He felt that the stars had been pulverized by the sound of the black jets and that in the morning the earth would be covered with their dust like a strange snow. That was his idiot thought as he stood shivering in the dark, and let his lips go on moving and moving.
He peeked through the small opening in his curtain to find headlights approaching his house. He looked back at his motionless wife sprawled across the floor. Montag turned away only to be blinded by a bright beam...
His eyes adjusted to the glare. Doors opened. Two hazy figures climbed out of their van and went around back.
"It’s gonna be ok. Just hold on a little while longer Millie," Montag whispered.
Clunk. Scrape. Thud. Clunk. Scrape. Thud.
"You sure this is the place?" asked one of the technicians.
"Let me check my garmin,” said the other.
The technician fished around in the pocket of his coverall until he found a round cylinder. He flicked the switch. With the help of a dim light, he verified the address of the house to the one on the illuminated screen.
"This is it."
Hurry up already. Don’t they know a human being is in need of their assistance? Montag thought impatiently.
The two formed a single file line dragging their machines behind them. They sauntered to the door in unison. Montag scrambled away from the window and sat awaiting their arrival.
"Alright, do it quick. Get in. Get out. Go."
The men paused. The first turned to the second and said, "You do it. I did it last time."
The second technician heavily sighed and shoved the first out of his way. With a clenched fist, three swift hand motions was all it took.
Here we go. Montag thought. He stood from his seated position to let the men in.
They had this machine. They had two machines, really. One of them slid down in your stomach like a black cobra down an echoing well looking for all the cold water and the old time gathered there. It drank up the green matter that flowed to the top in a slow boil.