11

The morning found Abe refreshed as he emerged into the brilliant sunlight of an Esplinade morning. He walked away from the steps at Main Central Avenue 11, thinking of moving on to another district. The slaughter of the armless pig the night before had wiped away all the good that his Maryelle had done for his brain. The Dissociator and his decision to log into a Floater at the Underland Sleep Centere had done their bit to remove the worst of the memory. It was a new dawn and a new day and Abe felt nothing.

Tel emerged from the same point on 11 minutes later. He'd opted for a Herodyssey at the same centere. He'd thoroughly enjoyed the brutality and degradation that the Money Pit had allowed him to inflict on some broken down old Maryelle. He thought for all of a half-second about returning to the Stateler, but quickly decided to spend his last full day of freedom before another 15 and a half day stint in the Contact Centre out in the open air.

Both Abe and Tel settled upon the same destination as they ambled along Main Central Avenue 11, the only destination any right-thinking person would head towards with time to kill on a sunny day upon the roof in Esplinade: they were going to The Park.