wt.theyearofthequietsun-第25章

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　　Chaney　stopped　by　the　post　office　to　mail　a　postcard　to　an　old　friend　at　the　Indiana　Corporation；　and　found　the　cost　had　climbed　to　ten　cents。　（He　also　made　a　mental　note　not　to　tell　Katrina。　She　would　probably　claim　he　had　fouled　up　the　future。）
　　A　grocery　store　window　was　entirely　plastered　over　with　enormous　posters　proclaiming　deep　price　cuts　on　every　item：　ten　thousand　and　one　cut…rate　bargains　from　wall　to　wall。　Being　a　curious　futurist；　he　walked　in　to　inspect　the　bargains。　Apples　were　selling　at　two　for　a　quarter；　bread　at　forty…five　cents　a　pound　loaf；　milk　at　ninety…nine　cents　a　half　gallon；　eggs　at　one　dollar　a　dozen；　ground　beef　at　a　dollar　and　twenty…nine　cents　a　pound。　The　beef　was　well　larded　with　fat。　He　bent　over　the　meat　counter　to　check　the　price　of　his　favorite　steak　and　discovered　it　was　two　dollars　and　forty…nine　cents　a　pound。　On　an　impulse；　he　paid　ninety　cents　for　an　eight…ounce　box　of　something　called　Moon　Capsules　and　found　them　to　be　vitamin…enriched　candies　in　three　flavors。　The　advertising　copy　on　the　back　panel　claimed　that　NASA　fed　the　capsules　to　the　astronauts　living　on　the　moon；　for　extra　jump…jump…jumping　power。
　　The　store　boasted　an　innovation　that　was　new　to　him。
　　A　customers'　lounge　was　fitted　out　with　soft　chairs　and　a　large　television；　and　Chaney　dropped　into　a　chair　to　look　at　the　colored　glass　eye；　curious　about　the　programming。　He　was　quickly　disappointed。　The　television　offered　him　nothing　but　an　endless　series　of　mercials　featuring　the　products　available　in　the　store；　there　was　no　entertainment　to　break　their　monotony。　He　timed　the　series：　twenty…two　mercials　in　forty…four　minutes；　before　an　endless　tape　began　repeating　itself。
　　Only　one　made　a　lasting　impression。
　　A　splendidly　beautiful　girl　with　glowing　golden　skin　was　stretched　out　nude　on　a　pink…white　cloud；　a　sensuous　cloud　of　smoke　or　wisp　formed　and　changed　and　reformed　itself　to　caress　her　saffron　body　with　loving　tongues　of　vapor。　The　girl　was　smoking　a　golden　cigarette。　She　lay　in　dreamy　indolence；　eyes　closed；　her　thighs　sometimes　moving　with　euphoric　languor　in　response　to　a　kiss　of　cloud。　There　was　no　spoken　message。　At　spaced　intervals　during　the　two　minutes；　five　words　were　flashed　across　the　screen　beneath　the　nude：　Go　aloft　with　Golden　Marijane。
　　Chaney　decided　the　girl's　breasts　were　rather　small　and　flat　for　his　tastes。
　　He　quit　the　store　and　returned　to　his　car；　finding　an　overtime　parking　ticket　fastened　to　the　windshield。　The　fine　was　two　dollars；　if　paid　that　same　day。　Chaney　scribbled　a　note　on　a　page　torn　from　his　notebook　and　put　it　inside　the　envelope　in　lieu　of　two　dollars；　the　ticket　was　then　dropped　into　a　receptacle　fastened　to　a　nearby　meter　post。　He　thought　the　local　police　would　appreciate　his　thought。
　　That　done；　he　wheeled　out　of　the　lot　and　retraced　his　route　toward　the　distant　station。　The　sunset　curfew　was　yet　some　hours　away　but　he　was　done　with　Joliet…　nearly　done　with　1980。　It　seemed　much　colder　and　inhospitable　than　the　temperature　would　suggest。
　　A　state　patrol　car　parked　on　the　outskirts　watched　him　out　of　town。
　　
　　
　　The　gatehouse　was　lighted　on　the　inside　and　occupied　by　an　officer　and　two　military　policemen；　they　were　not　the　same　men　who　had　checked　him　out　earlier　in　the　day　but　the　routine　was　the　same。
　　〃Are　you　ing　on　station；　sir？〃
　　Chaney　looked　across　the　hood　of　his　car　at　the　gate　just　beyond　the　bumper。　〃Yes；　I　thought　I　would。〃
　　〃May　I　see　your　pass　and　identification？〃
　　Chaney　gave　up　the　necessary　papers。　The　officer　read　them　twice　and　studied　the　photograph　affixed　to　one；　then　raised　his　eyes　to　pare　the　photograph　to　the　face。
　　〃You　have　been　visiting　in　Joliet？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃But　not　Chicago？〃
　　〃No。〃
　　〃Did　you　acquire　weapons　while　you　were　off…station？〃
　　〃No。〃
　　〃Very　well；　sir。〃　He　waved　to　the　guard　and　the　gate　was　opened　for　him。　〃Please　drive　through。〃
　　Brian　Chaney　drove　through　and　steered　the　car　to　the　parking　lot　behind　the　laboratory　building。　The　other　two　automobiles　were　absent；　as　was　the　shiny　quarter　marker。
