Time Enough for Love (67 page)

“Mr. Chairman, the cubes are in my baggage…still in Colony Leader Weatheral’s office.”

“Pallas Athene?”

“Back of the visitors’ couch, Mr. Chairman. The Colony Leader told me to remind him to fetch home Mr. Foote’s luggage.”

“Perhaps we can do better. Chief Archivist, if you will permit Pallas Athene to have the code to your bags, she has extensionals in Ira’s office to copy those cubes at once. Then you can quit worrying; Pallas Athene already has the Archives in her, up to the day I let Arabelle have the gavel back.”

I know my face showed it. The Senior chuckled and said, “Why and how? ‘Why’ because you aren’t the only one who feels that the Families’ records should be safeguarded. ‘How?’ We stole them, Son, we stole them. I had control of the executive computer and used it to copy the whole works—genealogies, history, minutes of the Families’ Meetings, everything—with an override program to keep your boss computer from knowing what I was doing.

“Right under your nose, Chief Archivist—but I kept it from you for your protection; I did not want Arabelle to get wind of it and quiz you. It would have given her ideas, and she had too many already. The only problem was to scrounge enough Welton cubes. But you are sitting on them right now, about twenty meters under your arse—and when Pallas Athene reads the ones in your luggage, the duplicate Archives will be complete to the date you left Secundus. Feel better?”

I sighed. “Much better, Mr. Chairman. I can stay with a clear conscience. I now feel free to resign.”

“Don’t.”

“Sir?”

“Stay here, yes. But don’t resign. Your deputy is carrying on and you trust her. Arabelle can’t legally put in her own boy by ad-interim appointment unless you
do
resign, since your appointment comes from the Trustees. Not that legality would bother her—but again let’s not put ideas into her head. How many Trustees on Secundus?”

“‘On’ Secundus, sir? Or resident on Secundus?”

“Don’t quibble, Son.”

“Mr. Chairman, I am not quibbling. There are two hundred eighty-two Senior Trustees. Of that number one hundred ninety-five are resident on Secundus, the other eighty-seven representing Howards on other planets. I put it as I did because it requires a two-thirds majority to pass a policy motion—two-thirds of a quorum at a decennial meeting, or two-thirds of the total number, or one hundred eighty-eight, at an emergency meeting unless every trustee
everywhere
has been notified—which can take years. I mention this because, were you to call an emergency meeting, it might be impossible to muster one hundred eighty-eight votes necessary to recall Madam Chairman Pro Tem.”

The Senior blinked at me. “Mr. Archivist, what in Ned gave you the notion that
I
would call a Trustees’ meeting? Or would attempt to recall our dear Sister Arabelle?”

“Your question seemed to be leading toward that, sir—and I remember an occasion on which you took back the gavel.”

“Entirely different. My motives then were selfish. The old biddy was about to spoil my plans by grabbing Ira. The circumstances were quite different—meaning I could get away with it—which I can’t today. Son, despite what the records show, Arabelle didn’t give up that gavel willingly; I grabbed it from her. Then the short time it took us to finish up and leave, I kept her prisoner.”

“Really, Mr. Chairman? She doesn’t seem to harbor resentment. She speaks of you in the highest terms.”

The Senior grinned his lazy, cynical grin. “That’s because we’re both pragmatists. I was careful to save her face and made sure she knew it, and now she has nothing to gain by running
me
down—and something to lose, because I’ve acquired a semisacred status. Her status depends in part on mine and she knows it. Just the same—Well, if I ever find myself on the same planet with her—unlikely, I’m no fool—I shall be very careful going through doors and such.

“I’ll tell you how it worked, and you’ll see why I can’t do it twice. Once Ira handed her the gavel he moved out of the Palace—proper. But until we left I continued to live in the penthouse on top of the Palace—also proper; the Palace is my official residence. Because I was still there, Minerva was still hooked in. In consequence she was able to warn me when Arabelle’s busies grabbed Ira. I came out of a sound sleep and grabbed the gavel.”

Lazarus frowned. “A planetwide executive computer is a menace, Justin. When it was Minerva with Ira giving orders, it worked fine. But see what I did with it and extrapolate what someone else might do with one. Arabelle, for instance. Uh—Teena, give Justin a sample of Arabelle’s voice.”

