"For what?"
"There is an old law in the City Statute that declares something called
'Massive Cohabitation' to be illegal. You have been naughty, Wally."
Nora exploded. "We have not!" she cried.
Lieutenant Delancey laughed like a stage villain. "The law I mention,"
he said after a bit of belly-laughing, "was passed long, long ago before
telepathy and perception were available to provide the truth. At that
time the law took the stand that any unmarried couple living together
would take advantage of their unchaperoned freedom, and if this state of
cohabitation went on for a considerable length of time--called 'Massive'
but don't ask me to justify the term--the probability of their taking
pleasure in one another's company approached a one hundred per cent
positive probability.
"Now this law was never amended by the Review Act. Hence the fact that
you have been chastely occupying separate chambers has nothing to do
with the letter of the law that says simply that it is not lawful for an
unmarried couple to live under the same unchaperoned roof."
I came out of the shower toweling myself and manipulating a selection of
clean clothing out of the closet in my bedroom.
"The law," I observed, "is administered by the _Intent_ of the Law, and
not by the Letter, isn't it?"
"Oh, sure," he said. "But I'm not qualified to interpret the law. I'll
arrest you and bring you to trial and then it's up to some judge to rule
upon your purity and innocence of criminal intent, and freedom from
moral taint or turpitude. Maybe take weeks, you know."
"And what's the alternative?" I grunted.
"Flight," he said in a sinister tone as I came out of my bedroom putting
the last finishes on my necktie. "Flight away from the jurisdiction of
the law that proposes to warp the meaning of the law to accomplish its
own ends."
"And you?"
"My duty," he grinned, "is to pursue you."
"In which case," observed Nora Taylor, "we might as well fly together
and save both time and money."
"That is why I have my personal sky-buggy all ready to go instead of
requisitioning an official vehicle," he said. He scooped a fork full of
eggs and said, "You're a fool, Wally. The lady can cook."