"Voted himself a thirty-one-thousand-dollar pay raise during the recession, not to mention a government-issued Diners Club Card. Hand me the curved hemostat. That's the one. Here he is, vocal supporter of the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and the National Labor Relations Act, as he'll remind you at every opportunity. But what he doesn't say is that behind closed doors he voted to keep the U. S. Senate exempt from all those acts. Suction." He was silent as he made another incision.

Gin continued to marvel at the grace and precision of his scalpel work.

He made it look so easy.

Gin knew it was anything but.

"But I'm thankful I'm only his plastic surgeon. Can you imagine being his proctologist? " He looked up and winked at her. "I mean, where to begin? ' Marie guffawed.

"As always, ' Duncan said, "laws imposed to assure fair play among the constituency do not apply to the kakistoc . .

racy.

Gin didn't want to, but felt compelled to ask. "All right, I give up.

What's this kakistocracy you're always talking about? I can't find it in the dictionary. ' "You won't unless you use an unabridged edition.

The kakistocracy reflects the anomie of our times."

"Oh, that helps a lot." '"It is rulership by the worst." Perfect time to spring one of my own words for the day, Gin thought.

'"I guess then you might say that the members of the kakistocracy excel at casuistry." She saw Duncan smile behind his mask. "Very good! " Marie turned to Joanna. "Great. Now neither of them are speaking English." Gin said, "I'm merely participating in the lingua franca.

' Two! she thought. I got two of them in! Duncan's eyes sparkled as he turned to Marie and Joanna. "Casuistry is the rationalization of matters of conscience, but I wonder if we can presume that the Senator Vincents of the world even have a conscience.