Myra-Breckinridge-Gore-Vidal

looked at me with such frightened sincerity that it was all Icould do to keep my hands off him right then and there.Gone was the easy masculine arrogance that hadcharacterized him in our early relations. Now he was jitteryand profoundly hostile, and all because of me! Though thecorridor was airconditioned to a polar temperature (like somany fat men Buck suffers from heat), a bead of sweatappearing at the tip of one sideburn reminded me to say, "Istill have the T-shirt you left in my office." Bright red at thisreference to his humiliation, he said that he was sorry to beso forgetful and that, if it was all right, he would comearound sometime and retrieve the garment. Then the bellrang for class and we parted. I watched him a moment ashe ran down the corridor, the buttocks that once I hadbeheld in all their innocent naked glory covered now bythick corduory. Soon I shall have occasion to examine themagain, at leisure, as his education continues, impellingeach of us inexorably toward the last degree. The classwent well until Buck decided to look in. I tolerated hispresence. But then when he became critical of me I wasforced to take a stern line with him. In fact, after he made adirect challenge to my authority, I struck him. All in all, it wasa most satisfying thing to do and it will be some time beforethat keg of lard dares to cross me again. Afterwards, in thefaculty room (wall-to-wall champagne-beige carpeting,piped-in music, and a color television set), two of mycolleagues joined me for coffee from the mechanicaldispenser. Apparently "everyone" has heard that there wassome sort of contretemps between me and the president of