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Marionettes, Inc.

By Ray Bradbury, from "The Illustrated Man"

They walked slowly down the street at about ten in the evening, talking

calmly. They were both about thirty-five, both eminently sober."But why so early?" said Smith."Because," said Braling."Your first night out in years and you go home at ten oclock.""!erves, su##ose.""$hat wonder is how you ever managed it. ve been trying to get youout for ten years for a %uiet drink.&nd now, on the one night, you insist on turning in early.""'ustn(t crowd my luck," said Braling."$hat did you do, #ut slee#ing #owder in your wifes coffee?"

"!o, that would be unethical. Youll see soon enough."They turned a corner. ")onestly, Braling, hate to say this, but you )&*+been #atient with her. You may not admit it to me, but marriage has beenawful for you, hasnt it?"" wouldnt say that.""ts got around, anyway, here and there, how she got you to marry her.That time back in when you

were going to /io-----""0ear /io. never 00 see it after all my #lans.""&nd how she tore her clothes and rum#led her hair and threatened to call

the #olice unless you married her.""She was always nervous, Smith, understand.""t was more than unfair. You didnt love her. You told her as much, didntyou?"" recall that was %uite firm on the sub1ect.""But you married her anyhow."" had my business to think of, as well as my mother and father. & thinglike that would have killed them.""&nd its been ten years.""Yes," said Braling, his gray eyes steady. "But think #erha#s it mightchange now. think what ve waited for has come about. 2ook here."

)e drew forth a long blue ticket."$hy, its a ticket for /io on the Thursday rocket3""Yes, m finally going to make it.""But how wonderful3 You 04 deserve it3 But wont she ob1ect? 5ausetrouble?"Braling smiled nervously. "She wont know m gone. ll be back in a

month and no one the wiser, e6ce#t you."Smith sighed. " wish were going with you.""7oor Smith, Y48/ marriage hasnt e6actly been roses, has it?""!ot e6actly, married to a woman who overdoes it. mean, after all, whenyouve been married ten years, you dont e6#ect a woman to sit on yourla# for two hours every evening, call you at work twelve times a day andtalk baby talk. &nd it seems to me that in the last month shes gotten

worse. wonder if #erha#s she isnt a little sim#le-minded?""&h, Smith, always the conservative. $ell, heres my house. !ow, wouldyou like to know my secret? )ow made it out this evening?"

"$ill you really tell?""2ook, u# there3" said Braling.They both stared u# through the dark air.n the window above them, on the second floor, a shade was raised. &man about thirty-five years old, with a touch of gray at either tem#le, sadgray eyes, and a small thin mustache looked down at them."$hy, thats Y483" cried Smith."Sh-h-h-h, not so loud3" Braling waved u#ward. The man in the windowgestured significantly and vanished." must be insane," said Smith.

")old on a moment."They waited.The street door of the a#artment o#ened and the tall s#are gentleman

with the mustache and the grieved eyes came out to meet them.")ello, Braling," he said.")ello, Braling," said Braling.They were identical.Smith stared. "s this your twin brother? never knew-----""!o, no," said Braling %uietly. "Bend close. 7ut your ear to Braling Twoschest."

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Smith hesitated and then leaned forward to #lace his head against theuncom#laining ribs.Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick."4h no3 t 5&!T be3""t is.""2et me listen again."

Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick.Smith staggered back and fluttered his eyelids, a##alled. )e reached outand touched the warm hands and the cheeks of the thing."$hered you get him?""snt he e6cellently fashioned?""ncredible. $here?""9ive the man your card, Braling Two."Braling Two did a magic trick and #roduced a white card:

'&/4!+TT+S, !5.

0u#licate self or friends; new humanoid #lastic < models, guaranteedagainst all #hysical wear. =rom>,@,

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5lients must e6#ect to wait two months until their model is finished.

!ot so long, thought Smith. Two months from now my ribs will have achance to mend from the crushing theyve taken. Two months from nowmy hand will heal from being so constantly held. Two months from nowmy bruised underli# will begin to resha#e itself. dont mean to sound

ungrateful.... )e fli##ed the card over.

'arionettes, nc., is two years old and has a fine record of satisfiedcustomers behind it. 4ur motto is "!oStrings &ttached." &ddress: CD South $esley 0rive.

The bus #ulled to his sto#; he alighted and while humming u# the stairshe thought, !ettie and have fifteen thousand in our 1oint bank account.ll 1ust sli# eight thousand out as a business venture, you might say. Themarionette will #robably #ay back my money, with interest, in many ways.

