"Don't sound so disappointed; he'll be free soon.  He's making a special effort so that he will be free on your account... and to let all of us be free, too.  Duke spent all night scouring the city for the high-speed tape recorders we use for the dictionary and now we've got everybody who can possibly do it being jammed full of Martian phonic symbols and then Mike will be through and can visit.  Dawn has just started dictating; I finished one session, ducked out to say good-morning to you... and am about to go back and get poured full of my last part of the chore, so I'll be gone just a little longer than Dawn will be.  And here's Dawn's kiss - the first one was just from me." She put her arms around his neck and again put her mouth greedily to his - at last said, "My goodness!  Why did we wait so long? 'Bye for a little!"