Free Players at the Game of People by John Brunner

designed to establish his own ultimate superiority

in the context of this consulting room. "It should have dawned on you

by now that everything is already paid for."

"Everything?" -- in a whisper.

"Everything!"

Godwin had risen to his feet, eager to get shut of this dull-witted,

self-destructive little twat. At the back of his mind he knew his mood

was once more due to the presence of Catapulibampulicarato, which grew

easily bored, but there was no help for that. So did he.

"You only need to know the right way to ask for it," he declared. Hermann

raised one eyebrow and nodded reluctant approval.

"Our long acquaintance has borne fruit, after its fashion," he said

as he rose from his chair, hand outstretched. "Now you do as I said,

and all will be well. Good morning, Gorse! And remember that you now

know how and when to yield to an impulse surging up from the collective

unconscious. Never resist it, and you will reap a rich reward! Good

morning to you also, God; let's hope it won't be long until we meet

again."

On the way to the door Gorse paused and tried to imitate Godwin's gesture

on arrival. But Abutaralingotogulisica lay as unresponsive as a bone.

Hugo & Diana was having brunch in the gravity-free patio and it was

beautiful: clear blue skies with just a touch here and there of puffy

white cloud; inflatacouches drifting up and down in response to the

breezes which a mere gesture could create in the pure, delicately scented

air; long, graceful bluish-green creepers with deep red leaves arcing

across the whole of the volume and bearing on their spurs dispensers of

toasted crumpets awash in melted butter, Patum Peperium, smoked oysters,

bitter-orange marmalade, hot coffee and hot milk, and also pitchers

of buck's fizz and bloody mary. In such a flawless environment clothes

seemed superfluous. Immediately on their arrival Hugo & Diana gave
a cry of delight from where she lay on a long yellow couch and invited
them to

join him in a state of nature. Prepared for this, Godwin complied with a

sigh, helped himself to a mugful of bloody mary, and cast himself adrift

in the sky on a passing inflatabed, one striped in orange and white. Gorse

hesitated for a few seconds, but shortly shame got the better of her

and she discarded her clothes, which gyrated around her for a while in a

mocking pattern, and attempted to imitate her companions' nonchalance. Her

choice of inflatabed was polka-dotted red on yellow. It took her a while

to get the better of it, while Hugo & Diana bestowed indulgent glances,

but very shortly she was able to draw a mug of buck's fizz -- mistaking

it for orange juice -- and paddle her way to where Godwin was.

After necessary introductions, what she said first was "Where are we?"

"About three hundred meters from the King's Road, Chelsea," was the reply.

"I thought I knew . ." The words died away. Godwin and Hugo & Diana

exchanged amused glances. It was always like this.

So always, it would certainly cease to be amusing sooner or later.

However . . .

"You're exquisite!" caroled Hugo & Diana, expertly paddling toward Gorse.

"You're a designer, is that right?"

Lost for a cue, Gorse glanced at Godwin, but he was lying back to enjoy

the sunshine. She had to find her own way through this one.

"Yes," she said boastfully, and gulped down the contents of her glass.

"And so are you! Everybody knows the Peasmarsh label now. Those things

I just took off -- " She gestured as the liquor began to affect her.

"What do you want?" Companionably, Hugo & Diana linked her inflatabed to

hers. "Start with basics. Underwear? Tights? Shoes? Slippers? Shirts

and blouses? Skirts and trousers? Short dresses and long ones? Coats

and capes and cloaks? Hats, handbags, bracelets, necklaces, watches,

rings, handkerchiefs, scarves, combs and hairbrushes and toothbrushes,

soap and toothpaste, cologne and deodorant, face powder and lipsticks,

eye shadow and mascara, assorted perfumes, nail files