them are ripped from the wombs of their mothers in pieces, with their little arms waving in protest even as they die."
"Oh good God," McGovern said. "That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever-"
"Hush, Bill," Lois said. -purpose of this protest" Rivers was asking Dalton.
"As you probably know," Dalton said, "the City Council has agreed to re-examine the zoning regulations that allow WomanCare to operate where it does and how it does. They could vote on the issue as early as November. The abortion rights people are afraid the Council might throw sand in the gears of their death-machine, so they've summoned Susan Day, this country's most notorious proabortion advocate, to try and keep the machine running. We are marshalling our forces-" The pendulum of the microphone swung back to Ed. "Will there be more protests, Mr. Deepneau?" Rivers asked, and Ralph suddenly had an idea she might be interested in him in a way which was not strictly professional. Hey, why not? Ed was a good-looking guy, and His. Rivers could hardly know that he believed the Crimson King and his Centurions were in Derry, joining forces with the baby-killers at WomanCare.
"Until the legal aberration which opened the door to this slaughter has been corrected, the protests will continue," Ed replied.
"And we'll go on hoping that the histories of the next century will record that not all Americans were good Nazis during this dark period of our history."
"Violent protests?"
"It's violence we oppose." The two of them were now maintaining strong eye contact, and Ralph thought Anne Rivers had what Carolyn would have called a case of hot thighs. Dan Dalton was standing off to one side of the screen, all but forgotten.
"And when Susan Day comes to Derry next month, can you guarantee her safety?"
Ed smiled, and in his mind's eye Ralph saw him as he had been on that hot August afternoon less than a month ago-kneeling with one hand planted on either side of Ralph's shoulders and breathing They burn the fetuses over in Newport into his face. Ralph shivered.
"In a country where thousands of children are sucked from the wombs of their mothers by the medical equivalent of industrial vacuum cleaners, I don't believe anyone can guarantee anything," Ed replied.
Anne Rivers looked at him uncertainly for a moment, as if deciding whether or not she wanted to ask another question (maybe for his telephone number), and then turned back to face the camera.
"This is Anne Rivers, at Derry Police Headquarters," she said.
Lisette Benson reappeared, and something in the bemused cast of her mouth made Ralph think that perhaps he hadn't been the only one to sense the attraction between interviewer and interviewee.
"We'll be following this story all day," she said. "Be sure to tune in at six for further updates. In Augusta, Governor Greta Powers responded to charges that she may have-" Lois got up and pushed the Off button on the TV. She simply stared at the darkening screen for a moment, then sighed heavily and sat down. "I have blueberry compote," she said, "but after that, do either of you want any?"
Both men shook their heads. McGovern looked at Ralph and said, "That was scary."
Ralph nodded. He kept thinking of how Ed had gone striding back and forth through the spray thrown by the lawn-sprinkler, breaking the rainbows with his body, pounding his fist into his open palm.
"How could they let him Out On bail and then interview him on the news as if he was a normal human being?" Lois asked indignantly.
"After what he did to poor Helen? My God, that Anne Rivers looked ready to invite him home to dinner!"
"Or to eat crackers in bed with her," Ralph said dryly.
"The assault charge and this stuff today are entirely different matters," McGovern said, "and you can bet your boots the lawyer or lawyers these yo-yos have got on retainer will be sure to keep it that way."
"And even the assault charge was only a misdemeanor," Ralph reminded her.
"How can assault be a misdemeanor?" Lois asked. "I'm sorry, but I never did understand that part."
"It's a misdemeanor when you only do it to your wife," McGovern said, hoisting his satiric eyebrow. "It's the American way, Lo."
She twisted her hands together restlessly, took Mr. Chasse down from the television, looked at him for a moment, then put him back and resumed twisting her hands, "Well, the law's one thing," she said, "and I'd be the first to admit that I don't understand it all. But