honest man."
"Why?"
"Because I promised my mother. And when I lie to you you'll believe it."
She laughed. He felt a pleasant tingle along his spine. They didn't make many like this one. Ruth had been chatting with Jeanyee's escort, a tall, slim, Latin-American type. She turned and said, "Jerry — have you met Patrick Valdez?"
"No."
Ruth moved and drew the quartet together, away from the group which Nick cataloged as politics, munitions and four nationalities. Congressman Creeks, already high as usual, was telling a story — his hearers pretended interest because he was old devil Creeks, with seniority, committees and the control of about thirty billion dollars in appropriations.
"Pat, this is Jerry Deming," Ruth said. "Pat is O.A.S. Jerry is oil. That's so you'll know you're not competitors."
Valdez showed handsome white teeth and shook hands. "We might be where beautiful girls are concerned," he said. "You two know that."
"What a nice way to slip in a compliment," Ruth said. "Jeanyee — Jerry — will you excuse us a second? Bob Quitlock wanted to meet Pat We'll join you in the conservatory in ten minutes. Near the band."
"Certainly," Nick answered, and watched the couple work their way through the increasing crowd. Ruth had a breathtaking figure, he mused, until you got a look at Jeanyee. He turned to her. "And you? A princess on leave?"
"Hardly, but thank you. I work for the Ling-Taiwan Export Company."
"I thought you might be a model. Frankly, Jeanyee, I've never seen a Chinese girl in the movies as pretty as you. Or as tall."
"Thank you. We're not all little flowers. My family came from north China. They grow big there. It's a lot like Sweden. Mountains and sea. Plenty of good food."
"How are they doing under Mao?"
He thought her eyes flickered, but the emotion was unreadable. "We came out with Chiang. I haven't heard much."
He guided her into the conservatory, brought her a drink, tried a few more gentle questions. He got gentle, uninformative answers. In her pale green gown, a perfect contrast for her sleek black hair and brilliant eyes, she was a standout. He watched other men stare.
She knew a lot of people who smiled and nodded or paused for a few remarks. She fended off some of the men who wanted to stay attached with a change of pace which set up a wall of frost until they wandered on. She never offend-
ed, she just went into a deep-freeze locker and came out the instant they departed.
He discovered that she danced expertly and they stayed on the floor because it was fun — and because Nick heartily enjoyed the feel of her in his arms and the aroma of her perfume and body. When Ruth and Valdez returned they exchanged dances, drank fairly steadily and gathered into a group in one corner of the big room comprised of some people Nick had met and some he hadn't.
During one pause Ruth said, standing beside Jeanyee, "Will you excuse us for a few moments? Dinner should be announced about now and we want to freshen up."
Nick was left with Pat They picked up fresh drinks and toasted each other with the usual cheers. He learned nothing new from the South American.
Alone together in the ladies' lounge Ruth said to Jeanyee, "What do you think of him after a close look?"
"I think you got the best of it this time. Isn't he a dream? Much more interesting than Pat."
"The Leader says if Deming joins, forget Pat."
"I know." Ruth sighed. "I'll take him off your hands as agreed. Anyway he's a good dancer. But you'll find Deming is really something else. So much charm to waste on the oil business. And he's all man. He nearly turned the tables on Leader. You'd have laughed. Of course Leader switched them right back — and he's not mad about it. I think he admires Deming for it. He recommended him to Command."
The girls were in one of the innumerable lounges available for ladies — complete dressing rooms and baths. Jeanyee looked at the expensive furnishings. "Should we talk here?"
"Safe," Ruth answered
"Why?"
"Because I promised my mother. And when I lie to you you'll believe it."
She laughed. He felt a pleasant tingle along his spine. They didn't make many like this one. Ruth had been chatting with Jeanyee's escort, a tall, slim, Latin-American type. She turned and said, "Jerry — have you met Patrick Valdez?"
"No."
Ruth moved and drew the quartet together, away from the group which Nick cataloged as politics, munitions and four nationalities. Congressman Creeks, already high as usual, was telling a story — his hearers pretended interest because he was old devil Creeks, with seniority, committees and the control of about thirty billion dollars in appropriations.
"Pat, this is Jerry Deming," Ruth said. "Pat is O.A.S. Jerry is oil. That's so you'll know you're not competitors."
Valdez showed handsome white teeth and shook hands. "We might be where beautiful girls are concerned," he said. "You two know that."
"What a nice way to slip in a compliment," Ruth said. "Jeanyee — Jerry — will you excuse us a second? Bob Quitlock wanted to meet Pat We'll join you in the conservatory in ten minutes. Near the band."
"Certainly," Nick answered, and watched the couple work their way through the increasing crowd. Ruth had a breathtaking figure, he mused, until you got a look at Jeanyee. He turned to her. "And you? A princess on leave?"
"Hardly, but thank you. I work for the Ling-Taiwan Export Company."
"I thought you might be a model. Frankly, Jeanyee, I've never seen a Chinese girl in the movies as pretty as you. Or as tall."
"Thank you. We're not all little flowers. My family came from north China. They grow big there. It's a lot like Sweden. Mountains and sea. Plenty of good food."
"How are they doing under Mao?"
He thought her eyes flickered, but the emotion was unreadable. "We came out with Chiang. I haven't heard much."
He guided her into the conservatory, brought her a drink, tried a few more gentle questions. He got gentle, uninformative answers. In her pale green gown, a perfect contrast for her sleek black hair and brilliant eyes, she was a standout. He watched other men stare.
She knew a lot of people who smiled and nodded or paused for a few remarks. She fended off some of the men who wanted to stay attached with a change of pace which set up a wall of frost until they wandered on. She never offend-
ed, she just went into a deep-freeze locker and came out the instant they departed.
He discovered that she danced expertly and they stayed on the floor because it was fun — and because Nick heartily enjoyed the feel of her in his arms and the aroma of her perfume and body. When Ruth and Valdez returned they exchanged dances, drank fairly steadily and gathered into a group in one corner of the big room comprised of some people Nick had met and some he hadn't.
During one pause Ruth said, standing beside Jeanyee, "Will you excuse us for a few moments? Dinner should be announced about now and we want to freshen up."
Nick was left with Pat They picked up fresh drinks and toasted each other with the usual cheers. He learned nothing new from the South American.
Alone together in the ladies' lounge Ruth said to Jeanyee, "What do you think of him after a close look?"
"I think you got the best of it this time. Isn't he a dream? Much more interesting than Pat."
"The Leader says if Deming joins, forget Pat."
"I know." Ruth sighed. "I'll take him off your hands as agreed. Anyway he's a good dancer. But you'll find Deming is really something else. So much charm to waste on the oil business. And he's all man. He nearly turned the tables on Leader. You'd have laughed. Of course Leader switched them right back — and he's not mad about it. I think he admires Deming for it. He recommended him to Command."
The girls were in one of the innumerable lounges available for ladies — complete dressing rooms and baths. Jeanyee looked at the expensive furnishings. "Should we talk here?"
"Safe," Ruth answered
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