Stranger in a Strange Land

With delight he watched her fill the tub. There was a tub in the bathroom of suite K-12 but Smith had not known its use; bed baths were what he had had and not many of those; his trancelike withdrawals had interfered.

Jill tested the temperature. «All right, climb in.»

Smith looked puzzled.

«Hurry!» Jill said sharply. «Get in the water.»

The words were in his human vocabulary and Smith did as ordered, emotion shaking him. This brother wanted him to place his whole body in the water of life! No such honor had ever come to him; to the best of his knowledge no one had ever been offered such a privilege. Yet he had begun to understand that these others did have greater acquaintance with the stuff of life … a fact not grokked but which he must accept.

He placed one trembling foot in the water, then the other … slipped down until water covered him completely.

«Hey!» yelled Jill, and dragged his head above water — was shocked to find that she seemed to be handling a corpse. Good Lord! he couldn't drown, not in that time. But it frightened her, she shook him. «Smith! Wake up! Snap out of it.»

From far away Smith heard his brother call, and returned. His eyes ceased to be glazed, his heart speeded up, he resumed breathing. «Are you all right?» Jill demanded.

«I am all right. I am very happy … my brother.»

«You scared me. Look, don't get under the water again. Just sit up, the way you are now.»

«Yes, my brother.» Smith added something in a croaking meaningless to Jill, cupped a handful of water as if it were precious jewels and raised it to his lips. His mouth touched it, then he offered it to Jill.

«Hey, don't drink your bath water! Now, I don't want it, either.»

«Not drink?»

His defenseless hurt was such that Jill did not know what to do. She hesitated, then bent her head and touched her lips to the offering. «Thank you.»

«May you never thirst!»

«I hope you are never thirsty, too. But that's enough. If you want a drink, I'll get you one. Don't drink any more of this water.»

Smith seemed satisfied and sat quietly. By now Jill knew that he had never had a tub bath and did not know what was expected. No doubt she could coach him … but they were losing precious time.

Oh, well! It was not as bad as tending disturbed patients in N.P. wards. Her blouse was wet to the shoulders from dragging Smith off the bottom; she took it off and hung it up. She had been dressed for the street and was wearing a little pediskirt that floated around her knees. She glanced down. Although the pleats were permanized, it was silly to get it wet. She shrugged and zipped it off; it left her in brassière and panties.

Smith was staring with the interested eyes of a baby. Jill found herself blushing, which surprised her. She believed herself to be free of morbid modesty — she recalled suddenly that she had gone on her first bareskin swimming party at fifteen. But this childlike stare bothered her; she decided to put up with wet underwear rather than do the obvious.

She covered discomposure with heartiness. «Let's get busy and scrub the hide.» She knelt beside the tub, sprayed soap on him, and started working it into lather.

Presently Smith reached out and touched her right mammary gland. Jill drew back hastily. «Hey! None of that!»

He looked as if she had slapped him. «Not?» he said tragically.

«“Not,”» she agreed firmly, then looked at his face and added softly, «It's all right. Just don't distract me, I'm busy.»

Jill cut the bath short, letting water drain and having him stand while she showered him off. Then she dressed while the blast dried him. The warm air startled him and he began to tremble; she told him not to be afraid and had him hold the grab rail.

She helped him out of the tub. «There, you smell better and I bet you feel better.»

«Feel fine.»

«Good. Let's get clothes on you.» She led him into Ben's bedroom. But before she could explain, demonstrate, or assist in getting shorts on him a man's voice scared her almost out of her senses:

«OPEN UP-IN THERE!»

Jill dropped the shorts. Did they know anyone was inside? Yes, they must — else they would never have come here. That damned robocab must have given her away!

Should she answer? Or play-'ossum?

The shout over the announcing circuit was repeated. She whispered to Smith,«Stay here!» then went into the living room. «Who is it?» she called out, striving to keep her voice normal.

«Open in the name of the law!»

«Open in the name of what law? Don't be silly. Tell me who you are before I call the police.»

«We are the police. Are you Gillian Boardman?»

«Me? I'm Phyllis O'Toole and I'm waiting for Mr. Caxton. I'm going to call the police and report an invasion of privacy.»

«Miss Boardman, we have a warrant for your arrest. Open up or it will go hard with you.»

«I'm not “Miss Boardman” and I'm calling the police!»