Friday

VII

The next morning, before I was out of bed, I resolved not to open the subject of Ellen and her husband, but wait until someone else brought it up. After all, I was in no position to have opinions until I knew all about it. I was not going to drop it-Ellen is my daughter, too. But don't rush it. Wait for Anita to calm down.

But the subject did not come up. There followed lazy, golden days that I shan't describe as I don't think you are interested in birthday parties or family picnics-precious to me, dull to an outsider.

Vickie and I went to Auckland on an overnight shopping trip. After we checked into the Tasman Palace, Vickie said to me, "Marj, would you keep a secret for me?"

"Certainly," I agreed. "Something juicy, I hope. A boyfriend? Two boyfriends?"

"If I had even one boyfriend I would simply split him with you. This is touchier. I want to talk to Ellen and I don't want to have an argument with Anita about it. This is the first chance I've had. Can you forget I did it?"

"Not quite, because I want to talk to her myself. But I won't tell Anita that you talked to Ellen if you don't wish me to. What is this, Vick? That Anita was annoyed about Ellen's marriage I knew-but does she expect the rest of us not even to talk to Ellen? Our own daughter?"

"I'm afraid it's 'her own daughter' right now. She's not being very rational about it."

"It sounds that way. Well, I will not let Anita cut me off from Ellen. I would have called her before this but I did not know how to reach her."

"I'll show you. I'll call now and you can write it down. It's-"

"Hold it!" I interrupted. "Don't touch that terminal. You don't want Anita to know."

"I said so. That's why I'm calling from here."

"And the call will be included in our hotel bill and you'll pay the bill with your Davidson credit card and- Does Anita still check every bill that comes into the house?"

"She does. Oh, Marj, I'm stupid."

"No, you're honest. Anita won't object to the cost but she's certain to notice a code or a printout that means an overseas call. We'll slide over to the G.P.O. and make the call there. Pay cash. Or, easier yet, we'll use my credit card, which does not bill to Anita."

"Of course! Marj, you would make a good spy."

"Not me; that's dangerous. I got my practice dodging my mother. Let's pin our ears back and slide over to the post office. Vickie, what is this about Ellen's husband? Does he have two heads or what?"

"Uh, he's a Tongan. Or did you know?"

"Certainly I knew. But 'Tongan' is not a disease. And it's Ellen's business. Her problem, if it is one. I can't see that it is."

"Uh, Anita has handled it badly. Once it's done, the only thing to do is to put the best face on it possible. But a mixed marriage is always unfortunate, I think-especially if the girl is the one marrying below herself, as in Ellen's case."

" 'Below herself!' All I've been told is that he's a Tongan. Tongans are tall, handsome, hospitable, and about as brown as I am. In appearance they can't be distinguished from Maori. What if this young man had been Maori... of good family, from an early canoe... and lots of land?"

"Truly, I don't think Anita would have liked it, Marj-but she would have gone to the wedding and given the reception. Intermarriage with Maori has long precedent behind it; one must accept it. But one need not like it. Mixing the races is always a bad idea."

(Vickie, Vickie, do you know of a better idea for getting the world out of the mess it is in?) "So? Vickie, this built-in suntan of mine- you know where I got it?"

"Certainly, you told us. Amerindian. Uh, Cherokee, you said. Marj! Did I hurt your feelings? Oh, dear! It's not like that at all! Everybody knows that Amerindians are- Well, just like white people. Every bit as good."

(Oh, sure, sure! And "some of my best friends are Jews." But I'm not Cherokee, so far as I know. Dear little Vickie, what would you think if I told you that I am an AP? I'm tempted to... but I must not shock you.)

"No, because I considered the source. You don't know any better. You've never been anywhere and you probably soaked up racism with your mother's milk."

Vickie turned red. "That's most unfair! Marj, when you were up for membership in the family I stuck up for you. I voted for you."

"I was under the impression that everyone had. Or I would not have joined. Do I understand that my Cherokee blood was an issue in that discussion?"

