As they continued on towards their dining room Samuel asked how Roberto had found out about him so fast.
"Our floor matron on the afternoon shift is talkative," Roberto answered, "and, too, she tries to get people together, you know, misery shared and all that stuff?"
"Oh!" Samuel laughed.
"Hey, Harry!" Roberto called, "Come meet Samuel. His family gave him the boot like mine!"
A short, stalky young man came over. "Glad to meet you, Sam!" he greeted warmly. "At least you haven't got the problems I've got!"
"What's that?" Samuel asked. "And it's Samuel, by the way, not Sam."
"Oh, sorry!" the other boy apologized. "Can't get used to the Spir way of not using nicknames. I tend to shorten everybody's name I meet. Well, to answer your question, I was going out with this girl, I mean, we were really hot! She was the one who got us doin' it. Then all of a sudden one day, the cops picked me up. Come to find out she's pregnant and tellin' everybody I made her do it, that she hadn't wanted to. My folks believed me, but things just got so hot in my neighborhood, so they sent me up here for safe keeping."
"Ow!" Samuel exclaimed. "I have to admit, that's alot worse than my troubles!"
As the line inched into the cafeteria another boy came up, tall, blond, handsome. He looked like the picture on the Aryan posters. "Who we got here?" he asked.
"Oh, Alfie," Roberto answered, "this is Samuel, another member of the club. Him and I have a common problem."
"The Spir make problems for everybody, don't they," the new boy put in. "Glad to meet you Samuel! I'm here because my folks took on the Spir way and I still cling to the superior's teachings. Got in a fight with some colored kids. Several people got hurt pretty bad. My parents put me in here to see if I'd smarten up a little bit."
"You're a Whitenick?" Samuel asked.
Alfie shook his head. "USED to be," he answered, "not any more. Come to find out the trouble the colored people were being blamed for was being done by one of our own people. I'm afraid I've lost faith in The Society For Racial Purity. Now, the thing is to convince my family I've changed. I'm not just faking it to get out of trouble."
"Well, I'm sure you will," Samuel put in, as they reached the head of the line. Samuel found the selection very good. When they sat down at the table Alfie asked if Sam played pool."I make a valiant attempt," Samuel answered.
"Good!" Alfie continued, I got a table tonight. My partner got sent down the road, ten years as a guest of the state. Why don't you play me?"
"Give it a try!" Samuel agreed.
Things settled into a quiet routine. His new friends made the boredom of separation from his family a little lighter. There were problems at school, though. His girlfriend, who had sworn neverending love for him dumped Samuel the first day he returned to classes, and the school's resident toughie, Morgan, was quite upset Samuel had lost the marijuana and wanted his money back, immediately!
"Don't be stupid!" Samuel told him, "Can't get ahold of my money right now, and even if I could they're watching us. If I give you a whole bunch of money they're going to know why, and at least they'll pull you in for questioning. You want to explain that to your father? I'll pay you back. I've got your address, you know I'm good for it. It's just going to take a couple of months."
Morgan relented. "Yeah, o.k.," he agreed, "but you remember!"
"I promise," Samuel assured.
As the days passed Samuel seemed to become more and more distant from his friends at school. Some still associated with him, but it was obvious they were not as friendly to him as they had been before.
Samuel grew closer and closer to his friends at the facility. They were playing pool one evening when a matron came up being followed by one of the most georgeous women Samuel had ever seen. Every boy in the room stopped what he was doing to stare at her.
"Mr. Horowitz," the matron announced, "this is Miss West. She's a Law Speaker from the Church. She's to represent you at your separation hearing."
"Well, I really don't think I need any representation," Samuel put in. "I do not intend to contest my father's wishes, and I'll make no claim on any inheritance."
"Well, that should certainly make things easier!" the Law Speaker put in, "but theres other things we have to discuss too. Nice pool table! Wish I had time for a game!"
Alfie came over and offered the Speaker his cue. "You can play while you're talking!" he offered.
The Speaker put her briefcase down on a chair, and her jacket joined it. "Don't mind if I do!" she agreed. "You break, young man!" she insisted.
As Samuel took his shot he asked "Are you Helen West, the actress?"
"The one and only!" the Speaker answered.
"But I heard you made twenty million dollars on your last movie. What are you oing being a Law Speaker for The Church?"

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