"Oh-oh! Oh-oh!" Claire's slender hand went out to stop his own. "Not
till coffee and cigarettes, Senator."

"It's almost oh-eight-fifteen; I want the newscast."

"Can't you just relax for a while? Honestly, Senator, you're killing
yourself."

"Oh, rubbish! I've been working a little hard, but--"

"You've been working too hard. And today, with the sale at the store,
and the last day of the campaign--"

"Why the devil did that idiot of a Latterman have the sale advertised
for today, anyhow?" he fumed. "Doesn't he know I'm running for the
Senate?"

"I doubt it," Claire said. "He may have heard of it, the way you've
heard about an election in Pakistan or Abyssinia, or he just may not
know there is such a thing as politics. I think he does know there's a
world outside the store, but he doesn't care much what goes on in it."
She pushed her plate aside, poured a cup of coffee, and levered a
cigarette from the Readilit, puffing at it with the relish of the
morning's first smoke. "All he knows is that we're holding our sale
three days ahead of Macy & Gimbel's."

"Russ is a good businessman," Pelton said seriously. "I wish you'd
take a little more interest in him, Claire."

"If you mean what I think you do, no thanks," Claire replied. "I