Free Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

into the plastic skin and covered to his armpits by a sheet, was a young man. He looked at them but said nothing; his smooth, round face was expressionless.
    So far as Ben could tell this was the man on stereo the night before. He had a sick feeling that little Jill had tossed him a live grenade—a slander suit that might bankrupt him. “You are Valentine Michael Smith?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThe Man from Mars?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œYou were on stereo last night?”
    The man did not answer. Tanner said, “I don’t think he understands. Mike, you remember what you did with Mr. Douglas last night?”
    The face looked petulant. “Bright lights. Hurt.”
    â€œYes, the lights hurt your eyes. Mr. Douglas had you say hello to people.”
    The patient smiled slightly. “Long ride in chair.”
    â€œOkay,” agreed Caxton. “I catch on. Mike, are they treating you all right?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œYou don’t have to stay here. Can you walk?”
    Tanner said hastily, “Now see here, Mr. Caxton—” Berquist put a hand on Tanner’s arm.
    â€œI can walk . . . a little. Tired.”
    â€œI’ll see that you have a wheel chair. Mike, if you don’t want to stay here, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
    Tanner shook off Berquist’s hand and said, “I can’t have you interfering with my patient!”
    â€œHe’s a free man, isn’t he?” Caxton persisted. “Or is he a prisoner?”
    Berquist answered, “Of course he’s free! Keep quiet, Doctor. Let the fool dig his own grave.”
    â€œThanks, Gil. You heard him, Mike. You can go anywhere you like.”
    The patient glanced fearfully at Tanner. “No! No, no, no!”
    â€œOkay, okay.”
    Tanner snapped, “Mr. Berquist, this has gone far enough!”
    â€œAll right, Doctor. Ben, that’s enough.”
    â€œUh . . . one more question.” Caxton thought hard, trying to think what he could squeeze out of it. Apparently Jill had been wrong—yet she had not been wrong!—or so it seemed last night.
    â€œOne more question,” Berquist begrudged.
    â€œThanks. Uh . . . Mike, last night Mr. Douglas asked you some questions.” The patient made no comment. “Let’s see, he asked you what you thought of the girls here on Earth, didn’t he?”
    The patient’s face broke into a big smile. “Gee!”
    â€œYes. Mike . . . when and where did you see these girls? ”
    The smile vanished. The patient glanced at Tanner, then stiffened; his eyes rolled up, and he drew himself into foetal position, knees up, head bent, arms across his chest.
    Tanner snapped, “Get out of here!” He moved quickly and felt the patient’s wrist.
    Berquist said savagely, “That tears it! Caxton, will you get out? Or shall I call the guards?”
    â€œOh, we’re getting out,” Caxton agreed. All but Tanner left the room and Berquist closed the door.
    â€œJust one point, Gil,” Caxton insisted. “You’ve got him boxed up . . . so just where did he see those girls?”
    â€œEh? Don’t be silly. He’s seen lots of girls. Nurses . . . laboratory technicians. You know.”
    â€œBut I don’t. I understood he had nothing but male nurses and that female visitors had been rigidly excluded.”
    â€œEh? Don’t be preposterous.” Berquist looked annoyed, then suddenly grinned. “You saw a nurse with him on stereo last night.”
    â€œOh. So I did.” Caxton shut up.
    They did not discuss it until the three were in the air. Then Frisby remarked, “Ben, I don’t suppose the Secretary General will sue you. Still, if you have a source for that rumor, we had better perpetuate the evidence.”
    â€œForget it, Mark. He won’t sue.” Ben glowered at the floor. “How do we know that was the Man from