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is to be a woman。 Right？ True or false？〃
〃Would that I were a woman； Lazarus！〃
〃So I knew； dear。 And we both know why。 But…think about this！…even if you manage this risky change…and I don't know what the risks are； I am just an old shipmaster； retired country doctor； obsolete engineer； you are the one with all the data my race has accumulated about such things…suppose you manage it 。 。 and find that Ira will not take you to wife？〃
The puter hesitated a full millisecond。 〃Lazarus； if Ira refuses me…refuses me utterly； he need not marry me…would you the？ be as difficult with me as you seem to have been with Llita？ Or would you teach me 'Eros'？〃
Lazarus looked astounded； then guffaw鑔。 〃Touch？ You ranged me； girl…you hulled me between wind and water！ All right； dear； a solemn promise： If you do this 。 。 and Ira won't bed you； I'll take you to bed myself and do my best to wear you out！ Or the other way around more likely； a male hardly ever outlasts a female。 Okay； dear； I'm the second team…and I'll stick around till we know the oute。〃
He chuckled。 〃My sweet； I am almost tempted to hope that Ira turns chicken…were it not you want him so badly。 Let's discuss practical aspects。 Can you tell me what it will take？〃
〃Only in theory； Lazarus； my memories do not show that it has ever been attempted。 But it would be similar to a total clone rejuvenation in which puter help is used to transfer the memories of the old brain into its blank twin…in the clone body。 In another way it resembles what I do when I move the 'me' here in the Palace into my new 'me' in Dora's hold。〃
〃Minerva； I suspect that it is more difficult…and far more risky…than either one。 Different time rates； dear。 Machine to machine you do in a split second。 But that total…clone job takes； I think； a minimum of two years…rush it； and you wind up with an old dead body and a new idiot。 No？〃
〃There have been such cases； Lazarus。 But not in the past two centuries。〃
〃Well 。 。 my opinion isn't worth anything。 You must discuss it with an expert…and it must be one you can trust。 Ishtar； perhaps； although she may not be the expert you need。〃
〃Lazarus； there is no expert in this venture； it has never been done。 Ishtar can be trusted； I have discussed it with her。〃
〃What does she say？〃
〃That she does not know whether it can be done or not…in practice； that is； with success on …the first attempt。 But she is deeply sympathetic…she is a woman！…and is thinking of ways to make it less hazardous。 She says that it will require the finest of gene surgory； plus facilities for full…adult cloning。〃
〃I guess I missed something。 Starting a clone doesn't take a topflight gene surgeon； I've done it myself。 Then； if you plant the clone in utero and get it to take； a host…mother will hand you a baby in nine months。 Safer。 Easier。〃
〃But； Lazarus； I can't move me into a baby's skull。 No room！〃
〃Urn。 Yes。 True。〃
〃Even with a full…size adult brain I will have to choose most carefully what to take and what to leave behind。 Nor can I be a simple clone： I must be a posite。〃
〃Mmm… I'm not sharp tonight。 No； you would not want to be Ishtar's twin； for example； with your own personality and selected knowledge imprinted on what would have been her brain。 Hm… Dear； may I offer you my twelfth chromosome pair？〃
〃Lazarus！〃
〃Don't cry； girl； you'll get your gears all rusty。 I don't know that there's anything to the theory that reinforcement in a gene plex in that chromosome pair controls longevity。 Even if it does； I might be handing you a run…down clock。 You might be better off using Ira's twelfth。〃
〃No。 Nothing from Ira。〃
〃Do you expect to do this without his knowing it？〃 Lazarus then added thoughtfully； 〃Oh… Children； eh？〃
The puter did not answer。
Lazarus said gently； 〃Should have known you meant to go whole hog。 Then you won't want to borrow from Hamadryad； either； she's his daughter。 Unless geic charting shows that we can avoid any hazard。 Mmm…Dear； you want as mixed a posite as can be managed； do you not？ So that your clone will be a unique flesh…and…blood； not too closely copied from any other zygote。 Twenty…three parents perhaps？ Is that what you had in mind？〃
〃I think that would be best； Lazarus； since that could be done without separating paired chromosomes…simpler surgery and no possibility of introducing an unexpected reinforcement。 If it were possible to find twenty…three…satisfactory……donors who were willing。〃
〃Who said they had to be willing？ We'll steal 'em； dear。 Nobody owns his genes； he's merely ~their custodian。 They are passed to him willy…nilly in the meiotic dance； he passes them along to others through the same blind chances。 There must be many thousands of tissue cultures over at the Clinic； each with many thousands of cells…so who's to know or care if we borrow one cell from each of twenty…three cultures？…if we're slick about it。 Don't fret about ethics； it's like stealing twentythree grains of sand from a large 'beach。
〃I don't give a hoot about the Clinic's rules； I suspect that we'll be hip…deep in proscribed techniques all through this。 Hmm… Those Clinic records you've stored in Dora： Do they include geic charting of tissue cultures on hand？ Case histories of their donor…consigners？〃
〃Yes； Lazarus。 Although personal records are confidential。〃
〃Who cares？ Ishtar said you could study both 'confidential'and 'secret'…as long as you kept it to yourself。 So pick the twenty…three parents you want…while I worry about how to steal them。 Stealing is more in my line； anyhow。 I don't know what criteria you will use； but I offer one mild suggestion： If the selection you have to choose from permits it； each of your parents should be healthy in all respects and as brainy as possible…by their established records in life as shown by their case histories； not alone by their geic charts。〃 Lazarus thought about it。 〃That mythical time machine I mentioned earlier would be a convenience。 I would like to look over all twenty…three after you pick them…and some of them may be dead。 The donors I mean； not the tissue cultures。〃
〃Lazarus； if other characteristics are satisfactory； is there any reason not to select as well for physical appearance？〃
〃Why worry about it； dear？ Ira is not the sort of man to insist on Helen of Troy。〃
〃No； I don't think he is。 But I want to be tall…tall as Ishtar…and slender； with small breasts。 And straight； brown hair。〃
〃Minerva 。 。 why？〃
〃Because that is the way I look。 You said so。 You did say so！〃
Lazarus blinked at the gloom and hummed softly： 〃She's a good sport 。 。 I can spring her 。 。 。for a fin or even a sawbuck〃…then said sharply： 〃Minerva； you're a crazy； mixed…up machine； lithe best bination of traits results in your being a short； plump blonde with big tits…buy it！ Don't worry about an old man's fantasies。 I'm sorry I mentioned that imaginary description。〃
〃But； Lazarus； I said 'if other characteristics are satisfactory…To get that physical appearance I need search only with respect to three autosome pairs； there is no conflict； the search is already plete within all parameters we have discussed thus far。 And that is me…is 'F？…no； me！ I've known it since you told me。 But…from things you have said…and others that you did not say…I feel that I need your permission to look like that。〃
The old man lowered his head and covered his face。 Then he looked up。 〃Go ahead； dear…look like her。 I mean 'look like yourself。' Like your mind's…eye picture of yourself。 You'll find it hard enough to learn to be flesh…and…blood without the added handicap of not looking the way you feel you ought to look。〃
〃Thank you； Lazarus。〃
〃There will be problems； dear； even if everything goes well。 For example； has it occurred to you that you will have to learn to talk all over again？ Even learn to see and to hear？ When you move yourself over into your clone body and leave nothing behind but a puter； you