They said nothing； he went on； unfortably： 〃There are two aspects to this； one is geic； the other is emotional。 Geic… We three are a weird case； male and female；… yet quasi…identicals。 More than quasi…forty…five forty…sixths to be exact。 Which makes the probability of bad reinforcement far greater than it is for ordinary siblings。 But besides that； we are Howards only by courtesy； as our genes have not undergone some twenty…four centuries of systematic culling。 I'm so close to the head of the column that there was no culling at all； my four grandparents were among the first selectees； so when I was born in Gregorian 1912； I had behind me no inbreeding； no culling out； no cleaning of the gene pooi。 And you dears are in the same predicament as even that forty…sixth
445chromosome 〃es from me； since it replicates my forty…fifth Yet you two seem willing to accept this high risk of re inforcement。〃
He paused。 There was ilo ment。 He… shrugged and wen on： 〃The emotional objection es only from me； you twc don't seem to have it 。 。 reasonable； I suppose； since …th concept it is based on…from the Old Testament…has beer ~replaced by the concept of following the advice of Families geicists。 I'm not arguing with th？wisdom of that； I agre with it…since they say No to a couple of unrelated strangen just as readily as to siblings if the gene charts give 'No' a~ the answer。 But I was talking about feelings； not science。 I don't suppose any but scholars read the Old Testament anymore； but the culture I was brought up in was soaked in it~ attitudes…'Bible Bult；' you've heard me call it that。 Girls； i：
is hard to shake off any taboos a child is indoctrinated witi in his earliest years。 Even if he learns later that they ar~ nonsense。
〃I tried to do better with you two。 I've had time enougi to sort out my taboos and my prejudices from what I reall） know； and I tried…I tried very hard！…not to inflict on yo~ two any of the irrational nonsense that was fed to me undei the pretext of 'educating' me。 〃Apparently I succeeded； or w would never have reached this impasse。 But 9~ere it is… You two are modern young women 。 。 but； thotigh we shan the same genes； I am an old savage from a very murky time。' He sighed。 〃I'm sorry。〃 …
Lorelei looked at her sister； they bo~h stood up。 〃Sir； ma~ we be excused？〃
〃Huh？ No rebuttal？〃
〃Sir； an emotional argument permits no refutation。 As foi the rest； why should we weary you with arguments when youi mind is made up？〃
〃Well 。 perhaps you're right。 But you listened courteousl） to me。 I want to pay you the same respect。〃 …
〃It is not necessary； sir。〃 Her eyes and those of her sistei were welling with tears； they ignored them。 〃We are sure 01 your respect； and…in your way…of your love。 May we
Before Lazarus could answer； the puter spoke up：
〃Hey！ I want a piece of this！〃
〃Dora！〃 Lorelei rebuked。
〃Don't give me that； Lor。 I'm not going to stay politel） quiet while my family make fools of themselves。 Buddy Boy
Lor didn't tell you about the whammy they considered pulling on you…and that 1 still can。 And will！〃
〃Dora； we。 don't want that sort of help。 Laz and I agreed on that。〃
〃So you did。 But …you didn't ask me to vote on it。 And I'm no lady and never was。 Buddy 01' Boy； you know it makes no difference to me who does what to whom； I couldn't care less…except that it's so funny to hear 'em squeal and grunt。 BUt you're being mean to my sisters。 Lor and Laz talked over the fact that you can't make this trip without their help
and … they rejected that gambit as being beneath their dignity or some such twaddle。 But I don't have any dignity。 Without my help nobody makes a time trip。 Shucks； if I go on strike； you can't even get back to Tertius。 Now can you？〃 …
Lazarus looked wryly surprised； then grinned。 〃Mutiny again。 Dorable； I concede your point； you can keep us out here…wherever 'here' is…until we starve。 I suspected centuries back that a flesh…and…blood might someday find himself in just such a helpless position。 But； dear； I won't let your threats affect my decision。 You can keep me from time…tripping
…but I doubt if you will let Lor and Laz starve。… You'll take them home。〃
〃Oh； hell； Pappy…you're being mean again。 You're a real whirling son of bitch！ Do you know it？〃
〃Guilty on both counts； Dora；〃 Lazarus admitted。
〃And Lor and Laz are being stupidly bullheaded。 Lor； he politely offered you a chance to speak your。piece 。 。 and you turned him down。 Stubborn bitch。〃
〃Dora； behave yourself。〃
〃Whuffor？ When you three don't。 Blow your noses and sit down and give Buddy the straight tell。 He's entitled to it。〃
〃Perhaps you had better；〃 Lazarus said gently。 〃Sit down； girls； and talk with me。 Dora？ Keep her steady between the hawsepipes； baby girl…and we'll get her into port yet。〃
〃Aye； aye； modore！ But you get those two silly bitches
straightened out。 Huh？…
〃I'll try。 Who's the spokesman this time？ Laz？〃
〃It doesn't matter；〃 answered Lapis Lazuli。 〃I'll talk for us。 Don't worry about Dora。 When she realizes that we are con
…tent to accept your decision； she'll stop being difficult。〃
〃Oh； you think so； do you？ Shape up； Laz…or we'll be back in Boondock faster than you can say 'Libby pseudoinfinities。' 〃
〃Please； Dora； let me tell Brother。〃
446 …
〃Just be sure you tell him everything 。 。 or I'll tell him about things that went on in here a full year before he said…
you were old enough。〃
Lazarus blinked and looked interested。 〃Well； well！ Did you kids steal a march on me？〃
〃Well； Mama Ishtar told？us we were old enough。 You were the one being stuffy about it。〃
〃Mmm 。 。 stipulated。 Someday I must tell you about something that happened to me at an early age in a church belfry。〃
〃I'm sure we'd like to hear it； Brother…but do you want to hear us now？〃
〃Yes。 Dora and I will 。keep quiet。〃
〃Let me say in preface that we are not going to ask Ishtar to thwart your wishes by using the sperm bank。 But there are other possibilities to which you can hardly object。 Consider how we were born~ I could easily bear an implanted clone from my own tissue； and so could Lor…although we might swap clones 。 。 for reasons purely sentimental since we have identical genes。 Do you see anything wrong with that？ Geically； or emotionally？ Or otherwise？〃
〃Mmm 。 。 no。 Unusual…but your business。〃
…〃Just as easy…since Ishtar still has living tissue of yours in vitro…is to clone you 。 。 and Lorelei and I would bear identical twins…both of them 'Lazarus Long' in every gene
lacking only your long experience。 Would you find that offensive？〃
〃Eh？ Now wait a minute！ Let me …think。〃
〃Let me add that we regard this as a last resort 。 。 if you are dead。 If you don't e back。〃
〃Don't start sniffling again！ Uh； if I'm dead； I don't have much vote in it； do I？〃
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