"Well... it was mentioned."

"By whom and to what effect?"

"Uh- Marjie, those are executive sessions, they have to be. I can't talk about them."

"Mmm, I see your point. Was there an executive session over Ellen? If so, you should be free to talk to me about it, since I would have been entitled to be present and to vote."

"There wasn't one. Anita said that it wasn't necessary. She said that she did not believe in encouraging fortune hunters. Since she had already told Ellen that she could not bring Tom home to meet the family, there didn't seem to be anything to be done."

"Didn't any of you stand up for Ellen? Did you do so, Vickie?"

Vickie turned red again. "It would simply have made Anita furious."

"I'm getting kind of furious myself. By our family code Ellen is your daughter and my daughter as quite as much as she is Anita's daughter, and Anita is wrong in refusing Ellen permission to bring her new husband home without consulting the rest of us."

"Marj, it wasn't quite that way. Ellen wanted to bring Tom home for a visit. Uh, an inspection visit. You know."

"Oh. Yes, having been under the microscope myself~ I do know."

"Anita was trying to keep Ellen from making a bad marriage. The first the rest of us knew about it Ellen was married. Apparently Ellen went right straight out and got married the minute she got Anita's letter telling her no."

"Be damned! A light begins to dawn. Ellen trumped Anita's ace by getting married at once-and that meant that Anita had to pay out cash equal to one family corporation share with no notice. Could be difficult. It's quite a chunk of money. It is taking me years and years to pay for my share."

"No, it's not that. Anita is simply angry because her daughter- her favorite; we all know that-has married a man she disapproves of. Anita hasn't had to scrape up that much cash because it wasn't necessary. There is no contractual obligation to pay out a share.

and Anita pointed out that there was no moral obligation to siphon off the family's capital to benefit an adventurer."

I felt myself getting coldly angry. "Vickie, I have trouble believing my ears. What sort of spineless worms are the rest of you to allow Ellen to be treated this way?" I took a deep breath and tried to control my fury. "I don't understand you. Any of you. But I'm going to try to set a good example. When we get home I'm going to do two things. First I'm going to the family-room terminal when everybody is there and phone Ellen and invite her and her husband home for a visit-come for the next weekend because I've got to get back to work and don't want to miss meeting my new son-in-law."

"Anita will burst a blood vessel."

"We'll see. Then I'm going to call for a family meeting and move that Ellen's share be paid to her with all orderly haste consonant with conserving assets." I added, "I assume that Anita will be furious again."

"Probably. To no purpose, as you'll lose the vote. Marj, why must you do this? Things are bad enough now."

"Maybe. But it's possible that some of you have just been waiting for someone else to take the lead in bucking Anita's tyranny. At least I'll find out how the vote goes. Vick, under the contract I signed I have paid more than seventy thousand Ennzedd dollars into the family and I was told that the reason I had to buy my way into a marriage was that each of our many children were to be paid a full

share on leaving home. I didn't protest; I signed. But there is an implied contract there no matter what Anita says. If Ellen can't be paid today, then I shall insist that my monthly payments go to Ellen until such time as Anita can shake loose the rest of one share to pay Ellen off. Does that strike you as equitable?"

She was slow in answering. "Marj, I don't know. I haven't had time to think."

"Better take time. Because, along about Wednesday, you are going to have to fish or cut bait. I shall not let Ellen be mistreated any further." I grinned and added, "Smile! Let's slide over to the post office and be sunny-side-up for Ellen."

But we didn't go to the G.P.O.; we didn't call Ellen at all that trip. Instead we proceeded to drink our dinner and argue. I'm not sure just how the subject of artificial persons got into the discussion. I think it was while Vickie was "proving" still another time how free she was from racial prejudice while exhibiting that irrational attitude every time she opened her mouth. Maori were just dandy and of course American Indians were and Hindu Indians for that matter and the Chinese had certainly produced their quota of geniuses; everybody knew that, but you had to draw the line somewhere. .

