‘Part of the smoke-screen,’ Garlock explained. ‘The repair-ings would give her two lines of attack on me, to be used simultaneously. First, to work on me in bed … second, to work on you two, with no holds barred, to form a three-unit team against me. Her charges that I’m losing my grip made a very smart opening lead.’
‘Do you think I’d let her work on me?’ James demanded.
‘She’s a Prime – you wouldn’t know anything about it. However, nothing will happen. Nor am I going to let her confuse the real issue. Belle, you are either inside the Code or a free agent outside it. Which?’
‘I have made my position clear.’
‘To me, yes. To Jim and Lola, decidedly unclear.’
‘Unclear, then. You can not coerce me!’
‘If you follow the Code, no. If you don’t, I can and will. If you make any kind of a pass at Jim from now on, I’ll lock you into your room with a Gunther block.’
‘You wouldn’t dare! Besides, you couldn’t.’
‘Don’t bet on it,’ he advised.
After a full minute of silence Oarlock’s attitude changed suddenly to his usual one of casual friendliness. ‘Why not let this one drop right here, Belle? I can marry them, with all the official trimmings. Why not let ’em really enjoy their honeymoon?’
‘Why not?’ Belle’s manner changed to match Oarlock’s and she smiled warmly. T confirm, Jim. You two are really serious, aren’t you? Marriage, declarations, registration, and everything? I wish – I sincerely and really wish you – every happiness possible.’
‘We really are serious,’ James said, putting his arm around Lola’s waist. ‘And you won’t… won’t interfere?’
‘Not a bit I couldn’t, now, even if I wanted to.’ Belle grinned wryly. ‘You see, you kids missed the main feature of the show, since you can’t know exactly what a Prime Operator
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is. Especially you can’t know what Cleander Simmsworth Gar-lock really is – he’s an out-and-out tiger .on wheels. The three of us could have smacked him bow-legged, but of course all chance of that blew up just now. So if you two want to take the big jump you can do it with my blessing as well as Glee’s. I’ll clear the table.’
That small chore taken care of – a quick folding-up of everything into the table-cloth and a heave into the chute did it – Belle set up the recorder.
‘Are you both fully certain that you want the full treatment?’ Garlock asked.
Both were certain, and Garlock read the brief but solemn marriage lines.
As the newlyweds left the room, Belle turned to Garlock with a quizzical smile. ‘Are you going to ask me to pair with you, Clee?’
‘I certainly am.’ He grinned back at her. ‘I owe you that much revenge, at least. But seriously, I’d like it immensely. Look at that mirror – did you ever see a better-matched couple? Will you give me a try, Belle?’
‘I will not,’ she said, emphatically. ‘I’ll take back what I said a while ago – if you were the only man left in the universe, I suppose I would pair with you – but as it is, the answer is a definite, resounding, and final “NO!” ‘
‘ “Definite” and “resounding”, yes. “Final,” I won’t accept. I’ll wait.’
‘You’ll wait a long time then. My door will be locked from now on. Goodnight, Doctor Garlock; I’m going to bed.’
‘So am I.’ He walked with her along the corridor to their rooms, the doors of which were opposite each other. ‘In view of the Code, locking your door is a meaningless gesture. Mine will remain unlocked. I invite you to come in whenever you like, and assure you formally that no such entry will be regarded as an invasion of privacy.’
Without a word she went into her room and closed the door with a firmness just short of violence. Her lock clicked sharply.
The next morning, after breakfast, James followed Garlock into his room and shut the door.
‘Clee, I want to tell you … I don’t want to get sloppy, but…’
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‘Want to lep it?’
‘Hell.no!’
‘It’s about Brownie, then.’
‘Yes. I’ve always liked you immensely. Admired you. Hero, sort of…’
‘Yeah. I quote. “Harder than Pharaoh’s heart.” “Colder than frozen helium.” “Ruthless, arrogant, domineering son of a bitch.”‘
‘Check. And all the others, too. Maybe that’s why I’ve always liked you so much, I don’t know. But this thing about Brownie…’ He paused, then abruptly reached out and shook Oarlock’s hand firmly. ‘How could you possibly lay off? Just the strain, if nothing else?’
‘A little strain doesn’t hurt a man unless he lets it. I’ve done without for months at a stretch, with it running around loose on all sides of me.’
‘But she’s … she’s got everything]’
‘There speaketh the ensorcelled bridegroom. For my taste, she hasn’t. She told you, I suppose, when explaining the situation, that I told her she wasn’t my type?’
‘Yes, but…’
‘She still isn’t. She is one of the two most nearly perfect young women of her race. Her face is beautiful. Her body is an artist’s dream. Her mind is one of the very best. Besides all that, she’s a damned fine person. But put yourself in my place.
‘Here’s this paragon we’ve just described. She had extremely high ideals and she’s a virgin, never really aroused. Also, she’s so full of this sickening crap they’ve been pouring into us -propaganda, rocket-oil, and psychological gobbledygook – that it’s running out of her ears. She’s so stuffed with it that she’s going to pair with you, ideals and virginity be damned, even if it kills her – even though she’s shaking clear down to her shoes. Also, she is and always will be scared half to death of you – she thinks you’re some kind of robot. She’s a starry-eyed, soft-headed sissy. A sapadilla. A sucker for a smooth line of balloon-juice and flapdoodle. No spine; no bottom. Strictly a pet – you could no more love her, ever, than you could a half-grown kitten…’
‘That’s a hell of a picture!’ James broke in savagely. ‘Even for such a cold-blooded bastard as you are!’
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‘People in love can’t be objective, is all. If I saw her through the same set of filters you do, I’d be in love with her too. So let’s see if you can use your brain instead of your outraged sensibilities to answer a hypothetical question. // the foregoing were true, what would you do?’
‘I’d pass, I guess. I’d have to, if I wanted to look myself in the face in the mirror next morning. But that’s such an ungodly cockeyed picture, Clee… Still, if that’s actually your picture of Brownie, just what kind of a woman could you love? If any?’
‘Belle.’
‘Belle? Belle Bellamy! For godsake! That iceberg? That egomaniac? She’s a pure, unalloyed bitch!’
‘Right, on all counts. She’s also crooked and treacherous. She’s a liar by instinct and training. I could add a lot more. But she’s got brains, ability, and guts. She’s got the spine and the bottom and the drive. So just imagine her, thawed out. Back to back with you when you’re surrounded – she wouldn’t cave and she wouldn’t give. Or wing and wing – holding the beam come hell or space-warps. Roll that one around on your tongue, Jim, and give your taste-buds a treat.’
‘Well, maybe … if I’ve got that much imagination. That’s a tough blueprint to read; I can’t quite visualize the finished article. However, you’re as hard as she is – even harder. You’ve got more of what it takes. Maybe you can make a Christian out of her. If so, you might have something; but I’m damned if I can see exactly what. Whatever it turned out to be, I wouldn’t care for any part of it. You could have it all.’
‘Exactly … and you can have Brownie.’
‘I’m beginning to see. I didn’t think you had anything like that in your chilled-steel carcase. And I want to apolo…’
‘Don’t do it. If the time ever comes when you go so soft on me as to quit laying it on the line and start sifting out your language…’ Garlock paused. For one of the very few times in his life, he was at a loss for words. He thrust his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Hell, I don’t want to get maudlin, either … so … well, how many men, do you think, could have gone the route with me oa this hellish job without killing me or me killing them?”
‘Oh, that’s not…’
‘Lay it on the line, Jim – I know what I am. Only one man could have stood me so well this long. You. One man in six thousand million. Okay – now, how many women could live with me for a year without going crazy?’