FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   >>  
singers. She'll take pride in being a good worker, she'll raise as many children as she'll be capable of bearing, and she'll have a good husband and a prosperous farm. That wouldn't have satisfied her before. It will now. And she's better for it and so is Deneb." Dr. Hoyt shook his head. "It's all upside down." "You'll get used to it. Why not take today off and explore Denebia? You need a rest after all those months in space." "Maybe I will," said Dr. Hoyt vaguely, slightly anesthetized. "Good." Dr. Kalmar buzzed for Miss Dupont. "Send in the next patient, please. Oh, and Dr. Hoyt is taking the day off." * * * * * But the young assistant was stunned into staying by the huge size of the Social Control file that was carried by the next patient, Mr. Fallon, and his wife. "I know just what you're thinking, Dr. Kalmar!" cried Mrs. Fallon distractedly, but with a nervously bright smile. "Those awful Fallons again! I don't blame you a bit, but--" As a matter of fact, that was exactly what Dr. Kalmar was thinking, plus the defeated feeling that they were all he needed to make the day complete. "Good Lord, what's in all those files?" Dr. Hoyt exclaimed. Dr. Kalmar could have explained, but he didn't feel up to it. Mr. Fallon, a wispy, shyly affable, poetic-looking chap, did it for him. "Papers," he said. "I know that, but why so many?" Dr. Hoyt asked impatiently. Miss Dupont seemed wryly amused as she watched his consternation. "I guess you might say it's because I can't make my mind up," confessed Mrs. Fallon with an uneasy giggle. She was a big woman who might have gurgled over a collection of toy dogs on Earth, but here she was a freight checker and her husband was a statistician in the Department of Supply, though on Earth he might have been anything from a composer to a social worker. "No matter how often we rephysical Harry, I always get tired of his looks in a few months." "And how often has that been done?" Dr. Hoyt demanded. "I think it's eleven times. Isn't that right, dear?" "No, sweet," said Mr. Fallon. "Thirteen." Dr. Kalmar could have interrupted, but he considered it wiser to let his assistant learn the hard way. Miss Dupont was enjoying it too much to interfere. "We've made him tall and we've made him short, skinny, fat, bulging with muscle, red hair, black hair, blond hair, gray hair--I don't know, just about everything in the book," said
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   >>  



Top keywords:

Fallon

 
Kalmar
 

Dupont

 
patient
 

months

 

assistant

 
thinking
 

matter

 

husband

 

worker


freight

 
checker
 

Department

 

statistician

 

Supply

 

social

 

composer

 
collection
 

amused

 

watched


consternation

 

confessed

 

rephysical

 

gurgled

 

uneasy

 
giggle
 
children
 

skinny

 
interfere
 

enjoying


bulging
 

muscle

 

singers

 

demanded

 
eleven
 

considered

 

interrupted

 

Thirteen

 
capable
 

Social


staying

 
stunned
 

Control

 

distractedly

 

satisfied

 
carried
 

explore

 
vaguely
 

slightly

 

anesthetized