A Handful of Darkness (22 page)

“We’ll get you,” Carnap said. “And all your psychotic figments along with you.”

“I doubt if any of my psychotic figments” are worried. Grunberg wasn’t. I don’t think Marjorie is—”

“We’ve already begun demolition preparations,” Carnap said calmly. “We’ll do it piece by piece, not all at once. So you may have the opportunity to appreciate the scientific and—
artistic
way we take your imaginary world apart.”

“You’re wasting your time,” Miller said. He turned and walked off, down the pavement, to the gravel path and up on to the front porch of his house.

In the living-room he, threw himself down in the easy chair and snapped on the television set. Then he went to the kitchen and got a can of ice cold beer. He carried it happily back into the safe, comfortable living-room.

As he was seating himself in front of the television set he noticed something rolled up on the low coffee table.

He grinned wryly It was the morning newspaper, which he had looked so hard for. Marjorie had brought it in with the milk, as usual. And of course forgotten to tell him. He yawned contentedly and reached over to pick it up. Confidently, he unfolded it—and read the big black headlines.