Read Online Into the Slave Nebula by John Brunner - Free Book Online

…” He turned his hand over, palm to the floor, and scowled.
    “I’m told that life on worlds other than Earth isn’t so comfortable as here, sir,” Dordy said.
    “So what?” Horn jumped to his feet and began to pace the room. “I’m wealthy without having asked to be—it just happened when I was born! And I’m miserable! Damn it, I am! I don’t have any purpose in living, never have had, ever seem likely to have!
I’m
never going to have a job like yours where someone might one day come along and say, ‘Well done, I want to pay you back for everything!’ I’m just going to occupy the well-worn grooves of a career laid down for me before my father got married, and when I die no one will be able to remember whether I did this or that, or whether my father or my grandfather worked it all out and just ordered me to get on with it. And I can’t stand it any longer!”
    Dordy seemed to be debating within himself. After a while he too got up, straightening his smart formal clothing with quick twitches.
    “In that case, Mr. Horn, you needn’t worry any longer about your transport. It’s waiting for you as soon as you’re ready to leave.”

CHAPTER VII
    I N D ORDY’S OFFICE was a big taciturn android with a blunt chin, wearing the coarse overalls of a general service technician. As Horn, still trying to make sense of what had happened, accompanied Dordy into the room, this android rose automatically to his feet, then gave him a searching look and switched his eyes to Dordy.
    “Him?” he said in a neutral tone that came within an ace of being disparaging.
    “Yes, of course!” Dordy snapped. “Mr. Horn, this is Berl. He’s with the municipal service department. He’s off duty tonight, and has access to a heli in which he can take you home.”
    Uncomfortable, Horn said, “Well, there isn’t any need for that, you know. I can fly a heli if you can loan one to me.”
    “With all the continental guide-beams turned off for overhaul?” Berl grunted, and added belatedly, “Sir!”
    “Why—no! I mean, are they? I didn’t realize.”
    “Sure they are. Carnival’s the best chance we get to withdraw public service equipment from regular use and check it out. At that there’s a lot of work to cram into one week, even working around the clock. Maybe it would be a good idea to double the length of carnival, give a bit more elbow-room.”
    There was a faint hissing sound from beyond the door, then a sharp report, and a crash as though a pile of crocks had been dropped. “Excuse me,” said Dordy wearily, and went to see what had happened. Horn waited for his return, very conscious of Berl’s scrutiny but unable to say anything.
    Dordy was only out for a short time, however, and came back with a frown. “Boy with some fireworks,” he announced. “He was here last night too—full of the carnival spirit. He blew the foot off a robot waiter with that one. I hope his family can stand the bill they’re going to get next week! What was that you were saying about wanting carnival to go on longer, Berl?”
    The blue-skinned men exchanged glances full of mutual comprehension; Horn felt oddly left out of the exchange. Then Berl shrugged.
    “Well, life’s like that. Okay, Mr. Horn, let’s go. You won’t find my heli very comfortable, I’m afraid—the only place I could borrow from was the wreck-salvage section. But it has just been thoroughly checked, so you can rely on it getting you where you want to go.”
    Horn turned awkwardly to Dordy. “I don’t quite know how to say thanks,” he muttered. “You told me money isn’t any good, but if there’s anything at all I can—”
    Dordy raised his hand. “Androids don’t have to be thanked any more than they have to be paid, Mr. Horn. You just go where that booklet of Lars Talibrand’s leads you. You can do it. I wouldn’t be allowed to.”
    Berl gave a sound halfway between a grunt and a laugh, and waited impatiently by the door for Horn to join