He should at least have noticed that she had considered what he was wearing in selecting her own apparel. Instead he answered, "Fine. We'll be right on tune."
"It's a new gown, Clifford."
"It's very pretty," he answered agreeably. "Shall we go?"
"Yes, surely."
He said very little during the ride, but watched the traffic as if the little car were not capable of finding its way through the swarming traffic without his supervision. When the car finally growled to a stop at the top floor of an outlying residence warren he started to raise the shell, but she put a hand on his arm. "Let it be, for a moment, Clifford. Can we talk for a little before we get lost in a swarm of people?"
"Why surely. Is something the matter?"
"Nothing-and everything. Clifford, my dear-there's no need for us to go on as we have been going."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean if you stop to think about it. I'm not necessary to you any more-am I?"
"Why, uh-Hazel, I don't know why you should say a thing like that. You've been swell. You're a swell girl, Hazel. Nobody could ask for anything more."
"Mmmm... that's as may be. I don't have any secret vices and I've never done you any harm that I know of. But that's not what I mean. You don't get any pleasure out of my company any more-any lift."
"Uh... that's not so. I couldn't ask for any better pal than you've been. We've never had an argu-"
She checked him with her hand. "You still don't understand me. It might be better if we did quarrel a little. I'd have a better idea of what goes on behind those big solemn eyes of yours. You don't dislike me. In fact, I think you like me as well as you like anybody. You even like to be with me, sometimes, if you're tired and I happen to fit your mood. But that isn't enough. And I'm fond enough of you to be concerned about you, darling. You need something more than I've been able to give you."
"I don't know how any woman could do any more than you've done for me."
"I do. I do, because I was once able to do it. Do you remember when we first registered? I gave you a lift then. You were happy. It made me happy, too. You were so pathetically pleased with me and with everything about me that sometimes I could cry, just to look at you."
"I haven't stopped being pleased with you."
"Not consciously. But I think I know what happened."
"What?"
"I was still dancing then. I was the great Hazel, premiere danseuse, I was everything you had never been. Glamour and bright lights and music. I remember how you used to call for me after a performance, looking so proud and so glad to see me. And I was so impressed by your intellect (I still am, dear) and I was so flattered that you paid attention to me."
"Why you could have had your pick of all the braves in the country."
"They didn't look at me the way you did. But that isn't the point. I'm not really glamorous and never was. I was just a working girl, doing the job she could do best. Now the lights are out and the music has stopped and I'm no longer any help to you."
"Don't say that, kid."
She placed a hand on his arm. "Be honest with yourself, Cliff. My feelings aren't hurt. I'm not a romantic person. ' My feelings have always been maternal, rather than anything else. You're my baby. You aren't happy and I want you to be happy."
He shrugged helplessly. "What is there to do about it? Even if everything you say is true, what is there to do?"
"I could make a guess. Somewhere there is a girl who is everything you thought I was. Someone who can do for you what I once did by just being herself."
"Hunnh! I don't know where I'd find her. There isn't any such person. No, kid, the trouble is with me, not with you. I'm a skeleton at the feast. I'm morose by nature. That's what."
"Hummph right back at you. You haven't found her because you haven't been looking for her. You've fallen into a rut, Cliff. Tuesdays and Fridays, dinner with Hazel. Mondays and Thursdays, work out at the gymnasium. Weekends, go to the country and soak up some natural vitamin D. You need to be shaken out of that. I'm going down tomorrow and register a consent."
"You wouldn't really!"
"I certainly shall. Then, if you find someone who pleases your fancy, you can confirm it without any delay."
"But Hazel, I don't want you to turn me loose."
"I'm not turning you loose. I'm just trying to encourage you to have a roving eye. You can come to see me whenever you like, even if you remarry. But no more of this Tuesday-and-Friday stuff. That's out. Try phoning me in the middle of the night, or duck out of your sacred office during working hours."
"Hazel, you don't really want me to go chasing after other women, do you?"
She took his chin in her hand. "Clifford, you are a big sweet dope. You know all there is to know about figures, but what you don't know about women would fill reels." She kissed him. "Relax. Mamma knows best."
"But-"
"The party waits."
He raised the shell of the car. They got out and went on in.
The town house of the Johnson-Smith Estaire occupied the entire top platform of the warren. It was a conspicuous example of conspicuous waste. The living quarters (that great pile of curiously assembled building materials could hardly be called a home) occupied perhaps a third of the space, the rest was given over to gardens, both open and covered. Her husband's ridiculously large income was derived from automatic furniture; it was her fancy to have her house display no apparent evidence of machine domination.
So it was that real live servants offered to take their wraps-they had none-and escorted them to the foot of the broad flight of stairs at the top of which the hostess was greeting her guests. She extended both arms as Clifford and Hazel approached. "My dear!" she bubbled to Hazel. "So gentle of you to come! And your brilliant husband." She turned to her guest of honor, standing at her side. "Doctor Thorgsen, these are two of my dearest friends. Larsen Hazel-such a clever little person, really. And Master Monroe-Alpha Clifford. He does things about money at the Department of Finance. Dreadfully intricate. I'm sure you would understand it-I don't."
Thorgsen managed to frown and smile simultaneously. "The Larsen Hazel? But you are-I recognize you. Will you be dancing for us tonight?"
"I no longer dance."
"What a pity! That is the first unfavorable change I've found on earth. I've been away ten years."
"You've been on Pluto. How fares it there, Doctor?"
"Chilly." He repeated his somewhat frightening mixed expression. Clifford caught his eye and bowed deeply. "I am honored, learned sir."
"Don't let it-I mean, not at all. Or something like that. Damn it sir, I'm not used to all this fancy politeness. Forgotten how to do it. We have a communal colony, you know. No weapons.
Monroe Alpha had noticed with surprise that Thorgsen was unarmed and brassarded, yet he carried himself with the easy arrogance of an armed citizen, sure of his position. "The life must be quite different," he offered.
"It is. It is. Nothing like this. Work, a little gossip, bed, and back to work again. You're in finance, eh? What sort of thing?"
"I compute the re-investment problem."
"That? Now I know who you are. We heard of your refinement of the general solution-even out on Pluto. High computation that. Makes our little stereo-parallax puzzles look fiddlin'."
"I would hardly say so."
"I would. Perhaps we can find a chance to talk later. You could give me some advice."
"I would be honored."
Several latecomers were waiting in line. Hazel could see that their hostess was becoming impatient. They moved on. "Enjoy yourselves, my dears," she invited them. "There are, well, things-" She waved vaguely.
There were indeed "things." Two theaters were available, one of which was giving a continuous performance of all the latest and smartest stereo-reels, the other provided the current spot news for anyone who could not relax without knowing what was going on out of his sight. There were gaming rooms, of course, and dozens of little snuggeries where small groups, or couples could enjoy each other's company tete-a-tete. A currently popular deceiver circulated through the crowd, displaying his jests and deceptions and sophisticated legerdemain to any who cared to watch. Food and drink in lavish variety, quality, and quantity were available everywhere.