Martian Time-Slip

by Philip K. Dick

“If you’re limited to your husband for emotional experience,” June Henessy said, “you have no basis of judgment; you’re more or less stuck with what he has to offer, but if you’ve gone to bed with other men you can tell better what your husband’s deficiencies are, and it’s much more possible for you to be objective about him. And what needs to be changed in him, you can insist that he change. And for your own part, you can see where you’ve been ineffective and with these other men you can learn how to improve yourself, so that you give your husband more satisfaction. I fail to see who loses by that.” Put that way, it certainly sounded like a good healthy idea for all concerned. Even the husband benefited. While she sat sipping her coffee and meditating about that, Silvia looked out the window and saw to her surprise a ’copter landing. “Who’s that?” she asked June. “Heaven’s sake, I don’t know,” June said, glancing out.