Ira Levin - The Stepford Wives

"We could walk off with the whole place if we wanted to," the black woman said, and Joanna smiled at her and said, "We ought to; teach her to stay on the job." She nodded toward the desk.

The black woman smiled. "Is it always this empty?" she asked.

"I've never seen it this way before," Joanna said. "But I've only been here in the afternoon and on Saturdays."

"Are you new in Stepford?"

"Three months."

"Three days for me," the black woman said.

"I hope you like it."

"I think I will."

Joanna put her hand out. "I'm Joanna Eberhart," she said, smiling.

"Ruthanne Hendry," the black woman said, smiling and shaking Joanna's hand.

Joanna tipped her head and squinted. "I know that name," she said. "I've seen it someplace."

The woman smiled. "Do you have any small children?" she asked.

Joanna nodded, puzzled.

"I've done a children's book, Penny Has a Plan," the woman said. "They've got it here; I checked the catalog first thing."

"Of course," Joanna said. "Kim had it out about two weeks ago! And loved it! I did too; it's so good to find one where a girl actually does something besides make tea for her dolls."

"Subtle propaganda," Ruthanne Hendry said, smiling.

"You did the illustrations too," Joanna said. "They were terrific!"

"Thank you."

"Are you doing another one?"

Ruthanne Hendry nodded. "I've got one laid out," she said. "I'll be starting the real work as soon as we get settled."

"I'm sorry," Miss Austrian said, coming limping from the back of the room.

"It's so quiet here in the morning that I" -she stopped and blinked, and came limping on-"work in the office. Have to get one of those bells people can tap on. Hello, Mrs. Eberhart." She smiled at Joanna, and at Ruthanne Hendry.

"Hello," Joanna said. "This is one of your authors. Penny Has a Plan.

Ruthanne Hendry."

"Oh?" Miss Austrian sat down heavily in the chair and held its arms with plump pink hands. "That's a very popular book," she said. "We have two copies in circulation and they're both replacements."

"I like this library," Ruthanne Hendry said. "Can I join?"

"Do you live in Stepford?"

"Yes, I just moved here."

"Then you're welcome to join," Miss Austrian said. She opened a drawer, took out a white card, and put it down beside the stack of books.

AT THE CENTER LUNCHEONETTE'S counter, empty except for two telephone repairmen, Ruthanne stirred her coffee, and looking at Joanna, said, "Tell me something, on the level: was there much reaction to our buying here?"

"None at all that I heard of," Joanna said. "It's not a town where reactions can develop-to anything. There's no place where people really intersect, except the Men's Association."

"They're all right," Ruthanne said. "Royal is joining tomorrow night. But the women in the neighborhood-"

"Oh listen," Joanna said, "that doesn't have anything to do with color, believe me. They're like that with everybody. No time for a cup of coffee, right? Riveted on their housework?"

Ruthanne nodded. "I don't mind for myself," she said. "I'm very self-sufficient, otherwise I wouldn't have gone along with the move. But I-"

Joanna told her about the Stepford women, and how Bobbie was even planning to move away to avoid becoming like them.

Ruthanne smiled. "There's nothing that's going to make a hausfrau out of me," she said. "If they're that way, fine. I was just concerned about it being about color because of the girls." She had two of them, four and six; and her husband Royal was chairman of the sociology department of one of the city universities. Joanna told her about Walter and Pete and Kim, and about her photography.

They exchanged phone numbers. "I turned into a hermit when I was working on Penny," Ruthanne said, "but I'll call you sooner or later."

"I'll call you," Joanna said. "If you're busy, just say so. I want you to meet Bobbie; I'm sure you'll like each other."

On the way to their cars-they had left them in front of the library-Joanna saw Dale Coba looking at her from a distance. He stood with a lamb in his arms, by a group of men setting up a cr amp;che near the Historical Society cottage. She nodded at him, and he, holding the live-looking lamb, nodded and smiled.

She told Ruthanne who he was, and asked her if she knew that Ike Mazzard lived in Stepford.

"Who?"

"Ike Mazzard. The illustrator."

Ruthanne had never heard of him, which made Joanna feel very old. Or very white.

HAVING ADAM for the weekend was a mixed blessing. On Saturday he and Pete and Kim played beautifully together, inside the house and out; but on Sunday, a freezing-cold overcast day when Walter laid claim to the family room for football-watching (fairly enough after last Sunday's sledding), Adam and Pete became, serially, soldiers in a blanket-over-the-dining-table fort, explorers in the cellar ("Stay out of that darkroom!"), and Star Trek people in Pete's room-all of them sharing, strangely enough, a single common enemy called KimShe's-Dim. They were loudly and scornfully watchful, preparing defenses; and poor Kim was dim, wanting only to join them, not to crayon or help file negatives, not even -Joanna was desperate-to bake cookies. Adam and Pete ignored threats, Kim ignored blandishments, Walter ignored everything.

Joanna was glad when Bobbie and Dave came to pick Adam up.

But she was glad she had taken him when she saw how great they looked.

Bobbie had had her hair done and was absolutely beautiful-either due to make-up or lovemaking, probably both. And Dave looked jaunty and keyed up and happy. They brought bracing coldness into the entrance hall. "Hi, Joanna, how'd it go?" Dave said, rubbing leather-gloved hands; and Bobbie, wrapped in her raccoon coat, said, "I hope Adam wasn't any trouble."

"Not a speck," Joanna said. "You look marvelous, both of you!"

"We feel marvelous," Dave said, and Bobbie smiled and said, "It was a lovely weekend. Thank you for helping us manage it."

"Forget it," Joanna said. "I'm going to plunk Pete with you one of these weekends."

"We'll be glad to take him," Bobbie said, and Dave said, "Whenever you want, just say the word. Adam? Time to go."

"He's up in Pete's room."

Dave cupped his gloved hands and shouted, "Adam! We're here! Get your stuff!"

"Take your coats off," Joanna said.

"Got to pick up Jon and Kenny," Dave said, and Bobbie said, "I'm sure you'd like some peace and quiet. It must have been hectic."

"Well it hasn't been my most restful Sunday," Joanna said. "Yesterday was great though."

"Hi there!" Walter said, coming in from the kitchen with a glass in his hand.

Bobbie said, "Hello, Walter," and Dave said, "Hi, buddy!"

"How was the second honeymoon?" Walter asked.

"Better than the first," Dave said. "Just shorter, that's all." He grinned at Walter.

Joanna looked at Bobbie, expecting her to say something funny. Bobbie smiled at her and looked toward the stairs. "Hello, gumdrop," she said.

"Did you have a nice weekend?"

"I don't want to go," Adam said, standing tilted to keep his shopping bag clear of the stair. Pete and Kim stood behind him. Kim said, "Can't he stay another night?"

"No, dear, there's school tomorrow," Bobbie said, and Dave said, "Come on, pal, we've got to collect the rest of the Mafia."

Adam came sulkily down the stairs, and Joanna went to the closet for his coat and boots. "Hey," Dave said, "I've got some information on that stock you asked me about." Walter said, "Oh, good," and he and Dave went into the living room.

Joanna gave Adam's coat to Bobbie, and Bobbie thanked her and held it open for Adam. He put his shopping bag down and winged back his arms to the coat sleeves.

Joanna, holding Adam's boots, said, "Do you want a bag for these?"