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ve been looking at tits and admiring them ever since。 Tell me； one of you； when you remember nursing； can you recall which of your mothers was giving you suck？〃
〃Of course！〃 Lorelei said scornfully。 〃Mama Ishtar has big tits…〃
〃…and Mama Hamadryad has much sthaller ones even when they're filled with milk…〃
〃But she gave just as much milk。〃
〃Different flavor though。 Made it nice to trade off each meal。 Variety。〃
〃But we liked both flavors！ Tell him； Laz。〃
〃Enough。 You've made the point I wanted。 Justin； these kids were self…aware and aware of other people…their mothers at least…at an age when a cr鑓he baby is just a doughy blob
which says something about why cr鑓hes have never worked well。 I want the counterpoint： Minerva； what do you remember of the time when you were an unawakened clone？〃
〃Why； nothing； Lazarus。 Oh； some odd dreams when I was putting me…my selected memories…into my new me； this one。 But I didn't start that until Ishtar said the clone was big enough。 That was not until shortly before I withdrew from my former me and Ishtar woke me。 It could not be instantaneous； Justin； a protein' brain Won't take data at puter speeds； Ishtar had me be very slow and careful。 Then for a short time…short human time…I was both places； puter and skull； then I surrendered the puter and let it bee Pallas Athene； and Ishtar woke me。 But； Lazarus； a clone in vitro is not aware； it's like a fetus in utero。 No stimuli。 Correction： minimum stimuli and nothing that leaves a permanent memory track。 Unless you count reports of regression under hypnosis。〃
〃No need to count them；〃 Lazarus replied~ 〃True or false； such cases are irrelevant。 The relevant counterpoint is 'minimum stimuli。' Honey； those big puters with awareness potential but without self…awareness are that way because nobody bothered to love the poor things。 That's all。 Babies or big puters…they bee aware through being given lots
of personal attention。 'Love' as it's usually called。 Minerva； does that theory match up with your earliest years？〃
'Minerva l'ooked soberly thoughtful。 〃That was about a century ago' in human time…call it a million times that in puter time。 I know from the records that I was assembled a few years before Ira took office。 But the earliest personal memories I have…and those memories I saved and did not leave in Athene or in the puter in New Rome…the earliest I can remember of me is waiting eagerly and happily for the next time Ira would speak to me。〃
Lazarus ~aid； 〃I need not belabor the point。 With babies you breast…feed them and nibble their toes and talk to them and blow in their bellybuttons and make them laugh。 puters don't have bellybuttons； but attention works just as well on them。 Justin； Minerva tells me that she left nothing of herself in the puter under the palace。〃
〃That is correct。 I left it intact as a puter and programmed for all its duties 。 。 but I dared not leave any personal memory； any part of the me； could not let it remember that it had once been Minerva； that wouldn~t have been fair to it。 Lazarus warned me； and I was most careful； checking all the billions of bits and wiping where necessary。〃
Justin Foote said； 〃I missed a turn somehow。 You did this in New Rome 。 。 but you've been awake here only three years？〃
〃Three wonderful years！ You see…〃
〃Lot me interrupt； dear； I'll tell him 'the hanky…panky。 But first…Justin； have you dealt ；with the executive puter in New Rome since we migrated？ Of course you have…but have you been in the office of Madam Chairman Pro Tern when she was using it？〃
〃Why~ yes； several times。 Just yesterday…no； I mean the yesterday before I left； I keep forgetting that I missed transit time。〃
〃What name does she use in speaking with it？〃
~。〃I don't think she uses a name。 I'm fairly certain she does not。〃 '
〃Oh； the poor thing！〃
〃No； Minerva；〃 Lazarus said quietly。 〃You left it in good health； it simply won't wake up until' it has a mistress； or master； who appreciates it。 Which might not be long；〃 he added grimly。
Justin Foote said； 〃Might be any time。 Lazarus； that old；
uh…cancel that。 Arabelle loves the spotlight。 Appears at public meetings； shows up in the Colosseum。 Stands up and wav~ her scarf。 Seems odd； after the quiet way Ira ran things。〃
〃I see。 A sitting duck。 Seven to two she's assassinated in the next fivc years。〃
〃No bet。 I'm a statistician； Lazarus。〃
〃So you are。 All right… Hanky…panky。 Lots of it。 Ishtar set up an auxiliary Howard Clinic in the Palace。 Her excuse：
Me； the Senior。 But a cover…up for a much more extensive bio facility。 Minerva picked her parents； Ishtar stole the tissues and faked some records。 Meanwhile； our skinny friend my daughter Minerva…〃
〃She is not！ She's just right for her height and body type and bio age！〃
〃…and deliciously curved！〃
〃…had twinned her puter self in a hold of my yacht 'Dora；' placing the contract in my name and charging it to me； and nobody dared inquire why the Senior…some advantages to age； especially among ｝J~watds…wanted a huge puter in a yacht that already had one of the fanciest ~ puters in the sky。 While back in my borrowed penthouse where nobody was allowed to go…other than a short list all as… dishonest as I am…a clone was growing in a facility installed in a room I didn't need。
〃es time to' migrate； a very large case containing what was then a very small clone； goes to the skyport marked as part of my personal baggage…this baggage between us； of course…and is loaded into the 'Dora' without inspection； such being a prerogative of being Chairman 。 。 for as you may recall I didn't hand the gavel back to Arabelle until our transports had lifted and I was about to raise ship myself； with Ira and the rest of my personal party aboard。
〃While I'm taking the clone aboard； Minerva withdraws herself from the executive puter and' is safe and snug in a 'hold of the 'Dora' 。 。 with her gizzards packed with every bit of data in the Grand Library and the entire records of ~the Howard Clinic including secret and confidential stuff。 A most satisfying caper； Justin； the most good； clean； illegal fun I've had since we stole the 'New Frontiers。' But I'm telling you this not to boast…or not much…but to ask if we were as slick as we thought we were。 Any rumors？ Did you suspect anything amiss？ How about Arabelle？〃
〃I feel sure that Arabelle does not suspect。 Nor have I
heard of Nelly Hildegarde bursting any blood vessels。 Mmm； I suspected something。〃 …
〃Really。 Where did we slip？〃
〃Hardly the word； Lazarus。 Minerva； when I had occasion to consult you； while Ira was Chairman Pro Tern； how did we talk？〃 …
〃Why； you were always most friendly； Justin。 You always told me why you wanted something instead of just telling me to dig it out。 You would chat； too； you were never too much in a hurry to be pleasant。 That's why I remember you so warmly。〃
〃And that； Lazarus； is why I sniffed something dead hrhind the arras。 You and your party had been gone about a week when I wanted something from the executive puter。 When you have an old friend with a pleasant voice… your voice is unchanged； Minerva； I should have recognized it…but I was bedazzled by your appearance…when you call this old friend and are answered by a flat； mechanical voice 。 。 and any deviation from programming language is answered by： 'NULL PROGRAM…REPEAT…WAITING FOR PROGRAM'…then you know that an old friend is dead。〃 He smiled at the girl between them。 〃So I can't tell you how delighted I am to learn that my old friend was reborn as a lovely young girl。〃
Minerva squeezed his hand； blushed slightly； and said nothing。
〃Hmm… Justin； did you pare notes with anyone？〃
〃Ancestor； do you th？nk I'm a fool？ I mind my own business~〃 …
〃Apology； about grade two。 No； you're not a fool； unless you go back and work for the old harridan。〃
〃When will the next wave of migrants h