Page 59 - Tales Apocalyptic and Dystopian

High Tex and the Orbies

had coached Daniel, accordingly. The blood went into a device with a
digital readout. The Orbie scrutinized the results and nodded.
Another hurdle cleared.
Then a question Ottley had not anticipated.
“What do you think of the air in this place?”
Ottley yearned to yell at the man: “What do you expect? We can
barely breathe. Anyone with the slightest respiratory difficulty died in
the first two weeks of the Ecospasm. We live in a permanent pall of
particulate and gaseous pollution!” But he wanted those crackers and
he craved that Spam, so he held his peace.
“Sir,” said Daniel, “I find it very unpleasant, not at all like the air
back home. It took me several days to adjust to the changes I
experienced as we descended to this altitude. I do not know if I could
have made the transition all at once.”
The Orbie grasped the end of his breathing tube and held it out to
Daniel.
“And this?”
Daniel looked the man squarely in the eyes, wiped the mouthpiece
with his sleeve and took a deep breath. Then he exhaled slowly,
frowning a little. “Almost like the mountains on a morning after the
rain,” he said with a broad smile. The Orbie took back the hose,
sprayed it with what Ottley guessed was a disinfectant, and inhaled
sharply.
“Almost? How is it different?”
“Hard to explain, sir. A certain tang is missing, perhaps. Or a
heaviness afterward, as if not everything I breathed in has come out.
But it is very good, sir! I can do very well on that kind of air.”
The Orbie turned to High Tex.
“I will take the boy. The consideration has been deposited in the
shed to the south of this building.”
“It will be as discussed.”
Ottley noted that the Orbie could not appreciate the ambiguity of
the Provisioner’s normal interrogative syntax, nor would High Tex
likely wish to appear doubtful of the Orbie’s intentions.
In a minute the boy had discarded his clothing, submitted with
eyes closed to a thorough disinfectant spraying, and donned a
lightweight coverall similar to the man’s. They started for the door.
Daniel paused and turned toward the two motionless men.

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