THE THROAWAYS ‘They met in a cafeteria (kah-e-er-ee-yub, n, origin tinknown, ‘An establishment where fet'may be obtained) and the Trad tionalist took one slot while the Fashionable took the other, Both were young, barely ninety. Clothes were a bit drab tha ‘week’ and the Fashionable was wearing the “natural look," _ somebody else's body, of which she had several spares at home ‘She had also thought of bringing along an extra head, but did ‘not wish to appear gaudy. The Traditionalst on the other hand, was genuinely in her own skin, Nothing but. The Fashionable said, after the proper polite pause: “You clothes are really custom-made, aren't they?” “No,” said the Traditionalist. "They're me.” “Ooh, you're a Traditionalist!” cried the Fashionable, and then she added in a rush, “Would you ell me, realy, if you don’t mind, about you people, do you~ “No,” said the Traditionalist rudely. There was a moment’ lence. “Twas only going to ask,” sald the Fashionable timidly,clear- ‘ng her throat, “whether you come here often.” “Well” said the Traditionalisy, relenting, “not as a general rule. am not especialy fond of fet.” I *Bzen't you?" said the Fashionable. “Oh, 1 am! Tt wiggles bout 30, It5 50 loovy. Arid one doesn’t need to scoop It up with, THE THROAWAYS |99 {jumps tight in. Fetis inthis year” Foot in me,” said the Taditionalst eyeing her tangle of fet with “new distaste. Steaming, writhing fet hung in the air before both ies, litle pieces detaching themselves from the main mass now and again and drifting gently from side to side. “Ie practically begs to be eaten!” remarked the Fashionable. ‘There was another silence. "1 suppose,” sald the Fashionable finally,’ “that you Tradi- tionalists mnust lead very exciting lives. I don't. Of course I often “had thoughts about turning Tradidonal when I was a. gi, you jinow. just giving up everything and stripping myself bare, just joing out into the bush, a it were, but—" (and she finished with a ing in a plain old Disposable.” “Mmmm,” said the Traditionalis. “t's a nice Disposable,” said the Fashionable, “You know how they work. Ours is automatic, You set the machines in the walls to ‘extrude the proper furnishings and accessories for each particular time of day and then you set the pattern control: French Provin- ‘dal, Haiti Regression, Moon Maroon, or even Random. Well, you "a plethora of things,” sald the Traditionalist, “and a remark able paucity of ideas.” “You can even,” continued the Fashionable, unheeding. “set it to repeat the same pattern all the time if you want. For a whole = day, say: [had a felend who lived with Severe Plutonian for ten. | days—a whole ten days, mind you—but she said her family nearly died of boredom. She'll never doit again. "| dare say," said the Tradiionalist grimly. “Of course,” sald the Fashionable, “they'say theres—uh—a certain something about living with a design for a day or two. ‘They say you become attached to It, in a way. Sul, it must be awfully eerie to wake up, you know. and see exactly the same | things you saw the night before. I don’t think F'd care for it.” No, not you," said the Traditionalist.100 | THE HIDDEN SIDE OF THE MOON rue THROAWAYS [101 teed for a week. They're delivered through a secret underground = organization. At the end of the week my husbands and I smash the hard things with our fet and put the whole mess down the dis- posal chute. Then Igo back again.” “Oh” gasped the Fashlonable. “Ob, my” ‘tes the only way to live,” said the Tadtionalis. "You people ‘will never know.” She rOse to go, but the Fashionable eld her back, grasping her by the arm. There was a stange ight inthe Fashionable’ eyes she was licking her lips. She even glanced fur- ively about and motioned the Naditionalist closer. "Did you ever hea.” she hissed, “of Tings?" “of what?” said the raditlonalist. “things,” said the Fashionable breathlessly. “Just Things. You rake them with your own hands. Everything. To sit in. To sleep ‘on. To eat from. You just make them, Ftst you make them and then you put them around and then—" (she almost, choked) “hen-—you just eave them there” “ou leave them there” said the Traditionalist slowly. “es,” said the Fashionable faintly. "You just eave them there. ‘They're permanent. ‘The Tradtionalist jerked away. She totered. She turned ashen. she almost fell. "Permanent! she cried in horror. “How can you. say such a thing to me? I may be 2 Traditonalist but m not a— savage! A pervert! A—noncnsumert Permanent? 