ists it was the end of a long nightmare of
protests by women's clubs, demonstrations by national female societies
and actual attempts at murder by fanatical blue-noses; and a mere
beginning of the most crucial experiment ever undertaken--which _had_ to
be a success.

[Illustration]

Suddenly Ken was angry at the knowing looks from the throng's nearest
ranks. While the general continued his prepared speech into the mike,
focus of the hollow, hungry eyes of the video cameras, Ken pulled Carol
to his side and held her with an arm about her waist, glaring when the
crowd murmured and the cameras swung their way again. He had not
questioned the actions of the military, of the world, before. But now--a
public spectacle--

During the years of rigorous, specialized training almost from childhood
they had kept him away from Carol, teasing him--it was the only word
that now occurred to his mind--with the dangled promise of her presence
on the flight. They had let him see her pictures--intimate, almost-nude
photos harvested by the gossip columnists, snaps of her glory in bathing
attire as she lounged by a swimming pool.

Swimming. Since he had been selected as a boy, every free afternoon he
had been made to swim, swim, swim--developing the long, smooth muscles
they wanted him to have. It had been, he knew, the same with Carol.

Had they taunted her with his pictures too? Had she responded by wanting
him, loving him, longing for him? How did she feel about their first
moment together being shared by the greedy eyes of continents?

The President was speaking now, rolling sonorous sentences into the
mike, words which would officially sanction this unorthodox act of the
military, which would justify the morally unprecedented dispensing of
maid to man without benefit of--anything. Because the psychologists had
wanted it that way. Ken leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I wish I
could get you inside the ship."

She looked at him with sudden coolness. "Impatient, Major?" She turned
away quickly and he could feel her body stiffen.

Had he said something wrong? Or--the new thought was jarring disharmony:
did he represent the end of this girl's--_his_ girl's--hopes for a
conventional, happy marriage? Did she think him the altar of sacrifice,
whereupon she would accrue the moralist's scorn and, tomorrow, attract
only the lecherous? Or was it just an act? What, besides ship and
instrument operation, had they taught her?

Grimly he