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ace~ as safe as this one。〃
〃By the way； where is Athene？ 'The main puter itself； … I mean。〃
〃Here。 She was still in the 'Dora' when she built this； now she's under the house…she built her underground home first； then built ou？ house on top of it。〃
Minerva said simply； 〃A puter prefers to feel safe； and close to her own people。 Lazarus…forgive me； dear； but you have reversed a tim？sequence； that was more than three years ago。〃
〃Oh； so I have。 Minerva； when you~ have lived as long as I have…and you will…you'll find yourself inverting time sequences endlessly； a flesh…and…blood shorting you had to accept when you took the plunge。 Correction； Justin… 'Minerva；' not 'Athene。'〃
第53节
〃Yet it is Athene who built it…now；〃 Minerva added； 〃since engineering and the details of this construction and others are things I left behind in Athene； where they belong； and abstracted only a simplified memory of having built it…I wanted to remember that much。〃
I said； 〃Whoever built it； it's beautiful。〃 I was suddenly upset。 It is one thing to accept intellectually the startling idea that a young woman has had a former life as a puter… and even to accept that one had worked with that puter years back 'and light…years away。 But this discussion suddenly brought home to me emotional belief that this lovely girl with her arm warm in mine had in sober fact been a puter so short a time ago that she had built this new house… while a puter。 It shook me…even though I am a historiographer； old； and my sense of wonder was dulled even before my first rejuvenation。
*
We went in； and my upset was swept away by greetings。 We were kissed all around…two beautiful young women； one of ；whom I recognized when I heard her name； Ira's daughter Hamadryad and she looks like one； the other a statuesque blonde whose name； Ishtar； was familiar to me
through talk； and a young man as beautiful as the women and who seemed familiar though I could not place him。 Even the twin flam鑤ops insisted on kissing me since they had not greeted me that way earlier。
In Boondock a kiss of greeting is not the ritual peck it usually is in New Rome； e~en the twins bussed me in a fashion that made me certain of their sex…I've had poorer kisses from grown women whose intentions were direct and immediate。 But the young man； introduced as 〃Galahad；〃 startled me。 He hugged me； with kisses on my cheeks followed by a ~iss on my mouth worthy of a Ganymede… which surprised me； but I tried to return as good as I got。
Instead of letting me go； he pounded my back and said； 〃Justin； it tickles my root to see you again！ Oh； this is wonderful！〃
I pulled my face back to look at his。 I must have looked puzzled for he blinked； then said mournfully： 〃Ish； I boasted too soon！ Hamadear； get me a towel； I'm weeping。 He's forgotten me 。 。 after all the things he said。〃
I said； 〃Obadiah Jones； What are you doing here？〃
〃Weeping。 Being humiliated in front of my family。〃
I don't know how long it had been since I had seen him。~ It may have been more than a century since it has been that long since I left the Howard campus。 Brilliant young specialist in ancient cultures he was then； with an impish sense of humor。 I recalled； dredging it up out of memory； having shared a Seven…Hours with him and two other savants； both female and happily so…but I could not recall their faces nor who they were； what I remembered was his playful； joyous； boisterous good pany。 〃Obadiah；〃 I said sternly； 〃why are you calling yourself 'Galahad'？ Hiding from the police again？ Lazarus； I'm shocked to find this； uh； macho in your house… lock up your daughters！〃
〃Oh； that name！〃 he said brokenly。 〃Don't repeat it； Justin。 They don't know it。 When I reformed； I changed my n~me。 You won't give me away？ Promise me； dear！〃 Suddenly he grinned and said in a cheerful voice； 〃e on into 'the atrium and let's get a skinful of rum into you。 Lazi； who has the duty？〃
〃Lori does。 Even…numbered day。 But I'll help。 Straight rum？〃
〃Better flavor it。 I want to add a wele the Borgias used on'old friends。〃
〃Sure thing； Uncle Cuddly。 Who are the Borgias？〃
〃A family from the greatest days of Old Earth's rise and fall； sugar lump。 The Howards of their time。 Very suave in han；dling guests。 I'm descended from them； and their secrets were passed down to me by word of mouth。〃
〃Laz；〃 said Lazarus； 〃ask Athene for a rundown on the Borgias before you mix a drink for Justin。〃
〃I see； he's at it again…〃 〃…so we'll tickle him… 〃…and blow in his ears… 〃…until he cries Pax… 〃…and promises Veritas… 〃…he's no problem。 e on； Lazi。〃
I had found the village of Boondock pleasantly unimpressive； more pleasant and less impressive than I had expected。 Ira and Lazarus had accepted only seven thousand for their first wave from applicants numbering more than niy thou'sand； therefore the present population of Tertius could not be much over ten thousand and was in fact slightly less。
Boondock seemed to have only a few hundred people and was centered on a' few small buildings for public and semipublic purposes； most colonists being scattered around the countryside。 The home of Lazarus Long was by far the most impressive structure I had seen…not counting the large flat cone of the Senior's yacht and the much larger bulk of one robot space freighter on the skyfield where my packet had grounded。 （The skyfleld was a level place a few kilometers across； one could not call it a port。 There was not one godown。 It must have an autobeacon since I grounded safely； I did not see it。）
This rudimentary settlement had not prepared me for the Senior's house。 Its lines and plan were simple； that long…dead Roman had picked a good designer。 It was a walled garden； the house itself being its four walls。 But it had two stories； and each level could have been divided； it seemed to me； into twelve to sixteen large rooms plus the usual ancillary spaces。 Twenty…four or more rooms for a household of eight？ The~ more blatantly rich in New Rome might display ego in so much space； but it seemed inappropriate in a new colony； as well as out of tune with what I had learned in my long research of the Senior's lives。
Simple… Half the building was given over to a rejuvenation clinic； a therapy clinic； an infirmary； these could be reached from the foyer without entering the private part of the house。
…The number of family rooms remaining was' indefinite； most interior wall~ were movable。 The Howard Clinic and the medical facilities would be moved to a nearby site when the colony needed larger facilities； when size of the Senior's family made more home space desirable。
（I was lucky in that； when I arrived； no client was being rejuvenated； no patient was in the infirmary…or most of the adults would have been busy。）
The size of his family seemed as hazy as the number of rooms。 I had thought there were eight…three men； the Senior； Ira； and Galahad； three women； Ishtar； Hamadryad； and Minerva； two youngsters； Lorelei Lee and Lapis Lazuli…but I was not aware of two girl toddlers and a small boy。 Besides that； I was neither the first nor the last to be urged to move in and stay as long as one wished。 Whether such stay was as a guest or as a member of th？Senior's family might also be ut1~鑜ear to an outsider。
Relationships inside his family also were vague。 Colonists are always families； a single 'colonist is a contradiction in terms。 But all of Tertius …Colony were Howards； and we Howards have used every sort of marriage； I think； except lifetime monogamy。
But Tertius has no laws about marriage； the Senior had not thought them necessary。 The few laws it has are in the migration contract； written by Ira and Lazarus jointly。 It contains the usual covenants about homesteading； with the colony leader absolute arbitrator until such time as he resigns。 But it says not one word about marriage and family relationships。 The colonists register their babies； Howards always do
…in this case with the