Read Online Dayworld by Philip José Farmer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Philip José Farmer
Ads: Link
to speed, took the car at its top velocity of forty miles an hour. Horn had arranged that the signal lights would be green for them all the way to the house on Bleecker Street. Caird did not know what excuse she might have to give for this special treatment, but he was sure that she would think of something reasonable.
Five blocks from his house, Caird told the driver to turn off the siren. If Castor should be in the house, he should not be frightened away. On the other hand, it might be better if he were. He might be prevented from doing whatever he might have in mind—if he was there.
At Caird’s order, the driver slowed the car down during the final block and stopped it two buildings from Caird’s house.
It was 11:22 P.M.
Caird got out of the car and said, “You can go now. There’s an emergency stoner shelter at 200 Bleecker. You have eight minutes, plenty of time, to get there.”
“Yes, sir, I know,” the driver said. “Good night, sir.”
Caird said good night and watched him drive off. He walked toward his house. The two guards were gone, of course. There were no lights in the house. This might mean that Ozma had decided that he was staying in an emergency shelter or in an extra stoner in a precinct station. She could already be in her cylinder. Or ... someone else had turned the lights off and was waiting for him.
That someone could only be Castor. He would know that the front room light would come on as soon as Caird’s ID tip entered the front door slot. Castor might have turned the light off with the manual switch, but then he would know that Caird would suspect that something was wrong.
Instead of going onto the front porch, Caird walked along one side of the house, the weapon in one hand, a flashlight in the other, looking for signs of breaking and entering. He saw nothing suspicious, and the back door was locked. He went to the other side and moved slowly, looking for signs of entry there. Nothing. As he walked back to the rear, the lights in the house began flashing, and he could hear, faintly, the siren moaning inside it.
It was now 11:30.
All over the city, all over this time zone, in every inhabited building, lights were flashing and sirens were moaning. And so were the street lights and sirens.
The seniors and the juniors now had less than five minutes to enter their stoners before power was applied to them. If they had not gone into them by now, and most had, because of lifelong conditioning, they should hurry, hurry. Never mind if they had to go to the toilet. Never mind if some were in the midst of having a baby. Never mind what. Get into the stoner.
Those cylinders with closed doors would automatically get the power. Those with open doors would not. From 11:30 to 11:35 P.M. was a grace period. A citizen could still get into one and close the door and be stoned sixty seconds later. After that, no power until next Tuesday at fifteen minutes after midnight, and that was destoning power, which had a field quite different from the stoning power.
The lights and the sirens lasted for sixty seconds and would be the last warning of three. At 11:00, when Caird had been traveling south on the Manhattan streets, the lights had blinked and the sirens had whooped. Fifteen minutes later, the second citywide warning had occurred.
Before the lights in the house had darkened again, Caird was at the back door and had inserted the ID tip in the slot. He had the door open before the warning was over. If Castor was inside, he would not be able to distinguish the entry warning light from the others. But, as soon as the warning lights quit, he would see the flashing orange light above the door in the front room. And he would know that someone was entering the back door. Unless Caird got in in time to close the back door.
He did so, and the hall and front room lights went out. The kitchen light stayed on, though it no longer blinked. He walked down the hall with his weapon set at maximum charge. The hall
Five blocks from his house, Caird told the driver to turn off the siren. If Castor should be in the house, he should not be frightened away. On the other hand, it might be better if he were. He might be prevented from doing whatever he might have in mind—if he was there.
At Caird’s order, the driver slowed the car down during the final block and stopped it two buildings from Caird’s house.
It was 11:22 P.M.
Caird got out of the car and said, “You can go now. There’s an emergency stoner shelter at 200 Bleecker. You have eight minutes, plenty of time, to get there.”
“Yes, sir, I know,” the driver said. “Good night, sir.”
Caird said good night and watched him drive off. He walked toward his house. The two guards were gone, of course. There were no lights in the house. This might mean that Ozma had decided that he was staying in an emergency shelter or in an extra stoner in a precinct station. She could already be in her cylinder. Or ... someone else had turned the lights off and was waiting for him.
That someone could only be Castor. He would know that the front room light would come on as soon as Caird’s ID tip entered the front door slot. Castor might have turned the light off with the manual switch, but then he would know that Caird would suspect that something was wrong.
Instead of going onto the front porch, Caird walked along one side of the house, the weapon in one hand, a flashlight in the other, looking for signs of breaking and entering. He saw nothing suspicious, and the back door was locked. He went to the other side and moved slowly, looking for signs of entry there. Nothing. As he walked back to the rear, the lights in the house began flashing, and he could hear, faintly, the siren moaning inside it.
It was now 11:30.
All over the city, all over this time zone, in every inhabited building, lights were flashing and sirens were moaning. And so were the street lights and sirens.
The seniors and the juniors now had less than five minutes to enter their stoners before power was applied to them. If they had not gone into them by now, and most had, because of lifelong conditioning, they should hurry, hurry. Never mind if they had to go to the toilet. Never mind if some were in the midst of having a baby. Never mind what. Get into the stoner.
Those cylinders with closed doors would automatically get the power. Those with open doors would not. From 11:30 to 11:35 P.M. was a grace period. A citizen could still get into one and close the door and be stoned sixty seconds later. After that, no power until next Tuesday at fifteen minutes after midnight, and that was destoning power, which had a field quite different from the stoning power.
The lights and the sirens lasted for sixty seconds and would be the last warning of three. At 11:00, when Caird had been traveling south on the Manhattan streets, the lights had blinked and the sirens had whooped. Fifteen minutes later, the second citywide warning had occurred.
Before the lights in the house had darkened again, Caird was at the back door and had inserted the ID tip in the slot. He had the door open before the warning was over. If Castor was inside, he would not be able to distinguish the entry warning light from the others. But, as soon as the warning lights quit, he would see the flashing orange light above the door in the front room. And he would know that someone was entering the back door. Unless Caird got in in time to close the back door.
He did so, and the hall and front room lights went out. The kitchen light stayed on, though it no longer blinked. He walked down the hall with his weapon set at maximum charge. The hall
Similar Books
