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〃Great powers？〃 said Krak。
〃United States； France； United Kingdom； Russia and China。 Even if nine members vote for it and just one of those five vetoes it； it's finished。〃
〃What is the measure； dear？〃
〃Women's rights；〃 said Heller。
〃Hmm；〃 said the Countess。 She got up and sat down on a sofa near him。 〃I don't really understand why they have to have a law to give women rights。 Women make their own rights。 Why are you so interested in this； dear？〃
〃It's important；〃 said Heller。
〃Hmm；〃 said the Countess Krak。
At that moment some crowd shots came on。 There were mobs of women around the UN； carrying placards on poles； waving flags； singing； being cheer leadered。
The camera focused on one group with huge placards and Heller gave a small laugh。 The Countess looked at him sharply。 He was smiling at the screen。
One huge placard read：
The UN Security Council
Will Be Boycotted
at the Gracious Palms
If They Do Not Pass
UN Resolution
678…546…452
The Countess looked back at the screen。 The camera focused in on one huge poster this group was carrying。 It said：
In Memory of Pretty Boy
The picture was a poor one but it certainly looked like Heller！
The Countess said； 〃Who are those ladies； dear？〃
〃Where？〃 said Heller。
〃Hmm；〃 said the Countess Krak。
The cameras were working inside the Security Council room。 A pan along the mural picked up the symbols of Peace and Liberty； Equality and Fraternity。 Then the view travelled along the member representatives。 They were getting busy。
The president of the Security Council this month was Russian。 He had a big； square face and Mongolian eyes。 He brought the meeting to order by banging his fist on his desk。 Through the translator who was putting it out on the networks in English； the Russian said； 〃I call this waste…of…time meeting to order。〃
〃Oh； oh；〃 said Heller。
〃I had to e all the way back from Yakut in Siberia；〃 continued the Russian； 〃just to attend this special meeting。 And all because the silly General Assembly passed some silly nonsense。〃
〃Oh； oh； oh！〃 said Heller。
〃So I read it；〃 said the Russian。 '〃UN Resolution…which is not resolved and if it is resolved I go back to Siberia…'678…546…452。' Hereas； et cetera； to wit：
'RESOLVED： WOMEN HAVE THE RIGHT NOT TO BE THERMONUCLEAR BOMBED AND NOT TO BE FORCED TO SHUT UP BY SLAPPING OR TORTURE。'〃
〃That's a good resolution；〃 said the Countess Krak。 〃It's the first sensible law I've heard on this planet。 I'm amazed it isn't in force already。 But you seem very interested； dear。 Did you have something to do with it？〃
〃It's a political matter；〃 said Heller。
〃Hmm；〃 said the Countess Krak。
The Russian was talking again。 〃We will now have the debate。 I will be the first one to debate。 So listen； rades： It is well known that the only workers who can be made to do any work are women。 If the women did not do all the work； men would have no time to sit around and drink vodka。 But；〃 and he fixed the other members with a ferocious glare； 〃you know and I know and everybody knows and Karl Marx who had an awful married life knew； too； that if you don't slap women they talk all the time； day and night。 And if they talk； talk； talk； where goes the Five Year Plans then； right？ And if they make the Five Year Plans fail； they are counterrevolutionaries and ought to be thermonuclear…bombed once and for all so we could have some peace。 And that's all there is to it； rades。 This resolution would undermine the already undermined theory of Marxist Leninism。 Russia votes against it…nyet； nyet； nyet… and spits on it； too。 So there is no point in debating further or even voting； as a great power has vetoed it。 Meeting adjourned！〃 And he got up and put on his fur coat and stamped out of the hall where a regiment of KGB guards got him into a helicopter and away。
〃Oh； blast； blast those Russians！〃 said Heller。 〃The girls will be SO disappointed after all their hard work！〃
〃What girls？〃 said the Countess Krak； very alert。
〃And there goes any chance I had with Miss Simmons！〃 said Heller。 〃Confound those Russians！〃
The Countess Krak said； very loudly； 〃WHO is Miss Simmons？〃
Heller came out of it。 He looked at the Countess。 〃What？〃
〃I said； 'WHO is Miss Simmons？'〃
〃My teacher in Nature Appreciation。 That's the class I have to personally attend each Sunday。〃
〃Oh； is that what you have been doing Sundays？ I notice that you use the words 'have to attend。' However； I have been told personally by Izzy that you are going to the university just wonderfully and all without attending any classes whatever。 Bang…Bang tells me that you are just doing splendidly in the ROTC； and yet you don't have to attend any drills or ROTC classes。 Now； WHY； Jettero； do you have to attend the Sunday class of this Miss Simmons？〃
Heller said； 〃She forced me into it。〃
The Countess Krak said； 〃Jettero； I can understand pletely why she is infatuated with you； but I cannot for the life of me see why you are infatuated with her。〃
〃I'M NOT！〃
〃Jettero； you need not be defensive。 You are not being accused of anything。 I just want to know why you are infatuated with her。〃
〃I HATE the hussy！〃 said Heller。
〃Oh；〃 said the Countess Krak； 〃be very careful of hate。 The poet says it is the closest neighbor of love。〃
〃Oh； Gods； he didn't know Miss Simmons！ Listen； that woman is working day and night to wreck my plans。 She is not only going to fail me； she is tearing around demanding that others flunk me！〃
〃Jettero；〃 said the Countess Krak； 〃maybe you had better tell me about this very exactly。〃
Heller told her about needing a diploma so people would listen to him and how Miss Simmons hated nuclear physicists and had forced him to take an optional on Nature Appreciation； which she herself taught。 Then he drew a long breath and told her in detail about following her into Van Cortlandt Park； finishing off the attackers and taking Miss Simmons to the hospital。 And how； in the new term； they had released her from the psychiatric ward so she could resume teaching。
The Countess Krak nodded gravely。 〃I understand it pletely now。 She walked into that park well knowing there were unscrupulous men about and lured you after her。 She is the kind of woman who craves to be raped。 Oh； I am afraid this has gone far enough； Jettero。 I knew all the beautiful women on this planet would be after you and I now know that my worst fears have been realized。 I could forgive that Miss America thing； but this has gone on and on right under my nose every Sunday。〃
〃Please；〃 begged Heller。 〃If I take you to the theater and buy you a dozen roses and get up first every morning for a week and get the room warm； will you； in return； stop talking about Miss Simmons？〃
〃Hmm；〃 said the Countess Krak。 She got up and went into the secretary boudoir。
She paced up and down。 Then she suddenly sat on the edge of the couch and punched a button and had Mamie on the phone promptly。
〃Mamie；〃 she said； 〃it has happened。 I've got to have your advice。〃
〃Certainly； dearie。 You just tell Mama Mamie。〃
〃He is so disturbed that I am absolutely certain he has bee infatuated with another woman and it may hold him on this planet。 We are not married yet。 I MUST get him away。 What should I do？〃
〃Scratch her eyes out；〃 said Mamie； promptly。
〃Hmm；〃 said the Countess Krak。 〃Well； thank you。 I was just checking to see how it was done on this planet。 How is business？〃
〃Just fine； dear。 Now that my name is up in lights； we're playing to a full house every night。 Don't you worry your pretty head about this place； dear。 I've got these stage…door Johnnies shovelling out the diamonds like a rainstorm。 That's a mighty cute sailor you got there。 You just get that （bleepch） under your fingernails and rip away。 And give her a kick in the slats for me。 Never let a good man get away； dear。 They're （bleeped） hard to find！〃
I went into alarm。 This was not ing out the way I had expected。 And although I had always suspected that when women talked