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nguages…〃
〃Oh； boy。〃
〃…including one language Ido not know but from context
and delivery I assume tentatively that it is more of the same； but stronger。〃
Lazarus covered his face with a hand。 〃Dora is cussing in Arabic again。 Ira； this is worse than I thought。〃
〃Sir； shall I replicate just the sounds not in my vocabularies？ Or will you have the plete message？〃
〃No； no； no！ Minerva； do you cuss？〃
…〃I have never had reason to； Lazarus。 But I was much impressed by Dora's mand of the art。〃
〃Don't blame Dora； she was subjected to a bad influence when she was very young。 Me。〃
〃May I have permission to file her message in my permanents？ So that I may cuss if needed？〃
〃You do not have permission。 If Ira wants you to lear？ to cuss； he'll teach you himself。 Minerva； can you arrange a telephone hookup from my ship to this suite？ Ira； I might as well cope with it now； it won't get better。〃
〃Lazarus； I can arrange a standard telephone hookup if that is what you want。 But Dora could speak to you at once via the duo in your suite that I am now using。〃
〃Oh。 Fine！〃
〃Shall I supply her with holographic signal； too？ Or is sound enough？〃
〃Sound is enough。 More than enough； probably。 Will you be
able to hear； too？〃…
〃If you wish； Lazarus。 But you can have privacy if that is your wish。〃
〃Stick around； I may need a referee。 Put her on。〃
〃Boss？〃 It was the voice of a timid little girl。 It made me think of skinned knees； and no breasts as yet； and big； tragic eyes。
Lazarus answered； 〃Right here； baby。〃。 …
〃Boss！ God damn your lousy soul to hell！…what do you mean by running off and not letting me know where you are？ Of all the filthy； flea…bitten…〃
〃Pipe down！〃' …
The timid…little…girl voice returned。 〃Aye； aye； Skipper；〃 it said uncertainly。
〃Where I go and when I go and how long I stay are none of your businesr。 Your business is to pilot and to keep house； that's all。〃 …
I heard a sniffle； exactly like a small child sniffing back tears。 〃Yes； Boss。〃
〃You were supposed to be alseep。 I put you to bed myself。〃
〃Somebody woke me。 A strange lady。〃
〃That was a mistake。 But you used bad language to her。〃
〃Well 。 。 I was scared。 I really was； Boss。 I woke up and thought you had …e home 。 。 and you weren't anywhere around； not anywhere。 Uh 。 。 she told on me？〃
〃She conveyed your message to me。 Fortunately she did not understand most of your words。 But I did。 What have I told you about being polite to strangers？〃
〃I'm sorry； Boss。〃
〃Sorry doesn't get the cows milked。 Now adorable Dora； you listen to me。 I'm not going to punish you； you were wakened by mistake and you were scared and lonely； so we'll forget it。 But you shouldn't talk that way； not to strangers。 This lady… She's a friend of mine； and she wants to be your friend； too。 She's a puter…〃
〃She is？〃
〃Just as you are； dear。〃
〃Then she couldn't hurt me； could she？ I thought she was inside me； snooping around。 So I yelled for you。〃
〃She not only couldn't； she would never want to hurt you。〃 Lazarus raised his voice slightly。 〃Minerval e in； dear； and tell 1）ora who you are。〃
My helpmeet's voice； calm and soothing； said； 〃I'm a puter； Dora； called 'Minerva' by my friends…and I hope。 you'll call me that。 I'm terribly sorry I woke you。 I'd be scared； too； if someone woke me like that。〃 （Minerva never has been 〃asleep〃 in the' hundred…odd years she's been activated。 She rests each part of herself on some schedule I don't need to know…but she herself is always …awake。 Or awake so instantly whenever I speak to her as not to matter。）
The ship said； 〃How do you do； Minerva。 I'm sorry I talked the way I did。〃 …
〃I don't remember it； dear； if you did。 I heard your skipper say that I transmitted a message from you to him。 But it's erased； now that it's been transmitted。 Private message； I suppose。〃
