Clara's father, a trollish ne'er-do-well who spent most of his time in brothels and saloons, would disappear for days and weeks at a stretch, leaving Clara and her mother to fend for themselves.

For Vajpayee, who is keen that he alone does not carry the can for his unwieldy alliance, it is a tough decision.

More evidence of how fans were becoming faans can be deduced from the activities. The first day consisted of playing records, listening to Liebscher play the piano, playing games, and talking until 4 a.m.

That Megawati Sukarnoputri has been labeled an antiwoman president has little to do with religion. Among other things, she voted not to ratify a provision that 30 percent of people voted to parliament should be women.