It's part interview, part interrogation and part steel-cage wrestling match in this self-contained chapter of ''The New Scum.'' Underground journalist Spider Jerusalem goes head-to-head with the President of the United States! Will they be carried out on stretchers--or become best friends?

Spider and the Beast have a surprisingly candid, albeit tense, discussion. Spider comes to realize that as despicable as the Beast is, he's still not as bad as the Smiler.