Alas, Babylon

by Pat Frank

Mark doesn’t cerebrate until he has a pen in his hand, Randy thought, and can see a map. Probably makes him feel comfortable, like he’s holding a pointer in the SAC War Room.

When two ships are on a collision course, and the men at the wheel inflexibly hold to that course, there is going to be a collision. You don’t have to be farsighted to see that.”

“You load up your gun, Ben,” he said. “It’s yours now. Never point it at a man unless you intend to shoot him, and never shoot unless you mean to kill. You understand that?”

Walking through the business section, he wondered whether armadillos were good eating.

Arms follows are edible. In parts of Mexico, they are considered a delicacy. PROBLEM: Armsadillos carry *mycobacterium*, which creates leprosy in its human hosts. Salmonella poisoning is a genuine threat. Armadillo meat is tender and savoury, as pork, but given the risks, may not be worth processing and ingestion.

“Well, when the rules are off you make your own.”