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…I find her a bit； uh； conservative。〃
〃Murderess。〃
〃Primitive totalitarian。〃
〃Three times over…〃？
〃…for what right has she to say that We can't e~lst…〃
〃…or Minerva。 Crypto…criminal mind！〃
〃That's enough； girls； you've made your point； you don't like her。〃
〃She wouldhave murdered you； too； 01' Buddy Boy。〃
〃Lori； I said that was enough。 Stipulated that； if Nelly Hildegarde's policies had been carried' out； I wouldn't be here； you wouldn't be here； Laz wouldn't be here； nor would Minerva。 But she's not a 'murderess；' as all four of us are here。〃
〃And I am delighted；〃 Justin Foote mented。 〃To have three charkning young ladies added to our Families through breaking rules proves something I have long suspected： Rules serve best when broken。〃
〃A wise man…〃
〃…and with dimples； too。 Mr。 Foote； would you like to marry me and my sister？〃
〃Say 'Yes'！ She can cook； but I'm cuddly。〃
Minerva said； 〃Stop it； girls。〃
〃Why？ Have you got him staked out already？ Was that why we couldn't e in？ Mr。 Foote； Minerva is Mama Pro Tern to us by edict…〃
〃…which is patently unfair…〃
〃…as she is actually years and years younger than we are…〃
〃…and it gives us three mothers to dodge instead of the regulation one。〃
〃Belay that；〃 Lazarus ordered。 〃Both of you can cook； but neither of you is very cuddly。〃
〃Then why do you cuddle us； Buddy Boy？〃
〃…suppressed incestuous yearning perhaps？〃
〃Merde。 Because you both are immature； insecure； and frightened。〃
The redheads looked at each other。 〃Lori？〃
〃I heard it。 Unless I'm hallucinating。〃
〃No； I heard it； too。〃
〃Is it time to cry？〃
〃We'd better save it。 Mr。 Foote wouldn't want to see how our Buddy Boy goes all to pieces when we cry。〃
〃We'll save it。 That makes ting。 Unless Mr。 Foote would like to see it；〃
〃Would you； Mr。 Foote？〃
〃Justin； I'll sell either one of them cheap。 Still better price on a package deal。〃
〃Uh 。 。 thank you； Lazarus； but I'm afraid that they might
cry at me…then I would go all to pieces。 Can we change the subject？ How did you manage to put over this triple； uh； irregularity？ May one ask？ Doctor Hildegarde runs a very taut organization。〃
〃Well； in the case of those two little angels over there…〃
〃Sarcasm now…〃
〃…and not clever。〃
？〃…I was flummoxed quite as tnuch as Nelly Hildegarde。 At the time； Ishtar Hardy； 'that one's mother…〃
〃No； her mother。〃
〃You two are interchangeable parts； and besides； you were mixed up the week you were born； and nobody knows which you are； you don't know yourself。〃
〃Oh； yes； I do！ Sometimes she goes away； but I'm always right here。〃
Lazarus paused in midfiight； looked thoughtful。 〃That may be the most succinct statement of the solipsist thesis I've ever heard。 Write it down。〃
〃If I did； you'd take credit for it。〃
〃I simply want to save it for posterity 。 。 a notion inpatible with the thesis itself。 Minerva； you preserve it for me。〃
〃Recorded； Lazarus。〃
〃Minerva has almost as exact a memory as she had when she was a puter。 I was saying： Ishtar was temporarily~ Clinic boss； Nelly having gone on leave； so access to my tissue was no problem。 I was then in a state of acute anhedonia； and their mothers cooked up this notion for restoring my interest in life。 The only problem was to do gene surgery not permitted by the rules of Secundus Clinic。 How and who… I was told firmly not to inquire。 You can ask Minerva； she was in on the swindle。〃
~'Lazarus； that was a memory I did not bring along when I was selecting what to fit into this skull。〃
〃You see； Justin？ I'm allowed to know only what they think is good for me。 As may be； this heroic treatment worked； I have not been bored since。 Other descriptives might apply…but not that one。〃
〃Lori； do you sense a double entendre？〃
〃No； merely a thinly veiled innuendo。 Ignore it with dignity。〃
〃But at first I didn't know my odd relationship to this pair。 Oh； I couldn't help knowing that Ishtar； and Hamadryad… one of Ira's daughters； you've met her？〃
〃Years back。 A lovely girl。〃
〃Quite。 Both ~f their mothers are lovely。 I couldn't help knowing that both were pregnant； they were spending most of their time with me。 But although they were swelling up like poisoned pups； they ignored it； so I didn't inquire。〃
Justine nodded。 〃Privacy。〃
〃Naw； just hard…nosed。 I've never let the privacy custom keep me from snooping when it suited me。 I was miffed； that's all。 Here two girls are with me every day and like daughters to me and obviously as knock鏳 up as Pharaoh's Daughter… and they tell me nit。 So I got stubborn and outsat them。 Till one day Galahad…he's their husband…well； not exactly； you'll see…Galahad invites me downstairs； and here they have； one each； the two prettiest little redheads I ever saw。〃
〃Shall we let him off one cry？〃
〃You got over it； you both look like me now。〃
〃Or do we add a third cry for that？〃
〃I still don't smell a mouse； I'm simply pleased。 As well as amazed that they had produced babies that looked like identical twins…〃
〃Which we are； except that we're triplets。〃
〃But some weeks of playing with these babies causes my natural genius and suspicious mind to infer that the girls have pulled a whizzer。 I was not then in the sperm bank so far as I knew； but I am well aware of tricks that can be played on a helpless client undergoing antigeria； so with unerring logic I reach the wrong answer： These babies are my daughters by artificial insemination unmentioned to me。 So I accuse them of it。 And they deny it。 And I explain that I am not angry； but quite the contrary I hope these little cherubs are mine。〃
'Cherubs。'
〃Ignore it。 He's simply trying to con Mr。 Foote。〃
〃Cherubs at that time； I mean； aside from a tendency to bite。 That I want them to be mine and share my name a9d fortunes。 So they confer with their fellow conspirators4… Minerva and Galahad…Minerva was in it up to her overload safeties。〃
〃Lazarus； you needed a family。〃
〃Quite right； dear。 I'm always better off with a family； it keeps me harmlessly occupied and unbored。 Justin； did I mention' that Minerva allowed me to adopt her？〃
〃We weren't asked！〃
〃Look； kids； under the loose rules of this termite hill I can unedopt you this minute； if such be your wish。 Cut the tie。 Be just your geic brother through circumstances I had
no more part in than you had。 Renounce all authority over you te know。〃
The two girls looked at each other briefly。 Then one said； 〃Lazarus…〃
〃Yes； Lorelei？〃
〃Lapis Lazuli and I have discussed it； and we both think that you are just exactly the father we want。〃
〃Thank you； my dears。〃
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