The only familiar thing was the coffee, which was like boiled tar. The cream was in tiny blue specks and definitely came from no cow. I wished I could have observed someone, to see how to eat all this, but apparently the time for breakfast was over, because I was alone. Small plates, crescent-shaped, contained steaming masses from which protruded things like matchsticks, and in the middle was a baked apple; not an apple, of course, and not matchsticks, and what I took for oatmeal began to rise at the touch of a spoon. I ate everything; I was, it turned out, ravenous, so that the nostalgia for bread (of which there was not a trace) came to me only later, as an afterthought, when the robot appeared and waited at a distance.
“What do I pay?” I asked it.
“Nothing, thank you,” it said. It was more a piece of furniture than a mannequin. It had one round eye of crystal. Something moved about inside, but I could not bring myself to peer into its stomach. There was not even anyone for me to tip. I doubted that it would understand me if I asked it for a paper; perhaps there were none now. So I went out shopping. But first I found the travel agency — a revelation. I went in.
The large hall, silver with emerald consoles (I was getting tired of these colors), was practically empty. Frosted-glass windows, enormous color photographs of the Grand Canyon, the Crater of Archimedes, the cliffs of Deimos, Palm Beach, Florida — done in such a way that, looking at them, one had the impression of depth, and even the waves of the ocean moved, as if these were not photographs but windows opening onto actual scenes. I went to the counter with the sign EARTH.
Sitting there, of course, was a robot. This time a gold one. Rather, gold-sprinkled.
“What can we do for you?” it asked, It had a deep voice. If I closed my eyes, I could have sworn that the speaker was a muscular, dark-haired man.
“I want something primitive,” I said. “I’ve just returned from a long journey, a very long one. I don’t want too much comfort. I want peace and quiet, water, trees, there could be mountains, too. Only it should be primitive and old-fashioned. Like a hundred years ago. Do you have anything like that?”
“If you desire it, we must have it. The Rocky Mountains. Fort Plumm. Majorca. The Antilles.”
“Something closer,” I said. “Yes… within a radius of a thousand kilometers. Is there anything?”
“Clavestra.”
“Where is that?”
I had noticed that I had no difficulty conversing with robots, because absolutely nothing surprised them. They were incapable of surprise. A very sensible quality.
“An old mining settlement near the Pacific. The mines have not been in use for almost four hundred years. Interesting excursions on walkways underground. Convenient ulder and gleeder connections. Rest homes with medical care, villas to rent, with gardens, swimming pools, climate conditioning; our local office organizes all kinds of activities, excursions, games, social gatherings. Also available — real, moot, and stereon.”
“Yes, that might suit me,” I said. “A villa with a garden. And there has to be water. A swimming pool, you said?”
“Naturally, sir. A swimming pool with diving boards. There are also artificial lakes with underwater caves, a well-equipped facility for divers, underwater shows…”
“Never mind about the shows. What does it cost?”
“A hundred and twenty ets a month. But if you share with another party, only forty.”
“Share?”
“The villas are very spacious, sir. From twelve to eighteen rooms — automatic service, cooking done on the premises, local or exotic, whichever you prefer…”
“Yes. I just might ... all right. My name is Bregg. I’ll take it. What is the name of the place? Clavestra? Do I pay now?”
“As you wish.”
I handed it my calster.
It turned out that only I could operate the calster, but the robot was not in the least surprised by my ignorance. More and more I was beginning to like them. It showed me what I had to do so that only one disc, with the correct number stamped on it, came out. The numbers in the windows at the top were reduced by the same amount, showing the balance of the account.
“When can I go there?”
“Whenever you wish. At any moment.”
“But — with whom am I sharing the villa?”
“The Margers. He and she.”
“Can you tell me what sort of people they are?”
“Only that they are a young married couple.”
“Hm. And I won’t disturb them?”
“No. Half of the villa is up for rent, and you will have an entire floor to yourself.”
“Good. How do I get there?”
“By ulder would be best.”
“How do I do that?”
“I will have the ulder for you on the day and hour you designate.”
“I’ll phone from my hotel. Is that possible?”
“Certainly, sir. The payment will be reckoned from the moment you enter the villa.”
When I left, I already had the vague outline of a plan. I would buy books and some sports equipment. Most important were the books. I should also subscribe to some specialized journals. Sociology, physics. No doubt a mass of things had been done in the past hundred years. And yes, I had to buy myself some clothes.
But again I was sidetracked. Turning a corner, I saw — I didn’t believe my eyes — a car. A real car. Perhaps not exactly as I remembered it: the body was designed all in sharp angles. It was, however, a genuine automobile, with tires, doors, a steering wheel, and behind it stood others. Behind a large window; on it, in big letters: ANTIQUES. I went inside. The owner, or salesman, was a human. A pity, I thought.
“May I buy a car?”
“Of course. Which one would you like?”
“Do they cost much?”
“From four hundred to eight hundred ets.”
Stiff, I thought. Well, antiques weren’t cheap.
“And can one travel in it?” I asked.
“Naturally. Not everywhere, true — there are local restrictions — but in general it’s possible.”
“And what about fuel?” I asked cautiously, for I had no idea what lay beneath the hood.
“No problem there. One charge will last you for the life of the car. Including, of course, the parastats.”
“All right,” I said. “I would like something strong, durable. It doesn’t have to be big, just fast.”
“In that case I would suggest this giabile or that model there…”
He led me down a big hall, along a row of machines, which shone as if they were really new.
“Of course,” the salesman continued, “they can’t compare with gleeders, but, then, the automobile today is no longer a means of transportation…”
What is it, then? I wanted to ask, but said nothing.
“All right,” I said, “how much does this one cost?” I pointed to a pale blue limousine with silver recessed headlights.
“Four hundred and eighty ets.”
“But I want to have it at Clavestra,” I said. “I have rented a villa there. You can get the exact address from the travel office, here, on this street.”
“Excellent sir. It can be sent by ulder; that will not cost anything.”
“Really? I’ll be going there by ulder.”
“Give us the date, then, and we will put it in your ulder. That would be simplest. Unless you would prefer…”
“No, no. Let it be as you say.”
I paid for the car — the calster was not at all a bad thing to have — and left the antique store full of the smell of leather and rubber. Exquisite.
With the clothes I had no luck. Of what I knew, almost nothing existed. At any rate, I discovered the secret
