From the other end of the table, Lydia decided to get into the conversation, seeking to steer it from its present course; her stutter was extremely evident, attesting to her nervousness.
"How cu...come you only ha...have one arm?" she asked of Scar. "How did you lo...ose it?"
The second twin stopped with a piece of chicken half way to his mouth. "Didn't lose it; never had it."
Galar took up the narrative for his brother, noisily talking with his mouth full.
"We was born together. The physicians used us for an experiment; tried to make two of us. We had only three legs, so Scar got two, and I got one...I got two arms, though, and he got only one."
Galar swallowed a chunk of meat whole, choked and gagged. He went to coughing, and finally, catching his breath, went on again.
"Scar cannot reproduce. I got the goods to do that. They made him a hole, so he sits like a girl, but I got the hose. I am fully functional!" he added, proudly.
Loni was appalled. He had never realized the full scope of the torture inflicted upon the twins. His experience with them was limited to negative interaction; they had always been his bullies, so he'd been reluctant to enter their minds, therefore, he hadn't sought the reasoning behind their behavior.
"Does he...he," stuttered Lydia. "Can...he...get rid of solid...waste?"
"Oh, yeah," Galar agreed, non pulsed. "They gave him a tube, and a hole in the backside, for that."
Scar seemed unconcerned that his private functions were being discussed; simply carried on eating.
Loni felt, for the sake of the girls, even Scar's benefit, he needed to turn the conversation away from this disgusting subject. It wasn't conducive to enjoyable digestion. Gem had barely touched her meal.
Strangely, uncouth Galar, who had finished with his own, noticed her lack of appetite.
"Don't you want that?" he asked, condescendingly. "I'll eat it for you."
But, Gem pulled it close to her, protectively, as if she thought, he might snatch it away, anyway, should she refuse.
Galar took the hint. "Alright, then. Think I'll go get some more. You coming, Scar?"
As if still junctioned, the two rose from either end of the table, and sauntered off with their trays, Galar hobbling on his crutch, his tray balanced expertly in the opposite hand; Scar following, doing the same with his, almost like a whole man, with two arms, and as many trays.
They were no sooner out of sight, then, as with one accord, and of like mind, the two couples rose, and quickly vacated the eating area. They couldn't leave quickly enough to suit any one of the four.
Neither of the two men, Loni or Da, ever was amazed, or puzzled, by the fact, ever after, their mates avoided the cafeteria, as if eating there would bring on the plague.
Chapter 22
Galar soon realized, if he was to accomplish his purpose, he had to get Loni, and his crew, out of their protected status lodgings, and in the open. He had the perfect means to do it, too.
When middle age had hit the twins, they were moved into maintenance, where Galar learned much about the workings of the dome; the waterworks, electrical control, and most of all, the computer controlled by-pass systems running the overall life support. It was here, he planned to strike at his adversary.
Today, he hung by one leg from repair girders, high above the lodging of the garden crews, sawing under the largest water pipeline passing through the area.
He had already programmed the environmental controls; it would take them months to find the glitch that continually messed everything up.
This was his last little detail. Then he was ready to watch his work produce fruit.
He was pleased; on the pipe he was working on, there was, now, not only a film of dampness, but also beads of actual moisture seeping through the cut.
It's enough!
Galar tucked his tool in his belt, inched along the line, until he was over his crutch leaning against the wall. His drop-down was easy, and obviously, of long time practice.
****
Lydia's strident scream woke them all. Gem and Loni sat bolt upright, both peering across at the other pair in the semi darkness of the night-sleep dimness. They assumed Da had pinched his partner to tease her. But...the sound of rushing water disproved that.
Gem looked at the far-wall rafters above. A cold sheet of impenetrable moisture was litterly rolling in and down, dropping in a shocking deluge, as thick as the main falls, right on Lydia's head.
No wonder, she screamed!
Loni was the quickest to come to his senses, sending out mental instructions.
"Grab your mats, and any belongings...this is something the administrators need to deal with. We'll go to the huge falls, until it's worked out."
They had only to refill their back packs, and shoulder them; then the men took off with the mats on their shoulders. They were away, out the door, quickly. But when the door was opened, they were shocked by the fact, the only water was crawling over the floor behind them. None was in the hall.
Then, they noticed the activity beyond: hurrying workmen, cursing...and the lights were out, sporadically, everywhere.
Rapidly, the four fled into the rafters, and girders leading above and away. An hour later, they had set up a permanent campsite above the huge falls.
Lydia was drenched to the bone, and shivering, and while Da set to comforting, and drying her off, Loni and Gem watch the beehive of activity in the valley below. It seemed, the whole dome system was involved, from basic worker lodging, right up to the infants in the upper rafters.
What could have
