"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 based upon unwarranted conclusions drawn from erroneous assumptions. The pattern is not clear ... but I won't order screens down until I have to ... if the reason had come from Belle...." "_Me_?" Belle flared. "Why from me?" "... instead of Jim...." Ignoring Belle's interruption, Garlock frowned in thought. After a minute or so his face cleared. "Jim," he said, sharply, "have you been consciously aware of Belle's manipulation?" "Why, no, of course not. She _couldn't_!" "That's _really_ a brainstorm, Clee," Belle sneered. "You'd better turn yourself in for an overhaul." "Nice scheme, Belle," Garlock said. "I underestimated--at least, didn't consider carefully enough--your power; and overestimated your ethics and urbanity." "What are you talking about, Chief?" James asked. "You lost me ten parsecs back." "Just this. Belle is behind this whole operation; working under a perfectly beautiful smokescreen." "I'm afraid the boss is cracking up, kids," Belle said. "Listen to him, if you like, but use your own judgment." "But nobody could make Jim and me really love each other," Lola argued, "and we really do. It's real love." "Admitted," Garlock said. "But she could have helped it along; and she's all set to take every possible advantage of the situation thus created." "I still don't see it," James objected. "Why, she wouldn't even confirm our break. She hasn't yet." "She would have, at the exactly correct psychological moment; after holding out long enough to put you both under obligation to her. There would have, also, been certain strings attached. Her plan was, after switching the pairings...." "I wouldn't pair with you," Belle broke in viciously, "if you were the only man left in the macrocosmic universe!" "Part of the smokescreen," Garlock explained. "The re-pairings would give her two lines of attack on me, to be used simultaneously. First, to work on me in bed...." "See?" Belle interrupted. "He doesn't think I've got any heart at all."