“There’s a doctor,” said a man dressed all in black—a man wearing a badge—who reminded Williams for all the world of the gunslinger played by Yul Brynner in Westworld. “But care and medicine are rationed, like everything else here. What’s happened? And what are you doing with this ... thing?”
Williams started to speak then paused, wondering if he’d finally lost his sanity. For it wasn’t just the man in black who looked like he’d stepped out of a western—the entire crowd was dressed in much the same manner, as though they’d raided one of those old-time photography boutiques you used to see at the State Fair. “Quill raptors,” he said at last, and added, “They caught us early this morning, before it was even daylight. I took a quill in the arm, my, ah, playing arm. As for this ‘thing,’” He i
