tely not my idea of urbanity and there's altogether too much
obligation to suit me. For all of which good reasons I am not going to
pair with you, now or ever."

"How do you know whether I'm a virgin or not? You've never read me that
deep. Nobody can. Not even you, unless I let you."

"Reading isn't necessary--you flaunt it like a banner."

"I don't know what you mean.... I certainly don't do it intentionally.
But I ought to pair with you, Clee!" Lola had lost all of her
nervousness, most of her fear. "It's part of the job I was chosen for.
If I'd known, I'd've gone out and got some experience. Really I would
have."

"I believe that. I think you would have been silly enough to have done
just that. And you have a very high regard for your virginity, too,
don't you?"

"Well, I ... I used to. But we'd better go ahead with it. I've _got_
to."

"No such thing. Permissible, but not obligatory."

"But it was assumed. As a matter of course. Anyway ... well, when that
girl started making passes at you, I thought you could have just as much
fun, or even more--she's charming; a real darling, isn't she?--without
pairing with me, and then I had to open my big mouth and be the one to
keep you from playing games with _anyone except_ me, and I certainly am
not going to let you suffer...."

"Bunk!" Garlock snorted. "Sheer flapdoodle! Pure psychological
prop-wash, started and maintained by men who are either too weak to
direct and control their drives or who haven't any real work to occupy
their minds. It applies to many men, of course, possibly to most. It
does not, however, apply to all, and, it lacks one whole hell of a lot
of applying to me. Does that make you feel better?"

"Oh, it does ... it does. Thanks, Clee. You know, I like you, a lot."

"Do you? Kiss me."

She did so.

"See?"

"You _tricked_ me!"

* * *

"I did not. I want you to see the truth and face it. Your idealism is
admirable, permanent, and shatter-proof; but your starry-eyed
schoolgirl's mawkishness is none of the three. You'll have to grow up,
some day. In my opinion, forcing yourself to give up one of your
hardest-held ideals--virginity--merely because of the utter bilge that
those idiot head-shrinkers stuffed you with, is sheer, plain idiocy. I
suppose that makes you like me even less, but I'm laying it right on the
line."

"No ... more. I'll argue with you, when we have time, about some of your
points, but the la