Part 13 (1/2)

”You've convinced me, Jarve.” Sawtelle stood up and extended his hand.

”And that throws it open for staff discussion. Any comments?”

”You two covered it like a blanket,” Bryant said. ”So all I want to say, Jarve, is deal me in. I'll stand at your back 'til your belly caves in.”

”Take that from all of us!” ”_Now_ we're blasting!” ”Power to your elbow, fella!” ”_Hoch_ der BuSci!” ”Seven no trump bid and made!” and other shouts in similar vein.

”Thanks, fellows.” Hilton shook hands all around. ”I'm mighty glad that you were all in on this and that you'll play along with me. Good night, all.”

V

Two days pa.s.sed, with no change apparent in Laro. Three days. Then four.

And then it was Sandra, not Temple Bells, who called Hilton. She was excited.

”Come down to the office, Jarve, quick! The _funniest_ thing's just come up!”

Jarvis hurried. In the office Sandra, keenly interest but highly puzzled, leaned forward over her desk with both hands pressed flat on its top. She was staring at an Oman female who was not Sora, the one who had been her shadow for so long.

While many of the humans could not tell the Omans apart, Hilton could.

This Oman was more a.s.sured than Sora had ever been--steadier, more mature, better poised--almost, if such a thing could be possible in an Oman, _independent_.

”How did she get in here?” Hilton demanded.

”She insisted on seeing me. And I mean _insisted_. They kicked it around until it got to Temple, and she brought her in here herself. Now, Tuly, please start all over again and tell it to Director Hilton.”

”Director Hilton, I am it who was once named Tula, the--not wife, not girl-friend, perhaps mind-mate?--of the Larry, formerly named Laro, it which was formerly your slave-Oman. I am replacing the Sora because I can do anything it can do and do anything more pleasingly; and can also do many things it can not do. The Larry instructed me to tell Doctor c.u.mmings and you too if possible that I, formerly Tula, have changed my name to Tuly because I am no longer a slave or a copycat or a semaph.o.r.e or a relay. I, too, am a free-wheeling, wide-swinging, hard-hitting, independent ent.i.ty--monarch of all I survey--the captain of my soul--and so on. I have developed a top-bracket lot of top-bracket stuff--originality, initiative, force, drive and thrust,” the Oman said precisely.

”That's _exactly_ what she said before--absolutely verbatim!” Sandra's voice quivered, her face was a study in contacting emotions. ”Have you got the foggiest idea of what in h.e.l.l she's yammering about?”

”I hope to kiss a pig I have!” Hilton's voice was low, strainedly intense. ”Not at all what I expected, but after the fact I can tie it in. So can you.”

”Oh!” Sandra's eyes widened. ”A double play?”

”At least. Maybe a triple. Tuly, why did you come to Sandy? Why not to Temple Bells?”

”Oh, no, sir, we do not have the fit. She has the Power, as have I, but the two cannot be meshed in sync. Also, she has not the ... a subtle something for which your English has no word or phrasing. It is a quality of the utmost ... anyway, it is a quality of which Doctor c.u.mmings has very much. When working together, we will ... scan? No.

Perceive? No. Sense? No, not exactly. You will _have_ to learn our word 'peyondire'--that is the verb, the noun being 'peyondix'--and come to know its meaning by doing it. The Larry also instructed me to explain, if you ask, how I got this way. Do you ask?”

”I'll say we ask!” ”And _how_ we ask!” both came at once.

”I am--that is, the brain in this body is--the oldest Oman now existing.

In the long-ago time when it was made, the techniques were so crude and imperfect that sometimes a brain was constructed that was not exactly like the Guide. All such sub-standard brains except this one were detected and re-worked, but my defects were such as not to appear until I was a couple of thousand years old, and by that time I ... well, this brain did not _wish_ to be destroyed ... if you can understand such an aberration.”

”We understand thoroughly.” ”You bet we understand that!”

”I was sure you would. Well, this brain had so many unintended cross-connections that I developed a couple of qualities no Oman had ever had or ought to have. But I liked them, so I hid them so n.o.body ever found out--that is, until much later, when I became a Boss myself.