（Was Minerva truth…saying？ Until she came under Lazarus' influence I would have said that she did not know haw to lie。 Now I'm not sure。）
〃I'm glad you erased it； Minerva。 I'm sorry I talked to you that way。 Boss is sore at me about it。〃
第13节
Lazarus interrupted。 〃Now； now； Adorable…stop it。 We
always let water over the bridge lie where Jesus flang it； you know that。 Will you be a good girl and go back to… sleep？'
〃Do I have to？〃…
〃No。 You ~don't even have to place yourself on slow time。 But I can't e to see you…or even talk to you…earlier than late tomorrow afternoon。 I'm busy today and will be househunting tomorrow。 You can stay awake and bore yourself silly any way you choose。 But if you whomp up some fake emergency to get my attention； Fll spank you。〃
〃But； Boss； you know I never do that。〃
〃I know you do do that； little imp。 But if you bother me for anything less than somebody trying to break into you or you catching on fire； you'll regret it。 If I can figure out that you've set yourself on fire； you'll catch it twice as hard。 Look； dear； why don't you at least sleep whenever I am asleep？ Mmerva； can you let Dora know when I go to sleep？ And when I wake up？〃
〃Certainly； Lazarus。〃
〃But that doesn't mean you can bother me when Fm awake； Dora； other than for real emergencies。 No surprise drills… this is not shipboard routine； we're dirtside and Fm busy。 Uh 。 。 Minerva； how's your time…sharing capacity？ Do you play chess？〃
I put in； 〃Minerva has ample share…time capacity。〃
But before I could add that she was Secundus Champion； Unlimited Open Handicap （inerva said： 〃Perhaps Dora will teach me to play chess。〃
（Well； Minerva had certainly learned Lazarus' rule for telling the truth selectively。 I made note that I must have a serious private talk with her。）
〃I'd be glad to； Miss Minerva！〃 …
Lazarus relaxed。 〃Fine。 You gals get acquainted。 So long till tomorrow； 'Dorable。 Now beat it。〃
Minerva notified us that the yacht was no longer patched in； and Lazarus relaxed。 Minerva dropped back to her recordkeeping role； and kept quiet。 Lazarus said apologetically； 〃Don't be put off by her childish manners； Ira； you won't find a sharper pilot； or a neater ship's housekeeper； between here and Galactic Center。 … But I had reasons for not letting her grow up in other ways； reasons that won't apply when you take over as her master。 She's a good girl； she really is。 It's just that she's like a cat that jumps into your lap the instant you sit down。〃
〃I found her charming。〃
… 〃She's a spoiled brat。 But … it's … not her fault； I am prac。 tically all the pany she's ever… had。 I get bored by a puter that just grinds out numbers； docile as a slide rule。 No corripany on a long trip。 You wanted to speak to Ishtar。 About my househunting； I think。 Tell her I won't let it interfere with routine…I just want a day off； that's all。〃
〃I'll tell her。〃 I turned to the Administrator for Rejuvenation and shifted to Galacta…asking her how long it would take to sterilize a suite in the Palace and install decontamination equipment for watchstanders and visitors。
Before she could answer； Lazarus said； 〃Wups！ Hold it one fiddlin' moment。 I saw you palm that card； Ira。〃
〃I beg your pardo~s； sir？〃
〃You tried to slide one in。 'Decontam' is the same word in English as in Galacta。 Not that it was news to me； my sense of smell isn't that dead。 When a pretty girl leans over me； I expect to smell perfume。 But when I can't even smell girl and do smell germicides…inerva！〃
〃Yes； Lazarus？〃
〃Can you spare me some shared time to give me a refresher while I'm asleep tonight in the nine hundred basic words of Galacta or whatever number it takes？ You
equipped for it？〃……
〃Certainly； Lazarus。〃
〃Thanks； dear。 One night should do it； but I'll appreciate vocabulary drill each nig