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we don t have to worry about that.
The green man sighed from the depths of his body. He shook his head slowly,
and began to rise to his feet with an expressive frown of displeasure and
melancholy.
 Where are you going?
 I wish I could have avoided this, but I see that I cannot. I naturally
assumed you would have a mate; we believed it was the universal principle on
your planet. And I am under strict orders to bring back a pair.
 But wait a minute--
 I m sorry. The Council was most specific. One pair of Earthlings, male and
female. I cannot, as you might say, break up the set.
He started for the door, and again Milt saw the end of the world in his
gesture. He grabbed for the green man s arm and pulled him back into the room.
 You can t mean that! You can t just walk out of here this way--
 I have my orders, the visitor said gravely.
 But I ll get a mate. I promise! I ll get one soon!
 I hardly think--
 So help me I will! Milt let the hysteria take over; he was tired of holding
it down.  I ll get a mate right away. You ll see. A genuine Earth-type mate--
 I m afraid there s hardly enough time. If you will excuse me.
 Just give me a chance. A week--a few days--
The green man hesitated, and the hesitation gave Milt hope.  A few days? the
visitor said mildly.  Exactly how many days?
 Five!
The green man frowned.  Four.
Three.
 You believe you can accomplish this in three days?
 I m sure of it!
 I m behind schedule as it is--
 I promise you! In three days, I ll be ready!
The visitor looked doubtful, and then the stony green countenance relaxed.
 Very well, he said gently.  In three days I will return. If you succeed, all
will be well. If not--
He shrugged, opened the door, and left.
It had to be Naomi Winkler. Not because Naomi was the woman he had
dream-envisioned himself spending the rest of his natural life with on some
far-off planet, but simply because she was the only female Milt had been
seeing.
Milt Klowitz had not quite been a Mama s boy, but things had been so secure,
so regulated, living with
Mama, that until her death at the age of seventy-four Milt had lived on in the
old house without a thought of the outside world. Least of all, marriage.
With his science fiction, his undemanding job in the advertising agency, and
his Mama s gugelhopf, Milt s life had been cozily comfortable. But when Mama
died, the old place became oppressive, and Milt had sold it to take this
smaller, compact bachelor apartment.
He had met Naomi in the traffic department of the agency, when she had been
sent up as a replacement from the typing pool. They had dated only casually.
Although he had fumblingly kissed her on three occasions, there was never a
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thought of marriage. Marriage was totally outside his interests.
Now, it was his sole interest.
Consequently, it had to be Naomi Winkler.
 Hello, Naomi? Milt. I was, uh, wondering if you d like to have dinner with me
tonight? Yeah, I know it s
Saturday and all that, but I was just thinking if we could get together--
Milt had never known he could talk so long or so convincingly. But with the
final gasp and the plunk of the receiver, he had made the dinner date.
He shaved with extreme care, and used more aftershave lotion than usual.
 This really is a lovely place, Milt. Are you sure you can afford it? I mean,
it looks so expensive--
She wasn t really a homely girl, when you looked at her three-quarter view in
the flickering light of the candle stuck in the Chianti bottle. Her hair was a
rather lively chestnut, and her eyes were wide, brown and sparkling.
Her features were a bit irregular, and her nose a bit too large, but at this
juncture Milt was not looking for Raquel
Welch. Merely a mate.
 Just leave the finances to me, Naomi. Tonight is something special. If a guy
can t spend a few bucks on the girl he loves, then--
The word did it. Her expression was startled. Now he had to follow it up
quickly, before the arrival of the veal parmesan spoiled the moment.
 It s true, Naomi. I ve kept this thing buried too long already. I m in love
with you--
She blurted:  You--
 I want to marry you! Right away!
Her face froze in astonishment.
 Don t say it! he said.  Don t say you hardly know me. That doesn t matter,
Naomi. I love you enough for the both of us. Just give me the chance to show
you--
 But we--
Milt went on doggedly, dragging air into his lungs as he plunged along,
halting her every word, deluging her with sweet nothings, frenziedly couched
in logical plans for the future, their happiness together, for the children,
the two car garage, the backyard barbecues...
 Now wait a minute! She thumped the table with alarming force and the water
glasses did a mambo  I like you a lot, Milt, and if I knew you a little
better, I might consider it. Just consider it, you understand--
Milt almost chortled. She was weakening. He grasped her rather chubby hands
and squeezed them with manly ardor. She pulled away and said:
 Well, at least you can let me think about it, Milt. For a little while.
 I ll call you in the morning, Milt said hungrily.
He brought her home at twelve, and planted what should have been a passionate
kiss, midway between her nose and mouth.
In the morning, Milt telephoned at eight. Her voice was thick with sleep, and
her answer abrupt.
 No.
 No?
 No, Milt. I think we should wait. After all, there really isn t any hurry--
 Isn t there? Milt groaned.  If you only knew!
 Knew what?
 How much I love you, Naomi, I can t live without you! He said it as if he
meant it, which indeed was true.
 Let me think some more, Naomi said.
She thought. She thought until nine that evening. Then the telephone jangled
and Naomi Winkler said the sweetest, most wonderful word in the English
language.
 Yes, Naomi said.  The only thing I ask though--
 Anything! Milt said joyously.  Ask me anything!
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 Well, I don t want to get married until the fall. I just don t have any
summer clothes at all, Milt, so if you don t mind-- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]