　　He　unloaded　the　paraphernalia　from　his　pockets　and　from　under　his　coat；　only　to　realize　with　dismay　that　he　hadn't　taken　a　single　photograph：　not　one　fuzzy　picture　of　a　scowling　policeman　or　an　industrious　sidewalk　sweeper。　That　omission　was　apt　to　be　received　with　something　less　than　enthusiasm。　Chaney　fitted　a　tape　cartridge　into　the　recorder　and　flipped　open　his　notebook；　he　thought　he　could　easily　fill　two　or　three　tapes　with　an　oral　report　for　Katrina　and　Gilbert　Seabrooke。　His　personal　shorthand　was　brief　to　the　extreme…　and　unreadable　by　anyone　else…but　long　experience　in　the　tank　enabled　him　to　flesh　out　a　report　that　was　a　reasonable　summary　of　the　merce　and　Agriculture　yearbooks。　Facts　were　freely　interspersed　with　opinions；　and　figures　with　educated　guesses；　until　the　whole　resembled　a　statistical　and　footnoted　survey　of　that　which　Seabrooke　wanted：　a　solid　glimpse　forward。
　　On　the　last　tape　he　repeated　all　that　he　remembered　from　the　pages　of　the　Congressional　Record；　and　after　a　pause　asked　Katrina　if　she　knew　what　General　Grinnell　was　doing　now？　The　old　boy　got　around　a　lot。
　　Chaney　left　the　gear　on　the　seat　and　got　out　of　the　car　to　stretch　his　legs。　He　looked　at　the　western　sky　to　measure　the　ing　of　darkness；　and　guessed　that　he　had　an　hour　or　two　before　sunset。　His　watch　read　6：38　but　it　was　two　hours　faster　than　the　clock　in　the　basement；　the　engineering　limit　of　fifty　hours　was　far　away。
　　The　inquisitive　futurist　decided　on　a　tour。
　　Walking　with　an　easy　stride　he　followed　the　familiar　route　to　the　barracks　but　was　surprised　to　find　it　dark…　padlocked。　That　gave　him　pause。　The　building　deserted？　Was　he　gone　from　this　place？　Moresby；　Saltus；　himself；　gone　from　the　station？
　　This　day；　this　hour；　this　now　was　two　years　after　the　successful　tests　of　the　TDV；　two　years　after　the　animals　had　stopped　riding　into　time　and　men　had　taken　their　places；　this　was　two　years　after　the　launching　of　the　field　trials　and　the　scheduled　launch　of　the　Chicago　survey。　All　that　work　was　over　and　done…mission　pleted。　Wasn't　it　then　reasonable　to　assume　the　team　was　disbanded　and　returned　to　their　own　corners　of　the　world？　Moresby；　Saltus；　himself；　now　working　elsewhere？　（Perhaps　he　should　have　sent　that　postcard　to　himself　at　Indic。）
　　Neither　Gilbert　Seabrooke　nor　Katrina　had　ever　dropped　a　hint　of　future　plans　for　the　team；　he　had　assumed　they　would　be　disbanded　when　the　Chicago　probe　was　concluded　and　he　hadn't　considered　staying　on。　He　couldn't　imagine　himself　wanting　to　stay　on。　Well…with　one　reservation；　of　course。　He　would　entertain　the　idea　of　a　probe　into　the　opposite　direction：　it　would　be　sheer　delight　to　poke　and　peer　and　pry　into　old　Palestine　before　the　arrival　of　the　Roman　Tenth　Legion…well　before　their　arrival。
　　He　found　himself　on　E　Street。
　　The　recreation　area　appeared　not　to　have　changed　at　all。　The　post　theater　wasn't　yet　opened；　its　parking　lot　was　empty。　The　officers'　club　was　already　brightly　lit　and　filled　with　music；　but　the　second　club　nearby　for　enlisted　men　was　dark　and　silent。　The　pool　area　was　closed　for　the　winter　and　its　gate　secured　by　a　lock。　Chaney　peered　through　the　fencing　but　saw　nothing　more　than　a　deserted　patio　and　a　canvas　covering　stretched　over　the　pool。　The　chairs　and　benches　together　with　the　tables　and　umbrellas　had　been　stored　away；　leaving　nothing　but　memories　clashing　with　a　cold　November　evening。
　　He　turned　away　from　the　fence　to　begin　an　aimless　wandering　about　the　station。　It　seemed　normal　in　every　respect。　Automobiles　passed　him；　most　of　them　going　to　the　missary；　he　was　the　only　man　on　foot。　The　sound　of　an　aircraft　brought　his　head　up；　his　eyes　searching　the　sky。　The　plane　was　not　visible…he　supposed　it　was　above　the　thickening　cloud　cover…but　he　could　follow　its　passage　by　the　sound；　the　craft　was　flying　an　air　corridor　between　Chicago　and　St。　Louis；　a　corridor　which　paralleled　the　railroad　tracks　below。　In　a　few　minutes　it　was　gone。　A　drop　of　moisture　struck　his　upturned　face；　and　then　another；　the　first　few　flakes　of　promised　snow。　The　smell　of　snow　had　been　in　the