We had gone to bed and I was trying to tune out her drivel when something hit me. I raised up. "How would you know?"

"How would I know what?"

"You said, 'Of course no one would marry an artifact.' How would you know that a person was artificial? Not all of them carry serial numbers."

"Huh? Why, Marjie, don't be silly. A manufactured creature can't be mistaken for a human being. If you had ever seen one-"

"I've seen one. I've seen many!"

"Then you know."

"Then I know what?"

"That you can tell one of those monsters just by looking at it."

"How? What are these stigmata that mark off an artificial person from any other person? Name one!"

"Marjorie, you're being dreadfully difficult just to be annoying! This is not like you, dear. You're turning our holiday into something unpleasant."

"Not me, Vick. You are. By saying silly, stupid, unpleasant things without a shred of evidence to back them up." (And that retort of mine proves that an enhanced person is not a superman, as that is exactly the sort of factually truthful remark that is much too cruel to use in a family discussion.)

"Oh! How wicked! How untruthful!"

What I did next can't be attributed to loyalty to other artificial persons because APs don't feel group loyalty. No basis for it. I've heard that Frenchmen will die for La Belle France-but can you imagine anyone fighting and dying for Homunculi Unlimited, Pty., South Jersey Section? I suppose I did it for myself although, like many of the critical decisions in my life, I have never been able to analyze why I did it. Boss says that I do all of my important thinking on the unconscious level. He may be right.

I got out of bed, whipped off my gown, stood in front of her. "Look me over," I demanded. "Am I an artificial person? Or not? Either way, how do you tell?"

"Oh, Marjie, quit flaunting yourself! Everybody knows you have the best figure in the family; you don't have to prove it."

"Answer me! Tell me which I am and tell me how you know. Use any test. Take samples for laboratory analysis. But tell me which I am and what signs prove it."

"You're a naughty girl, that's what you are."

"Possibly. Probably. But which sort? Natural? Or artificial?"

"Oh, bosh! Natural, of course."

"Wrong. I'm artificial."

"Oh, stop being silly! Put your nightgown on and come back to bed."

Instead I badgered her with it, telling her what laboratory had designed me, the date I had been removed from the surrogate womb- my "birthday," although we APs are "cooked" a little longer to speed up maturing-forced her to listen to a description of life in a production laboratory crèche. (Correction: Life in the crèche that raised me; other production crèches may be different.)

I gave her a summary of my life after I left the crèche-mostly lies, as I could not compromise Boss's secrets; I simply repeated what I had long since told the family, that I was a confidential com

mercial traveler. I didn't need to mention Boss because Anita had decided years back that I was an envoy of a multinational, the sort of diplomat who always travels anonymously-an understandable error that I was happy to encourage by never denying it.

Vickie said, "Marjie, I wish you wouldn't do this. A string of lies like that could endanger your immortal soul."

"I don't have a soul. That's what I've been telling you."

"Oh, stop it! You were born in Seattle. Your father was an electronics engineer; your mother was a pediatrician. You lost them in the quake. You told us all about them-you showed us pictures."

'My mother was a test tube; my father was a knife.' Vickie, there may be a million or more artificial people whose 'birth records' were 'destroyed' in the destruction of Seattle. No way to count them as their lies are never assembled. After what happened just this month there will start being lots of people of my sort who were 'born' in Acapulco. We have to find loopholes like that to avoid being persecuted by the ignorant and the prejudiced."

"Meaning I'm ignorant and prejudiced!"

"Meaning you are a sweet girl who was fed a pack of lies by your elders. I'm trying to correct that. But if the shoe fits, you can lie in it."

I shut up. Vickie didn't kiss me good-night. We were a long time getting to sleep.

