and everybody was
finally equal. They
weren’t only equal
before God and the
law. They were equal
every which way.
Nobody was smarter
than anybody else.
Nobody was better
looking than anybody
else. Nobody was
stronger or quicker
than anybody else. All
this equality was due
to the 211th, 212th,
and 213th Amendments to
the Constitution, and to
the unceasing vigilance
of agents of the United
States Handicapper
General.
Some things
about living still
weren’t quite right,
though. April for
instance, still drove
people crazy by not being
springtime. And it was in
that clammy month that the
H-G men took George and
Hazel Bergeron’s fourteenyear-old son, Harrison,
away.
It was tragic, all
right, but George and
Hazel couldn’t think
about it very hard. Hazel
had a perfectly average
intelligence, which meant
she couldn’t think about
anything except in short
bursts. And George, while his
intelligence was way above
normal, had a little mental
handicap radio in his ear. He
was required by law to wear
it at all times.
20
81
TH
EY
EA
R
WA
S
It
tr was
a
se nsm tun
c
i
wo ond tte ed t
u
s
r
o
to ld
or . E
a
s
fr kee end so, very gove
om
p
rn
o
t
t
th
p
ei tak eop ut s he t went ment
r
i
le
om
ra
y
br ng
ns
li e
Ge
ai
u
o
ns nfa ke shar mitt
te rge
.
i
G
p
e
r
e
l
ad org noi r
on evi and
va
e
se
si
H
H
nt
fo
az
on
az
ag
r
e
e
th got l's . Th el w
of
ey
te
er
e
c
r
we n f hee e w e w
re
or
ks
er
at
,
e
c
ab
t
bu
te hi
ou he
t.
mo t s ars ng
me
he
nt
'd
wh
at
On the television screen were ballerinas.
A buzzer sounded in George's head. His thoughts fled in panic, like
bandits from a burglar alarm.
"That was a real pretty dance, that dance they just
did," said Hazel.
"Huh" said George.
"That dance-it was nice,"
said Hazel.
"Yup," said
George.