Chapter 3

           Theoldmanwipedthetearsawayonhisgrimyknucklesandtookupthetaleinatremulous,pipingvoicethatsoonstrengthenedashegottheswingofthenarrative. 

           “Itwasinthesummerof2013thatthePlaguecame. Iwastwenty-sevenyearsold,andwelldoIrememberit. Wirelessdespatches—” 

           Hare-Lipspatloudlyhisdisgust,andGranserhastenedtomakeamends. 

           “Wetalkedthroughtheairinthosedays,thousandsandthousandsofmiles. AndthewordcameofastrangediseasethathadbrokenoutinNewYork. TherewereseventeenmillionsofpeoplelivingtheninthatnoblestcityofAmerica. Nobodythoughtanythingaboutthenews. Itwasonlyasmallthing. Therehadbeenonlyafewdeaths. Itseemed,though,thattheyhaddiedveryquickly,andthatoneofthefirstsignsofthediseasewastheturningredofthefaceandallthebody. Withintwenty-fourhourscamethereportofthefirstcaseinChicago. Andonthesameday,itwasmadepublicthatLondon,thegreatestcityintheworld,nexttoChicago,hadbeensecretlyfightingtheplaguefortwoweeksandcensoringthenewsdespatches—thatis,notpermittingthewordtogoforthtotherestoftheworldthatLondonhadtheplague. 

           “Itlookedserious,butweinCalifornia,likeeverywhereelse,werenotalarmed. Weweresurethatthebacteriologistswouldfindawaytoovercomethisnewgerm,justastheyhadovercomeothergermsinthepast. Butthetroublewastheastonishingquicknesswithwhichthisgermdestroyedhumanbeings,andthefactthatitinevitablykilledanyhumanbodyitentered.