Chapter 10

           WhileMrs.Douglaswasspeakingtoofreelyonasubjectsheknewtoolittleabout,JubalE.Harshaw,LL.B.,M.D.,Sc.D.,bonvivant,gourmet,sybarite,popularauthorextraordinaire,andneo-pessimistphilosopher,wassittingbyhisswimmingpoolathishomeinthePoconos,scratchingthethickgreythatchonhischest,andwatchinghisthreesecretariessplashinthepool.Theywereallthreeamazinglybeautiful;theywerealsoamazinglygoodsecretaries.InHarshaw’sopiniontheprincipleofleastactionrequiredthatutilityandbeautybecombined.

           Annewasblonde,Miriamwasred-headed,andDorcaswasdark;ineachcasethecolorationwasauthentic.Theyranged,respectively,frompleasantlyplumptodeliciouslyslender.Theiragesspreadoverfifteenyearsbutitwashardtotelloff-handwhichwastheeldest.TheyundoubtedlyhadlastnamesbutHarshaw’shouseholddidnotbothermuchwithlastnames.OneofthemwasrumoredtobeHarshaw’sowngranddaughterbutopinionsvariedastowhichoneitwas.

           Harshawwasworkingashardasheeverworked.Mostofhismindwasoccupiedwithwatchingprettygirlsdoprettythingswithsunandwater–onesmall,shuttered,sound-proofedcompartmentwascomposing.Heclaimedthathismethodofliterarycompositionwastohookhisgonadsinparallelwithhisthalamusanddisconnecthiscerebrumentirely;hishabitslentsomecredibilitytothetheory.

           Amicrophoneonatableathisrighthandwashookedtoavoicewriterinhisstudybutheusedthevoicewriteronlyfornotes.