Грань будущего

           TheMimicattackshadturnedmostofthearablelandindevelopingcountriestodesert,leavingluxuryfoodslikenaturalcoffee,tea,andtobaccoextremelydifficulttocomeby.They’dbeenreplacedwithsubstitutesorartificiallyflavoredtastealikesthatusuallyfailed.

           Rita’stownwasoneofmanyattemptingtoprovidetheproduceandlivestockneededbyahungrynationanditsarmy.

           ThefirstvictimsoftheMimicattackswerealsothemostvulnerable:thepoorestregionsofAfricaandSouthAmerica.ThearchipelagosofSoutheastAsia.Countriesthatlackedthemeanstodefendthemselveswatchedastheencroachingdesertdevouredtheirland.Peopleabandonedthecultivationofcashcrops-thecoffee,tea,tobacco,andspicescovetedinwealthiernations-andbegangrowingstaples,beansandsorghum,anythingtostaveoffstarvation.DevelopednationshadgenerallybeenabletostoptheMimicadvanceatthecoastline,butmuchoftheproducetheyhadtakenforgranteddisappearedfrommarketsandstoreshelvesovernight.

           Rita’sfather,whohadgrownupinaworldwhereevenMidwesternerscouldhavefreshsushieveryday,was,itisnoexaggerationtosay,acoffeeaddict.Hedidn’tsmokeordrink-coffeewashisvice.OftenhewouldtakeRitabythehandandsneakoffwithhertotheoldman’sstorewhenRita’smotherwasn’twatching.

           Theoldmanhadskinofbronzeandabushywhitebeard.

           Whenhewasn’ttellingstories,hechewedthestemofhishookahhosebetweenpuffs.