The next day each of us pretended that the argument had never taken place. Vickie did not mention Ellen; I did not mention artificial persons. But it spoiled what had started out to be a merry outing. We got the shopping done and caught the evening shuttle home. I did not do as I had threatened-I did not call Ellen as soon as we were home. I did not forget Ellen; I simply hoped that waiting a while might mellow the situation. Cowardly, I suppose.

Early the following week Brian invited me to go with him while he inspected a piece of land for a client. It was a long pleasant ride with lunch at a licensed country hotel-a fricasee billed as hogget although almost certainly mutton, washed down by tankards of mild. We ate out under the trees.

After the sweet-a berry tart, quite good-Brian said, "Marjorie, Victoria came to me with a very odd story."

"So? What was it?"

"My dear, please believe that I would not mention this were not Vickie so troubled by it." He paused.

I waited. "Upset by what, Brian?"

"She claims that you told her that you are a living artifact masquerading as a human being. I'm sorry but that's what she said."

"Yes, I told her that. Not in those words."

I did not add any explanation. Presently Brian said gently, "May I ask why?"

"Brian, Vickie was saying some very silly things about Tongans, and I was trying to make her see that they were both silly and wrong-that she was wronging Ellen by it. I am very much troubled about Ellen. The day I arrived home you shushed me about her, and I have kept quiet. But I can't keep quiet much longer. Brian, what are we going to do about Ellen? She's your daughter and mine; we can't ignore how she is being mistreated. What shall we do?"

"I do not necessarily agree that something should be done, Marjorie. Please don't change the subject. Vickie is quite unhappy. I am attempting to straighten out the misunderstanding."

I answered, "I have not changed the subject. Injustice to Ellen is the subject and I won't drop it. Is there any respect in which Ellen's husband is objectionable? Other than prejudgment against him because he is Tongan?"

"None that I know of. Although, in my opinion, it was inconsiderate of Ellen to marry a man who had not even been introduced to her family. It does not show a decent respect for the people who have loved her and cared for her all her life."

"Wait a moment, Brian. As Vickie tells it, Ellen asked to bring him home for inspection-as I was brought home-and Anita refused to permit it. Whereupon Ellen married him. True?"

"Well, yes. But Ellen was headstrong and hasty. I don't think she should have done so without talking to her other parents. I was quite hurt by it."

"Did she try to speak to you? Did you make any attempt to talk to her?"

"Marjorie, by the time I knew of it, it was a fait accompli."

"So I hear. Brian, ever since I got home I have been hoping that someone would explain to me what happened. According to Vickie none of this was ever settled in family council. Anita refused to let Ellen bring her beloved home. The rest of Ellen's parents either did not know or did not interfere with Anita's, uh, cruelty. Yes, cruelty. Whereupon the child got married. Whereupon Anita compounded her initial cruelty by a grave injustice: She refused Ellen her birthright, her share of the family's wealth. Is all this true?"

"Marjorie, you were not here. The rest of us-six out of seven- acted as wisely as we could in a difficult situation. I don't think it is proper of you to come along afterwards and criticize what we have done-upon my word, I don't."

"Dear, I don't mean to offend you. But my very point is that six of you have not done anything. Anita, acting alone, has done things that seem to me to be cruel and unjust... and the rest of you stood aside and let her get away with it. No family decisions, just Anita's decisions. If this is true, Brian-and correct me if I'm wrong-then I feel compelled to ask for a full executive session of all husbands and wives to correct this cruelty by inviting Ellen and her husband to visit home, and to correct the injustice by paying to Ellen her fair share of the family's wealth, or at least to acknowledge the debt if it can't be liquidated at once. Will you tell me your opinion of that?"

Brian drummed his nails on the tabletop. "Marjorie, that's a simplistic view of a complex situation. Will you admit that I love Ellen and have her welfare in mind quite as much as you do?"

"Certainly, darling!"

