Sawbill shrugged and went on with his waxing. After several minutes Jordan pleaded, “What can I do?”
“Don’t beg, don’t cry, and don’t whine. I could sell
61
WITH FRIENBS LIKE THESE . ..
you another kind of emotion that would cure those tendencies, too. But you would resist. So tell me what happened. Why do you find it necessary to acquire more anger than is good for a man at one time?”
“There’s this girl—” began Jasper Jordan.
“That’s the substance, the body, the core, the hub of the thing.” said Sawbill. “Now supply me the tinsel, the sprinkles on top of the sweetcakes, the things that metamorphose your need into leeches.”
“She’s the most beautiful girl on Thalia Major.”
“Not in the universe?”
“Don’t mock me. I don’t know the universe. I only know Thalia Major. And Minor, of course, but that doesn’t matter. We were in love—”
“How long have you known her?”
“Three weeks/* Jordan said defiantly. When Saw-bill did not comment he continued. “Everything was fine. We were going to be married.”
“Did she finally agree to marry you?”
“It went without saying. As I said—everything was fine until several days ago. Then I found out she was seeing another—man, I suppose I must call him. She didn’t deny it. She admitted she was meeting this putrid, low … I couldn’t understand why. But I couldn’t convince her to break it off. He had hypnotized her. I’m a very mild, you might even say a tame, individual. I didn’t have the force of personality to confront him. We’re all very civilized here on Thalia Major.”