"_Nap!_ Are you out of your mind? Millions of questions! I'm not the
least bit sleepy!" This was a lie. There must have been something in
the soup, because his eyelids were becoming very, very heavy.
"Well, you can't argue with a woman," he complained peevishly. "Who
ever heard of a woman doctor--a pretty woman doctor...?"
Dr. Lorraine did something to a lever, and the room darkened.
H.D. awoke refreshed and full of vigor, the conversation with Dr.
Lorraine fresh and clear in his mind. He jumped out of bed, and
stumbled, cursing, around in the dark until he finally figured out
where the light would be.
He pushed a lever above the head of his bed, the first of several in a
panel, and light filled the room, varying in strength with the position
of the lever. He did not see the source.
The room was unremarkable in appearance, although he could not identify
the smooth, creamy, _soft_ material of the walls. Of two doors the
outer, to his cursing disgust, was locked. The other opened into a
Rube Goldberg bathroom. After admiring the array of buttons, switches,
cranes and slings, after a little cautious experimentation, H.D. saw
that the design was intended to permit cripples the luxury of a real
bath and toilet.
Wandering back into the bedroom, he idly fiddled with the other levers
in the wall panel with no perceptible results until the last. Then the
entire end wall vanished and he was looking at Chicago.
At where Chicago should have been, at any rate--he could hardly have
said what he expected but what he saw was merely a jungle. From what
seemed a considerable height he could make out little detail in the
mass of growing things.
He could see no other tall buildings, but he was looking toward the
lake and his view was limited. As he strained his eyes he could see a
little of bright winding paths, and graceful little houses buried in
greenery and blossom. No movement caught his eye.
These people must conduct their business elsewhere, he
thought--underground, perhaps, leaving the surface for leisure and
recreation. Garden City indeed! Life must be pleasant here--and it
would soon be his! He fairly itched to make his mark on this Brave New
World.
He turned from his contemplation when he heard the door open. There was
that woman, smiling and inquiring how he'd slept. He'd soon straighten
her out.
"Dr. Lorraine," he said grimly, "why was I locked in?"