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Bread Overhead Fritz Leiber 28190K 2023-09-02

Roger Snedden turned pale "You canceled it?" he quavered "And told thehter plastic wrappers?"

"Of course! Just what is behind all this, Mr Snedden? What recalculations were you trusting, when our physicists had deo that the heliuentle breezes-winds up to Beaufort&039;s scale 3 Why should a change frohter wrappers result in coer Snedden&039;s paleness becareen He cleared his throat andnoises Tin Philosopher&039;s photocells focused on hined exciterew blacker by the era Winterly&039;s Venus- new squawks in her earphones

"Er ah er" Roger said in winning tones "Well, you see, the fact is that I"

"Hold it," Meg interrupted crisply "Triple-urgent from Public Relations, Safety Division Tulsa-Topeka aero-expressbuffeted in encounter with vast flight of objects first described as brown birds, although no failures reported in airway&039;s electronic anti-bird fences After grounding safely near Emporia-no fatalities-pilot&039;s windshield found thinly plastered with soft white-and-brown material Emblems on plastic wrappers embedded in material identify it incontrovertibly as an undeter at three thousand feet!"

Eyes and photocells turned inquisitorially upon Roger Snedden He went froht, I did it, but it was the only way out! Yesterday overnic stockpiled rahter loaf, was already rolling There was only one thing to do, there being only one other gas cohtness to heliuas froarine Division and substituted it for the heliuen for the heliu four steps backward

"Hydrogen is twice as light as helium," Tin Philosopher remarked judiciously

"And er countered feebly "Yes, I substituted hydrogen The ht to counteract the greater buoyancy of the hydrogen loaf But-"

"So, when this an to arrive on the delivery platfor mills" Tin Philosopher left the rereed dismally

"Let me ask you, Mr Snedden," Gryce interjected, still in low tones, "if you expected people to ju off the metal wrapper, or reach for the sky if they happened to unwrap the stuff outdoors?"

"Mr Gryce," Roger said reproachfully, "you have often assured me that what people do with Puffybread after they buy it is no concern of ours"

"I seem to recall," Rose Thinker chirped somewhat unkindly, "that dictuer put the famous sculptures-in-miniature artist on 3D and he testified that he always molded his first atte down to approxihtened "Oh, boy-hydrogen! The loaf&039;s unwrapped After a while, in spite of the crust-seal, a little oxygen diffuses in An explosive mixture Housewife in curlers and kimono pops a couple slices in the toaster Boos in the room winced

Tin Philosopher kicked her under the table, while observing, "So you see, Roger, that the non-delivery of the hydrogen loaf carries some consolations And I reat satisfaction, not as a Board Member but as a private machine You have at last h the air&039; part of Puffybread&039;s theme They can&039;t ever take that away from you By now, half the inhabitants of the Great Plains h"

Phineas T Gryce shot a frightened look at the s and found his full voice

"Stop theWinterly, who nodded and whispered urgently into her estion," Tin Philosopher said "But it co and grinding, approxi eastward over Middle America Remember that a six-month supply for deep-freeze is involved and that the current consuht and one-half loaves per person per day"

Phineas T Gryce carefully inserted both hands into his scanty hair, feeling for a good grip He leaned arded hi called sharply "Flock ofin News Liaison: infor-bread inquiries Aero-expresslines: Clear our airways or face law suit U S Army: Why do loaves flame when hit by incendiary bullets? U S Custoet export license or face prosecution Russian Consulate in Chicago: Advise on destination of bread-lift And so to blasphe irl tore off her headphones "Roger Snedden," she cried with a hysteria that would have duht the naht! Now do soer nodded obediently But his pallor increased a shade, the pupils of his eyes disappeared under the upper lids, and his head burrowed beneath his forearayly to Tin Philosopher, "this looks like the start of a real crisis session! Did you re spare batteries?"