ENDGAME ENIGMA by James P. Hogan

Author:James P. Hogan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY

The warm, dry summer had done wonders for Myra's health, and by the middle of August her face had regained its color and filled out again. "Yeah,

I figure you'll last a few more years yet, at least," Foleda told her approvingly as they sat sipping iced orange juice at a sunshaded table on the veranda at the back of the house.

"Doesn't she look so much better," Ella said from where she was sitting with her legs dangling in the pool, watching Johnny and two other boys of about his age from along the street playing in the water on the far side. "You look like a brand-new woman, Mother."

"I feel like one," Myra replied.

"See," Foleda said. He always managed to look outrageous on his days off, and on this occasion was wearing Bermuda shorts of a deafening tartan, sunglasses, and a straw hat. It reminded Ella of pictures she had seen of Churchill in some of his wartime outfits. "That's what having an attentive husband does for you."

"Are you going to let him get away with that, Mother?" Ella asked Myra.

"Sure, if it works both ways," Myra said. "Because I score higher. I mean, look at the state of him. He hasn't had a day sick for years."

"And people always think that kind of work is so stressful. You're a fraud, Dad -- and living off us taxpayers, too."

"Nonsense. I work hard all the time. It's the best deal you people ever got -- worth every penny."

"How come no heart attacks, then?"

"The light heart and inner tranquility that come from being honest." Myra laughed delightedly. "How can you possibly mean it, Bernard? What about the fuss you had last week with the attorney general over that Argentinean minister's hotel suite your people bugged?"

"Hell," Foleda grunted. "I said honest, not legal."

A call-tone came from the screenpad lying by the tray on the table. Myra picked it up and acknowledged. It was Randal, Ella's husband, from inside the house. "Is Bernard there?" he asked. Myra passed the pad over.

"What?" Foleda said.

"There's a news item just coming in about that Russian space colony you're always interested in," Randal told him.

"Tereshkova?"

"Yes. I thought maybe you'd like to see it right away.... Or I could store it for later."

"No, I'd like to see it now," Foleda said. He started to get up.

"Want me to put it through on the pad out there?"

"No, I'll come inside. Why spoil the party?"

A bright-red beach ball bounced on the surface of the water and bobbed against the poolside, with Johnny splashing after it. "Where are you going, Grandpa?" he called up.

"Just inside for a minute."

"Ask them, they'll know," one of Johnny's friends said, coming across behind him.

"We'll know what?" Ella asked them.

"Which did come first, the chicken or the egg?"

"Ask your grandma," Ella answered. Johnny looked at Myra.

"Ask your grandfather," Myra said.

"Didn't they teach you at school that birds evolved from reptiles?"

Foleda said as he made to leave.

"Sure."

"Well, there's your answer: dinosaurs were laying eggs before there were any chickens.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.