"I look forward to meeting them, especially Julian. Your mother is sure that we will like each other immensely."
Wayness grinned.
"Mother's dream worlds are inhabited by charming people who always behave nicely. I am to marry, breed two dear
quiet children and glow with pride whenever Julian issues a manifesto.1 Milo is destined to become a force for the good.
He will be clean| honest, forthright and virtuous: he will never be rude to the Yips^ much less fight them.
Conservationism is a noble ideal, even though Mother is afraid of ugly beasts who growl and make bad smells.| Perhaps they should be kept behind a fence."
"And how does your father respond to these opinions?"
"Oh, Father has mastered the art of amiable vagueness.
Perhaps he'll say: "That is an interesting opinion, my dear.
We must look to| see how it accords with the Charter." And that's all there is to the| matter." She lifted her head to listen.
"Here come our guests from| the library." | A tall young woman came swinging jauntily into the room. She wore | tight plum-colored trousers and a black jacket; her face was small and | pale in a cap of straight black hair.
Sparkling black eyes, arched 3 eyebrows and a wide quizzical mouth caused her to seem knowing, j mischievous and privy to all manner of exotic secrets. A tall spare". young man, evidently Julian Bohost, sauntered behind her, talking over his shoulder to Milo. He was somewhat lanky and loose-jointed, with round blue eyes and a fine straight nose. An aureole of light :
brown curls surrounded his fresh fair face; his voice, tenor and resonant, carried easily across the room: " when one considers the lay of the land, the mysteries multiply ... Hullo! Who's this?"
Milo, bringing up the rear, also stopped short at the sight of Glawen.
"Well, well! Today the house overflows with celebrities! Shall I ;
perform the introductions?" } "Please do," said Wayness.
"But try to be brisk; your introductions i are often like eulogies at a funeral." i "I shall do my best," said Milo.
"Here we have a female in purple pants, named Sunje Ballinder. Beside her, somewhat less eye-catching but equally influential, is Julian Bohost.
Neither has a criminal record and both are ornaments of fashionable Stroma society. Over here we discover the distinguished Glawen Clattuc of Clattuc House, already a high-ranking official of Bureau B."
"I am honored to meet you both," said Glawen.
"And I no less," said Julian.
Sunje inspected Glawen sidelong.
"Bureau B? What a fascinating line of work! As I understand it, you patrol the shores arid guard the Conservancy from attack?"
"That is a fair statement," said Glawen.
"Although for a fact we have other duties as well."
"Would you think me impertinent if I asked to see your gun?"
Glawen smiled politely.
"You are under a misapprehension. We handle guns only when out on patrol."
"Oh, what a shame! I have long wondered whether the patrollers truly filed notches for every Yip they had killed."
Again Glawen smiled.
"I'd be filing every minute of my spare time! My business is killing Yips, not keeping a head count, which never could be wholly exact. When I set fire to a crowded boatload, I can only estimate the casualties. In any event, it's a useless statistic, since for every Yip I kill, two or three step forward. The sport has lost its zest."
Milo asked: "Could you possibly take Sunje out on a patrol and let her shoot a few Yips of her own?"
"I don't see why not." Glawen turned to Sunje.
"Mind you, I can't guarantee any sport. Sometimes days or even weeks go by without a single honest shot."
Julian looked at Sunje.
"What do you say? Here's your chance, if you're ready for it."
Sunje stalked across the room and flung herself into a chair.
"I think you're all rather vapid."
Milo told Glawen: "Perhaps I should mention that Sunje endorses the program of the New Humanists, who are in turn the cutting edge ofthePeefers."
"LPFers, if you don't mind."
