Donald F. Daley

“ All that would be accomplished would be to put every predator within miles in possession of the address of an Abandoned.
She took a dictator and said into it: "Dear children, I am leaving you 1300 credit." She stopped then and shook her head. The tears made it so that she could not see, and she did not seem to be able to think. "Correction," she sobbed "Erase preceding. Dear Children of Yan, I make you this gift of 1300. I am sure that your excellence will continue to deserve much more than so small a gift. ”

“ If they wanted to go to the considerable extra expense of reporting it, in order to impress the Protection People with their loyalty, that was their own lookout. She understood that, now, she had no family. She thought for a moment of going up-ramp to say good-by to the children, but she knew that this would not help. ”

“ Her number was finally called.
"I am here," she said as the machine hummed, and she gave her number.
"Your availability petition has been taken up," said the machine. "You are however to receive twenty-eight demerits for disposing of 6300 credit after having been abandoned. Do you accept?"
"I accept," she said. She was so dizzy that she could hardly stand. The machine whirred and produced a reception-area card. She read it, and walked as in a daze to the indicated reception area. Yan waited for her there.
"You look terrible," he said as he put his arm around her. "I'm sorry. ”