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Late that evening, the travelers crested a hill and Jason spied a tent city set out in orderly rows in a former corn field.  Although the tents were kept in good repair, they appeared old and shabby.  The milling inhabitants had denuded the field of any plant life long ago leaving streets of churned mud or dust.

“Who lives there?” Jason asked.

“Just folks.  The Fried Zone expanded over their land.  I used to live there myself. That’s where I started my roach farm.” Dave slowed his clopping pace to survey the city from the vantage of the hilltop.

“What’ll they do now?” Jason wondered aloud.

Pete laughed at the boy’s concern.  “Most of ‘em been there a long time.  They’ve got work.”

“Is that where we’re going to spend the night?”

“Nope, we’re just going to scoot on by.  I ain’t tired of walking if you ain’t tired of riding.  Dave’s pseudo-face looked up at Jason with an air of disdain.

“No!  Not at all.  You’re doing all the work.”  Jason felt tired enough to fall off the wagon seat but he sat up straight and smiled.

The face smiled in approval as Dave quickened his pace. “I’ve got a better place for us to spend the night anyway.  We’ll stay with my son.  He’s a doctor.”

Jason didn’t answer him.  If the son was a doctor, then he had  gotten his education inside the Domed City.  Could this man have fathered a son normal enough to pass?

Dave marched on in silence for a while then added.  “Maybe he can help you.”

Jason shook his head and smoothed his veil.  “Nobody can help me.  You haven’t seen my face.”

Dave pulled at his harness increasing their speed.  His eyes were set on the road ahead of him.  The face on his right stared stone-like at the landscape.  When Dave spoke, his voice was thick with emotion.

“I’m all for you, boy.  I’m on your side.  Things are getting bad these days but trust me will ya.  I’ll get you in.”

Just then Jason sighted a large building nestled under a huge plastic dome.  Light pouring from windows was diffused and projected onto the night sky by the dome.  Jason looked at it in awestruck wonder.

“Is that the Domed City.”

“No.  Shoot no.  That’s nothin’ but a factory.  There’s lotsa factories out here now.  You’ll see plenty more the closer we get.

“Yep.  Those normals love stuff.  All kinds of stuff.  Have you ever seen furniture?”

“Sure.  At my sister’s school there’s couches and tables and chairs and…”

“Most likely made there.  All of it.”

The moon rose full and Jason nodded in his seat on the wagon.  Dave walked on with no sign of fatigue.  Around midnight the wagoner roused his passenger with a shout.
“See that building.  Its a charity hospital.  That’s where my son works.  Here’s where we stop.”