re easily.

* * *

And Belle was "nice" to Fao; she didn't use her claws, even once, all
day. And, just before quitting time--

"Does he ... I mean, did he ever ... well, sort of knock you around?"
Fao asked.

"I'll say he hasn't!" Belle's nostrils flared slightly at the mere
thought. "I'd stick a knife into him, the big jerk."

"Oh, I didn't mean physically...."

"Through my blocks? A _Prime's_ blocks? Don't be ridiculous, Fao!"

"What do you mean, 'ridiculous'?" Fao snapped. "You tried _my_ blocks.
What did they feel like to you--mosquito netting? What I thought was....
Oh, all he really said was that all Primes had to have hell knocked out
of them before they could be any good. That he had had it one way, Deggi
another, and me a third. I see--you haven't had yours yet."

"I certainly haven't. And if he ever tries it, I'll...."

"Oh, he won't. He couldn't, very well, because after you're married, it
would...."

"Did the big lug tell you I was going to marry him?"

"Of course not. No fringes, even. But who else are you going to marry?
If the whole universe was clear full of the finest men imaginable--pure
dreamboats, no less--can you even conceive of you marrying any one of
them except him?"

"I'm not going to marry anybody. Ever."

"No? You, with your Prime's mind and your Prime's body, not have any
children? And you tell _me_ not to be ridiculous?"

That stopped Belle cold, but she wouldn't admit it. Instead--"I don't
get it. What did he _do_ to you, anyway?"

Fao's block set itself so tight that it took her a full minute to soften
it down enough for even the thinnest thought to get through. "That's
something nobody will ever know. But anyway, unless ... unless you find
another Prime as strong as Clee is--and I don't really think there are
any, do you?"

"Of course there aren't. There's only one of his class, anywhere. He's
it," Belle said, with profound conviction.

"That makes it tough for you. You'll have the toughest job imaginable.
The _very_ toughest. I know."

"Huh? What job?"

"Since Clee won't do it for you, and since nobody else can, you'll have
to just simply knock hell out of yourself."

And in Garlock's room that night, getting ready for bed, Belle asked
suddenly, "Clee, what in hell did you do to Fao Talaho?"

"Nothing much. She's a mighty good egg, really."

"Could you do it, whatever it was, to me?"

"I don't know; I never tried it."

"_Would