is the only real consciousness-expander.”
I kept my eyes locked on Arlene’s. “See?” I said, smiling at her, not bothering to answer Ted. “He admits it’s a drug.”
“But not like heroin...”
“Oh no?” I said. “It hooks you, doesn’t it? It changes your head like junk.”
“Acid changes your... head too, doesn’t it?”
“Sure, but the idea is to come back—it’s called an acid trip, right? But people who get hung-up on junk like the Foundation or heroin want their heads to stay changed.”
“I think I see...” Arlene said slowly. “You’re right about one thing anyway... the Foundation’s thing is to make the change permanent...”
The lines of relationship in the room were on the verge of shifting. Ted, Doris and Arlene had come in together; I was the outsider. With a little nudge, Ted and Doris would become the outsiders, and Arlene and I....
“Aw bullshit,” said Ted.
Now I looked at him, but it was a posture I made strictly for Arlene’s benefit. “You mean you don’t want the Foundation to change your head?” I said.
“Well sure... but...”
“But there are good changes and bad changes,” Doris said.
“Yeah,” said Ted, “and the Foundation puts you through good changes.”
“How do you know that till you’ve changed?” I said.
Silence.
“You don’t,” I said. “You know you don’t know—you just hope. Question is, Arlene Cooper, why do you hate Arlene Cooper so much that you’re willing to take the chance of letting some cat play with your mind when all you really know is that he’ll change you, for better or worse, in sickness or in health, till death do you part?”
She stared at me as if I could be her next guru-candidate. Which, of course, was exactly the idea. “Sometimes... sometimes you’ve got to take that chance, I guess...” she finally said.
“But only with someone who’s taking the same chance with himself on you,” I said. Our eyes bored holes in each other.
“I... I suppose that’s one of the things a man and a woman want out of a relationship,” she said.
I nodded. “I’d be willing to take that chance with you....”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ted and Doris fidgeting, exchanging glances, realizing, I hoped, that it was time for a quick exit.
“I... I... might be willing to take that chance on you too,” Arlene said. A jaw muscle twitched.
“But you’re afraid.” I smiled at her. “I’m a little afraid too,” I said. “That’s a good sign.” I touched her hand lightly. She didn’t pull it away.
“Maybe we... should... talk about it...” she said.
“Well, uh, look,” Ted said loudly, “we gotta be going. Gotta make my private session with Harvey in about an hour. Coming, Arlene?”
“I don’t have a session tonight,” she said. Aha!
“It’s still pretty early,” I said. “Why don’t you stick around and we can....”
She smiled at me, squeezed by hand.
“All right,” she said, with just enough uptightness coming back into her voice to let me know that she knew that I had a bit more in mind than discussing the ethical structure of the universe.
Check.
And mate?
6 - Belly to Belly
I closed the door behind Ted and Doris, slid the policelock bar into place and walked back through the clutter of the kitchen to the doorway of the living room, where I stood quietly for a moment clocking Arlene Cooper.
She was sitting up very straight on the edge of the couch, staring at the bookcases against the far wall, or maybe just staring. Her medium-length blonde hair looked coppery and sensual in the orange light, but the line of her jaw was firmly set, her eyes seemed withdrawn behind those glasses, and her fingers were toying nervously with the folds of her black skirt. Standing there, I got a cold feeling in my stomach, fighting the warmth in my groin; digging her in a just-the-two-of-us-alone situation, I was pretty sure this was going to be a lot more complicated than I had
I kept my eyes locked on Arlene’s. “See?” I said, smiling at her, not bothering to answer Ted. “He admits it’s a drug.”
“But not like heroin...”
“Oh no?” I said. “It hooks you, doesn’t it? It changes your head like junk.”
“Acid changes your... head too, doesn’t it?”
“Sure, but the idea is to come back—it’s called an acid trip, right? But people who get hung-up on junk like the Foundation or heroin want their heads to stay changed.”
“I think I see...” Arlene said slowly. “You’re right about one thing anyway... the Foundation’s thing is to make the change permanent...”
The lines of relationship in the room were on the verge of shifting. Ted, Doris and Arlene had come in together; I was the outsider. With a little nudge, Ted and Doris would become the outsiders, and Arlene and I....
“Aw bullshit,” said Ted.
Now I looked at him, but it was a posture I made strictly for Arlene’s benefit. “You mean you don’t want the Foundation to change your head?” I said.
“Well sure... but...”
“But there are good changes and bad changes,” Doris said.
“Yeah,” said Ted, “and the Foundation puts you through good changes.”
“How do you know that till you’ve changed?” I said.
Silence.
“You don’t,” I said. “You know you don’t know—you just hope. Question is, Arlene Cooper, why do you hate Arlene Cooper so much that you’re willing to take the chance of letting some cat play with your mind when all you really know is that he’ll change you, for better or worse, in sickness or in health, till death do you part?”
She stared at me as if I could be her next guru-candidate. Which, of course, was exactly the idea. “Sometimes... sometimes you’ve got to take that chance, I guess...” she finally said.
“But only with someone who’s taking the same chance with himself on you,” I said. Our eyes bored holes in each other.
“I... I suppose that’s one of the things a man and a woman want out of a relationship,” she said.
I nodded. “I’d be willing to take that chance with you....”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ted and Doris fidgeting, exchanging glances, realizing, I hoped, that it was time for a quick exit.
“I... I... might be willing to take that chance on you too,” Arlene said. A jaw muscle twitched.
“But you’re afraid.” I smiled at her. “I’m a little afraid too,” I said. “That’s a good sign.” I touched her hand lightly. She didn’t pull it away.
“Maybe we... should... talk about it...” she said.
“Well, uh, look,” Ted said loudly, “we gotta be going. Gotta make my private session with Harvey in about an hour. Coming, Arlene?”
“I don’t have a session tonight,” she said. Aha!
“It’s still pretty early,” I said. “Why don’t you stick around and we can....”
She smiled at me, squeezed by hand.
“All right,” she said, with just enough uptightness coming back into her voice to let me know that she knew that I had a bit more in mind than discussing the ethical structure of the universe.
Check.
And mate?
6 - Belly to Belly
I closed the door behind Ted and Doris, slid the policelock bar into place and walked back through the clutter of the kitchen to the doorway of the living room, where I stood quietly for a moment clocking Arlene Cooper.
She was sitting up very straight on the edge of the couch, staring at the bookcases against the far wall, or maybe just staring. Her medium-length blonde hair looked coppery and sensual in the orange light, but the line of her jaw was firmly set, her eyes seemed withdrawn behind those glasses, and her fingers were toying nervously with the folds of her black skirt. Standing there, I got a cold feeling in my stomach, fighting the warmth in my groin; digging her in a just-the-two-of-us-alone situation, I was pretty sure this was going to be a lot more complicated than I had
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