EIGHT
NORTH HILL, EXMOOR, SOMERSET, 2023 AD
By lunchtime the next day, Alice and Jake were in their room in the Devil’s Stone Inn unpacking their overnight bags, with Alice muttering about the need to find a launderette.
“There’s sure to be one in Minehead,” he said, tapping into the Internet on his mobile and, after a surprisingly short bout of research, looked up, announcing triumphantly, “There’s more than one, not to mention the laundries. The laundrette on Parks Lane should suit you. I have to go back to North Hill to return the dossier.”
The mere thought of going there repelled him. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried to understand his feelings. Ethical objections were foremost in his mind. What right had scientists to engineer living beings to suit their purposes? The latter
