Williams said. "Talk English tonight. 'Merican style." He reached the table, set his burdens down, and rested on it so hard it almost tipped over. A powerful whisky smell hung around him. "You 'specially, Nilsson." He pointed with an oscillant finger. "You talk American tonight, you Swede. Hear me?"
"Please go elsewhere," the astronomer said.
Williams plumped himself onto a chair. He leaned forward on both elbows. "You don't know what day this is," he said. "Do you?"
"I doubt you do, in your present condition," Nilsson snapped, remaining with Swedish. "The date is the fourth of July."
"R-r-r-right! Y' know what 'at means? No?" Williams turned to Freiwald. "You know, Heinie?"
"An, uh, anniversary?" the machinist ventured.
"Right. Anniversary. How'd yuh guess?" Williams lifted his glass. "Drink wi' me, you two. Been collectin' f today. Drink!"
Freiwald gave him a sympathetic glance and clinked rims. "Prosit."
Nilsson started to say, "Skal," but set his own liquor down again and glared.
"Fourth July," Williams said. "Independence Day. My country. Wanted throw party. Nobody cared. One drink with me, two maybe, then gotta go their goddam dance." He regarded Nilsson for a while. "Swede," he declared slowly, "you'll drink wi' me 'r I'll bust y'r teeth in."
Freiwald laid a muscular hand on Williams' arm. The chemist tried to rise. Freiwald held him where he was. "Be calm, please, Dr. Williams," the machinist requested mildly. "If you want to celebrate your national day, why, we'll be glad to toast it. Won't we, sir?" he added to Nilsson.
The astronomer clipped: "I know what the matter is. I was told before we left, by a man who knew. Frustration. He couldn't cope with modern management procedures."
"Goddam welfare state bureaucracy," Williams hiccuped.
"He started dreaming of his country's sovereign, imperial era," Nilsson went on. "He fantasized about a free enterprise system that I doubt ever existed. He dabbled in reactionary politics. When the Control Authority had to arrest several high American officials on charges of conspiracy to violate the Covenant—"
"I'd had a bellyful." Williams' tone rose toward a shout. " 'Nother star. New world. Chance t' be free. Even if I do have to travel with a pack o' Swedes."
"You see?" Nilsson grinned at Freiwald. "He's nothing but a victim of the romantic nationalism that our too orderly world has been consoling itself with, this past generation. Pity he couldn't be satisfied with historical fiction and bad epic poetry."
"Romantic!" Williams yelled. He struggled fruitlessly in Freiwald's grip. "You pot-gutted spindle-shanked owl-eyed freak, wha'd'you think it did to you? How'd it feel, being built like that, when the other kids were playing Viking? Your marriage washed out worse'n mine! And I did cope, you son of a bitch, I was meet'n' my payroll, something you never had to do, you— Lemme go an' we'll see who's a man here!"
"Please," Freiwald said. "Bitte. Gentlemen." He was standing, now, to keep Williams held in the chair. His gaze nailed Nilsson across the table. "And you, sir," he continued sharply. "You had no right to bait him. You might have shown the courtesy to toast his national day."
Nilsson seemed about to pull intellectual rank. He broke off when Jane Sadler appeared. She had been in the door for a couple of minutes, watching. Her expression made her formal gown pathetic.
"Johann's telling you truth, Elof," she said. "Better come along."
"And dance?" Nilsson gobbled. "After this?"
"Especially after this." She tossed her head. "I've grown pretty tired of you on your high horse, dear. Shall we try to start fresh, or drop everything as of now?"
Nilsson muttered but rose and offered her his arm. She was a little taller than he. Williams sat slumped, struggling not to weep.
"I'll stay here awhile, Jane, and see if I can't cheer him up," Freiwald whispered to her.
She gave him a troubled smile. "You would, Johann." They had been together a few times before
"Please go elsewhere," the astronomer said.
Williams plumped himself onto a chair. He leaned forward on both elbows. "You don't know what day this is," he said. "Do you?"
"I doubt you do, in your present condition," Nilsson snapped, remaining with Swedish. "The date is the fourth of July."
"R-r-r-right! Y' know what 'at means? No?" Williams turned to Freiwald. "You know, Heinie?"
"An, uh, anniversary?" the machinist ventured.
"Right. Anniversary. How'd yuh guess?" Williams lifted his glass. "Drink wi' me, you two. Been collectin' f today. Drink!"
Freiwald gave him a sympathetic glance and clinked rims. "Prosit."
Nilsson started to say, "Skal," but set his own liquor down again and glared.
"Fourth July," Williams said. "Independence Day. My country. Wanted throw party. Nobody cared. One drink with me, two maybe, then gotta go their goddam dance." He regarded Nilsson for a while. "Swede," he declared slowly, "you'll drink wi' me 'r I'll bust y'r teeth in."
Freiwald laid a muscular hand on Williams' arm. The chemist tried to rise. Freiwald held him where he was. "Be calm, please, Dr. Williams," the machinist requested mildly. "If you want to celebrate your national day, why, we'll be glad to toast it. Won't we, sir?" he added to Nilsson.
The astronomer clipped: "I know what the matter is. I was told before we left, by a man who knew. Frustration. He couldn't cope with modern management procedures."
"Goddam welfare state bureaucracy," Williams hiccuped.
"He started dreaming of his country's sovereign, imperial era," Nilsson went on. "He fantasized about a free enterprise system that I doubt ever existed. He dabbled in reactionary politics. When the Control Authority had to arrest several high American officials on charges of conspiracy to violate the Covenant—"
"I'd had a bellyful." Williams' tone rose toward a shout. " 'Nother star. New world. Chance t' be free. Even if I do have to travel with a pack o' Swedes."
"You see?" Nilsson grinned at Freiwald. "He's nothing but a victim of the romantic nationalism that our too orderly world has been consoling itself with, this past generation. Pity he couldn't be satisfied with historical fiction and bad epic poetry."
"Romantic!" Williams yelled. He struggled fruitlessly in Freiwald's grip. "You pot-gutted spindle-shanked owl-eyed freak, wha'd'you think it did to you? How'd it feel, being built like that, when the other kids were playing Viking? Your marriage washed out worse'n mine! And I did cope, you son of a bitch, I was meet'n' my payroll, something you never had to do, you— Lemme go an' we'll see who's a man here!"
"Please," Freiwald said. "Bitte. Gentlemen." He was standing, now, to keep Williams held in the chair. His gaze nailed Nilsson across the table. "And you, sir," he continued sharply. "You had no right to bait him. You might have shown the courtesy to toast his national day."
Nilsson seemed about to pull intellectual rank. He broke off when Jane Sadler appeared. She had been in the door for a couple of minutes, watching. Her expression made her formal gown pathetic.
"Johann's telling you truth, Elof," she said. "Better come along."
"And dance?" Nilsson gobbled. "After this?"
"Especially after this." She tossed her head. "I've grown pretty tired of you on your high horse, dear. Shall we try to start fresh, or drop everything as of now?"
Nilsson muttered but rose and offered her his arm. She was a little taller than he. Williams sat slumped, struggling not to weep.
"I'll stay here awhile, Jane, and see if I can't cheer him up," Freiwald whispered to her.
She gave him a troubled smile. "You would, Johann." They had been together a few times before
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