Chapter 7

As he had read, Dan had made notes and when he looked back over them, he had far more questions than answers. He moved onto the next chapter which was headed "The role of Women in Society." The breeding programme had been scaled back after a while with the OWG wanting to control the number of people on earth. They did not want a situation where they could not feed everyone.

The sinister oppression of women reared its head again as Dan read about the restrictions on women working. Those living in the towns as members of the families of the leadership class were rarely required to work. There was volunteering in the caring professions but little else. The labour zones were different.

Many of the jobs in agriculture were open to women. They could be employed in a domestic capacity, as nurses and carers and on factory assembly lines. A few basic clerical jobs were sanctioned and if someone showed a special talent in a particular area they could be considered for other roles. A note warned that this waiver was only to be used in exceptional circumstances.

The beards were not going to let women out of the kitchen. Dan sighed as his suspicions about the OWG's attitude to the female of the species was confirmed. He continued looking at the book, but was now feeling a marked dislike for the OWG. Lists of sanctioned roles for women followed and there was nothing taxing at all. They had either presumed that women were not capable of more, or had chosen to convince the ladies that they were not capable of more. Both options were appalling.

Dan's notes revealed other concerns that had occurred to him whilst reading the book. Children's education had been summed up by saying that they would get what was appropriate although everyone was taught to read and write and basic maths. He would be very interested to see the variations between schools for boys and girls and for the leadership class and the labour class.

There was little information about what would happen to those who were not capable of working. If someone had a physical or mental handicap was there some sort of welfare state which would look after them? Was someone consigned to their class for life? There could be talented people within the lower classes who were not being employed effectively. And of course, there could be idiots in positions of responsibility just because of which family they had been born into.

There was not much reference to the arts either. Culture was important and Dan worried that those with artistic talents would not be free to create. He had seen the singing and dancing on the variety show, but it had been entertainment for the masses. There was nothing edgy or adventurous and he hoped that someone somewhere was pushing the boundaries.

Sport was not the huge business that it was in his world. Dan was not sorry that there were no footballers earning obscene amounts for their skills. People were encouraged to exercise but all teams and individuals who played sports were amateurs. He had noticed that certain sports, tennis and golf were examples, were only played by the leadership class.

Dan looked back over the history of his earth. He considered all of the powerful and tyrannical governments and leaders both real and imagined. He knew that if he began to ask questions about his concerns they would not be welcomed. When he got back home he would burn the notes that he had made. He couldn't wait to have a proper talk with Phyllis.

Dan replaced the book and found himself looking around to check whether he had been seen. For the moment he was glad that he was experiencing paranoia. It was keeping him alert and, hopefully, safe. He said a polite good afternoon to the librarian as he left and the man gave his understated nod in return.

Throughout his journey home Dan formulated a list of all the things that he wanted to ask Phyllis in his mind. He would be getting rid of the physical evidence of his research and he repeated his themes like a mantra to ensure that he remembered them. That evening he just went through the motions of having dinner and playing with his children. He did still stare at Alex in wonder a lot of the time though.

The following morning, he told Sam that he had a headache and suggested that she take the children out. She would be busy with the kids first thing and then at her meeting in the afternoon. That would give him plenty of time with Phyllis. Once he heard the front door close he emerged from the bedroom and headed for the kitchen.

"I've got chores to do. I'm happy to talk but I'll have to carry on working at the same time."

Dan made Phyllis an offer. "I'll help you."

She looked shocked, then laughed and then said "Okay then." Dan took hold of the broom and swept the kitchen floor so that Phyllis could then scrub it.

Dan told Phyllis about the book that he had read at the library and that he had a number of questions and concerns. He suggested to her that he would be unwise to talk about these things to others and she agreed with his suspicion. First of all, he wanted to learn what her life was like as a member of the labour class.

"And tell it like it really is."

Phyllis had a husband and three grown up children, two sons and a daughter. Her husband had worked on a farm, but now that he was older, he had a driving job. She had stayed at home until her children were all at school and then she had become a house maid. She lived outside of the town in an area which was slightly better than the more rural labour zones.

If one could get a job which involved working in or near one of the towns then the accommodation was better. It was more likely that you would get power for at least part of the day. They had a small house, just one bedroom now that their children had gone, and even had an old television which someone had given to her.

People like her worked long hours and they were tired at the end of the day, but they were not exhausted. They had days off where they could seek some kind of recreation and they earned enough to get decent food and the necessities. Dan was pleased that at least this part of the OWG's plan was working.

There was some hesitation before Phyllis spoke again. She felt that she was lucky to have as much as she did. There were people who were far worse off than her. The farm workers, because of their rural homes, rarely had access to electricity. Many had become quite inventive making machines which ran on steam power to make their lives better.

Old people who had no family to look after them disappeared into large OWG run homes when they could no longer care for themselves. They had basic care and medicine and were fed, but their lives were pretty dismal. The homes were grey chilly buildings with no entertainment or stimulation for the inmates. The elderly entered the institutions and then waited to die.

Similar edifices existed for those who were mentally handicapped or physically disabled. The OWG had promised to feed the people of the world and ensure that they were, where possible, physically healthy but that was all. There was no treatment or rehabilitation available to someone who entered an institution and little chance of them ever coming out again.

"There are rumours that lots of people with disabilities are finished off. Euthanised, they call it."

"I'm sad to hear that, but not completely surprised." Dan frowned.

"Like I say, I consider myself quite fortunate compared to some people in the labour zones. My work is not as hard as many people I know."

"Do I pay you enough, Phyllis?"

"I'm satisfied with what I get. If you paid me more, tongues would wag. I doubt anyone would think that we were having an affair, but they might wonder if I was blackmailing you. Things have to conform, Sir. Anything out of the ordinary piques the interest of the authorities. No one wants them looking into their business whether they have done something wrong or not."

Dan reached over and patted Phyllis on the hand. She had a tear in her eye as a result of this human gesture. It was probably the first time that there had been any physical contact between them.

"I'll put the kettle on again."

Phyllis jumped up and made herself busy. The new Daniel Ellis was so kind, it was overwhelming. Of course, she was now thinking of her son Bertie. She really needed a cup of tea.