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therefore community stress in other ways.” She stopped the movement at their loins. “Now we’ll rest for a moment.”
    He let his hands drop.
    “That’s exactly what this is. Rape. The other way around.”
    “Oh come now, Mr. Green. You’re not going to suggest that just because I have temporary possession of a few medically and biologically already obsolescent inches of your anatomy… I thought that childish old male phobia was confined now to only the most primitive societies.” He closed his eyes. “I’m not half your physical strength. A mere naked woman, Mr. Green.”
    “I had realized that.”
    “I think you would realize it better if you opened your eyes and put your hands to more effective use. I should like you to see and feel my defenselessness. How small and weak I am, compared to you – how rapable, as it were.” He did not budge. “Mr. Green, I don’t wish to sound vain of my skills, but I’ve worked long enough in this ward to know that your reluctance to give way to perfectly natural instincts is most unusual. One reason I can already detect is that you are overattached to the verbalization of feeling, instead of to the direct act of feeling itself, which in turn means that –”
    “For God’s sake – who’s doing all the talking?”
    Now her voice assumed a tone of intolerably prim – were the adjective not so ill-descriptive of physical circumstances – knowingness.
    “I talk only to explain. Also to see if your erection confirms with your hostile verbal attitude. I am glad to note that it does not.”
    “It would if I had anything to do with the accursed thing.”
    She smiled.
    “You really are quite a case, Mr. Green. Castration anxiety. Now fear of pleasure. I think we shall have to have you stuffed and put in a museum.”
    “I can tell you one pleasure I look forward to immensely – not paying your bill.”
    “Mr. Green, there’s no need for all this – unless of course your threats make you feel even more sexually excited than you already are, in which case do please continue. We are well aware here that for some men the notion of copulation is inseparable from the notion of defilement, owing to an unresolved –”
    “I can tell you another thing. That nurse knows a damned sight more about the handling of patients than you do. At least she did her bit with some warmth. You’re the one who needs a few lessons.”
    He had hoped to ruffle the doctor, but when she spoke it was in the same insufferably official, detached, superior voice.
    “I have already explained why I can show no feelings whatever for you, Mr. Green. I’m afraid you must get used to that. So, incidentally, must Nurse Cory. That is why I spoke to her. Our sole function is to provide you with a source of erotic arousal. In anything in that area – in the domain of coital technique – you have only, within reason and depending on the availability of staff, to ask, and we will do our best. If you would prefer some other position, we can offer most of those in the Kama Sutra, Aretino, the Hokuwata Monosaki, Kinsey, Sjöstrom – that is, except the Brazilian fork, as already mentioned – Masters and –”
    “You know something? You’re about as erotic as a bloody iceberg.”
    “Thank you for mentioning that, Mr. Green. I’m a great believer in full patient participation in therapy. I see some balancing oral treatment is indicated.”
    Before he could answer, her arms bent and she sank on him. He did make a last-moment attempt to push her away, but it was too late. Half a minute later she propped herself up on her elbows, just over his face. His eyes now had something obscurely stunned and patently puzzled about them. He tried to plumb the dark-brown irises above, but without success.
    “There, Mr. Green. I hope that shows our clinical method does not preclude at least some mutual concession to erogenous reality.” She glanced down at his mouth, then bent and gave it a last small kiss. “I think