The Project Gutenberg EBook of Manners of the Age, by Horace Brown Fyfe

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Title: Manners of the Age

Author: Horace Brown Fyfe

Illustrator: Marchetti

Release Date: June 10, 2010 [EBook #32764]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MANNERS OF THE AGE ***

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction March 1952.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed.

Manners of the Age

By H. B. FYFE

Illustrated by MARCHETTI

With everyone gone elsewhere, Earth was perfect for gracious
living--only there was nothing gracious about it!

* * * * *

The red tennis robot scooted desperately across the court, its four
wide-set wheels squealing. For a moment, Robert's hard-hit passing
shot seemed to have scored. Then, at the last instant, the robot
whipped around its single racket-equipped arm. Robert sprawled
headlong in a futile lunge at the return.

"Game and set to Red Three," announced the referee box from its high
station above the net.

"Ah, shut up!" growled Robert, and flung down his racket for one of
the white serving robots to retrieve.

"Yes, Robert," agreed the voice. "Will Robert continue to play?"
Interpreting the man's savage mumble as a negative, it told his
opponent, "Return to your stall, Red Three!"

Robert strode off wordlessly toward the house. Reaching the
hundred-foot-square swimming pool, he hesitated uncertainly.

"Weather's so damned hot," he muttered. "Why didn't the old-time
scientists find out how to do something about that while there were
still enough people on Earth to manage it?"

[Illustration]

He stripped off his damp clothing and dropped it on the "beach" of
white sand. Behind him sounded the steps of a humanoid serving robot,
hastening to pick it up. Robert plunged deep into the coolin