"Thank you. I agree with you that Anita should not have refused to let Ellen bring her young man home. Indeed, if Ellen had seen him against the background of her own home, with its gentle ways and its traditions, she might well have decided that he was not for her. Anita stampeded Ellen into a foolish marriage-and I have told her so. But the matter cannot be immediately corrected by inviting them here. You can see that. Let's agree that Anita should receive them warmly and graciously... but it's God's own truth that she won't-if she has them shoved down her throat."

He grinned at me and I was forced to grin in return. Anita can be charming... and she can be incredibly cold, rude, if it suits her.

Brian went on: "Instead, I'll have reason to make a trip to Tonga in a couple of weeks and this will let me get well acquainted without having Anita at my elbow-"

"Good! Take me along-pretty please?"

"It would annoy Anita."

"Brian, Anita has considerably more than annoyed me. I won't refrain from visiting Ellen on that account."

"Mmm... would you refrain from doing something that might damage the welfare of all of us?"

"If it were pointed out to me, yes. I might ask for explanation."

"You will have it. But let me deal with your second point. Of course Ellen will get every penny that is coming to her. But you will concede that there is no urgency about paying it to her. Hasty marriages often do not last long. And, while I have no proof of it, it is quite possible that Ellen has been taken in by a fortune hunter. Let's wait a bit and see how anxious this chap is to lay hands on her money. Isn't that prudent?"

I had to admit it. He continued: "Marjorie, my love, you are especially dear to me and to all of us because we see too little of you. It makes each of your trips home a fresh honeymoon for all of us. But, because you are away most of the time, you don't understand why the rest of us are always careful to keep Anita soothed down."

"Well- No, I don't. It should work both ways."

"In dealing with the law and with people I have found a vast difference between 'should' and 'is.' I've lived with Anita longest of any of us; I've learned to live with her little ways. What you may not realize is that she is the glue that holds the family together."

"How, Brian?"

"There is the obvious matter of her custodianship. As manager of the family finances and businesses she is well-nigh irreplaceable. Perhaps some other one of us could do it but it is certain that no one wants the job and I strongly suspect that no one of us could approach her competence. But in ways other than money she is a strong, capable executive. Whether it is in stopping quarrels between children or in deciding any of the thousand issues that come up in a large household, Anita can always make up her mind and keep things moving. A group family, such as ours, must have a strong, capable leader."

(Strong, capable tyrant, I said under my breath.)

"So. Marjie girl, can you wait a bit and give old Brian time to work it out? Believe that I love Ellen as much as you'do?"

I patted his hand. "Certainly, dear." (But don't take forever!)

"Now, when we get home, will you find Vickie and tell her that you were joking and that you are sorry you upset her? Please, dear."

(Wups! I had been thinking about Ellen so hard that I had forgotten where this conversation started.) "Now wait one moment, Brian. I'll wait and avoid annoying Anita since you tell me it's necessary. But I'm not going to cater to Vickie's racial prejudices."

"You would not be doing so. Our family is not all of one mind in such matters. I agree with you and you will find that Liz does, too. Vickie is somewhat on the fence; she wants to find any excuse to get Ellen back into the family and, now that I've talked to her, is willing to concede that Tongans are just like Maori and that the real test is the person himself. But it's that strange jest you made about yourself that has her upset."

"Oh. Brian, you once told me that you had almost earned a degree in biology when you switched to law."

"Yes. 'Almost' may be too strong."

"Then you know that an artificial person is biologically indistinguishable from an ordinary human being. The lack of a soul does not show."

"Eh? I'm merely a vestryman, dear; souls are a matter for theologians. But it is certainly not difficult to spot a living artifact."

"I didn't say 'living artifact.' That term covers even a talking dog such as Lord Nelson. But an artificial person is strictly limited to human form and appearance. So how can you spot one? That was the silly thing Vickie was saying, that she could always spot one. Take me, for example. Brian, you know my physical being quite thoroughly-I'm happy to say. Am I an ordinary human being? Or an artificial person?"

Brian grinned and licked his lips. "Lovely Marjie, I will testify in any court that you are human to nine decimal places... except where you are angelic. Shall I specify?"

