please."

"No."

"We are under the Code, then. Go ahead, Jim."

"I broke pairing with Belle and she refused to confirm."

"Certainly I refused. He had no reason to break with me."

"I had plenty of reason!" James snapped. "I'm fed up to here--" he drew
his right forefinger across his forehead, "--with making so-called love
to a woman who can never think of anything except cutting another man's
throat. She's a heartless conniver."

"You both know that reasons are unnecessary and are not discussed in
public," Garlock said, flatly. "Now as to confirmation of a break. In
simple pairing there is no marriage, no registration, no declaration of
intent or of permanence. Thus, legally or logically, there is no
obligation. Morally, however, there is always some obligation. Hence, as
a matter of urbanity, in cases where no injury exists except as concerns
chastity, the Code calls for agreement without rancor. If either party
persists in refusal to confirm, and cannot show injury, that party's
behavior is declared inurbane. Confirmation is declared and the
offending party is ignored."

"Just how would you go about ignoring Prime Operator Belle Bellamy?"

"You've got a point there, Jim. However, she hasn't persisted very long
in her refusal. As a matter of information, Belle, why did you take Jim
in the first place?"

"I didn't." She shrugged her shoulders. "It was pure chance. You saw me
flip the tenth-piece."

"Am I to ignore the fact that you are one of the best telekineticists
living?"

"I don't _have_ to control things unless I want to!" She stamped her
foot. "Can't you conceive of me flipping a coin honestly?"

"No. However, since this is not a screens-down inquiry, I'll give
you--orally, at least--the benefit of the doubt. The next step, I
presume, is for Lola to break with me. Lola?"

"Well ... I hate to say this, Clee.... I thought that mutual consent
would be better, but...." Lola paused, flushing in embarrassment.

"She feels," James said, steadily, "as I do, that there should be much
more to the sexual relation than merely releasing the biological
tensions of two pieces of human machinery. That's hardly civilized."

"I confirm, Lola, of course," Garlock said; then went on, partly
thinking aloud, partly addressing the group at large. "Ha. Reasons
again, and very well put--not off the cuff. Evasions. Flat lies.
Something very unfunny here--as queer as a nine-credit bill. In sum,
indefensible actions bas