When Perry came out of the refresher, he found Diana at the food preparer, her hands fairly flying about the place. He called to her.
"Dian'."
"Yes?"
"You've still got your sandals on."
She glanced down and smiled. "So I have. Your supper will be ready the sooner." She placed a few more items on the tray. "Here, set it up." She dived into her refresher and returned in less than five minutes, sandal-less, her hair fluffed out and her body glowing from a quick shower. She slid into her seat. "All ready? Get set. Go!" They ate like starved children for a few minutes. Then their eyes met and they both laughed without knowing why. They finished more slowly and Perry chucked the dishes in the fire. He returned and sat down beside her. The evening passed without much talk. They sat and watched the fire and listened to the music Diana had selected. She read some poetry to him. After that he asked her if she had anything by Rudyard Kipling and she produced a thin volume of his verses. He found what he sought and read aloud The Mary Gloster. Then he kissed a cheek wet with tears and made it damper with his own. A long time later she smothered a yawn. He smiled and spoke. "I'm sleepy, too, but I don't want to go away and leave you."
She looked at him, round eyed and serious.
"You needn't leave me, unless you wish."
"But—See here, darling, I want to marry you, but I don't want to rush you into anything you might regret."
"Regret? I don't understand you. But as far as I am concerned we are married now, if you wish it so."
"I suppose we could run out tomorrow and have the ceremony performed."
"There is no need. These things are in the private sphere. Oh, don't make it complicated." She began to cry.
He hesitated for a moment, then picked her up in his arms and laid her on the widest part of the couch. Then he lay down beside her. A coal in the fire cracked and firelight flickered about the room.
VI
Perry pressed back on the control stick and his plane shot higher and higher. He had to fly high because the Princess, his passenger, lived back of the Moon. He struck a bank of keys and plumes of fire shot from the tail of his plane and the plane climbed and climbed. He felt a swelling in joy within him at his own skill and the power of his plane and the warm beautiful knowledge that the Princess loved him and rode beside him. The Princess smiled and reached out a graceful little hand and caressed his face. Her face grew closer to his. The plane and the Moon faded away but the face of the Princess was still close beside him.
"Awake, darling?" Her head was on the thick of his arm and her hand rested softly on his cheek. He blinked. His eyes blurred and crossed. He blinked again and she came back into focus.
"Awake? Oh, I guess so. Almost, anyhow. Good morning, beautiful. I love you."
"And I love you."
When their lips parted, he spoke again. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you love me? How did I find you? Why was I singled out for this end? Who am I to claim your love? Why are you so wonderful and beautiful and why do you love me?"
She laughed and hugged him. "I can't answer any but the last. I'm not wonderful. I'm a very ordinary human woman with a lot of failings. I'm vain and I'm lazy and sometimes I'm bad tempered and cross. I'm beautiful because you think I am. And I want you to tell me that I'm wonderful and beautiful every morning of my life."
"And every night and every day." He kissed her again.
Later she stretched and yawned and made little contented sounds. "Hungry?"
"I guess I am. Yes, I am. If I could make magic in that witch's den of yours I'd bring you your breakfast in bed."
"It won't take but a moment. But thanks. Will you have yours in bed?"
"No, I'll come joggle your elbow and get in your way." He followed her to the kitchen nook.
"Tell me, Diana, when were all these fresh fruits delivered?"
"Last summer, mostly. I unfreeze them as I need them. Father picked out my supplies. He's in foods."
"Your father? Is your father alive?"
"Surely. Why not?"
"And your mother?"
"Yes. She's a surgeon. Why? Did you think they were dead?"
"I didn't think so consciously. I just hadn't thought about it. You were you. I didn't fill in your background. Say, does your father keep a shotgun around the house?"
"Whatever for?"
"It just seemed possible that he might think I'd wronged our Nell."
"Wronged our Nell? What does that mean?"
"It's just an expression. What I mean is this: If he knew about us, wouldn't he disapprove pretty violently? After all we may be married to each other but the world doesn't know it."
"But why should the world know it, or Father, unless we choose to tell him? And even if he didn't like you—and I'm sure he will—how would that affect us? He would never dream of mentioning it. Listen, Perry, you must realize that marriage, as an institution, has changed enormously. We talked about this once before. Marriage isn't a public contract anymore. It's strictly in the private sphere. You and I love each other and want to live together. We are doing so. Therefore we are married."
"Then there isn't any ceremony, nor any contract?"
"You can have all the ceremony you want if you care to apply to any of the churches. But I hope you won't ask me to do it. It would embarrass me terribly, and make me feel—well—dirtied."
His brow wrinkled. "I don't understand some of your customs darling, but the way that suits you suits me."
"We could draw up a domestic economy contract if you want one. Personally I'd rather not bother. We both have comfortable credit accounts and it would just mean a lot of unnecessary records. Let's just be casual about it. Even if you didn't make any money, we probably couldn't manage to spend my income."
"I don't want to be a gigolo."
"What's a gigolo?"
"A man who lets a woman support him in exchange for love making."
Her lip trembled and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Perry, you shouldn't have said that to me."
"Sweetheart! Please—Oh, Lord, I'm sorry, I truly am. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but good heavens, I don't know the customs of this topsy-turvy world."
The tears stopped. "OK, darling. I should have made allowances. But let's say no more about credits and contracts. We don't need to."
After breakfast Perry re-opened the subject. "Dian' darling, there is just one thing that worries me about this casual modern way of getting married. What about children?"
She looked at him levelly and soberly. "Do you want to give me a child, Perry?"
"Why, no. Well, no, I don't mean no. I'd want to, I suppose, if you wanted to. I wasn't thinking about us personally; I was thinking about children in general. Say, have I already? I mean do you think it likely?"
"No, not until we decide to and want to."
"That's good. I mean of course it would be an honor and a privilege, but there is your career—and as for me—Look, Dian', how can I be a father?"
"Why not, Perry?"
"You know. This isn't my body."
"I think it is, Perry. Perhaps we can find out."
"Suppose you wake up some morning and I'm not in this body anymore—Suppose Gordon comes back?"
She put her arms around him. "I don't think that will happen, Perry. Don't ask me why for I don't know. But I feel sure of it just the same.
"But you ask about children. Children aren't a financial burden as they were in your day. A child's own credit account is enough to support it. A child can live with its parents if it wants to and they want it, or if it chooses, it can grow up in a development center. If parents separate, the child can go with which ever it chooses."