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turn him loose。〃
〃He's not； dear。 I'm certain Father has a…well； a ？istress； and goes to see her some nights when he is supposed to be at that 'chess club'…and it's not a chess club； it's a pool hail。 I go along with the pretense because he calls it that in …front of the children。〃
〃He does play chess there。〃
〃Father plays a fine game of billiards； too。 Go ahead； darling…Lazarus。 I'm willing to believe。 Maybe we'll find some… thing。〃
〃Well； I don't think I'll look up your mother； I don't think I would get along with a woman who thinks sex is something to 'put up with。'〃 …
〃I got along with Mother only by lying to her。 Father reared me far more than she did。 I was his favorite。 He let it show； which is why I'm careful not to let it show with Woodrow。 Go on； Theodore。 Lazarus。〃
〃That's all of my ancestors you are related to。 Except one。 Our stowaway。 Maureen； I'm descended from you and Brian through Wodie。〃
She gasped。 〃Really？ Oh； I hope it's true！〃
〃True as taxes； beloved。 And it may have saved his life。 I've never been closer to infanticide than I was when we
found him in the back seat。〃…
She giggled。 〃Darling； I felt the same way。 But I won't； let anger show in my voice even if I'm about to switch a child。〃
〃I hope I didn't show anger。 But I felt it。 Beloved； I was so hard I ached…until we found Woodrow。 Honey love； I was rarin' to go I〃
…〃And I was just as ready！ Oh； Theodore…Lazarus…it's sc
… sweet to be open with you。 Uh 。 ； yes； you're …quite harr now。〃 …
〃Easy there！…~…don't make me climb the curb。 I have… beei ever since we left the house except when I forced it down But the one Woodie ruined was bigger and better。〃
〃Size isn't important； Theodore…Lazarus； a woman must fi any size。 Father told me that long ago and taught me exercise for it…and I never told Brian； I let him think that was simply how I am…and accepted his pliments smugly。 I stil exercise regularly…because my birth canal has been stretcher again and again and again by babies' skulls and if I didn' exercise those muscles I would be； in Father's salty language 'loose as a goose。' And I do so want to stay desirable to Briat ~many years as；possible。〃 …
〃And to the iceman and the milkman and the postman… and the boy who drives the grocery wagon。〃 …
…〃Tease。 I'd like to stay young there till I die。〃
〃You will； you eighteen…year…old prospective grandmother Let's get our minds off sex and back to time travel； I'm stil looking for a proof。 So that you will know why I am cerrai7 that Brian came back okay。 But to stop your worry it must b~ something that happens soon and certainly before Woodie'~ birthday。〃
〃Why Woodrow's birthday？〃
〃Didn't I get that far？ This war ends on Woodie's nex birthday； the eleventh of November。〃 He added； 〃I'm certair of that； it's a key date in history。 But I'm racking my brair for some event between now and then…as soon as possible to stop your worries。 But…oh； shucks； dear； I made a sill） mistake。 I meant to arrive after this war is over。 But I gav my …puter one critical figure wit … an error in it…just
… little one； but it made me arrive three years too soon。 Not hei fault； she accepts any data I give her； and she's as accurate puter… as …ever conned a ship。 Not a fatal error； either； I'n~ not lost in time；… my ship will pick me up in 1926 exactly ter Earth …years after she dropped me。 But that's why I didn'i study the history of the next few months； I expected to skif this war。 I'm not studying wars； histories are full of wars。 I'n studying how people live。〃 …
〃Theodore 。 I'm confused。〃
〃I'm sorry； darling。 Time… travel is confusing。〃
〃You speak of a puter； and I'm not sure what yos
mean 。 。 and you said 'she' conns…whatever that means…a ship that will pick you up 。 。 in 1926？ And I don't understand any of it〃
Lazarus sighed。 〃That's why I never intended to tell anyone。 But I had to tell you…so that you could stop worrying。 My ship is a spaceship…like Jules Verne； only more so。 A starship； I live on a pla a long way off。 But it is a tim鐂hip； too； she travels in both space and time and it's too plicated to explain。 The puter is the ship's brain…a machine； a very plex machine。 My ship… is named ~ and the machine； the puter； that conns it…runs it…steers it…is called Dora； 1oo； that's the name she answers to when I speak to her。 She's a very intelligent machine and can talk； Oh； there is a crew； two of my sisters…so of course they… are descended from you； too； and they look like you。 A crew is necessary… can't let a ship go running around by itself…except automatic freighters on precalculated runs…but Dora does the hard work； and Laz and Lor…Lapis Lazuli Long and Lorelei Lee Long…tell Dora what to …do and let her do it。〃 He squeezed Mrs。 Smith's thigh and grinned。 〃If that air blast had kept your skirts up two seconds longer； I would know more about how closely they resemble you…as they usually run around naked。 They look like you in the face。 Bodies； too； from that too…short glimpse of your lovely legs。 Except that Laz and Lor are freckled all over …as solidly as Marie is on her face。〃
… 〃I'd be that freckled if I didn't stay out of the sun。 When I was Marie's age； Father called me 'Turkey Egg。' But all over？ They don't wear any clothes？〃 … … …
〃Oh； they enjoy fancy dress for parties。 Or the weather might be cold…but it rarely is； we live in a climate like southern Italy。 They don't wear anything very often。〃 Lazarus smiled and caressed her thigh。 〃They don't need to leave their bloomers home to be ready for lovemaking； they don't own any bloomers。 They aren't a bit shy。 They would~be delighted to trip your father； they like older men…they're much younger than I am。〃 … …
〃Lazarus 。 。 how old are you？〃…
Lazarus hesitated。 〃Maureen； I don't want to answer that。 I'm older than I look； Ira Howard's experiment was successful。 Instead let me tell you about my family。 Your family； too； we all are descended from you by one line or another。 Two of my wives and one of my co…husbands are descended both from Nancy and from Woodie。〃
〃'Wives？ Co…husband？'〃
〃Sweetheart； marriage takes many forms。 Where I live yo don't need a divorce or a death to gather in someone yo love。 I have four wives and three co…husbands……and my si~ ters； Laz and Lor 。 。 and they may marry out of the famil or they may stay…and don't look startled； you said you didn fret when you thought I was your half brother…and don worry about harm to babies； they know far more about suc~ things at that when…&…where than they do in the here…&…non We don't risk harm to babies。
〃Of which we have plenty。 And cats and dogs and anythin； a child can pet and take care of。 It's a real family in a hous to fit a big family。
〃I can't tell you about each one； we've got to get our stow away borne。 But I want to tell you about one…because you'v been insisting that you don't look eighteen…merely becaus you've been using your breasts to feed babies。 Tamara。 De scended from you through Nancy and her Jonathan… Wan to hear about Nancy's umpty…ump granddaughter？ Tamara i about two hundred and fifty years old； I think…〃
〃Two hundred and fifty！〃
〃Yes。 One of my co…husbands； Ira Weatheral； also fron Nancy and Jonathan but from Woodie； too…and named fo your father； not for Ira Howard…is over four hundred year：
old。 Maureen； Ira Howard's experiment worked； we hav~ longer life…spans…inherited from you and all our Howard an cestors…btit also in that when…&…where they know how to re jiivenate a person。 Tamara has had two rejuvenations…om recently and looks as young as you do。 Real rejuvenation… Tam ara was pregnant when I left。
〃But how she looks is not important； Tamara is a healer… and I suspect she gets it from you。〃 …
〃Theodore…Lazarus…again I don't understand。 A heaIer~ Like a faith healer？〃
〃No。 If Tamara has a religious faith； she has never men tioned it。 Tamara is calm and happy and ser