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diff --git a/29139.txt b/29139.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4524222 --- /dev/null +++ b/29139.txt @@ -0,0 +1,573 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of No Pets Allowed, by M. A. Cummings + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: No Pets Allowed + +Author: M. A. Cummings + +Release Date: June 17, 2009 [EBook #29139] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NO PETS ALLOWED *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + _M. A. Cummings (Monette to her friends) returns with another + hauntingly persuasive story of a Tomorrow that may not be as + gleaming as we hope. Her recent story, THE WEIRDIES, apparently + delighted some and startled others--and this in Los Angeles! What's + happening there?_ + + + no + pets + allowed + + _by M. A. CUMMINGS_ + + + He didn't know how he could have stood the four months + there alone. She was company and one could talk to her ... + + +I can't tell anyone about it. In the first place, they'd never believe +me. And, if they did, I'd probably be punished for having her. Because +we aren't allowed to have pets of any kind. + +It wouldn't have happened, if they hadn't sent me way out there to work. +But, you see, there are so many things I can't do. + +I remember the day the Chief of Vocation took me before the council. + +"I've tried him on a dozen things," he reported. People always talk +about me as if I can't understand what they mean. But I'm really not +_that_ dumb. + +"There doesn't seem to be a thing he can do," the Chief went on. +"Actually, his intelligence seems to be no greater than that which we +believe our ancestors had, back in the twentieth century." + +"As bad as that?" observed one of the council members. "You do have a +problem." + +"But we must find something for him to do," said another. "We can't have +an idle person in the State. It's unthinkable." + +"But what?" asked the Chief. "He's utterly incapable of running any of +the machines. I've tried to teach him. The only things he can do, are +already being done much better by robots." + +There was a long silence, broken at last by one little, old council +member. + +"I have it," he cried. "The very thing. We'll make him guard of the +Treasure." + +"But there's no need of a guard. No one will touch the Treasure without +permission. We haven't had a dishonest person in the State for more than +three thousand years." + +"That's it, exactly. There aren't any dishonest people, so there won't +be anything for him to do. But we will have solved the problem of his +idleness." + +"It might be a solution," said the Chief. "At least, a temporary one. I +suppose we will have to find something else later on. But this will give +us time to look for something." + +So I became guard of the Treasure. With a badge. And nothing to +do--unless you count watching the Key. The gates were kept locked, just +as they were in the old days, but the large Key hung beside them. Of +course, no one wanted to bother carrying it around. It was too heavy. +The only ones who ever used it, anyway, were members of the council. As +the man said, we haven't had a dishonest person in the State for +thousands of years. Even I know that much. + +Of course, this left me with lots of time on my hands. That's how I +happened to get her in the first place. I'd always wanted one, but pets +were forbidden. Busy people didn't have time for them. So I knew I was +breaking the Law. But I figured that no one would ever find out. + +First I fixed a place for her, and made a brush screen, so that she +couldn't be seen by anyone coming to the gates. Then, one night, I +sneaked into the forest and got her. + +It wasn't so lonely after that. Now I had something to talk to. She was +small when I got her--it would be too dangerous to go near a full grown +one--but she grew rapidly. That was because I caught small animals and +brought them to her. Not having to depend on what she could catch, she +grew almost twice as fast as usual, and was so sleek and pretty. Really, +she was a pet to be proud of. + +I don't know how I could have stood the four months there alone, if I +hadn't her to talk to. I don't think she really understood me, but I +pretended she did, and that helped. + +Every three or four weeks, three of the council members came to take a +part of the Treasure, or to add to it. Always three of them. + +That's why I was so surprised one day, to see one man coming by +himself. It was Gremm, the little old member, who had recommended that I +be given this job. I was happy to see him, and we talked for a while, +mostly about my work, and how I liked it. I almost told him about my +pet, but I didn't, because he might be angry at me for breaking the Law. + +Finally, he asked me to give him the Key. + +"I've been sent to get something from the Treasure," he explained. + +I was unhappy to displease him, but I said, "I can't let you have it. +There must be three members. You know that." + +"Of course, I know it. But something came up suddenly, so they sent me +alone. Now, let me have it." + +I shook my head. That was the one order they had given me--never to give +the Key to any one person who came alone. + +Gremm became quite angry. + +"You idiot," he shouted. "Why do you think I had you put out here? It +was so I could get in there and help myself to the Treasure." + +"But that would be dishonest. And there are no dishonest people in the +State." + +"For three thousand years. I know." His usually kind face had an ugly +look I had never seen before. "But I'm going to get part of that +Treasure. And it won't do you any good to report it, because no one is +going to take the word of a fool like you, against a respected council +member. They'll think you are the dishonest one. Now, give me that Key!" + +It's a terrible thing to disobey a council member. But if I obeyed him, +I would be disobeying all the others. And that would be worse. + +"No!" I shouted. + +He threw himself upon me. For his size and age, he was very +strong--stronger, even, than I. I fought as hard as I could, but I knew +I wouldn't be able to keep him away from the Key for very long. And if +he took the Treasure, I would be blamed. The council would have to think +a new punishment for dishonesty. Whatever it was, it would be terrible, +indeed. + +He drew back and rushed at me. Just as he hit me, my foot caught upon a +root, and I fell. His rush carried him past me, and he crashed through +the brush screen beside the path. I heard him scream twice, then there +was silence. + +I was bruised all over, but I managed to pull myself up and take away +what was left of the screen. There was no sign of Gremm, but my +beautiful pet was waving her pearl-green feelers as she always did in +thanks for a good meal. + +That's why I can't tell anyone what happened. No one would believe that +Gremm would be dishonest. And I can't prove it, because she ate the +proof. + +Even if I did tell them, no one is going to believe that a fly-catcher +plant--even a big one like mine--would actually be able to eat a man. + +So they think that Gremm disappeared. And I'm still out here--with her. +She's grown so much larger now, and more beautiful than ever. + +But I hope she hasn't developed a taste for human flesh. Lately, when +she stretches out her feelers, it seems that she's trying to reach me. + + + + +Transcriber's Note: + + This etext was produced from _Fantastic Universe_ August 1957. + Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. + copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and + typographical errors have been corrected without note. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of No Pets Allowed, by M. A. Cummings + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NO PETS ALLOWED *** + +***** This file should be named 29139.txt or 29139.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/1/3/29139/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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