Breathe

I would like to stay here, have Abel join me, and spend the afternoon breathing real air, nestled in the arms of this elm.

Then he smiles, not smugly or with any self-satisfaction but in a congratulatory way.

We have more sophisticated technology than before The Switch because the loss of trees forced us to advance,”

“Are we happier than our predecessors?”

A few pushovers are easily eliminated.

Auxiliaries can’t afford to buy extra oxygen to exercise.

Trees are no longer essential to our survival

I won’t explain what this means—you all passed the preliminary tests.”

who can act as a devil’s advocate.

We will recruit no more than two of you