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〃No。 Can ~you？〃
〃Oh； certainly…〃
〃…we're geniuses。〃
〃Quit trying to snow him； kids； and belay that order。 I'll explain it myself。〃
〃I wish you would； Lazarus。 I wasn't aware that you had any minor children。 Or sisters； which I find even more confusing。 Are they registered？ While I can't see everything that goes into tl~e ifies； for many years there has been an automatic relay to my attention on anything concerning the Senior。〃
〃Which I knew and that's why you didn't see it。 Registered； yes； but by their mothers' names…host…mothers； actually； but； not so reported。 But I left a Delay…Mail sealed registration of the actual genealogy involved； to be opened by you or your successor on my death or in year 2070 of the Diaspora； whichever es first； to insure that they will receive certain knickknacks； such as my second…best bed…〃
〃And the 'Dora'！〃
第51节
〃Pipe down。 Keep butting in and your sister gets the 'Dora' and you won't be captain even on alternate days。 I pinked 'that date； Justin； because I expect them to be adults by then； they really are geniuses。 I will not attempt time travel until then； as they are captain and crew of my yacht…only while groundside now but in space by then。 As to how they are my sisters… and they are…an illegal…proscribed； rather； by Secundus Clinic…a clandestine surgical procedure was used to clone them from me。 Somewhat like Minerva's case； but simpler。〃
〃Much simpler；〃 agreed Minerva。 〃I operated for me； when I was still a puter…and failed seventeen times before I achieved a perfect clone。 I couldn't do it now； although Athene would be able to。 But ou~ girls were cloned by a fleshand…blood surgeon…replication of the X chromosome was all that was necessary…and did it in both cases in one try； Laz and Lor were born the same day。〃
〃Mmm… Yes； I think that Madam Director Doctor Hildegarde would take a sour view of such things。 With no reflections on the lady's professional petence…high； I assume
…I find her a bit； uh； conservative。〃
〃Murderess。〃
〃Primitive totalitarian。〃
〃Three times over…〃？
〃…for what right has she to say that We can't e~lst…〃
〃…or Minerva。 Crypto…criminal mind！〃
〃That's enough； girls； you've made your point； you don't like her。〃
〃She wouldhave murdered you； too； 01' Buddy Boy。〃
〃Lori； I said that was enough。 Stipulated that； if Nelly Hildegarde's policies had been carried' out； I wouldn't be here； you wouldn't be here； Laz wouldn't be here； nor would Minerva。 But she's not a 'murderess；' as all four of us are here。〃
〃And I am delighted；〃 Justin Foote mented。 〃To have three charkning young ladies added to our Families through breaking rules proves something I have long suspected： Rules serve best when broken。〃
〃A wise man…〃
〃…and with dimples； too。 Mr。 Foote； would you like to marry me and my sister？〃
〃Say 'Yes'！ She can cook； but I'm cuddly。〃
Minerva said； 〃Stop it； girls。〃
〃Why？ Have you got him staked out already？ Was that why we couldn't e in？ Mr。 Foote； Minerva is Mama Pro Tern to us by edict…〃
〃…which is patently unfair…〃
〃…as she is actually years and years younger than we are…〃
〃…and it gives us three mothers to dodge instead of the regulation one。〃
〃Belay that；〃 Lazarus ordered。 〃Both of you can cook； but neither of you is very cuddly。〃
〃Then why do you cuddle us； Buddy Boy？〃
〃…suppressed incestuous yearning perhaps？〃
〃Merde。 Because you both are immature； insecure； and frightened。〃
The redheads looked at each other。 〃Lori？〃
〃I heard it。 Unless I'm hallucinating。〃
〃No； I heard it； too。〃
〃Is it time to cry？〃
〃We'd better save it。 Mr。 Foote wouldn't want to see how our Buddy Boy goes all to pieces when we cry。〃
〃We'll save it。 That makes ting。 Unless Mr。 Foote would like to see it；〃
〃Would you； Mr。 Foote？〃
