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o know how I know； dear？ I recognized you the instant I saw you。 I helped rejuvenate you； darling…and I'm most pleased that I did。〃 …
〃The devil you say！〃
〃But I am pleased； dear man。 Such a nice bonus； and so unexpected。 One so seldom sees a client again。 Galahad； do ypu realize that we did not use any of the routine to insure an
ecstatic holiday togethei~？ Yet I haven't missed it。 I feel younger and happier than I have in years。 Still do。〃 … …
〃Me； too。 Except that I don't see any peach ice cream。'
〃Pig。 Beast。 Brute。 I'm bigger than you are； I'll … trip you and fall on you。 How many scoops； dear？〃
〃Oh； jint pile it in until your arm gets tired； I need to restore my strength。〃 …
…He followed her into the pantry； served them both with
heaping dishes of ice cream。 〃Just a precaution；〃 he said； 〃。so
I won't get it plastered in my face。〃 ……
〃Oh； tut； now！ You don't really think I would do that to my GalaIi~ad。〃
〃You're a very erratic female； Ishtar。 I have bruises to prove it。〃
〃Nonsense！ I was gentle。〃 …
〃You don't know your own strength。 And you … are bigger than I am； as you noted。 Instead of 'Ishtar' I should have named you for that…azons in Old Home mythology。〃
〃'Hippolyta；' dear。 But I can't qualify as an Amazon； for
… reasons you were flattering about 。 。 in an infantile way。〃
〃plaints； huh？ Over in Surgery they could correct your
disqualification in ten minutes and never lea~ a scar。 Never mind； 'Ishtar' fits you better。 But there is something unfair about this。〃
~Ho*~ …dear？…Let's take this in and eat in front of the fire。〃 ~~Suits。 Like this； Ishtar。 You tell me I was your client and
…tat you r閏kil both my ages； so by masterly logic I deduce ~ you know my registered name and Family； and you may
…remember some of my genealogy since you must have studied it for my rejuvenation。 But by the customs of 'Seven Hours' I am precluded from even trying to learn your registered name。 I have to tag you in my mind as 'that tall blond Master Chief Technician who…'〃
〃I still have enough ice cream to plaster you！〃
〃…'permitted me to call her 〃Ishtar〃 for the happiest seven hours of my life。' Which are almost over and I don't know that you will let me take you to Elysium someday。〃
〃Galahad； you are the most exasperating sweetheart I've ever had。 Of course you can take me to Elysium。 And you don't have to go home at the end of seven hours。 And my registered name is Ishtar。 But if you ever mention my。 rank
other than when necessary； on duty； you'll have real bruises to remember me by。 Big ones。〃 …
Bully I m sc~d t4o think ~ should leave on time sc that you can get ~your~ota of sle~ before we're due bad on watch。 But whii~ … this about your name really bein！ 'Ishtar'？ Did I roll five aces'when we named each other？〃
〃Yes and no。〃… ……
〃Is that an answer？〃… ~…'。~
〃I had one of the standard J~amil！ names of my ltneage… and never liked it。 But I was delighted and… flattered by thi pillow name you gave me。 So while you were napping； I calie~ Archives and changed my name。 I'm 'Ishtar' now。〃 …
He stared at her。 〃Is that true？〃 …
〃Don't look frightened； dear。 I won't trap you； I won't evei
bruise you。 I'm not domestic； not at all。 You would be shocke~ if you knew how long i~ has been~ since a man was last… ii this partment。 You are free to leave whenever you wish you mitted yourself to me for only 'seven hours。 But yoi need not leave。 You and I are skipping tomorrOw's watch。'
〃We are？ Why 。 。 Ishtar？〃
〃I made another call and… bucked a supernumerary team int4
that watch。 Should have done so sooner； but you had m bemused； dear。 The Senior won't need us tomorrow； he's ii deep sleep and won't know that he has missed a day'。 But want to be there when he wakes； so I rearranged the watch lii for the following day； too； and we may stay on watch all day depends on the shape he's in。 That is； 1 may。 I don't insist tha you do a double or triple watch。〃 …
〃I can take it if you can。 Ishtar？ That professional rank yoi forbade me to mention… You're actually even higher rani than that。 Aren't you？〃 …
〃If I am…I am not affirming it…I forbid you even t~ speculate about it。 If you wish to stay assigned to this client。'
〃Whew！ You do have a sharp tongue。 Did I。deserve that？
〃Dear Galahad！； I'm sorry。 When you are on watch； dear； want you to think only about our client； not about me。 01 watch I am Ishtar and don't wish to be anything else。 This i the most important case we will 'ever be on。 It may go on long time and be very tiring。 So let's not be edgy with cad other。 I was trying to say that you…both of us…now hay more than thirty hours before we must be back on duty。 Yoi are wele here as many~off~髎e hours as you wish。 Or leav as soon as you wish and。I will smile and not plain~〃
〃I don't want to leave； I said so。 As long as I don't kee you from your sleep…〃
〃~~；won't。〃…~ …
〃…and allow an hour to pick up a fresh pack of disposables； robe in； and go through decontam。 I wish I had fetched a pack； but I hadn't planned on this。〃
〃Oh。 We'll make that an hour and a half。 My phone had a message waiting in it。 The Senior does not like the way we look in isolation gear； he wants to be able to see anyone around him。 So we must plan time to go through body dccontam'instead； then attend him in ordinary clothes。〃
〃Uh 。 。 Ishtar； is this wise？ We might sneeze on him。〃
〃Do you think I set this policy？ Dear； this message was straight from the Palace。 Besides that； females are specifically ordered to look as pretty and be as attractively dressed as possible…so I must think about what I can wear that can go through sterilization。 Nudity is not acceptable； that was specified； too。 But don't worry about sneezing。 Have you never taken full body decontamination？ When that crew gets through with you； you can't sneeze； no matter how much you need to。 But don't tell the Senior that you've had decontarn； the assumption is that we simply walk in off the street…no special pre
cautions。〃…
〃How can I tell him when I don't speak his language？ Does he have some fetish against nudity？〃
〃I don't know； I am just conveying the order； one that went
out to everyone on the watch list。〃
He looked thoughtful。 〃It's probably not a fetish。 All fetishes
are contra…survival； that's elementary。 You told me that the principal problem was to break him out of his apathy。 You were pleased that he was bad…tempered； even though you said
it was a hyperreaction。〃…
〃Certainly I was pleased； it showed that he was responding。 Galahad； never mind that now； I don't have a thing to wear； you'll have to help me。〃
〃I'm talking about what you should wear。 I think it was the Chairman Pro Tem's idea； not the Senior's。〃
〃Dear man； I don't try to read his mind； I just carry out his orders。 I don't have any taste in clothes； never did have。 Do you think a lab assistant's coverall would be suitable？ It will take sterilization and never show it…and hook quite neat in one。〃
〃I am trying to read the mind of the Chairman Pro Tern； Ishtar…guess his intentions； at least。 No； I don't think a lab uniform would do； you would not look as if you had 'simply walked in off the street。' If we stipulate that a fetish syndrome is not involved； then the only advantage of clothing over
nudity in this situation is to lend variety。 Contrast。 Change。 Help shake him loose from that… apathy？'
She stared at him with thoughtful interest。 〃Galahad； up to now； based on my own experience； I've always thought that a man's only interest in a woman's clothes was to get them off her。 I may have to put you in for promotipn。〃
〃I'm not ready to be promoted； I've been in the Vocation less than ten years。 As I'm sure you know。 Let's take a look at yo