Author's note: This section references events in the movie "Superman".
Step Ten: Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
*********************
"Lois!" Perry called.
"Coming, Chief!" she said.
"Don't call me Chief," Perry replied automatically. But by now he'd gotten used to it, and the reporters on the floor called him "Chief" with respect. His protests were only pro forma now.
Lois entered his office. "What is it, Perry?"
"What's the latest on Superman?"
"Not much lately, Perry," Lois said. "It's been kind of a slow news week." A tiny smile teased her lips.
"You got that great interview – " Perry started.
"Which you put that stupid headline on!" Lois snapped. "Come on! "I Spent The Night With Superman"?" It sounds like I slept with the guy or something!"
"It's all in selling the sizzle, not the steak," Perry said automatically, not regretting the headline. It had sold a boatload of papers that day.
"Well, the interview was the steak, and it was a good one!" Lois said, almost angrily.
"Yes. It was a good interview," Perry agreed. "It was a great interview."
Lois calmed down.
"And now I want to know if you can get another one," Perry said.
"I'll try, but it's really up to him, not to me." Lois looked away, fiddled with her watch. "You know that, Perry. I don't even know how to get in contact with him."
A knock at the open door, and Perry and Lois looked up to see Clark Kent standing there.
"Um, I couldn't help overhearing," Clark said diffidently.
"What, Kent?" Perry snapped.
"Well, um, Superman did get in contact with me," Clark turned to Lois, nodding at her. "Thanks to Lois' recommendation, or introduction, or whatever."
Lois raised her eyebrows.
"And?" Perry asked.
Clark stammered. "And he said that he wants to visit the Daily Planet."
"What?" Perry and Lois said together.
"He said he was grateful for the editorial, and the way the Planet has led the way in welcoming him to Earth," the tall reporter blurted. "He wanted to extend his thanks in person."
Perry stared, speechless. Then his mind began working again. "Well, he's certainly welcome," the editor said. His mind raced. Maybe I can get an interview with him directly. Maybe we can get some video out of this. Can we get an endorsement out of him? Heck, Superman owed them. It was the Planet that had almost single-handedly shaped the force of public opinion from the hysterical near-paranoia and alarm of the first days, to the growing respect and admiration that people now associated with Superman. Of course, Superman had helped with that by performing good deeds right and left.
"Do we have to print an invitation?" Perry asked absently. "When would be a good time for him to come?" His thoughts raced.
"Um, I think I can just tell him you said it was OK, or Lois can, whichever of us he contacts first," Kent replied. "I don't think you need to print anything about this. I kind of got the impression that he wanted it to be sort of private, not a photo op."
"Yeah, he does seem a little camera-shy, doesn't he?" Lois interjected thoughtfully. "Too bad for him there's no way to avoid the video these days."
"Uh, yes," Clark agreed.
Perry strode forward, slapped Clark on the back. "If you see him, tell him he's welcome. Lois, you too. We'll show him how a major metropolitan newspaper works." He stood back, lowered his hand. "Maybe you can find out when he wants to come – we could get something ready…." His voice trailed off.
Clark shrugged.
"OK, he can come anytime," Perry said. He fixed a gimlet eye on the two reporters. "Don't you two have something to do? Go out there and contact Superman! And if you can't, get me some good stories!"
Lois and Clark left his office. Perry watched for a moment. Clark turned to Lois, said something. Lois snapped out a reply, turned away. Clark looked depressed.
"I guess he was asking her out again," Perry murmured to himself. He saw that Clark still carried a torch for Lois, and she still didn't have the time of day for him. It was still all business with her. It made him glad that he'd finally proposed to Alice, and she'd said Yes. A little shiver of happiness went through him each time he remembered that.
"Get to it, Clark," Perry muttered again. And he saw Kent head down the newsroom, stopping at almost every desk, greeting each reporter, making a brief exchange of comments with the interns and gofers, until finally the tall man exited out the bullpen door.
