"Mrs. Briggs, I am not trying to tell you anything," Miss Pomeroy's cheeks were red. "I am telling you your child is spending too much time watching these programs. Sublimating so much, in fact, that he's beginning to find it difficult telling the difference between life itself and the Elroom."
"Sublimating?"
"Escape. You didn't know? Yes." The teacher smiled tolerantly. "First sublimation room for elevating one's self—sublime the verb. Then SubL for short. Then just L and L-room to Elroom. You didn't know?"
"That, my dear," Mrs. Briggs said heatedly, "is just so much hogwash."
"Tell me, Mrs. Briggs, just what does your husband think of the Elroom?"
"He doesn't have much time to spend in it."
"You mean he'd rather do something else?"
"He's interested in typically man things—cars, mostly." Because Timmy had gone over to the curtains and was starting to walk through, and because she wanted to show Miss Pomeroy she was capable of some discipline, she said, "And where are you going, young man?"
"Probably back to the Elroom," Miss Pomeroy put in. Mrs. Briggs gave her an acid look.
Timmy swallowed the last bite of apple. "To get a drink. I'm thirsty."