〃Justin； I'll sell either one of them cheap。 Still better price on a package deal。〃
〃Uh 。 。 thank you； Lazarus； but I'm afraid that they might
cry at me…then I would go all to pieces。 Can we change the subject？ How did you manage to put over this triple； uh； irregularity？ May one ask？ Doctor Hildegarde runs a very taut organization。〃
〃Well； in the case of those two little angels over there…〃
〃Sarcasm now…〃
〃…and not clever。〃
？〃…I was flummoxed quite as tnuch as Nelly Hildegarde。 At the time； Ishtar Hardy； 'that one's mother…〃
〃No； her mother。〃
〃You two are interchangeable parts； and besides； you were mixed up the week you were born； and nobody knows which you are； you don't know yourself。〃
〃Oh； yes； I do！ Sometimes she goes away； but I'm always right here。〃
Lazarus paused in midfiight； looked thoughtful。 〃That may be the most succinct statement of the solipsist thesis I've ever heard。 Write it down。〃
〃If I did； you'd take credit for it。〃
〃I simply want to save it for posterity 。 。 a notion inpatible with the thesis itself。 Minerva； you preserve it for me。〃
〃Recorded； Lazarus。〃
〃Minerva has almost as exact a memory as she had when she was a puter。 I was saying： Ishtar was temporarily~ Clinic boss； Nelly having gone on leave； so access to my tissue was no problem。 I was then in a state of acute anhedonia； and their mothers cooked up this notion for restoring my interest in life。 The only problem was to do gene surgery not permitted by the rules of Secundus Clinic。 How and who… I was told firmly not to inquire。 You can ask Minerva； she was in on the swindle。〃
~'Lazarus； that was a memory I did not bring along when I was selecting what to fit into this skull。〃
〃You see； Justin？ I'm allowed to know only what they think is good for me。 As may be； this heroic treatment worked； I have not been bored since。 Other descriptives might apply…but not that one。〃
〃Lori； do you sense a double entendre？〃
〃No； merely a thinly veiled innuendo。 Ignore it with dignity。〃
〃But at first I didn't know my odd relationship to this pair。 Oh； I couldn't help knowing that Ishtar； and Hamadryad… one of Ira's daughters； you've met her？〃
〃Years back。 A lovely girl。〃
〃Quite。 Both ~f their mothers are lovely。 I couldn't help knowing that both were pregnant； they were spending most of their time with me。 But although they were swelling up like poisoned pups； they ignored it； so I didn't inquire。〃
Justine nodded。 〃Privacy。〃
〃Naw； just hard…nosed。 I've never let the privacy custom keep me from snooping when it suited me。 I was miffed； that's all。 Here two girls are with me every day and like daughters to me and obviously as knock鏳 up as Pharaoh's Daughter… and they tell me nit。 So I got stubborn and outsat them。 Till one day Galahad…he's their husband…well； not exactly； you'll see…Galahad invites me downstairs； and here they have； one each； the two prettiest little redheads I ever saw。〃
〃Shall we let him off one cry？〃
〃You got over it； you both look like me now。〃
〃Or do we add a third cry for that？〃
〃I still don't smell a mouse； I'm simply pleased。 As well as amazed that they had produced babies that looked like identical twins…〃
〃Which we are； except that we're triplets。〃
〃But some weeks of playing with these babies causes my natural genius and suspicious mind to infer that the girls have pulled a whizzer。 I was not then in the sperm bank so far as I knew； but I am well aware of tricks that can be played on a helpless client undergoing antigeria； so with unerring logic I reach the wrong answer： These babies are my daughters by artificial insemination unmentioned to me。 So I accuse them of it。 And they deny it。 And I explain that I am not angry； but quite the contrary I hope these little cherubs are mine。〃
'Cherubs。'
〃Ignore it。 He's simply trying t