And Then the Town Took Off

ut whatever was inside the brief case was too big. Cavalier had given him a room to himself at one end of a dormitory and he'd taken

eople moving generally toward a squat building, and other people going in random directions. The first were students going to breakfast, he supposed, and the others were fa

shivered as he stepped outdoors. It was crisp, if not freezing, and his breath came out visibly. First he'd eat,

th a tray for juice, eggs and coffee. He saw no one he knew, but as he was looking f

," she said. "Wo

unloading his tray.

miss. I'm Alis-that's A-l-i-s, not A-l-i-c-e-Garet.

messenger. What an unusual nam

two of us I'd have had a fifty-fifty chance of going to OSU. As it is,

to manipulate knife and fork without knocking th

better order them scrambled tomorrow. Yes, Cavalier. H

Thanks. As for tomorrow, I ho

riddle. You don't; you get down from ducks.

re interested at the mom

tated, like ev

et, as if somebody hoisted a whole patc

liberate, that seems to be a matter of opini

know there

is is an extra. Ed Clark must have been up all night getting

ed at the

Get

eccentric, like everybody

to him a capricious treatment o

dvised not to. It's a long way down. Where Superior was surrounded

to stay well away from the edge. The law of gravity seems to have been repealed for the town but

I don't see anything ab

him and said, "It's not on page one. Ed Clark and Mayor Civek don't get al

er way, took a sip of coffee,

s Secession

the rest of the world in a plastic shatter-proof bottle, said today that S

avalier Institute has been held up to global derision by orthodox (presumably meaning accredited) colleges and univer

of Cavalier which the editor (a) does not understand; (b) lacks space to publish; and which (i

eginning to like

e's about the only one in to

at he levitated Superior o

sixteen. I had a science teacher in high school-not in Superior, incidentally-who gave me all kinds of embarrassing qu

ou, Miss Garet

ribed the figure as outstanding. She had mocking eyes, a pert nose and a mouth of such moist red softness that it seemed perpetually

Alis," she said.

ned. "Go

ast. How old ar

had for twenty-six

want another cup of coffee, I'll g

pelled an advance that hadn't been made, and this morning a blonde was apparently making a

w-was that we can stroll out to where Superior used to be attached t

t don't you ha

clock. But I'm a demon class-cutter, which is why I'

e train was standing there with nowhere to go. It had been abandoned

sked when he saw them. "

. He introduced him to Alis Ga

do?" the con

ave breakfast," Alis said. "Nobody

ed as how he might j

night but before the train stopped I thought

aid. "That's right. I

ll poured off the edge by now? W

turn on the faucet and there's w

oursing along b

about the sa

me on; let's foll

s of a cornfield, with the withered stalks cut down, then there was nothing. There was South Creek surging along, th

going?" Don asked. "

. Rain for the

all dried up by now. I

You'll f

d. He stopped a yard from the brink and waited for a spell of dizziness to pass. The Earth w

he laughed uncertainly,

Don said. He stretched out on his stomach

t reach the edge. He gave another wriggle and the fingers of his right hand clos

u feel?" A

courage back I'll pic

lly took hold of his ankle and held it tight. "

ay, here we go." He l

ha

lear. Do you have

rolled and Don had to grab to keep it from going over the edge. Alis gave a little shriek.

He held it out beyond the edge and peered into it, focusing it on the e

Then where

t's going into a well, or a vertic

y?

ing back." He inched away from the edge, then got up and brushed hims

r end of

act

f it. They had about two miles to go, past South Creek Bridge-which used to lead to Ladenburg, Alis said-past R

consider the source of the creek, they found a w

with each end at the edge and tarpaulins strung behind it so they could

comes in spur

t's bein

sources of water for Superior. Electrical charge in fence is sufficient to

, besides the faucet in

aid. "People fish there but

tirely within t

n't k

if I took a rowboat out on it

't be there holding your a

past the electrified fence at t

" she said. "I wonder if th

est at all. I mean, how do we know Superior is maintain

ell by the

guess we're not high enough to see very far. If we were

ould make out UAL on the underside of a wing. As it turned they imagined they could see faces peering out of the wind

"now we know that they know. Maybe we'll begin to get

ed the arm she was holding. "

o. But if I don't get out of this handcuff soon so I can take a

pped, still holding his arm, and he turned so they were fac

easant kiss when the brief case at the en