Literate First Class Elliot C. Mongery, revealed by a quick left
quarter-turn of the pickup camera, wore the same starchy white smock,
the same Sam Browne belt glittering with the badges of the
organizations and corporations for whom he was authorized to practice
Literacy. The tablet on his belt, Pelton knew, was really a
camouflaged holster for a small automatic, and the gold stylus was a
gas-projector. The black-leather-jacketed bodyguards, of course, were
discreetly out of range of the camera. Members of the Associated
Fraternities of Literates weren't exactly loved by the non-reading
public they claimed to serve. The sight of one of those starchy,
perpetually-spotless, white smocks always affected Pelton like a red
cape to a bull. He snorted in disdain. The raised eyebrow toward the
announcer on the left, the quick, perennially boyish smile, followed
by the levelly serious gaze into the camera--the whole act might have
been a film-transcription of Mongery's first appearance on the video,
fifteen years ago. At least, it was off the same ear of corn.

"That big hunk of cheese," Ray commented. For once, Pelton didn't
shush him; that was too close to his own attitude, at least in
family-breakfast-table terminology.

"... First of all; for the country, and especially the Newer New York
area, and by the way, it looks as though somebody thought somebody
needed a little cooling off, but we'll come to that later. Here's the
forecast: Today and tomorrow, the weather will continue fine; warm in
the sun, chilly in the shadows. There won't be anything to keep you
from the polls, tomorrow, except bird-hunting, or a last chance at a
game of golf. This is the first time within this commentator's memory
that the weather has definitely been in favor of the party out of
power.