Thomas M. Disch by Now Is Forever

Author:Now Is Forever
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-12-13T15:36:26+00:00

Nora Archold, wife of Charles, was embarrassed by her red hair. Although it was her natural color, she suspected that people thought she dyed it. She was forty-two, after all, and so many older women decided to be redheads.

“I like it just the way it is, honey,” Dewey told her. “You’re being silly.”

“Oh, Dewey, I’m so worried.”

“There isn’t anything to worry about. It’s not as though you were leaving him—you know that.”

“But it seems wrong.”

Dewey laughed. Nora pouted, knowing that she looked becoming in a pout. He tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away and went on with her packing—one of a kind of everything she liked. The suitcase was more of a ceremonial gesture than a practical necessity: in one afternoon at the stores, she could have an entire wardrobe Reprostated if she wanted to take the trouble (a kind of trouble she enjoyed taking). But she liked her old clothes—many of which were “originals.” The difference between an original and a Reprostated copy was undetectable even under an electron microscope, but Nora, nonetheless, felt a vague mistrust of the copies—as though they were somehow transparent to other eyes and shabbier.

“We were married twenty years ago, Charlie and me. You must have been just a little kid when I was already a married woman.” Nora shook her head at woman’s frailty. “And I don’t even know your last name.” This time she let Dewey kiss her.

“Hurry up now,” he whispered. “The old boy will be back any minute.”

“It’s not fair to her,” Nora complained. “She’ll have to put up with all the horrible things I have all these years.”

“Make up your mind. First you worry about him; now it isn’t fair for her. I’ll tell you what—when I get home, I’ll Reprostat another Galahad to rescue her from the old dragon.”

Nora observed him suspiciously. “Is that your last name-Galahad?”

“Hurry up now,” he commanded.

“I want you out of the house while I do it I don’t want you to see—the other one.”

Dewey guffawed. “I’ll bet not!” He carried the suitcase to the car and waited, while Nora watched him from the picture window. She looked about the living room once more regretfully. It was a beautiful house in one of the best suburbs. For twenty years it had been a part of her, rather the greater, part. She didn’t have any idea where Dewey wanted to take her. She was thrilled by her own infidelity, realizing at the same time that it made no difference. As Dewey had pointed out to her, life was cheap—a couple bars of carbon and a few quarts of water.

The clock on the wall read 12:30. She had to hurry.

In the Reprostating room, she unlocked the Personal panel on the control board. It was meant only for emergencies, but it could be argued that this was an emergency. It had been Charles’ idea to have his own body Archtyped by the Reprostat. His heart was bad; it could give out at any time, and a personal Archtype was better than life insurance.

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