Part 49 (1/2)
”Let me say in preface that we are not going to ask Ishtar to thwart your wishes by using the sperm bank. But there are other possibilities to which you can hardly object. Consider how we were born. I could easily bear an implanted clone from my own tissue, and so could Lor-although we might swap clones . . for reasons purely sentimental since we have identical genes. Do you see anything wrong with that? Genetically, or emotionally? Or otherwise?”
”Mmm . . no. Unusual-but your business.”
”Just as easy-since Ishtar still has living tissue of yours in vitro-is to clone you . . you . . and Lorelei and I would bear identical twins-both of them 'Lazarus Long' in every gene . . lacking only your long experience. Would you find that offensive?” and Lorelei and I would bear identical twins-both of them 'Lazarus Long' in every gene . . lacking only your long experience. Would you find that offensive?”
”Eh? Now wait a minute! Let me think.”
”Let me add that we regard this as a last resort . . if you are dead. If you don't come back.”
”Don't start sniffling again! Uh, if I'm dead, I don't have much vote in it, do I?”
”No, because if we we did not do it, then Ishtar would plant your clone in one of the others-or in herself, with Galahad's help. But if Lorelei Lee and I do it . . we would did not do it, then Ishtar would plant your clone in one of the others-or in herself, with Galahad's help. But if Lorelei Lee and I do it . . we would much much rather do it with your blessing.” rather do it with your blessing.”
”Mm . . stipulated that I'm dead-well, okay, okay, it's with my blessing. Just one thing-”
”What, Brother?”
”Crack down on the little beast. Or 'beasts.' I was a mean one. You two were handful enough for six-but I was ornery. ornery. If you don't establish who's boss right from the cradle-he-they- If you don't establish who's boss right from the cradle-he-they-I, d.a.m.n it-'I' will give you so much grief your lives won't be worth living.”
”We'll try to cope with . . 'you,' Lazarus-and we have the advantage of knowing what a, uh, 'real whirling son of b.i.t.c.h' you can be.”
”Ouch! Am I bleeding?”
”You led with your chin, Brother. The truth is, you spoiled us . . and we may find it hard not to spoil you you. But we'll bear in mind your advice. But we want to say this before we leave the subject of genetics. You've had how many children?”
”Uh . . too many, maybe.”
”You know exactly how many and so do we . . and it's a number large enough to be inspected as a statistical universe. How many were defectives?”
”Uh . . none that I know of.”
”Exactly none. Ishtar made it her business to know, and Justin confirms it from his study of the Archives. Brother, I don't know how uncommon this may have been in the twentieth Gregorian century . . but you have a clean gene chart-and so of course do we.”
”Now wait a minute! I'm not really up to date in genetics, but-”
”-but Ishtar is. Do you want to argue it with her? We accept her a.s.surances; Lor and I aren't geneticists-as yet. But we have, recorded in Dora, Ishtar's formal report on your gene chart. If you want it. Not that we think it makes any difference; you are rejecting us for reasons having nothing to do with genetics.”
”Now slow down! I am not not rejecting you.” rejecting you.”
”That's the way it feels to us. We are artificial constructs, and the soi-disant 'incest' mores of another time and utterly different circ.u.mstances don't apply to us and you know it; that's just an excuse to avoid something you don't want want to do. Coupling with us might be masturbation, but it to do. Coupling with us might be masturbation, but it can't can't be incest because we be incest because we arn arn't your sisters. We aren't your kin in your sisters. We aren't your kin in any any normal sense; we're normal sense; we're you you. Every gene of us comes from you you. If we love you-and we do-and if you love us-and you do, some, in your own chincby and cautious fas.h.i.+on-it's Narcissus loving himself. But this time, if you could only see it, that Narcissist love could be consummated.” She stopped, and gulped. ”That's all. Come on, Lor; let's go to bed.”
”Hold it, girls! Laz, Ishtar says this is safe?”
”You heard me say so. But you don't want to do it-so the h.e.l.l h.e.l.l with it!” with it!”
”I never at any time said that I did not want want to. Why do you think I quit cuddling you two lively little monkeys when you started being grown up?” to. Why do you think I quit cuddling you two lively little monkeys when you started being grown up?”
”Oh, Buddy!” Buddy!”
”Because I must be Narcissus himself . . because I think my two identicals are the prettiest, s.e.xiest-and b.i.t.c.hiest-broads I've ever seen.”
”Do you? Do you really really?”
”You heard me. Quit quivering your G.o.dd.a.m.n chins! So when you started getting broad, I started keeping my hands off you. But-if Ishtar says it's all right-”
”She does!”
”I suppose-this once-I could manage a couple of minutes for each of you.”
Lorelei gasped. ”Did you hear that, Laz?”
”I heard it. 'Two minutes.' ”
”Rude, crude, and vulgar.”
”Insulting.”
Infuriating.”
”But we accept-”
-right now!” now!”
DA CAPO.
I.
The Green Hills
The Star Yacht Dora Dora hovered two meters over the pasture, the lower hatch irised open. Lazarus gave Lazi and Lori a last quick squeeze and dropped to the ground-rolled with the impact, rolled to his feet, hurriedly got clear of the s.h.i.+p's field. He waved, and the s.h.i.+p lifted, straight up, a round black cloud against the stars. Then it was gone. hovered two meters over the pasture, the lower hatch irised open. Lazarus gave Lazi and Lori a last quick squeeze and dropped to the ground-rolled with the impact, rolled to his feet, hurriedly got clear of the s.h.i.+p's field. He waved, and the s.h.i.+p lifted, straight up, a round black cloud against the stars. Then it was gone.
He looked quickly around him-Dipper . . North Star . . okay, fence that way, road beyond, and-Caesar's Ghost!-a bull! bull!”
He cleared the fence with inches to spare, a few feet ahead of the bull.
Lazarus was moving so fast that his speed made necessary another rolling landing. He wound up in the middle of a rutted dirt road while reflecting that many more of that sort would not improve his appearance. He patted his pockets, especially an extra pocket concealed by the bib of his overalls, and decided that nothing was missing. He missed the comfort of a blaster on his hip-but knew that any sort of gun would be a mistake, for this time and place. A facsimile jackknife was all he carried.
His hat-The ditch? No. Ten feet inside the fence . . which might as well be ten miles; the bull was keeping an eye on him. A hat was not necessary, and if anyone found it and noticed that it was not quite right-well, there was nothing to connect it with him. Forget it.
North Star again-That town should be about five miles down this road, straight as the turtle flies. He set out.
Lazarus stood in front of the printshop of the Dade County Democrat, Democrat, looking at sheets posted inside the gla.s.s, but not reading. He was thinking. He had just had a shock, and the pretense of continuing to read posted newspapers let him do so in quiet. He had read a date and now needed to reconstruct some ancient history. August first, nineteen-sixteen-nineteen-six looking at sheets posted inside the gla.s.s, but not reading. He was thinking. He had just had a shock, and the pretense of continuing to read posted newspapers let him do so in quiet. He had read a date and now needed to reconstruct some ancient history. August first, nineteen-sixteen-nineteen-six teen teen?