THE SUPERWOMAN FROM KRYPTON

THE ETERNAL COURSE. PART II

Metropolis, May 1948

A blue and red blur landed in an alley and appeared a second later on the street dressed as Clara Kent.

"One more day in the office," she said to herself.

She was holding in her hands two croissants that she had bought in Paris a few minutes before. Clara had the habit of bringing a couple of days a week some Parisian croissants that Louis loved. He always asked her where she got them, of course she didn't plan to tell him. Paris was three or four minutes away flying at top speed for Superwoman, but that Louis wasn't to know, at least for the moment.

Clara bought her newspapers as she always did at Abe's Newsstand, an elderly black man from Georgia who was a celebrity among Metropolis newsstand owners.

"Good morning, Abe!"

"Good morning, Ma'am! Don't you come singing any songs today, blue-eyed?"

"Oh Abe, I sing horribly."

"What can I give you?"

"The Planet, the Times, the Tribune, and the Post, please."

"Today we have the Pulitzers, the premiere of Hamlet, Superwoman saving a test pilot, Superwoman averting a flood in Spain, more war in the Middle East and Greece, and something from the Supreme Court."

"Oh, thank you very much, quiet day then," Clara laughed.

Clara entered the large Planet building. Eighty floors topped by a large bronze world ball on the rooftop that she knew so well. She had touched down at that location countless times as Superwoman, and on numerous occasions, she joined Louis Lane or Lucy Weiss as Clara Kent, often finding herself amidst their smoking sessions, despite her persistent requests for them to give up the habit. She even had occasional clandestine encounters with Louis on the roof as Superwoman...the only times they had kissed or touched...which had never ended well, as Louis had fled in turmoil, leaving her frustrated and confused. Those encounters had always been followed within days by an article from Louis criticizing Superwoman and governments for not putting legal and political roadblocks in place to control the superheroine, and an increase in affection and gifts from Louis to Clara. "It's to go completely crazy"...Clara had made a mental scheme to understand Louis: he desired Superwoman as so many men did and that embarrassed him deeply, he truly distrusted the Superheroine but well, it was clear that he cared and loved Clara Kent, although with obvious limitations. He was a married man and was weighed down by his religious concerns that she respected as much as they annoyed and seemed unfair to her. It had been hard to understand him. Any woman would have sent him packing or would have left the job, but she wasn't just any woman...and after all she deliberately lied to Louis every day. Clara was sure that at some point Louis would understand everything and they would get together, that was her hope.

Only the last thirty floors of the Planet building belonged to the newspaper, its agencies, and archives. The rest were luxury housing, assorted offices and even until recently had been a Republican Party campaign center, but Perry had convinced the Board of Directors to ask them to vacate the building to avoid compromising the paper's image of neutrality. The Daily Planet, even though it had reporters of all political sectors and that Perry had supported Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, had too much of a reputation as a Republican paper.

As soon as she entered the lobby of the newspaper, she met Lucy Weiss. She was a political photographer and Perry's oldest daughter (he had two other girls, his only son died on Guadalcanal, an event which had broken the reporter's heart). Lucy Weiss was Clara's best friend on the paper along with Jimmy Olsen. Sometimes Clara felt self-conscious about her. In the end, like Louis, Lucy belonged to the snobbish and worldly environment of Metropolis, among millionaires, actors and politicians, but they had hit it off very well. Lucy was a tomboy who hated snobbery and had no prejudices whatsoever. She had no problem spending a Sunday in Clara's small apartment cracking jokes and washing dishes. She was a spunky, determined girl and it was even joked in the Daily Planet that Lucy was Superwoman's secret identity. It was the only female photographer outside fashion reporting. Jimmy Olsen adored Lucy and they were close friends. Clara felt guilty at times for not confessing her identity to them, she wished she could tell them all her troubles and anxieties, but she couldn't put them in danger. As much as she cherished them, her secret was too big.