“Yes, Mr. Chairman. ‘Chief Archivist Foote, this is the Chairwoman Pro Tem. I have the honor to announce that I have been able to persuade our distinguished Ancestor, Lazarus Long, Permanent Chairman of the Howard Families, to assume for us the titular leadership of the Families during the regrettably short period remaining until he again embarks for a new world. Please give this announcement full distribution among your subordinates. I will continue to handle routine details but the Chairman wants you to feel free to consult him at any time. Speaking for the Trustees and for the Chairman, this is Arabelle Foote-Hedrick, Chairwoman Pro Tempore of the Howard Families.’”

“Why, that’s exactly what she said to
me
.”

“Yup. Minerva did a good job. She got just the right pomposity into the phrasing, as well as getting Arabelle’s voice down pat, even to that sniff she uses for punctuation.”

“That wasn’t Arabelle? I had no slightest suspicion.”

“Justin, when that message went to you—and one like it to everyone important enough to rate it—Arabelle was in the biggest, fanciest apartment in the Palace—and very annoyed that doors wouldn’t open and transport wouldn’t come and none of the communication arrangements would work—except when I wanted to talk to her. Shucks, I didn’t even let her have a cup of coffee until she got her feathers down and conceded that
I
was Chairman and running things.

“After that we got along pretty well, even became somewhat chummy. I did everything for her but turn her loose. She took over the routine—I didn’t want to be bothered—which was safe as Minerva would have chopped her off if she got out of line and she knew it. She and I even appeared together on a newscast the morning I left, and Arabelle spoke her piece like a lady, and my public thanks to her were just as sincerely insincere.”

Lazarus Long continued, “But now
she
has the executive computer and if I went back, I’d throw my hat in first. No, Justin, I was not asking about the Trustees on Secundus with any intention of calling a meeting; instead I was thinking that any twenty Trustees can call an emergency meeting and hoping that they would see it as you do—futile—and not try. She might grab them and ship them to Felicity. Or, if she has the nerve—I think she has—she might let them hold their meeting, then if it went against her, ship all the Trustees who show up off to Felicity. But I guarantee she won’t quit without a fight. I caught her with her pants down; she won’t be caught twice.”

“Then it means a bloodbath.”

“That may be the only way out. But you and I can’t help the situation. In all matters of government the correct answer is usually: Do
nothing
. This is such a time—a time to exercise creative inaction. Sit tight. Wait.”

“Even when you know things are going wrong?”

“Even when you know it, Justin. The itch to be a world saver should not be scratched; it rarely does any good and can drastically shorten your life. I see three major possibilities: Arabelle may be assassinated. The Trustees will then elect another Chairman Pro Tem, hopefully one with sense. Or she may last till the next ten-year meeting, whereupon the Trustees may exercise some sense. Or she may get smart, not expose herself to assassination while consolidating her power so strongly that it will take a revolution to get rid of her.

“I regard the last as least likely, assassination as the most likely—and none of it our business here on Tertius. There are a billion people on Secundus; let
them
handle it. You and I have saved the Archives and that’s good; the Families maintain their continuity.

“In a few years we’ll import equipment for you—or your successor—to set up the sort of computerized deal you have on Secundus. Athene can keep data in storage until we’re set up. Meanwhile I’ll let a message echo around the inhabited planets that the Archives are here, too. I’ll also announce that this is an alternate Families’ Seat where the Trustees are welcome to meet.”

The computer said, “Mr. Chairman, Mr. Jones has asked if I know when you will be ready for lunch.”

“Please tell him we will be there in a moment. No hurry on any of this, Justin; if you’re patient, problems tend to solve: themselves—and patient is all one can be when it takes years. to pass a message around even among the more thickly settled planets. So wait a hundred years. One private message for you. You’re one of us now? A member of this family and a father to our kids?”

“Yes. I want to be.”

“You want it formal? All right, here’s a short one, binding—and later you can have any ritual you want. Justin, are you our brother? Till the stars grow old and our sun grows cold? Will you fight for us, lie for us, love us—and let us love you?”

“I will!”

“That does it; Athene has it on record—open record, Athene.”

“Recorded, Lazarus. Welcome to the family, Justin!”

