"Do you usually take a nap in the afternoon?"

The ten red nails of her fingers moved across the table- top as she stretched.

". . . Tired," she smiled, swallowing a yawn. "Half the staff's on vacation or sick leave and I've been beating my brains out all week. I was about ready to fall on my face when I left work. I feel al! right now that I've rested, though."

She picked up her coffee cup with both hands, took a large swallow.

"Uh-huh." he said. "Good. I was a bit worried about "you. I'm glad to see there was no reason."

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She laughed.

"Worried? You've read Doctor Riscomb's notes on my analysis-and on the ONT&R trial-and you think I'm the sort to worry about? Ha! I have an operationally beneficent neurosis concerning my adequacy as a human being. It focuses my energies, coordinates my efforts to- ward achievement. It enhances my sense of identity. . . ,"

"You do have one hell of a memory," he noted "That's almost verbatim."

"Of course."

"You had Sigmund worried today, too."

"Sig? How?"

The dog stirred uneasily, opened one eye.

"Yes," he growled, glaring up at Render. "He needs, a ride, home."

"Have you been driving the car again?"

"Yes."

"After I told you not to?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I was a, fraid. You would, not, answer me, when I talked."

"I was very tired-and if you ever take the car again, I'm going to have the door fixed so you can't come and go as you please."

"Sorry."

"There's nothing wrong with me."

"I, see."

"You are never to do it again."

"Sorry." His eye never left Render; it was like a burn- ing lens.

Render looked away.

"Don't be too hard on the poor fellow," he said. "After all, he thought you were ill and he went for the doctor.

Suppose he'd been right? You'd owe him thanks, not a scolding."

LJnmollified, Sigmund glared a moment longer and closed his eye.

"He has to be told when he does wrong," she finished.

"I suppose," he said, drinking his coffee. "No haim done. anyhow. Since I'm here, let's talk shop. I'm writing something and I'd like an opinion."

"Great- Give me a footnote?"

"Two or three. -In your opinion, do the general un-

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derlying motivations that lead to suicide differ in different periods of history or in different cultures?"

"My well-considered opinion is no, they don't," she said. "Frustrations can lead to depressions or frenzies; and if these are severe enough, they can lead to self- destruction. You ask me about motivations and I think they stay pretty much the same. I feel this is a cross- cultural, cross-temporal aspect of the human condition. I don't think it could be changed without changing the basic nature of man."

"Okay. Check. Now, what of the inciting element?" he asked- "Let man be a constant, his environment is still a variable. If he is placed in an overprotective life-situation, do you feel it would take more or less to depress him-or stimulate him to frenzy-than it would take in a not so protective environment?"

"Hm. Being case-oriented, I'd say it would depend on the man. But I see what you're driving at: a mass pre- disposition to jump out windows at the drop of a hat- the window even opening itself for you, because you asked it to-the revolt of the bored masses. I don't like the notion. I hope it's wrong."

"So do I, but I was thinking of symbolic suicides too- functional disorders that occur for pretty flimsy reasons."

"Aha! Your lecture last month: autopsychomimesis. I have the tape. Weli-told, but I can't agree."

"Neither can I, now. I'm rewriting that whole section- Thanatos in Cloudcuckooland,' I'm calling it. It's really the death-instinct moved nearer the surface."

"If I get you a scalpel and a cadaver, will you cut out the death-instinct and let me touch it?"

"Couldn't." he put the grin into his voice, "it would be all used up in a cadaver. Find me a volunteer though, and he'll prove my case by volunteering."

"Your logic is unassailable," she smiled. "Get us some more coffee, okay?"

Render went to the kitchen, spiked and filled the cups, drank a glass of water and returned to the living room.

Eileen had not moved; neither had Sigmund.

"What do you do when you're not busy being a Shaper?" she asked him.

"The same things most people do-eat, drink, sleep, talk, visit friends and not-friends, visit places, read ..."

"Are you a forgiving man?"

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