PAGE 3
Cost Of Living
by
“Right,” Carrin said, remembering the amount from his own papers. “Here’s my installment.”
He handed Pathis an envelope, which the man checked and put in his pocket.
“Fine. Now you know, Mr. Carrin, that you won’t live long enough to pay us the full two hundred thousand, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t suppose I will,” Carrin said soberly.
He was only thirty-nine, with a full hundred years of life before him, thanks to the marvels of medical science. But at a salary of three thousand a year, he still couldn’t pay it all off and have enough to support a family on at the same time.
“Of course, we would not want to deprive you of necessities, which in any case is fully protected by the laws we helped formulate and pass. To say nothing of the terrific items that are coming out next year. Things you wouldn’t want to miss, sir!”
Mr. Carrin nodded. Certainly he wanted new items.
“Well, suppose we make the customary arrangement. If you will just sign over your son’s earnings for the first thirty years of his adult life, we can easily arrange credit for you.”
* * * * *
Mr. Pathis whipped the papers out of his briefcase and spread them in front of Carrin.
“If you’ll just sign here, sir.”
“Well,” Carrin said, “I’m not sure. I’d like to give the boy a start in life, not saddle him with–“
“But my dear sir,” Pathis interposed, “this is for your son as well. He lives here, doesn’t he? He has a right to enjoy the luxuries, the marvels of science.”
“Sure,” Carrin said. “Only–“
“Why, sir, today the average man is living like a king. A hundred years ago the richest man in the world couldn’t buy what any ordinary citizen possesses at present. You mustn’t look upon it as a debt. It’s an investment.”
“That’s true,” Carrin said dubiously.
He thought about his son and his rocket ship models, his star charts, his maps. Would it be right? he asked himself.
“What’s wrong?” Pathis asked cheerfully.
“Well, I was just wondering,” Carrin said. “Signing over my son’s earnings–you don’t think I’m getting in a little too deep, do you?”
“Too deep? My dear sir!” Pathis exploded into laughter. “Do you know Mellon down the block? Well, don’t say I said it, but he’s already mortgaged his grandchildren’s salary for their full life-expectancy! And he doesn’t have half the goods he’s made up his mind to own! We’ll work out something for him. Service to the customer is our job and we know it well.”
Carrin wavered visibly.
“And after you’re gone, sir, they’ll all belong to your son.”
That was true, Carrin thought. His son would have all the marvelous things that filled the house. And after all, it was only thirty years out of a life expectancy of a hundred and fifty.
He signed with a flourish.
“Excellent!” Pathis said. “And by the way, has your home got an A. E. Master-operator?”
It hadn’t. Pathis explained that a Master-operator was new this year, a stupendous advance in scientific engineering. It was designed to take over all the functions of housecleaning and cooking, without its owner having to lift a finger.
“Instead of running around all day, pushing half a dozen different buttons, with the Master-operator all you have to do is push one! A remarkable achievement!”
Since it was only five hundred and thirty-five dollars, Carrin signed for one, having it added to his son’s debt.
Right’s right, he thought, walking Pathis to the door. This house will be Billy’s some day. His and his wife’s. They certainly will want everything up-to-date.
Just one button, he thought. That would be a time-saver!
* * * * *
After Pathis left, Carrin sat back in an adjustable chair and turned on the solido. After twisting the Ezi-dial, he discovered that there was nothing he wanted to see. He tilted back the chair and took a nap.