!ettie neednt know. )e unlocked the door and in a minute was in thebedroom. There lay !ettie, #ale, huge, and #iously aslee#."0ear !ettie." )e was almost overwhelmed with remorse at her innocentface there in the semidarkness. "f you were awake you would smotherme with kisses and coo in my ear. /eally, you make me feel like acriminal. You have been such a good, loving wife. Sometimes it isim#ossible for me to believe you married me instead of that Bud5ha#man you once liked. t seems that in the last month you have lovedme more wildly that ever before."Tears came to his eyes. Suddenly he wished to kiss her, confess his love,

tear u# the car, forget the whole business. But as he moved to do this, hishand ached and his ribs cracked and groaned. )e sto##ed, with a #ainedlook in his eyes, and turned away. )e moved out into the hall and throughthe dark rooms.)umming, he o#ened the kidney desk in the library and filched thebankbook. "Aust take eight thousand dollars is all," he said. "!o more thanthat." )e sto##ed. "$ait a minute.")e rechecked the bankbook frantically. ")old on here3" he cried. "Tenthousand dollars is missing3" )e lea#ed u#. "Theres only five thousandleft3 $hats she done? $hats !ettie done with it? 'ore hats, more

clothes, more #erfume3 4r, wait-- know3 She bought that little house on

the )udson shes been talking about for months, without so much as a byyour leave3")e stormed into the bedrom, righteous and indignant. $hat did shemean, taking their money like this? )e bent over her. "!ettie3" heshouted. "!ettie, wake u#3"She did not stir. "$hatve you done with my money3" he bellowed.

She stirred fitfully. The light from the street flushed over her beautifulcheeks.There was something about her. )is heart throbbed violently. )is tonguedried. )e shivered. )is knees suddenly turned to water. )e colla#sed."!ettie, !ettie3" he cried. "$hatve you done with my money3"&nd then, the horrid thought. &nd then the terror and the lonelinessengulfed him. &nd then the fever and the disillusionment. =or, withoutdesiring to do so, he bent forward and yet forward again until his feveredear was resting firmly irrevocably u#on her round #ink bosom. "!ettie3" hecried.

Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick.

&s Smith walked away down the avenue in the night, Braling and BralingTwo turned in at the door to the a#artment. "m glad hell be ha##y too,"said Braling."Yes," said Braling Two abstractedly."$ell. ts the cellar bo6 for you, B-Two." Braling guided the othercreatures elbow down the stairs to the cellar."Thats what want to talk to you about," said Braling Two, as they

reached the concrete floor and walked across it. "The cellar. dont like it. dont like that toolbo6.""ll try and fi6 u# something more comfortable.""'arionettes are made to move, not lie still. )ow would you like to lie in abo6 most of the time?""$ell---""You wouldnt like it at all. kee# running. Theres no way to shut me off.m #erfectly alive and have feelings.""tll only be a few days now. ll be off to /io and you wont have to stay inthe bo6. You can live u#stairs."

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Braling Two gestured irritably. "&nd when you come back from having agood time, back in the bo6 go."Braling said, "They didnt tell me at the marionette sho# that d get adifficult s#ecimen.""Theres a lot they dont know about us," said Braling Two. "$ere #rettynew. &nd were sensitive. hate the idea of you going off and laughing

and lying in the sun in /io while were stuck here in the cold.""But ve wanted that tri# my whole life," said Braling %uietly.)e s%uinted his eyes and could see the sea and the mountains and theyellow sand. The sound of the waves was good to his inward mind. Thesun was fine on his bared shoulders. The wine was most e6cellent."22 never get to go to /io," said the other man. ")ave you ever thoughtof that?""!o, --""&nd another thing. Your wife.""$hat about her?" asked Braling, beginning to edge toward the door.

"ve grown %uite fond of her.""m glad youre en1oying your em#loyment." Braling licked his li#snervously."m afraid you dont understand. think---m in love with her."Braling took another ste# and froe. "Youre what?""&nd ve been thinking," said Braling Two, "how nice it is in /io and howll never get there, and ve thought about your wife and-- think we couldbe very ha##y.""Th-thats nice." Braling strolled as casually as he could to the cellar door."You wont mind waiting a

moment, will you? have to make a #hone call.""To whom?" Braling Two frowned."!o one im#ortant.""To 'arionettes, ncor#orated? To tell them to come get me?""!o,no--nothing like that3" )e tried to rush out the door.& metal firm gri# seied his wrists. "0ont run3""Take your hands off3""!o.""0id my wife #ut you u# to this?""!o."

"0id she guess? 0id she talk to you? 0oes she know? s that it?" )escreamed. & hand cla##ed over his mouth."Youll never know, will you?" Braling Two smiled delicately. "Youll neverknow."Braling struggled. "She must have guessed; she must have affected you3"Braling Two said, "m going to #ut you in the bo6, lock it, and lose the

key. Then ll buy another /io ticket for your wife.""!ow, now, wait a minute. )old on. 0ont be rash. 2ets talk this over3"

"9ood-by, Braling."Braling stiffened. "$hat do you mean, good-by?"

Ten minutes later 'rs. Braling awoke. She #ut her hand to her cheek.Someone had 1ust kissed it. She shivered and looked u#. "$hy--youhavent done that in years," she murmured."$ell see what we can do about that," someone said.

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