**************************
Superman didn't waste time. The very next day, Perry sat in his office, reading and grumbling over a memo on cuts in expense accounts that the suits upstairs had sent down. He caught a flash of blue and red out of the corner of his eye and looked up.
There, at the door to his newsroom, stood Superman. Startled silence spread over the news floor as people gradually realized who – or what – had appeared before them. Within seconds, the usual clangor of the Planet fell into a shocked hush, leaving only the muted sounds of the television monitors showing the twenty-four hour news channels.
Perry got up and hurried to greet – the man? Is he a man? Well, he's certainly not human, but he is a man, Perry thought. He overcame the slight weakness in his knees – making First Contact with an alien was something that Perry had never, in his wildest imagination, ever thought he would do. Strangely enough, the skintight costume that had looked so garish on the news assumed a new significance now that Perry saw it in person. The sheer presence of its wearer imbued it with symbolism. Superman had already made the suit, and its associated crest, a sign of hope.
The spandex-clad figure glanced around the silent newsroom with apparent equanimity. But Perry saw…something…in the tall man's demeanor that made him think that Superman was as nervous as himself. And there was an eerie familiarity about the figure – Perry chewed on that, worried on it as he walked quickly to the man. But the more he chased the thought, the farther away it got, and Perry let it go.
"Superman!" He held out his hand, wondering if the alien knew the custom of shaking hands. "Welcome to the Daily Planet!" Reporters, interns, gofers, messengers – a hundred pairs of eyes watched closely, the electrical tension in the room overwhelming.
"Thank you, Mr. White," Superman said in a deep baritone. He took Perry's hand and shook it firmly. "I am grateful for your invitation." A muffled sigh traveled over the room, as the staring witnesses processed the interaction. "The Daily Planet has been a friend to me, and I would like to show my appreciation personally."
"The pleasure is ours, Superman," Perry said loudly. He looked at the piercing blue eyes of his companion, eyes which had a slight tinge of restrained panic. Panic? Perry took a deep breath, and suddenly felt a suppressed laugh bubble through him. Superman didn't know what to do next – Perry could tell. He'd made his statement, and he was metaphorically putting himself in Perry's hands. The sheer absurdity of the situation took away Perry's nervousness. He almost laughed out loud.
"Let me introduce you to the Daily Planet staff, Superman," Perry continued. A rustling from the desks, a susurrus of whispers from the reporters.
Perry started at the nearest desk. "Harold Newhauser, Homestyle section." Henry stared wildly back and forth at the sight of the blue-clad alien and his editor advancing on him. He stood up nervously.
"Mr. Newhauser. A pleasure," Superman said, extending his hand. Henry automatically extended his own. "I found your article on home repair pitfalls very interesting."
Henry nodded mechanically.
Perry moved them onward. "Jacob Morris, Homestyle."
"Mr. Morris," Superman continued. ""Don't you write the Handyman column?"
"Um, yes," the reporter choked out, as he shook Superman's hand. He stared at Perry and his companion as they moved on to the next desk.
"Michele Cabrera, Homestyle," Perry said.
"Hello, Ms. Cabrera," Superman said. "I enjoyed your recent series on home decorating and color selection."
The petite reporter blushed. She seemed too overwhelmed to speak.
Perry and the blue-clad Superman continued down the bullpen, greeting each reporter. Superman had something personal to say to everyone he met, proving to Perry that the alien read their paper, or had for at least for the past two weeks, from first page to last. Frankly, Perry was impressed. He knew their work because he was their editor, but he was willing to bet that no one else, including these very reporters, could have named an article or column that every other Planet reporter had written. And yet Superman had done that.
"Cat Grant, society column," Perry put his ruminations aside.
"Hello, Superman!" Cat said, slinking up to the tall alien and hugging him. The newsroom gasped collectively. Superman looked embarrassed. He gently extricated himself.
