contact with the same facial orifice of another jabber, or of an adult of the opposite sex - is that correct?
Yes, was Bud’s reply.
Can you explain this to me? Why is this such a serious offense?
Since Bud had as yet no real idea, he changed the subject: It looks like Fm not going to have the problem with Mr Jaeger that I feared. He arrived home again last night long after midnight. So, if that continues - He broke off, unhappily, Fm afraid I pushed that boy, Joe Patton, too hard once when I re- ’ fused to be convinced. I wonder if he noticed -
The father ignored the interruption; remained intent, said: I should tell you, my son, that we were accidentally spotted out in space today. You know how big space is, and how carefully we evaluated which directions their vessels would most likely go. But there, suddenly, was this patrol craft. Naturally, and with reluctance, we had to act. Nobody knows what the repercussions will be, but we may have to end our study of this race suddenly ... So the sooner you find out why facial orifice contact is a matter of such paramount concern to, apparently, everybody, the better Fll like it. I feel that we have spotted an exceedingly significant behavior . . .
And that was, substantially, the end of that conversation.
On the street behind them, Lee David had reached the stage with Susan where he could ask: ‘What’s this about a flight Sunday with Captain Sennes?’
‘I still have to get permission,’ parried Susan defensively,
Saturday. Susan and Estelle sat at the breakfast table. The woman glanced several times at her silent daughter. Susan was nibbling this morning, an action which usually indicated that she wanted something. Her egg was a half-finished yellow curdle on her plate, and her toast sat on the edge leaning over wearily. Estelle drained the final drops of her second cup of coffee, and put the cup down with the pretended finality of a coffee lover who knows that she shouldn’t have a third cup. But - It must have been a recognisable signal from all the years that they had been alone together at mealtimes. For Susan stirred, hh h,., mother ! she said,
The words were just about the only stimulus that the woman had needed. She recognised that the request, whatever it was, was about to be made; and for that she absolutely had to have another cup of coffee. 'One moment, dear,’ she said firmly to Susan. Her hand reached from the table’s edge to the cup and saucer - grasped it, and held it while her body made all those balancing and other efforts necessary for her to get to her feet, and walked over to the coffee pot, which she always deliberately placed beyond arm’s length from the table. There was a passage, then, of a small amount of time as she poured exactly the right amount of the steaming delightful liquid into the cup. Still balancing the now almost brimming cup, she returned to the table, and, still holding it, sat down. Slowly, she lowered her hand, making a perfect all points landing on the table cloth without spilling a drop. She took a deep breath, and said, ‘What is it, dear? ’
Susan, who always held her breath whenever the coffee ritual took place, sighed with relief as she saw that mission had been accomplished. But the entire hazardous feat had distracted her. She hesitated, and then said. ‘Where’s dad?’
Estelle was outraged. ‘That isn’t what you were going to say/ she accused. But she was guilty, and there was a possibility that her addiction to coffee had decided Susan to change her mind. Her next words fought to reinvoke the antestatus quo. She said, 'You’ve been sitting there with a look of deep though t. Tell me, what’s on your mind?
'But where is he? Is he still in bed?
Estelle said reluctan tl y, “Yes/ She hesitated, then, ‘ He came in late last night/ Once more the hesitation. Finally, she must have decided that she might as well make a complete transfer of information. She said with a sigh, ‘There was some
Yes, was Bud’s reply.
Can you explain this to me? Why is this such a serious offense?
Since Bud had as yet no real idea, he changed the subject: It looks like Fm not going to have the problem with Mr Jaeger that I feared. He arrived home again last night long after midnight. So, if that continues - He broke off, unhappily, Fm afraid I pushed that boy, Joe Patton, too hard once when I re- ’ fused to be convinced. I wonder if he noticed -
The father ignored the interruption; remained intent, said: I should tell you, my son, that we were accidentally spotted out in space today. You know how big space is, and how carefully we evaluated which directions their vessels would most likely go. But there, suddenly, was this patrol craft. Naturally, and with reluctance, we had to act. Nobody knows what the repercussions will be, but we may have to end our study of this race suddenly ... So the sooner you find out why facial orifice contact is a matter of such paramount concern to, apparently, everybody, the better Fll like it. I feel that we have spotted an exceedingly significant behavior . . .
And that was, substantially, the end of that conversation.
On the street behind them, Lee David had reached the stage with Susan where he could ask: ‘What’s this about a flight Sunday with Captain Sennes?’
‘I still have to get permission,’ parried Susan defensively,
Saturday. Susan and Estelle sat at the breakfast table. The woman glanced several times at her silent daughter. Susan was nibbling this morning, an action which usually indicated that she wanted something. Her egg was a half-finished yellow curdle on her plate, and her toast sat on the edge leaning over wearily. Estelle drained the final drops of her second cup of coffee, and put the cup down with the pretended finality of a coffee lover who knows that she shouldn’t have a third cup. But - It must have been a recognisable signal from all the years that they had been alone together at mealtimes. For Susan stirred, hh h,., mother ! she said,
The words were just about the only stimulus that the woman had needed. She recognised that the request, whatever it was, was about to be made; and for that she absolutely had to have another cup of coffee. 'One moment, dear,’ she said firmly to Susan. Her hand reached from the table’s edge to the cup and saucer - grasped it, and held it while her body made all those balancing and other efforts necessary for her to get to her feet, and walked over to the coffee pot, which she always deliberately placed beyond arm’s length from the table. There was a passage, then, of a small amount of time as she poured exactly the right amount of the steaming delightful liquid into the cup. Still balancing the now almost brimming cup, she returned to the table, and, still holding it, sat down. Slowly, she lowered her hand, making a perfect all points landing on the table cloth without spilling a drop. She took a deep breath, and said, ‘What is it, dear? ’
Susan, who always held her breath whenever the coffee ritual took place, sighed with relief as she saw that mission had been accomplished. But the entire hazardous feat had distracted her. She hesitated, and then said. ‘Where’s dad?’
Estelle was outraged. ‘That isn’t what you were going to say/ she accused. But she was guilty, and there was a possibility that her addiction to coffee had decided Susan to change her mind. Her next words fought to reinvoke the antestatus quo. She said, 'You’ve been sitting there with a look of deep though t. Tell me, what’s on your mind?
'But where is he? Is he still in bed?
Estelle said reluctan tl y, “Yes/ She hesitated, then, ‘ He came in late last night/ Once more the hesitation. Finally, she must have decided that she might as well make a complete transfer of information. She said with a sigh, ‘There was some
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