Stranger in a Strange Land

polite."
                "Nonsense to you, sir-YOU already knew what was polite ... but were afraid you might look silly . . or possibly feared being trapped inadvertently in the gallant reflex. But I seem to grok that Mike had a reason for instituting this household custom-Mike always has reasons for everything he does, although some of them seem strange to me."
                "Oh, yes. He has reasons. Jill told me about them."

                Ben Caxton was standing in the foyer, his back to the living room and his hands on his shorts, having told himself, not very firmly, to take the plunge and get it over with-when two arms came snugly around his waist from behind. "Ben darling! How wonderful to have you here!"
                He turned and had Jill in his arms and her mouth warm and greedy against his-and was very glad that he had not quite finished stripping. For she was no longer "Mother Eve"; she was wearing one of the long, allenveloping priestess robes. Nevertheless he was happily aware that he had a double armful of live, warm, and gently squirming girl; her priestly vestment was no greater impediment than would have been a thin gown, and both kinesthetic and tactile senses told him that the rest was Jill.
                "Golly!" she said, breaking from the kiss. "I've missed you, you old beast. Thou art God."
                "Thou art God," he conceded. "Jill, you're prettier than ever."
                "Yes," she agreed. "It does that for you. But I can't tell you what a thrill it gave me to catch your eye at the blow-off."
                "'Blow-off'?"
                "Jill means," Patricia put in, "the end of the service where she is All Mother, Mater Deum Magna. Kids, I must rush."
                "Never hurry, Pattycake."
                "I gotta rush so I won't have to hurry. Ben, I must put Honey Bun to bed and go down and take my class-so kiss me good-night now. Please?"
                Ben found himself kissing good-night a woman still wrapped most thoroughly by a giant snake-and decided that he could think of better ways . . . say wearing full armor. But he tried to ignore Honey Bun and treat Patty as she deserved to be treated.
                Jill kissed her and said, "Stop by and tell Mike to stall until I get there, pretty please."
                "He will anyhow. 'Night, dears." She left unhurriedly.
                "Ben, isn't she a lamb?"
                "She certainly is. Although she had me baffled at first."
                "I grok. But it's not because she's tattooed nor because of her snakes, I know. She baffled you-she baffles everybody-because Patty never has any doubts; she just automatically always does the right thing. She's very much like Mike. She's the most advanced of any of us-she ought to be high priestess. But she won't take it because her tattoos would make some of the duties difficult-be a distraction at least-and she doesn't want them taken off."
                "How could you possibly take off that much tattooing? With a flensing knife? It would kill her."
                "Not at all, dear. Mike could take them off completely, not leave a trace, and not even hurt her. Believe me, dear, he could, But he groks that she does not think of them as belonging to her; she's just their custodian- and he groks with her about it. Come sit down. Dawn will be in with supper for all three of us in a moment-I must eat while we visit or I won't have a chance until tomorrow. That's poor management with all eternity to draw from . . . but I didn't know when you would get here and you happen to arrive on a very full day. But tell me what you think of what you've seen? Dawn tells me you saw an outsiders' service, too."
                "Yes."
                "Well?"
                "Mike," Caxton said slowly, "has certainly blossomed out. I think he could sell shoes to snakes."
                "I'm quite sure he could. But he never would because it would be wrong-snakes don't need them. What's the matter, Ben? I grok there's something bothering you."
                "No," he answered. "Certainly not anything I can put my finger on. Oh, I'm not much for churches ... but I'm not against them exactly- certainly not against this one. I guess I just don't grok it."
                "I'll ask you