lus was a
gas-projector. The black-leather-jacketed bodyguards, of course, were
discreetly out of range of the camera. Members of the Associated
Fraternities of Literates weren't exactly loved by the non-reading
public they claimed to serve. The sight of one of those starchy,
perpetually-spotless, white smocks always affected Pelton like a red
cape to a bull. He snorted in disdain. The raised eyebrow toward the
announcer on the left, the quick, perennially boyish smile, followed
by the levelly serious gaze into the camera--the whole act might have
been a film-transcription of Mongery's first appearance on the video,
fifteen years ago. At least, it was off the same ear of corn.

"That big hunk of cheese," Ray commented. For once, Pelton didn't
shush him; that was too close to his own attitude, at least in
family-breakfast-table terminology.

"... First of all; for the country, and especially the Newer New York
area, and by the way, it looks as though somebody thought somebody
needed a little cooling off, but we'll come to that later. Here's the
forecast: Today and tomorrow, the weather will continue fine; warm in
the sun, chilly in the shadows. There won't be anything to keep you
from the polls, tomorrow, except bird-hunting, or a last chance at a
game of golf. This is the first time within this commentator's memory
that the weather has definitely been in favor of the party out of
power.

"On the world scene: You'll be glad to hear that the survivors of the
wrecked strato-rocket have all been rescued from the top of Mount
Everest, after a difficult and heroic effort by the Royal Nepalese Air
Force.... The results of last week's election in Russia are being
challenged by twelve of the fourteen parties represented on the
ballot; the only parties not hurling accusations of fraud are the
Democrats, who won, and the Christian Communists, who are about as
influential in Russian politics as the Vegetarian-Anti-Vaccination
Party is here.... The Central Diplomatic Council of the Reunited
Nations has just announced, for the hundred and seventy-eighth time,
that the Arab-Israel dispute has been finally, definitely and
satisfactorily settled. This morning's reports from Baghdad and Tel
Aviv only list four Arabs and six Israelis killed in border clashes in
the past twenty-four hours, so maybe they're really getting things
patched up, after all. During the same period, there were more
fatalities in Newer New York as a result of cl