Page 63 (1/2)

But Cynthia was beginning to laugh now

“Oh, really, you don’t believe, do you, that this Great Bayou or whatever Greenhouse Novelty Coe is owned and operated by six-foot-tall mushrooms from another planet?”

“If you put it that way, it sounds funny,” he admitted

“Funny! It’s hilarious!” She threw her head back deliciously

“Good grief!” he cried, suddenly irritated “So marasmius oreades What is marasmius oreades? A certain kind of mushroom Simultaneously, and I suppose you’ll call it coincidence, by special delivery, what arrives the saer fears he raphs us, warning us not to accept what? The special delivery e in the last few days? He has! Where do the packages co when he vanishes? New Orleans! Do you see, Cynthia, do you see? I wouldn’t be upset if all these separate things didn’t lock together! Roger, Toes, destinations, everything in one pattern!”

She atching his face now, quieter, but still ary”

“I’o on He was afraid that if he did, he would find hihter, too, and so houses up and down the block and thought of the dark cellars and the neighbor boys who read Popular Mechanics and sent their money in by the millions to raise the mushrooms hidden away Just as he, when a boy, had mailed off for chemicals, seeds, turtles, numberless salves and sickish ointht were billions ofup under the ministrations of the innocent?

“Hugh?” His as touching his ar ones, can’t think They can’t s How could they run a mail-order service and ‘take over’ the world? Come on, now Let’s look at your terrible fiends and monsters!”

She pulled him toward the door Inside, she headed for the cellar, but he stopped, shaking his head, a foolish s itself somehow to his mouth “No, no, I knoe’ll find You win The whole thing’s silly Roger will be back next week and we’ll all get drunk together Go on up to bed now and I’ll drink a glass of warm milk and be with you in a minute … well, a couple of minutes …”

“That’s better!” She kissed him on both cheeks, squeezed him, and went away up the stairs

In the kitchen, he took out a glass, opened the refrigerator, and was pouring the milk when he stopped suddenly

Near the front of the top shelf was a small yellow dish It was not the dish that held his attention, however It hat lay in the dish

The fresh-cut mushrooms

Hethe refrigerated air, before he reached out, took hold of the dish, sniffed it, felt thethe dish, went out into the hall He looked up the stairs, hearing Cynthiaabout in the bedroom, and was about to call up to her, “Cynthia, did you put these in the refrigerator!?”

Then he stopped He knew her answer She had not