Read Online The Mile Long Spaceship by Kate Wilhelm - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Wilhelm
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and put on a robe. When Johnny came back, he came into the living room, and I took off the robe." She caught a look of amusement on the doctor's face and quickly she exclaimed, "Oh, it was awful! You should have seen him! All I wanted was for him to make love to me and he fell on his knees and started to pray. That was too much. I was furious with him and suddenly I saw him as a childish, ignorant, superstitious idiot. In my most menacing voice I told him I'd have my eyes on him for the rest of his life and he'd better repent his sins. Then I flew away."
The doctor laughed a long time. "Jenny, Jenny," he said. "And then, no doubt fighting mad, you tried to prove to yourself that you could get a man."
"Exactly," she snapped. "But I couldn't. One ran away and came back with hedge shears. Another fainted dead away. A third one began muttering chants he had picked up somewhere down in New Orleans. The last one asked if I was born or hatched. I gave him a ride he'll never forget! But by then I was tired of it all and gave up. Until now."
"Jenny," the doctor asked seriously, "have you ever been kissed by a man who knew about the wings?"
She turned to him and nodded. "That's why this is an emergency, Dr. Lindquist. I'm really in love this time, and he loves me."
The doctor turned and walked to his desk seating himself behind it professionally. A subtle change had come over him that puzzled Jenny. This must be how he apppeared to his other patients, and the smiling, understanding man he had been before was reserved for unofficial visits. She wished he hadn't gone to his desk. "And now you want to know if I can take them off for you, is that it?" he asked.
Jenny felt her wings rise up in sudden reaction. "No! Never!" More quietly she sat down again. "Don't you see, I can't! I've thought about it, but I can't. What if, in all the world, you were the only one who could see blue, would you give it up just because no one else could appreciate it?" She studied her fingernails minutely. "I said I read a lot, didn't I? Oh, darn it!" she wailed suddenly. "That's all I know! Just what I read."
Dr. Lindquist leaned forward and said, "You mean you just want me to tell you the facts of life?"
She swallowed convulsively and drew back from his incredulous gaze. "Not exactly," she mumbled. "I read the biology books... It's just that I want to know if I can have children, and are they going to be like me... And how..." Her voice was nearly inaudible when she finished, "And how can I do it? The damned wings keep getting in the way."
His shout of laughter was explosive and it was a long time before he spoke. Jenny looked at him angrily until he finished. "I don't think it's very funny," she fumed. "This is a very serious problem for me."
"Oh, Jenny," he gasped. "I'm sorry. Wait a minute." He moved stiffly across the room and ran his finger across the backs of books in a glass doored case. "Ah, here we are. And here." He went on and extracted a third one. He placed the books before her with a courtly bow. "These should solve the second problem. As for the first... I'll have to examine you, you know."
She bit her lip and lowered her eyes. He led her to the examining room and looked baffled as she shook her head at the table. "I can't," she muttered. "Can't you get it through your head that I cannot lie down on my back!"
"Don't get excited," he growled. "I didn't say on your back. On your side. And may the Lord have pity on your doctor if you do get pregnant!"
She eyed the table doubtfully and turned to look at the doctor, but he was bent over the sink washing his hands. In a small voice she asked, "Should I finish undressing?"
"That is the usual procedure," he replied coldly.
Moving slowly she stepped out of her panties and undid the pin that held the sheet about her. She was approaching the table when he neared her and held out his hand, "I'll help you," he said. She shuddered noticeably at his touch and felt the blood flooding her face
The doctor laughed a long time. "Jenny, Jenny," he said. "And then, no doubt fighting mad, you tried to prove to yourself that you could get a man."
"Exactly," she snapped. "But I couldn't. One ran away and came back with hedge shears. Another fainted dead away. A third one began muttering chants he had picked up somewhere down in New Orleans. The last one asked if I was born or hatched. I gave him a ride he'll never forget! But by then I was tired of it all and gave up. Until now."
"Jenny," the doctor asked seriously, "have you ever been kissed by a man who knew about the wings?"
She turned to him and nodded. "That's why this is an emergency, Dr. Lindquist. I'm really in love this time, and he loves me."
The doctor turned and walked to his desk seating himself behind it professionally. A subtle change had come over him that puzzled Jenny. This must be how he apppeared to his other patients, and the smiling, understanding man he had been before was reserved for unofficial visits. She wished he hadn't gone to his desk. "And now you want to know if I can take them off for you, is that it?" he asked.
Jenny felt her wings rise up in sudden reaction. "No! Never!" More quietly she sat down again. "Don't you see, I can't! I've thought about it, but I can't. What if, in all the world, you were the only one who could see blue, would you give it up just because no one else could appreciate it?" She studied her fingernails minutely. "I said I read a lot, didn't I? Oh, darn it!" she wailed suddenly. "That's all I know! Just what I read."
Dr. Lindquist leaned forward and said, "You mean you just want me to tell you the facts of life?"
She swallowed convulsively and drew back from his incredulous gaze. "Not exactly," she mumbled. "I read the biology books... It's just that I want to know if I can have children, and are they going to be like me... And how..." Her voice was nearly inaudible when she finished, "And how can I do it? The damned wings keep getting in the way."
His shout of laughter was explosive and it was a long time before he spoke. Jenny looked at him angrily until he finished. "I don't think it's very funny," she fumed. "This is a very serious problem for me."
"Oh, Jenny," he gasped. "I'm sorry. Wait a minute." He moved stiffly across the room and ran his finger across the backs of books in a glass doored case. "Ah, here we are. And here." He went on and extracted a third one. He placed the books before her with a courtly bow. "These should solve the second problem. As for the first... I'll have to examine you, you know."
She bit her lip and lowered her eyes. He led her to the examining room and looked baffled as she shook her head at the table. "I can't," she muttered. "Can't you get it through your head that I cannot lie down on my back!"
"Don't get excited," he growled. "I didn't say on your back. On your side. And may the Lord have pity on your doctor if you do get pregnant!"
She eyed the table doubtfully and turned to look at the doctor, but he was bent over the sink washing his hands. In a small voice she asked, "Should I finish undressing?"
"That is the usual procedure," he replied coldly.
Moving slowly she stepped out of her panties and undid the pin that held the sheet about her. She was approaching the table when he neared her and held out his hand, "I'll help you," he said. She shuddered noticeably at his touch and felt the blood flooding her face
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