C. M. Kornbluth by The Space Merchants

Author:The Space Merchants [Merchants, The Space]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-11-21T23:06:26+00:00

on the floor, companero,” he said, and I flashed it on the floor. The concrete was marked wilh lines lhal looked accidental, bul which guided Herrera’s feel. We inched forward, and I wondered vividly whal would happen if the Gallon whislle sprang a leak …

After about two thousand years of inch-by-inch progress my light flashed on a crescent of metal. Herrera piped the bubble over it, and il became a disk. Still pumping, he slamped three limes on il. Il flipped open like a manhole. “You firsl,” he said, and I dived inlo il, not knowing or caring whether the landing would be hard or soft. It was soft, and I lay there, shuddering. A moment laier Herrera landed beside me and ihe manhole above clapped shul. He stood up, massaging his arm. “Hard work,” he said. “I pump and pump that thing and I don’l hear il. Some day il’s going lo slop working and I won’l know ihe difference until-” He grinned again.

“George Groby,” Herrera inlroduced me. “This is Ronnie Bowen.” He was a short, phlegmatic consumer in a fronl-office suil. “And ihis is Arluro Denzer.” Denzer was very young and nervous.

The place was a well-lighted little office, all concrele, with air regeneralors. There were desks and communication equipmenl. Il was hard lo believe that the only way to get in was barred by thai mouniain of protoplasm above. Il was harder lo believe lhal ihe squeak of inaudibly high-frequency sound waves could goad lhal insensale hulk inlo moving aside.

Bowen look over. “Pleased lo have you wilh us, Groby,” he said. “Herrera says you have brains. We don’l go in a greal deal for red lape, but I wanl your profile.”

I gave him Groby’s profile and he look it down. His mouth tighlened with suspicion as I lold him the low educational level. “I’ll be frank,” he said. “You don’l lalk like an uneducaled man.”

“You know how some kids are,” I said. “I spenl my time reading and viewing. Il’s lough being righl in the middle of a family of five. You aren’i old enough lo be respected and you aren’t young enough to be the pel. I fell kind of losl and I kepi irying lo better myself.”

He accepted il. “Fair enough. Now, whal can you do?”

“Well … I think I can write a better conlacl sheel lhan you use.”

“Indeed. Whal else?”

“Well, propaganda generally. You could slari stories going

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