Alien Upstairs Read Online Free PDF Page B

it.
    The bus groaned as it turned a corner, passing a park filled with black marketeers selling produce and coupons to people returning home from work. Some of the sellers wore uniforms.
    "Don't you and Gerard get off work at the same time?” Raf asked.
    "He's home. It's his day off.” She paused. She felt embarrassed even speaking of Gerard to Raf. “We wanted the same day off, but you can't have everything, and at least we have Sundays, except when the store has a special sale or something.” She stood up as the bus approached her stop. She was hoping Raf had somewhere else to go, but he too was rising.
    They got off and walked down the street. A few lonely yellow leaves crackled under her feet. Raf reached for her arm, but Sarah kept it at her side. They passed a liquor store with a posted message:
    Â 
    GOLD AND SILVER ONLY
    NO CARD'S EXCEPTED
    ARMED MAN INSIDE
    Â 
    Sarah said, “When are you going to stop pretending you're an alien?"
    "I beg your pardon."
    "You heard me."
    "But I'm not pretending, Sarah."
    "Why don't you do something, then? Why don't you help us?"
    "But I can't."
    "I don't care if you're a rich man having your fun or an alien. It really doesn't make any difference, does it? You wouldn't enjoy having what you have unless there were others who didn't have anything. That just makes your pleasure greater; it gives you power. You wouldn't have power if things were different."
    "You people have to settle those things, not I."
    "Why don't you and your people come and help us? We could use it, can't you see that?” She stopped walking and he almost bumped into her. The wind shook the wire fence around the empty lot that was used as the neighborhood garden; the fence rattled. “Don't you care? There may be a war soon, don't you know that? They're getting so tired of unemployed people marching on Washington that they may just decide to draft everybody, and all you have to do is show up with a few spaceships and you could stop it. You could stop it all."
    "I can't do anything about it, Sarah. Advanced cultures destroy lesser ones when they give them tools they're not ready to use. Believe me, I know. It's true of individuals as well.” His face was hidden in the shadows of dusk. For a moment, he seemed to change. His body was too straight, his voice dead and metallic.
    She slapped him. He stumbled back and she hit him with her purse. He grabbed her arms, gently but firmly. She tried to twist away, but he held her. “Christ,” she said, “you've got me believing it now. I won't hit you again, Raf.” He released her. “I'm sorry.” She bowed her head. He took her arm and she did not resist.
    They came to their building. The gables resembled turrets; the tangled bush branches in the small front yard were black snakes. “Would you like to have dinner with me?” Raf asked. “You and Gerard. Perhaps we could go out somewhere."
    "I don't know.” The porch's boards creaked under their feet. Sarah tried the door, then remembered that it was locked; Mr. Epstein had installed a security system over the weekend. Raf got out his keys and they went inside. “I'd better not accept, Raf. It might be awkward."
    "Perhaps another time.” He smiled, but his eyes, shadowed in the dim hall lighting, were sad. He went up the stairs slowly.
    Gerard was reading and sipping a beer. He looked up as she entered. She stared back until he looked away. “Martin came back an hour ago,” he said. “There was a lot of screaming and yelling, and then it stopped. Either they made up, or one of them's dead."
    "Oh, God, you don't really—” Sarah heard the sound of laughter next door and sighed with relief. Gerard was again frowning at his book. She moved closer to him.
    "Gerry.” He did not look up. “Goddamn it, listen to me.” He raised his eyes and lowered the book. “Either make it up with me or help me decide who's going to move