hearing take place that they would at least be prepared. But no, Lyle
couldn't even remember how many Smurffs were involved--two or three.
As if that wasn't bad enough, he let that damned woman, Trenchant, tie
him up in knots on cross examination.

"Then Fecesi testified. He's the guy that actually found these
suspicious SmurFFs and I was told that he'd been well coached. Mark
and Lyle both had gone over and over his testimony with him. The
trouble is, the guy is the pits. A horny, crass bastard if I ever saw
one. He put on a world class demonstration of constipation of the
brain and diarrhea of the mouth. If I hadn't adjourned the hearing
when I did, there's no telling what else would have come out of that
foul throat of his.

"Now, add to all of that, those stupid broads on the panel got teed-off
at the document examiner and apparently aren't convinced now that
Trenchant wrote those evaluations at all. The only one I can depend on
is Frank Anuse." Henry buried his head in his lap and massaged it with
both hands.

Kate looked at him without pity. "Serves you right. You and the rest
of those sanctimonious bastards trying to railroad that woman. Seven
SmurFFs, for God's sake--it's a greater crime to spit on the grass.

"As for Fecesi, he's got his brains in his crotch just like the rest of
you. The only difference is that he doesn't pretend otherwise--he's a
little too direct for you, isn't he?

"Since this whole thing started, I've had more people ask me what the
real reason is for going after Diana Trenchant because they just can't
believe the SmurFF crap. Everyone on campus knows the SmurFFs are a
joke. Nobody, but nobody takes them seriously."

Henry defended himself vigorously. "Well, it is serious and the SmurFF
thing is not all there is to it. That woman has been using her
influence over the past three or four years to injure the other faculty
in the radiology course," Henry defended himself vigorously.

"Influence? A lecturer with influence? Who did she influence, the
dean? The Pope?"

"No. The students. That's why these guys in the course were so hurt
by all this. Their yearly evaluation by the students--nearly all the
student feedback for them, and the course they directed, were really
bad. And, it's her fault. She manipulated the students to write those
bad critiques."

"Pshaw. She manipulated medical students? Since when? You know,
Henry, you can't have it both ways. Yo