Read The Age Atomic for Free Online Page A

although it didn’t look that friendly. He was still chewing something, and when he smiled the wet sound was loud and clear. The man’s teeth were filthy, and as the saliva squeaked around them Rad saw that it was dark, nearly black. “What can I get for ya?”
    Rad frowned, wondering how hygienic this establishment was. He decided to go for something safe.
    â€œCoffee. Lots of sugar.”
    The barman’s smile widened and his nod this time was different, the nod of a man appreciating a fine choice. He even said the same as he straightened up and vanished through a door behind the bar.
    Rad reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet and his hand found the metal rod. He pulled it out and peered at it in the low light.
    â€œHey, where did you get that?”
    The barman had returned, steaming cup of coffee in one hand. He was frozen in the doorway, his eyes wide, locked on the object in Rad’s hand.
    Rad held the thing up by one end but before he could say anything, the barman dumped the coffee on the bar, spilling nearly half of it, and reached across to push Rad’s hand away. Rad snatched the rod close to his chest.
    â€œHey!”
    â€œPut that damn thing away, Jesus,” said the barman. He kept his hands out, his eyes scanning the empty bar behind his single customer. He was breathing heavily and quickly.
    â€œYou know what it is?” asked Rad.
    The barman leaned across the bar, his face an inch away from Rad’s. Rad grimaced; the barman’s breath was hot and smelled of acetone. As he leaned back, Rad saw the barman’s eyes were bloodshot. The man was either sick or high on something.
    â€œIt doesn’t matter what it is,” said the barman. “It belongs to him, to one of his machines.”
    â€œWho?”
    The barman was very still, his eyes on Rad’s. Rad raised an eyebrow and the barman nodded.
    â€œYou don’t want nothing to do with him,” he said.
    Rad shook his head and slid off the stool. Enough was enough. As he moved, the barman jerked forward again and grabbed Rad’s forearm tightly. Rad shook it off.
    â€œBud,” said the barman, “you wanna watch yourself. It’s not safe.”
    â€œSo I’ve been told,” said Rad.
    The barman flicked his head at the object in Rad’s hand. “You’re not from round here, are you?”
    â€œDowntown,” said Rad.
    The barman pursed his lips like he was going to whistle appreciatively. He leaned in to Rad, like a conspirator. Rad found himself getting closer to the man, his nose assaulted by the acidic smell of his breath.
    â€œI heard things were rough, downtown .” The barman said it like it was another place altogether. As far as Rad had seen, that seemed to be exactly the case.
    â€œThat so?”
    The barman nodded, his eyes glazing over, almost like Rad wasn’t there. He chewed and swallowed and spoke.
    â€œYeah, man, I heard there were riots, and that they’d tried to storm the Empire State Building.” The barman tried to whistle but his lips did nothing but pass a narrow current of air through them. The tang of acetone was strong and Rad couldn’t stop his nose crinkling.
    â€œI heard there was a hijack, ” the barman said. “I heard the police tried to come down on a crowd in an aerostat, but the people, they stormed the ship and took it over and were flying it around the place.” He moved his hands in the air, clearly impressed.
    Rad said nothing. The barman was right; since the cold had set in and Carson had abandoned his post, the city was full of disturbances.
    There was a light in the barman’s eyes. “I heard there were others, in the city. Y’know? From the other side . Infiltrators, all secret-like, on the down-low. Coming in and stirring things up, right? Trying to overthrow the Commissioner, get their own kind in.”
    â€œThe other side?” asked Rad.
    â€œYeah.” That