"Bernard, this is Perry."

The visitor seemed momentarily startled, recovered himself, made the ghost of a formal bow and muttered, "Do you a service?"

Perry acknowledged as briefly.

Bernard turned to Diana. "Dancer?" Diana shook her head. Bernard continued, "OK. Let's get going. I've got a lot of brand new stuff and, baby, it's hot. Look at this." He pulled a roll out of his belt, then shrugged off the belt and threw it on the couch. "This one now. It's historical, see? I'm an army aviator and you're a war nurse. We do the first half in costume with lots of action, then in the finale we duck the costumes and it's all symbolical. The score is Radetzky's War Birds with my own arrangement." They fell into a discussion of technical terms which Perry failed to understand. He went over to the reproducer, selected a record and cut in the earphones. Grimly he kept up the pretense of studying for the better part of two hours. Finally he realized that he had played a record on engineering materials and processes three times and remembered none of it. He snapped off the machine and turned and watched the rehearsal. There was no avoiding the fact that Bernard was graceful and handsome. His shoulders were broad and his hips narrow and he moved like a black panther. His body was the true golden bronze all over and his profile could have been the model for a Greek coin. Except for a slight petulance of his features in repose Perry could by no rationalization regard him as effeminate in spite of his occupation. At the moment they were rehearsing a phrase in which Diana leaped into the air and was caught by him as he turned. Bernard seemed dissatisfied.

"No, beautiful, no. You're not in time. It goes like this: Tata Tata, tata tata, thrrrrrrump, bump bump." He illustrated in pantomime. "Now try it." The music started and Diana whirled and came out in a long flying leap. Bernard caught her from a turn, swung her about and set her down. "That's better. Now once more." He caressed her upper arm. Perry felt his jaw muscle tighten until hard lumps and an acrid smell came into his nostrils. Diana whirled again and leaped to be swept from the air like a netted butterfly. Bernard gave a shout. "Bravo! Bravo! That's it!" He retained her in his arms and planted an enthusiastic kiss on her mouth, then hugged her to him. Perry was on his feet and striding across the floor.

"Put her down!"

Bernard looked up with surprise and annoyance across his face. "What did you say?"

"Put her down!" Perry grasped his arm roughly. "Cut out that stuff. Put her down."

"Do you know that you are being offensive?"

Diana squirmed loose and stood between them. "Perry, please! Bernard, don't pay any attention. Perry, please go back and sit down."

"Just a moment, Diana." Bernard stepped toward Perry. "Your words require explanation. Why were you offensive?"

"Offensive! Pah!" Perry gave a short hard laugh.

"He obviously is not rational. Come, Diana." Bernard placed a hand on her shoulder.

Crack! Perry's left fist connected with Bernard's jaw and he went down in a heap. He struggled to his knees, fingered his jaw, and looked at Perry with an expression of utter amazement.

"Get up and defend yourself." The amazement increased.

Without moving Bernard spoke. "Diana, get behind me. He's dangerous." Instead she broke from her shocked immobility and flung herself on Perry.

"No more, Perry! No more! Oh God, look what you've done already."

"Diana, come away from him. We've got to get out of here." She turned, still clinging to Perry.

"No, he won't hurt me. You get out. Go. Go at once."

"I can't leave you alone with him."

"Yes, go. I'm perfectly safe. Get out." Perry finally spoke.

"Do as she tells you. I won't hurt her, you fool. But get out or I'll cut you to ribbons."

Bernard backed toward the door, hastily grabbing his belt as he did so. As he opened the door, Diana stopped him. "Bernard!"

"Yes?"

"You won't do anything?"

"Do anything? I'll have to report it." He slid through the door and closed it. Diana burst into tears. Perry stared at her.

"What did he mean by that?"

Between sobs she explained. "He's going to report you for violating a major custom. And then they'll come and take you away, and you'll have to be examined to find out what they'll do with you." She burst into tears again. "Oh, Perry, why did you strike him? Oh dear, oh dear, we were so happy."

"What do we do now?"

"There's nothing to do."

"Do you think I'm going to sit here and let that young punk send the police after me on a measly assault and battery charge? Say, can I take the air car?"

She turned in sudden alarm. "Perry! You're not going away?"

"Why not? I can be miles away before they get here. Then when this quiets down I'll get in touch with you."

"Perry, don't think of it. You couldn't stay in hiding. You'd be picked up the minute you tried to use your credit account. It's impossible and it would just make things worse."

The visephone light glowed. Automatically Diana answered it. The image of a kindly looking woman with a brisk official manner appeared in the screen. "Office of Public Safely at Truckee. Are you Diana 160-398-400-48A?" Diana nodded, too miserable to speak. "Is there a citizen there called Perry?" Another nod. "Let me speak with him, please." Defiantly Perry placed himself in range. "You are Perry?"

"Yes."

"We are informed by Bernard 593-045-823-56G that you experienced a major atavism today involving an antisocial violence. Do you recall anything of that nature?"

"Yes."

"How do you feel now? Any impulse to break custom?"

"I'm all right."

"That's good. The field investigators will be along shortly. Can you arrange to come along with them today?"

"I have to, don't I?"

"It would be better. A quick investigation is always more satisfactory."

"They'll find me here. I'll come."

She smiled. "That's sensible. You'll be well in time. Very well, then—Clearing." Her image faded.

For the next half hour a morose silence filled the room. Diana hesitated to speak and Perry was busy with his own unhappy thoughts. Finally came the door signal for which each had been uneasily but impatiently waiting. Diana opened the door and admitted two pleasant, clean cut young chaps. One of them spoke. "You're Diana? And you must be Perry. Truckee safety Office. I'm Bill; this is Leslie. Believe there's a service to do you?"

Perry made a wry face. "You could call it that." The second young man looked anxious and stepped forward.

"How do you feel, buddy? Need any immediate treatment?" He glanced at his partner, who answered.

"No trauma or gross lesions. Let's check your pulse. Hm—a little high, nothing startling."

Perry pulled his wrist away. "Cut it out. I'm all right."

"Okay. I don't like to give a sedative before the preliminary examination. That pulse won't hurt you. Got everything you need? Let's go." Diana donned a tunic. "You coming too, sister? Okay."

Shortly thereafter Perry found himself being ushered alone into an office in the Truckee Civic Hall. He was greeted by the occupant, a middle-aged, grey haired black man, who thumbed through a stack of papers and presented him with a sheet. "Here's a resume of the report about you. Look it over." Perry glanced over the paper and handed it back. The official looked inquiringly at him.

"Any truth in it?"

"Do I have to answer questions? Don't I get to see counsel?"

"Why certainly, if you wish. But it saves unpleasant delay and mistakes if the state knows the facts at once."

"Oh well, I don't deny it. The report is correct as far as the general facts go."

"Very well then. We can skip the preliminary examination in that case. Consider yourself remanded for examination and disposition. Will tomorrow be satisfactory?"