what did they intend?” O’Donnell was regaining his
bedside manner.
“To leave us alone. According to Gobleshu, if we had shown
better character, the Entelekons would have helped us solve a lot of
our problems. As it was, they decided we were hopeless. Anyway, it
could have been a lot worse if Jehovah had been judging us, instead:
damnation and hellfire for the sinners.”
The scribe concealed his disappointment. “Well. I think I’ve got all
I need for now, Mrs. Whittle. Thank you very much for your co-
operation. I’ll contact you if the Gazette decides to run your story.”
He rose, ready to point the way to the exit.
“Oh, thank you, Mr. O’Donnell. I feel much better now that I’ve
found someone who would listen to me. Now I can face going
back to the farm alone.”
She gathered up her belongings.
“I almost forgot. When Gobleshu dropped me off he gave me a
little present. Such a sweet thing to do, don’t you think? He really felt
sorry for us.”
She extracted a small black cube from her purse and set it on the
desk. It emitted a soft, silvery tintinnabulation. She regarded the
object.
“He said it contained tiny tuned musical spheres made of
compressed neutrons suspended in an anti-gravitational field, and
that I shouldn’t try to open it up. Does that mean anything to you?
Well, I don’t want it. It was a nice thought, but it makes me feel
creepy to have it around the house. May I leave it with you?”
“Certainly. I will hand it over to the proper authorities, never fear.”
He bowed slightly. “Thank you for dropping by; the Gazette
appreciates your concerns.”
“Good day to you, sir.”
Mrs. Whittle wandered off into the bureaucratic maze, a small
figure clutching a handbag.
Perry sat down and looked at what he’d written. As raw material it
lacked any redeeming qualities. Rather a dull tale concocted by rather
a dull old widow slowly losing her marbles out in the boondocks. He
ripped out the sheet, crumpled it and dropped it in the wastebasket.
Then he noticed the music box.

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