“Thank you, Athene.”

“The private message is thus, Justin. Tamara asked me to tell you—
if
you married us—that she is going to ask Ishtar to cancel her immunity to impregnation. She did not say that this was exclusively for you. On the contrary she told me that she hopes to have children by each of us as quickly as possible; then she would at last feel fully in the family. Nevertheless I am certain that her decision was triggered by your arrival…so the rest of us will hang back and cheer while you plant the first one—our Tammy will like that.”

My eyes suddenly filled with tears, but I kept my voice steady. “Lazarus, I don’t think that’s what Tamara wants. I think she just wants to be fully a member of the family—and so do
I!
”

“Well…perhaps so. In any case Ishtar keeps the genetic answers to herself. Maybe we’ll line up all the gals and see what a new rooster can do. End of restricted conference, Teena.”

“Sure thing, Buddy Boy. And a hundred years from now you can line up all the men for
me
. Betcha I can whip ’em!”

“You probably can, dear.”

VARIATIONS ON A THEME

Eros

Minerva said, “Lazarus, will you walk with me? Outside?”

“I will if you’ll smile.”

She smiled briefly. “None of us feels much like smiling today. But I’ll try.”

“Confound it, dear, you know I won’t be gone any time to speak of, by this framework. Just like the calibrating hop the twins and I made.”

“Yes, dear. Shall we go?”

He patted her little skirt. “Thought so. Where’s your gun?”

“Must I wear it? When you are with me? I will wear it without fail…while you are gone.”

“Well—Bad precedent. All right.”

They paused in the foyer. Minerva said, “Athene dear, please tell Tamara I’ll be back in time to help with dinner.”

“Sure thing, Sis. Hold it—Tammy girl says she doesn’t need help, so don’t hurry.”

“Thanks, Sister. And thank Tammy for me.” They left the house, started up a gentle hill. Presently she said, “Tomorrow.”

“‘Tomorrow,’” Lazarus repeated, “but don’t make it sound like a dirge. I’ve told you all that, while this trip will be ten T-years elapsed time for me, it will be at most a few weeks for you at home—and even less for the twins. What is there to get solemn over?”

Instead of answering, she said, “How long will I live?”

“Eh? Minerva, what sort of question is
that?
Not too long if you neglect ordinary precautions such as going armed and staying alert. If you mean your life expectancy—well, if the geneticists know what they are talking about, you have exactly the expectancy I was born with and it doesn’t matter that I’m a freak; I pass it on to you. But even if they are mistaken about that gene complex in the twelfth chromosome pair, there is no possible doubt that you are a Howard in every gene. So you’re good for a couple of centuries without trying. But with a willingness to undergo rejuve every time you reach menopause, I couldn’t guess how long you will last—they learn more about it every year. As long as you want to live, probably. How long is that?”

“I don’t know, Lazarus.”

“Then what’s eating you, dear? Sorry you gave up being a computer for vulnerable flesh-and-blood?”

“
Oh, no!
”

Then she added, “But sometimes it hurts.”

“Yes. Sometimes it does.”

“Lazarus…if you are certain you are coming back…why did you reorient Dora so that her affection is fixed on Lori and Lazi rather than on you?”

“Is
that
all that’s troubling you? A routine precaution, that’s all. Why did Ira make a new will when we set up our family? Why do we all have wills emplaced in Teena? My sisters will own the ‘Dora’ presently no matter what; they already run it. If anything
did
happen to me—Do you remember something you said years ago? You told Ira that you would self-destroy rather than serve another master.”

“Is it likely that I would fail to carry over such a memory? That day led to this, by inevitable concatenation. Lazarus, I left behind much of my memories…but I traced and retraced in this Minerva every conversation that Minerva ever shared with you. Every word.”

“Then you know why I won’t risk hurting a computer who thinks she’s a little girl…and why I don’t dare risk an emotional malfunction in a piloting computer somewhere out between the stars—when my sisters’ lives depend on that computer. Minerva, I would have bonded Dora to Lori and Lazi just on Dora’s account; she needs to love and be loved. But if I had neglected to do it as a safety precaution for the twins—well, a man who refuses to take his own death into account in making plans is a fool. A self-centered fool who does not love anyone.”