The Inflammation

STORY/DESCRIPTIONS

1963/05 Published as the third episode of SF Fancy Free in SF Magazine (Hayakawa Shobo)

One day in a certain state of a certain nation, a farmer notices three croquettes on the floor in the kitchen. He tries eating them, and finds they never disappear, or rather, they increase! They divide rapidly as he continues to eat. Soon, a local newspaper company introduces the croquettes as the food that will save the world from the food crisis, and the state governor commends the farmer. What’s the true identity of the croquettes?