"She's going to be a young woman soon."
"Is that any reason for wearing clothes? Look at him. He's a young
_man_ sooner than already."
"Well, if you feel that way about it, they'll both have to start
wearing clothes."
I gulped the last of my hamburger and washed it down with the beer.
"This place is going to hell," I complained. "The old man isn't allowed
to pinch the maid and the kids can't go naked." I leaned toward her and
smacked her cheek. "But the food and the old woman are still the best."
"Say, what goes with you? You've been grinning like a happy ape ever
since you came out of the lab."
"I told you--"
"Oh, not that again! You were dangerous at any age."
I stood up and put my plate aside and bent over her. "Just the same,
I'm going to have a new kind of fun."
* * * * *
She reached up and grabbed my ear. She narrowed her eyes and put a mock
grimness on her lips.
"It's a joke," I assured her. "I'm going to play a tremendous joke on
the whole world. I've only had the feeling once before in a small way,
but I've always...."