"Knowing your tastes, dear, I don't think it's necessary. Thank you. But please be serious. Assume, for the sake of argument, that I

am an artificial person. How could a man in bed with me-as you were last night and many other nights-tell that I was artificial?"

"Marjie, please drop it. It's not funny."

(Sometimes human people exasperate me beyond endurance.) I said briskly, "I'm an artificial person."

"Marjorie!"

"You won't take my word for it? Must I prove it?"

"Stop joking. Stop this instant! Or, so help me, when I get you home I'll paddle you. Marjorie, I've never laid an ungentle hand on you-on any of my wives. But you are earning a spanking."

"So? See that last bite of tart on your plate? I am about to take it. Slap your hands together right over your plate and stop me."

"Don't be silly."

"Do it. You can't move fast enough to stop me."

We locked eyes. Suddenly he started to slap his hands together. I went into automatic overdrive, picked up my fork, stabbed that bite of tart, pulled back the fork between his closing hands, stopped the overdrive just before I placed the bite between my lips.

(That plastic spoon in the crèche was not discrimination but to protect me. The first time I used a fork I stabbed my lip because I had not yet learned to slow my moves to match unenhanced persons.)

There may not be a word for the expression on Brian's face.

"Is that enough?" I asked him. "No, probably not. My dear, clasp hands with me." I shoved out my right hand.

He hesitated, then took it. I let him control the grasp, then I started slowly to tighten down. "Don't hurt yourself, dear," I warned him. "Let me know when to stop."

Brian is no sissy and can take quite a bit of pain. I was about to slack off, not wishing to break any bones in his hand, when he suddenly said, "Enough!"

I immediately slacked off and started to massage his hand gently with both of mine. "I did not enjoy hurting you, darling, but I had to show you that I am telling the truth. Ordinarily I am careful not to display unusual reflexes or unusual strength. But I do need them in the work I am in. On several occasions enhanced strength and

speed have kept me alive. I am most careful not to use either one unless forced to. Now-is there anything more needed to prove to you that I am what I say I am? I am enhanced in Other ways but speed and strength are easiest to demonstrate."

He answered, "It's time we started home."

On the way home we didn't exchange a dozen words. I am very fond of the luxury of horse-and-buggy rides. But that day I would happily have used something noisy and mechanical-but fast!

For the next few days Brian avoided me; I saw him only at the dinner table. Came a morning when Anita said to me, "Marjorie dear, I'm going into town on a few errands. Will you come along and help me?" Of course I said yes.

She made several stops in the general neighborhood of Gloucester Street and Durham. There was nothing in which she needed my help. I concluded that she simply wanted company and I was pleased by it. Anita is awfully nice to be with as long as one doesn't cross her will.

Finished, we strolled down Cambridge Terrace along the bank of the Avon and on into Hagley Park and the botanic gardens. She picked a sunny spot where we could watch the birds, and got out her knitting. We talked of nothing in particular for a while, or simply sat.

We had been there about half an hour when her phone buzzed. She took it out of her knitting bag, put the button to her ear. "Yes?" Then she added, "Thank you. Off," and put the phone away without offering to tell me who had called her. Her privilege.

Although she did speak of it indirectly: "Tell me, Marjorie, do you ever feel regret? Or a sense of guilt?"

"Why, I do sometimes. Should I? Over what?" I searched my brain as I thought that I had been unusually careful not to upset Anita.

"Over the way you have deceived us and cheated us."

"What?"

"Don't play innocent. I've never had to deal with a creature not of God's Law before. I was not sure that the concept of sin and guilt was one you could understand. Not that it matters, I suppose, now

that you are unmasked. The family is asking for annulment at once; Brian is seeing Mr. Justice Ridgley today."

I sat up very straight. "On what grounds? I've done nothing wrong!"

"Indeed. You forget that, under our laws, a nonhuman cannot enter into a marriage contract with human beings."