He was. He had an empty glass before him. Nordenfeld sat down and
dialed for a drink. He had an indefinite feeling that something was
wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it. There are always things
going wrong for a ship's doctor, though. There are so many demands on
his patience that he is usually short of it.
Jensen watched him sip at his drink.
"A bad day?" he asked. He'd gotten over his own tension.
* * * * *
Nordenfeld shrugged, but his scowl deepened. "There are a lot of new
passengers." He realized that he was trying to explain his feelings to
himself. "They'll come to me feeling miserable. I have to tell each one
that if they feel heavy and depressed, it may be the gravity-constant
of the ship, which is greater than their home planet. If they feel
light-headed and giddy, it may be because the gravity-constant of
the ship is less than they're used to. But it doesn't make them feel
better, so they come back for a second assurance. I'll be overwhelmed
with such complaints within two hours."
Jensen waited. Then he said casually--too casually, "Does anybody ever
suspect chlorophage?"
"No," said Nordenfeld shortly.
Jensen fidgeted. He sipped. Then he said, "What's the news from
Kamerun, anyhow?"
"There isn't any," said Nordenfeld. "Naturally! Why ask?"
"I just wondered," said Jensen. After a moment: "What was the last
news?"
"There hasn't been a message from Kamerun in two years," said
Nordenfeld curtly. "There's no sign of anything green anywhere on the
planet. It's considered to be--uninhabited."
Jensen licked his lips. "That's what I understood. Yes."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account