She began to amuse herself by planning the article she would write when back on Terra. "How I escaped from Paradise" might do it. Or "Prison-breaking in Paradise." Or perhaps "Greenhaven or Green Hell."
Whatever I call it, she promised herself, I'll skin them alive. And I'll find a way to send the judge and the warden copies of it, too!
Maybe, she pondered, it might even be better to stretch it out to a whole book and get someone to do a series of unflattering cartoons of Greenie characters.
The cord jerked at her wrist. She realized that she had fallen behind again, and made an apologetic face at Willard when he looked back.
"Don't do that!" he hissed. "They'll wonder why I tolerate disrespect."
"Sorry!" said Maria, shrugging unrepentantly. "You take this pretty seriously, don't you."
"You'd better take it seriously yourself," he growled. "It's your neck as much as mine!"
He glared at a young Greenie who had glanced curiously from the opposite side of the avenue. The abashed citizen hastily averted his eyes. Willard gave the cord a significant twitch and strode on.
They turned another corner, to the right this time, and went along a narrow side street for about two hundred yards. Waiting for a moment when he might meet as few people as possible, Willard crossed to the other side. A little further on, he led the way into what could almost be termed an alley.
Willard stopped.