Грань будущего
Chapter 3
"Don’tyoulikethesmell?"
"Likeisn’tthewordI’duse.Itsmells…weird."
"Nomannersatall.Isthatanywaytothankmeforboilingamorningpotofcoffeeforus?"
"That’s…coffee?"
"Sureis."
"Thisisn’tyourwayofgettingbackatmefortheumeboshi,isit?"
"No,thisiswhatroastedcoffeebeanspickedfromactualcoffeetreesthatgrewinthegroundsmelllike.Neverhadany?"
"Ihaveacupoftheartificialslopeveryday."
"JustwaittillIbrewit.Youain’tsmellednothin’yet."
Ididn’tknowtherewereanynaturalcoffeebeansleftintheworld.Thatis,Isuspectedrealcoffeestillexisted,somewhere,butIdidn’tknowtherewasanyonestillinthehabitofdrinkingit.
Thebeveragethatpassedforcoffeethesedayswasmadefromlab-grownbeanswithartificialflavoringaddedfortasteandaroma.Substitutegroundsdidn’tsmellasstrongasthebeansRitawasgrinding,andtheydidn’tfighttheirwayintoyournoseanddownyourentirerespiratorytractlikethesedid,either.Isupposeyoucouldextrapolatethesmelloftheartificialstuffandeventuallyapproachtherealthing,butthedifferenceinimpactwaslikethedifferencebetweena9mmhandgunanda120mmtankshell.
"Thatmustbeworthasmallfortune,"Isaid.
"ItoldyouwewereonthelineinNorthAfricabeforewecamehere.Itwasagiftfromoneofthevillageswefreed."
"Somegift."
"Beingqueenisn’tallbad,youknow."
Ahand-crankedcoffeegrindersatinthemiddleoftheglasstable.
