"We'll take care of his visa."
Gavir trembled with joy. Hoppy Davery pressed another button and a
secretary entered with papers. She was followed by another woman.
The second woman was dark-haired and slender. She wore leather boots
and tight brown breeches. She was bare from the waist up and her
breasts were young and full. A jewelled clip fastened a scarlet cape
at her neck. Her lips were a disconcertingly vivid red, apparently an
artificial color. She kissed Hoppy Davery on the forehead, leaving red
blotches on his pink dome. He wiped his forehead and looked at his
hand.
"Do you have to wear that barbaric face-paint?" Hoppy turned sad eyes
on Gavir and Malcomb. "Gentlemen, my mother, Sylvie Davery."
A Senile Delinquent! thought Gavir. She looked like Davery's younger
sister. Malcomb stared at her apprehensively, and Gavir wondered if
she were somehow going to attack them.
She looked at Gavir. "Mmm. What a body, what gorgeous blue skin. How
tall are you, Blue Boy?"
"He's approximately seven feet tall, Sylvie," said Hoppy, "and what do
you want here, anyway?"
"Just came up to see Blue Boy. One of the crowd dreamed him last
night. Positively manic about him. I found out he'd be with you."
"See?" said Hoppy to Gavir. "The Century-Plus mentality. You've got
something they go for. Undoubtedly because you're--forgive me--such a
complete barbarian. That's what they're all trying to be."
"Spare me another lecture on Senile Delinquency, Our Number One
Problem." She walked to the door and Gavir watched her all the way.
She turned with a swirl of scarlet and a dramatic display of healthy
young flesh. "See you again, Blue Boy."
After Sylvie left, Hoppy Davery said, "That might be a good
professional name--Blue Boy. Gavir doesn't _mean_ anything. Now what
kind of a song could you do for the Farfel Flisket show?"