"You look familiar, Superman," Cat said teasingly. "Have we met before?" Trust Cat to take the lead in the conversation and to make a flirtation out of it, Perry thought. Heck, she'd flirt with anything male.
"Uh, um…." Superman seemed flustered.
"Considering he's only been on Earth for about three weeks, probably not, Cat," Perry interjected. Superman shot him a relieved glance.
"A pleasure, Ms Grant," Superman said, shuffling backward.
As the two men proceeded down the aisle, the stunned silence gradually gave way to muffled conversation as the Planet staff became accustomed to the presence of the local celebrity. All present continued to stare at Superman. Jimmy Olsen grabbed the opportunity and began snapping photos of Superman with each person he greeted. At the first flash, Perry caught a tiny sigh from the Man of Steel, but Superman gamely posed, smiling with each handshake, each greeting.
They got closer to Perry's office. Perry saved his best for last. "Lois Lane, Superman."
"I have already had the pleasure of meeting Ms Lane," Superman intoned, a smile on his lips. Perry looked carefully at the alien. This smile was different from the practiced social smiles that Superman had given as he greeted the Planet reporters. This smile seemed more real.
"Um, likewise," Lois stammered. Perry shot a glance at her. Her smile was real, too, and the two had locked gazes to the exclusion of all else. Hmm…Perry thought.
"I'd like to thank you, Ms Lane, for the excellent job you did on the interview," Superman said, smiling broadly.
"A pleasure," Lois breathed, staring at him.
Perry cleared his throat.
Superman, startled, looked at him.
"There you have it, Superman," Perry said loudly. "The Daily Planet. The best reporters and staff in Metropolis – and in the world."
"Is that all of them?" Superman asked curiously.
"Well, no," Perry admitted more quietly. "Mitch and a bunch of guys from Sports are at the games today, and Clark Kent is out on a story, and Alex Harris and John Howes are at the Electronics Expo, and…well, I don't think there's a time you could come here where everyone is in the newsroom, Superman."
"I'm sorry to miss anyone," Superman said. He raised his voice. "Thank you, Mr. White." He pitched his voice to gain everyone's attention. "Thank you, one and all. As I said, I'm grateful to the Daily Planet for its consideration. Be assured that the Planet will get the first opportunity at Superman news, as much as possible."
The newsroom burst into stunned murmuring. Perry drew in his breath in shock. Did that mean…?
"We appreciate your consideration, Superman," Perry said loudly.
"Thank you once again, Mr. White," Superman said formally. "And now I must go." He shook Perry's hand one last time. He straightened, and Perry found himself following Superman's gaze toward Lois, who hadn't moved since Perry interrupted their conversation. "A pleasure."
Perry felt a small gust of wind and blinked. Superman was gone. The newsroom burst into chatter, work forgotten in the excitement of the extraterrestrial visitation. Perry smiled. There'd be water cooler talk for weeks after this, he figured.
He checked the clock. Time to go. He made his good-byes, turning the newsroom over the assistant editors. A short time later, he entered his home.
"Honey! I'm home!" he couldn't resist calling.
Alice came. As ever, her face made Perry smile. They leaned together for a kiss – a kiss still tinged with passion. Perry never regretted getting back together with Alice – he only regretted the years he'd spent in an alcoholic stupor.
"How was work today, honey?" Alice replied, deliberately playing up to his "fifties sitcom family" lines. Perry loved the way she always got his jokes.
"The usual. Corrected grammar, bawled out some reporters, fought with the suits upstairs about expenses again." He gave Alice a wicked smile. "And got an office visit from Superman."
"That's nice, dear," Alice said evenly, her wide grin belying her tone, still playing Susie Homemaker. As if it was no big deal to meet Superman. Or to have Superman come to the Planet. Sure, alien visitations happened every day! She continued in her bright voice, "We've got pot roast for dinner tonight."
They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
