ridiculous situation. If they missed the last bus from town, that was "skating against the wind." When Karin, fuzzy from staying up two nights in a row studying, had accepted not one but three dates for a Saturday night and all of them showed up, that was definitely "skating against the wind." And now, with Hayes coming out with their phrase without any warning whatsoever, well . . . She laughed weakly. "You can see how incredible . . ."
Hayes was grinning, but Sam was not. Sam was quiet. He waited for May and Karin to calm down, to finish, to pay attention. When they did he said, "The reason I know so many of Hayes's 'secrets,' as you put it, is because my mother cleans house for the Diehls. She has been their housekeeper for fifteen years now, isn't that right, Hayes?"
"The Diehl housekeeper," May said, shaking her head, when they were alone.
Karin replied, "Poor Sam."
"Why 'poor' Sam?" May asked, irritated.
"Because he is, well . . . ashamed, don't you think?"
"I don't know if it's shame he feels, or envy."
"Probably both," Karin came back, "and that's why I said. Poor Sam. What did you think of Hayes?"
"You tell me first," May answered.
"I think he is interesting ," she began, deliberately. "We've been disconnected from all of the turmoil, the social movements on campus these past three years, and I'd like to know more about what's going on—and God knows, Berkeley is in the middle of it all. He seems like the sort of person who understands complications, who can figure out things quickly . . . he understands diplomacy, if you know what I mean . . . and yet he's funny, too. Smart and funny and yet . . ."
Karin was silent for a long moment, until May prompted her. "And yet?"
"Well, there was something else about him, as if he were backing away, not wanting to get too involved. With Sam, certainly, but with us, too . . ."
"I'm not sure about that," May said. "After all, he wanted the cottage—until he found out that Sam came with it. I just think he seemed tired . . . Sam said something about him being sick, and I
think maybe he hasn't recovered. But I know what you mean . . . he isn't terrifically good looking, but he looks . . . finished."
"Finished?" Karin said, "What do you mean, finished?"
"I don't know, I guess that's the wrong word. Substantial, maybe. Sort of impressive."
"A big deal?" Karen laughed.
"That's it, how original of us." May laughed back.
"I wish Sam hadn't been so abrasive," Karin put in, "He just doesn't seem quite to know how to handle social situations—"
May interrupted, "I think Hayes probably knows that, otherwise he wouldn't have put up with it—"
"Which was lost on Sam . . ." Karin added.
"Which was lost on Sam," May agreed, "but we were talking about Hayes. How could you not like someone who quotes Tristram Shandy ? For a minute there I had this feeling that it was some kind of a sign—that he was meant to be connected to us. Do you think we should consider him for our Inner Circle?"
Karin laughed. "What Inner Circle?"
"We could make one, couldn't we?" May came back with mock exasperation.
"Does it bother you that he's a political activist?"
"Bother? You mean because of my father? No. I hated what they did to my father, but I always knew he was right. And I loved him for standing up to them, for 'shouting into the wind' as he called it."
The morning's tension was gone now, so May could say, "You know Sam could become a royal pain, don't you?"
"I do," Karin answered seriously. "Maybe it would be better to let someone else have the cottage. He can be so sweet, you know . . . and I like it that he doesn't come on to either of us, and how easy and helpful he is, like getting up to help with the cooking, things like that. I guess I just felt so grateful to him, and he
Hayes was grinning, but Sam was not. Sam was quiet. He waited for May and Karin to calm down, to finish, to pay attention. When they did he said, "The reason I know so many of Hayes's 'secrets,' as you put it, is because my mother cleans house for the Diehls. She has been their housekeeper for fifteen years now, isn't that right, Hayes?"
"The Diehl housekeeper," May said, shaking her head, when they were alone.
Karin replied, "Poor Sam."
"Why 'poor' Sam?" May asked, irritated.
"Because he is, well . . . ashamed, don't you think?"
"I don't know if it's shame he feels, or envy."
"Probably both," Karin came back, "and that's why I said. Poor Sam. What did you think of Hayes?"
"You tell me first," May answered.
"I think he is interesting ," she began, deliberately. "We've been disconnected from all of the turmoil, the social movements on campus these past three years, and I'd like to know more about what's going on—and God knows, Berkeley is in the middle of it all. He seems like the sort of person who understands complications, who can figure out things quickly . . . he understands diplomacy, if you know what I mean . . . and yet he's funny, too. Smart and funny and yet . . ."
Karin was silent for a long moment, until May prompted her. "And yet?"
"Well, there was something else about him, as if he were backing away, not wanting to get too involved. With Sam, certainly, but with us, too . . ."
"I'm not sure about that," May said. "After all, he wanted the cottage—until he found out that Sam came with it. I just think he seemed tired . . . Sam said something about him being sick, and I
think maybe he hasn't recovered. But I know what you mean . . . he isn't terrifically good looking, but he looks . . . finished."
"Finished?" Karin said, "What do you mean, finished?"
"I don't know, I guess that's the wrong word. Substantial, maybe. Sort of impressive."
"A big deal?" Karen laughed.
"That's it, how original of us." May laughed back.
"I wish Sam hadn't been so abrasive," Karin put in, "He just doesn't seem quite to know how to handle social situations—"
May interrupted, "I think Hayes probably knows that, otherwise he wouldn't have put up with it—"
"Which was lost on Sam . . ." Karin added.
"Which was lost on Sam," May agreed, "but we were talking about Hayes. How could you not like someone who quotes Tristram Shandy ? For a minute there I had this feeling that it was some kind of a sign—that he was meant to be connected to us. Do you think we should consider him for our Inner Circle?"
Karin laughed. "What Inner Circle?"
"We could make one, couldn't we?" May came back with mock exasperation.
"Does it bother you that he's a political activist?"
"Bother? You mean because of my father? No. I hated what they did to my father, but I always knew he was right. And I loved him for standing up to them, for 'shouting into the wind' as he called it."
The morning's tension was gone now, so May could say, "You know Sam could become a royal pain, don't you?"
"I do," Karin answered seriously. "Maybe it would be better to let someone else have the cottage. He can be so sweet, you know . . . and I like it that he doesn't come on to either of us, and how easy and helpful he is, like getting up to help with the cooking, things like that. I guess I just felt so grateful to him, and he
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