ou trying to sell now?" she whispered.

He laughed. It was wild sounding to him, not very humorous really, but
still it was laughter. "Selling nothing, buying nothing." He pulled her
closer and kissed her. Her lips parted slightly and he could feel the
warmth of her and the quick drawing of breath. Then she pushed him away.
She raised her hand and brushed it over his face.

She shook her head slowly. "It feels rather interesting," she said,
"your face. I've never felt a man's face before, that wasn't smooth, the
way it should be."

He laughed again, more softly this time. "Why reform your men? You women
always wanted to do that."

"We don't reform men here," she said. "We start them out right--from the
beginning."

She backed away from him. She raised her hand to her face and her
fingers touched her lips. Wrinkles appeared between her eyes and she
shook her head again. Not at him, but at something, a thought perhaps,
he couldn't tell.

Finally she said. "That was an inexcusable, boorish thing to do. A
typical thoughtless egomanical Earth-male action if there ever was one.
Our men are all perfect here, and in comparison to them, you're a pretty
miserable specimen. I'm glad you showed up here. It's given me, and
other women, a good chance for comparison. It makes our men seem so much
better even than they were to us before."

He didn't say anything.

"Our men are perfect! Perfect you understand? What are you smiling
about? Their character is good. They're excellent conversationalists,
well informed, always attentive, moderate, sympathetic, interested in
life, and always interested in _us_."

"And I suppose they are also--human?"

"This is nonsense," she said, her voice rising slightly. "You will take
that door out please. The Council will decide what's to be done with
you."

He nodded, turned, and went through the door. There were two men there
waiting for him. They were both blond, with light blue eyes, just medium
height, perfectly constructed physically, perfectly groomed, impeccably
dressed. They smiled at him. Their teeth had been brushed every morning.
One of them wrinkled his nose, obviously as a reaction to Bowren. The
other started to reach, seemed reluctant to touch him.

"Then don't touch me, brother," Bowren said. "Put a hand on me, and I'll
slug you." The man reached away, and it gave Bowren an ecstatic
sensation to send his fist against the man's jaw. It made a cracking
sound and the man's he