Dz‹ˆ‡•’ƒǫdzƒ•‡†ǡ–”›‹‰–‘…‘ˆ‹”™Šƒ–Š‡‡ƒ–Ǥ Dz‡•Ǥǯ‘––Š‡‘‡™Š‘™‹ŽŽ„—›‹–ǡƒ…–—ƒŽŽ›Ǥ—–›‘—…ƒ•‡ŽŽ‹–ˆ‘”ƒ Ž‘–Ǥdz I might have blamed my ear for mishearing due to the heat, but it wasǯ– hot enough for that. I thought it over. ›‹‹–‹ƒŽ…‘…Ž—•‹‘™ƒ•–Šƒ––Š‡‘Ž†ƒǯ•ˆ‡ƒ”‘ˆƒ‰‹‰Šƒ†…ƒ—•‡†Š‹• brain to go soft. ’‘•‡‡‹‰›‡š’”‡••‹‘ǡ–Š‡•Š‘’‡‡’‡”•ƒ‹†ǡDz†‘ǯ–„Žƒ‡›‘—ˆ‘” –Š‹‹‰ǯ’—ŽŽ‹‰‘‡‘˜‡”‘›‘—Ǥ™‘—Ž†ǯ–be surprised if you think ǯ•‡‹Ž‡Ǥ—–ǯ†•—‰‰‡•–’Žƒ›‹‰ƒŽ‘‰™‹–Š–Š‹•†ƒˆ–‘Ž†…‘†‰‡”ƒ†‰‘‹‰ –‘–Š‡’Žƒ…‡–‡ŽŽ›‘—ƒ„‘—–Ǥ‘—ǯŽŽ•‡‡ǯ–‡ŽŽ‹‰–Š‡–”—–ŠǤdz I took his story with a grain of saltȄbut it boiled down to this. On the fourth floor of a building not too far from here, there was a business that bought and sold life. The price varied by person, especially with regard to how fulfilling the life you would have led in that time was going to be. Dz„ƒ”‡Ž›‘™–Š‡ˆ‹”•––Š‹‰ƒ„‘—–›‘—ǡ„—t from what I can see, you †‘ǯ–Ž‘‘Ž‹‡ƒ„ƒ†‰—›ǡƒ†›‘—”–ƒ•–‡‹„‘‘•‹•ƒ†‹”ƒ„Ž‡Ǥƒ›„‡›‘—ǯŽŽ „‡™‘”–Š•‘‡–Š‹‰Ǥdz It brought to mind the memory of that old class on morals in my elementary school years. According to the man, you could deal not only your own life span, but also your time and health. DzŠƒ–ǯ•–Š‡†‹ˆˆ‡”‡…‡„‡–™‡‡Ž‹ˆ‡•’ƒƒ†–‹‡ǫdzƒ•‡†ǤDz‰—‡•• †‘ǯ– ”‡ƒŽŽ› —†‡”•–ƒ† –Š‡ †‹•–‹…–‹‘ „‡–™‡‡ Ž‹ˆ‡ •’ƒ ƒ† Š‡ƒŽ–Šǡ ‡‹–Š‡”Ǥdz Dz‘ǯ–‘™–Š‡†‡–ƒ‹Ž•Ǥǯ˜‡‡˜‡”•‘Ž†ƒ›–Š‹‰–‘–Š‡Ǥ—–ǥ›‘—‘™ how some people who are extraordinarily unhealthy manage to live on for †‡…ƒ†‡•ǡƒ†•‘‡–‹‡•’‡”ˆ‡…–Ž›Š‡ƒŽ–Š›ˆ‘Ž•Œ—•–—’ƒ††‹‡ǫ‘—Ž†ǯ– –Šƒ–„‡–Š‡†‹ˆˆ‡”‡…‡„‡–™‡‡Ž‹ˆ‡•’ƒƒ†Š‡ƒŽ–Šǫ…‘—Ž†ǯ––‡ŽŽ›ƒƒ„‘—– the ti‡’ƒ”–Ǥdz He jotted down a little map and a phone number on a memo sheet. I thanked him and left the store. —–ǯ•—”‡ƒ›‘‡™‘—Ž†…‘‡–‘–Š‡•ƒ‡…‘…Ž—•‹‘ƒ•†‹†ǣ–Šƒ––Š‡ Dz•–‘”‡™Š‡”‡–Š‡›„—››‘—”Ž‹ˆ‡•’ƒdz™ƒ•Œ—•–ƒˆƒ–ƒ•›…‘‘‡†—’„›–Š‡ oŽ† ƒǯ• †‡•‹”‡•Ǥ ‡ ™ƒ• ƒˆ”ƒ‹† ‘ˆ Š‹• ‘™ ‹’‡†‹‰ †‡ƒ–Šǡ ƒ† •‘ indulging in a vision of a place where you could buy more life to live was keeping him sane. I mean, it only makes sense, right? A store like that is way too convenient to be real.