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Our ancestors were much smaller than we are, on average. Blues are also
much meaner and more vindictive. If humans do anything they don't like,
they are very quick to take corrective measures. They prefer much more
active herd management than the majority of us. And they hate humans.”
“Did you say ‘herd’ management?”
“Flock, population, whatever. Judicious
application of disease or toxins to weed out culls. Manipulation of data
and records to achieve desired outcomes. That kind of thing.”
“So what color are you?”
“Oh, I'm slightly green but the general
population is all kinds of colors. Only the Blues are pure colored.”
“They were running the government and
something bad happened?”
“They had a wild idea that they tried
to implement in secret. Luckily it fell apart and they were ousted from
control. If we can find this woman, everything will be okay.”
“Well, I'm just about finished. I'll
lay the prints out on the kitchen counter in about fifteen minutes. I
will expect a few days of peace and quiet in return, if you don't mind.”
 he washed up everything
in the darkroom and turned out the lights. Leaving the still damp prints
as promised, she went upstairs and began getting ready for bed. She could
hear Henry asking something but couldn't hear over the sound of her toothbrushing.
“What?”
“Do you think you could recognize her?”
“Who?”
“Her! The woman in the photographs.”
“Are you looking at the pictures?”
“Of course I'm looking at the pictures!”
“Henry, those pictures are not all
of the same woman.”
“Well, could you identify either of
them?”
“Those are six different women. Can't
you see at all?”
“I can't tell you people apart! I can
tell if you are young or old, or healthy or sick, but otherwise, you all
look the same to me.”
“So what in the world did you want
the photos for, then?”
“You can find her for us.”
“Henry, there are six women there,
none of whom I've ever seen before in my life.”
“Which one do you think would be his
wife?”
“How the hell should I know. Though
if I had to take a really wild, flying guess, I'd say she'd the one who
doesn't have incredibly large breasts and has most of her clothes on.”
“All human females have large mammary
glands.”
“There's a difference between large
and mammoth.”
“They all look the same to me.”
“You and the ‘Bobs’ look
the same to me.”
“They were over an inch shorter than
me!”
“A whole inch! Those women have breasts
that are over a foot larger than normal.”
“I would have guessed one of them
was the wife because they are displaying mating behavior.”
“You are very observant, Henry. I'm
sure he was married to all six. Say ‘goodnight’ and lock the
door on your way out.”
In bed, she read for almost an hour.
The little pool of light from her bedside lamp was the only illumination
in an ocean of darkness.
 f Henry had been
annoying in the past, he was demented from that night on. His only goal
in life seemed to be to compel her to look for the woman with the ‘normal
glands’. Edna asked him dryly if he wouldn't let her look for one
of the others; she was sure she could spot any one of the five at a hundred
yards with one eye closed.
“She works in the store where you get
food. Just give her this envelope. That's all you have to do.” He
had a sealed manila envelope.
“If you know she works there why can't
you find her yourself?”
“We monitor data and information. We
eavesdrop on all communications to her friends and relatives. We watch
their houses. She does not live in one place for more than a few days.
She has not visited her known acquaintances. The only thing we do know
is that at this time she works at this grocery store. We know she's there
but we can't tell which one she is.”
“If I find her, will you leave me alone
after that?”
“Oh yes. Well, of course I'm in quarantine
here for three months but I will be very quiet.”
“Three months!! Nobody asked
me!”
“You read Oscar's report. It's that
or die. Anyway, I was here for months before you saw me. There are tons
of us in the big cities. We are all around you when you go to town. You
must identify this person for us. Aren't you concerned that all those
people will die if you don't help us?”
“Oh stop. I may believe in your existence
but that doesn't mean I'll believe your ridiculous stories.”
He started to say something but paused
and then said “Everything I have told you is the truth.”
“I don't think you are telling
the truth about this woman.”
“You-you-you mu-mu-must...”
Edna couldn't stand it when he got
excited and started yelling at her. “I'll think about it. Just leave
me alone for a while.”
cont. on page seventeen
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