1d rater del” “And putting both naked heels into the ejection cups a fotleve ‘he was instantly reassembled atthe ext to the eafeteria. There a robot dorman:(dor-man, n. orjgin Old French dormir, 10 sleep. Originally an. ornamental construction extruded by residential buildings while all the inhabitans were in @ state of uncon sciousness) approached her. He was so handsome, so perfect. #0 shimmering, 40 golden and so mult-fingered that all human *Of course," sid the Fashionable aii, “Tcrtinly would le in a wom! Not even a furnished woom, That’ a lite to fa ‘ut She lowered her voice carefly. “know for fac,” she sid, “tha besides the instability of having the thing flowing around you all the time and turning transparent and heaving and all sorts of impossible colors; that there are absolutely authenticated cases of 4 woom going berserk; its something about thelr glandular sys- tem: they get his overwhelming longing for ther own plane an the fst thing you know you're barreling past Pluto in a fetal por: tion until some Pleezeman picks you up.” she nodded her head vigorously. ‘No, no," she sald, “no woom forme, thank yout I stick wth my Disposable. : “Ofcourse yu don'livef aDisposble” she added, narrowing | her eyes at the Taditionalist, “and Il bet anything that you | ‘wouldn't even touch an Instantaneous ” : “Don't even mention!” shouted the Traditional, starting to her feet "No, no, no,” said the Fashionable quickly, “of course not; I woulda live in one myselt. Of couse frend of mine has one; they do seem o becoming in visited her and I must say theres Something about those Istantaneouses. Of course they make you feel awfully passive. But sometimes its nic tobe babied a litle, have your needs and desires anticipated al the time. Why, when i felt me coming in, IC turned from Lunar Black Crust White o Sat urn Sipple (hats a sor of conservative puple-pink, you know) and ll the walls went concave. mst say [ras impressed.” “Vean anticipate my.ov needs and desires!” snapped the Traditional. ‘Well, I suppose you can.” said the Fshlonsble with a sgh “ou Trdlionaliss are so decisive. Tell me," (and she giggled slyiy) “what do you tive in" "1," said the Traditional, anticipating her reaction with grim beings naturally loathed him on sight. He sad: relish, “live with slid walls and Throaways.” “Pardon, sormadm, but you ae in state of high distress. Must “*Throawayst” gesped the Fashionable, fix oF not proceed” : ‘There’ a lle shop where you can get them.” sald the Tradi- “1 wt proceed” cried the Tadtionalist heroically, sting a tional lowering her voice, “legal, of course. A factory in the pose. Rockies. 1g there every week an pick out everything, Guaran- “Pardon, sormaim, but as you know, this my function. Arn102 | THE HIDDEN SIDE OF THE MOON _psychotherapeutic device 10 mediate psychic conflicts arising from Allow disturbance mediation or further egress impossible.” “Af you detain me,” said the Traditionalist, “you will be th ‘cause of my becoming emotionally distressed in an even more se tous manner. I will become extremely disturbed. [will havea fi” ““Pi2" said the robot dorman, “1 will become unconscious,” articulated the Traditlonalist with ‘eat care. “I will fall to the ground. 1 will foam at the mouth. My ‘emotional stasis willbe irreversibly impaired. You will have inter: fered with my business.” a “Where go?” said the dorman. "To blow up a public monument,” sald the Tradtionalist. “Pardon,” sald the dorman. “You are Traditionalist. Please pass, ‘Nearest monument available to Tradidonalist for blowing up yet ‘unblown that way. I summon beam transport, yes?” “1 will proceed by helicab,” said the Traditionalist, “if there are any lef, which I doubt It i the Tradtional way.” ‘And so she did. ‘And the Fashionable, tears in her eyes of somebody else’ body, rather wished she had brought along that extra head afterall. It ‘might have made her cleveret. The fet wreathed itself into the most _ enchanting, heaving, iridescent shapes, but it did not charm her. She dug her nails into her palms and whispered desperately to herself: 3 “don't care if i's bad. 1 want it. want it so much. I must have it, Petmanents. Oh, somebody must know where to get them! Some- ody. <. «Somewhere... 4