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Fall of the FungiWe shuffled into a room so dark it was barely possible to see the outline of a chain and light bulb hanging from a low beamed ceiling. In fact, Percival managed to smack his forehead against one of several heavy beams, resulting in a soft but colorful curse. Rey snickered and Linda yanked the thick brassy chain like a frantic passenger might an emergency hand brake in a vintage train. A hundred-watt luster flooded an H-shaped room. Peeling paint clung to chipped bricks while ailing pipes groaned and listed as if age were taking its toll. Asbestos and other unseen toxic substances probably abounded, and you didn’t have to see mold and dust to know they were there; you merely had to hear the sneezes and coughs.
Cluttering two corners were canvas-covered chairs and ches
