Richard Wilson

“ The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard. The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze.
The younger man sprawled next to him.
"Cigarette?" he asked.
"Thanks," said Roger Boynton. He looked across the valley, past the apple trees, to the fine white-columned house on the hill beyond. He smiled reminiscently. "A friend of mine once owned that house. A fellow commissioner in World Government. He and I used to sit on this very hill, sometimes. We'd munch on an apple or two that we'd picked on our way through the orchard. ”

“ The United States clamored for Jupiter and got it. The argument was that the other planets would be a cinch to colonize because of their similarity to Earth but that Jupiter needed a real expert because it had only its surface of liquid gas and the Red Spot. ”

“ A 'Medean overseer climbed the hill effortlessly. He was tall and tentacled and the breathing apparatus over his head gave him the appearance of a mechanical man.
"Kigh-kigh pinis," the 'Medean said. "You two-fella all-same chat-chat too-much. B'phava b'long work he-stop 'long orchard pick-im apple."
The two men stood up and obediently walked down the hill toward the apple orchard. ”