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him。 Even the twin flam鑤ops insisted on kissing me since they had not greeted me that way earlier。
In Boondock a kiss of greeting is not the ritual peck it usually is in New Rome； e~en the twins bussed me in a fashion that made me certain of their sex…I've had poorer kisses from grown women whose intentions were direct and immediate。 But the young man； introduced as 〃Galahad；〃 startled me。 He hugged me； with kisses on my cheeks followed by a ~iss on my mouth worthy of a Ganymede… which surprised me； but I tried to return as good as I got。
Instead of letting me go； he pounded my back and said； 〃Justin； it tickles my root to see you again！ Oh； this is wonderful！〃
I pulled my face back to look at his。 I must have looked puzzled for he blinked； then said mournfully： 〃Ish； I boasted too soon！ Hamadear； get me a towel； I'm weeping。 He's forgotten me 。 。 after all the things he said。〃
I said； 〃Obadiah Jones； What are you doing here？〃
〃Weeping。 Being humiliated in front of my family。〃
I don't know how long it had been since I had seen him。~ It may have been more than a century since it has been that long since I left the Howard campus。 Brilliant young specialist in ancient cultures he was then； with an impish sense of humor。 I recalled； dredging it up out of memory； having shared a Seven…Hours with him and two other savants； both female and happily so…but I could not recall their faces nor who they were； what I remembered was his playful； joyous； boisterous good pany。 〃Obadiah；〃 I said sternly； 〃why are you calling yourself 'Galahad'？ Hiding from the police again？ Lazarus； I'm shocked to find this； uh； macho in your house… lock up your daughters！〃
〃Oh； that name！〃 he said brokenly。 〃Don't repeat it； Justin。 They don't know it。 When I reformed； I changed my n~me。 You won't give me away？ Promise me； dear！〃 Suddenly he grinned and said in a cheerful voice； 〃e on into 'the atrium and let's get a skinful of rum into you。 Lazi； who has the duty？〃
〃Lori does。 Even…numbered day。 But I'll help。 Straight rum？〃
〃Better flavor it。 I want to add a wele the Borgias used on'old friends。〃
〃Sure thing； Uncle Cuddly。 Who are the Borgias？〃
〃A family from the greatest days of Old Earth's rise and fall； sugar lump。 The Howards of their time。 Very suave in han；dling guests。 I'm descended from them； and their secrets were passed down to me by word of mouth。〃
〃Laz；〃 said Lazarus； 〃ask Athene for a rundown on the Borgias before you mix a drink for Justin。〃
〃I see； he's at it again…〃 〃…so we'll tickle him… 〃…and blow in his ears… 〃…until he cries Pax… 〃…and promises Veritas… 〃…he's no problem。 e on； Lazi。〃
I had found the village of Boondock pleasantly unimpressive； more pleasant and less impressive than I had expected。 Ira and Lazarus had accepted only seven thousand for their first wave from applicants numbering more than niy thou'sand； therefore the present population of Tertius could not be much over ten thousand and was in fact slightly less。
Boondock seemed to have only a few hundred people and was centered on a' few small buildings for public and semipublic purposes； most colonists being scattered around the countryside。 The home of Lazarus Long was by far the most impressive structure I had seen…not counting the large flat cone of the Senior's yacht and the much larger bulk of one robot space freighter on the skyfield where my packet had grounded。 （The skyfleld was a level place a few kilometers across； one could not call it a port。 There was not one godown。 It must have an autobeacon since I grounded safely； I did not see it。）
This rudimentary settlement had not prepared me for the Senior's house。 Its lines and plan were simple； that long…dead Roman had picked a good designer。 It was a walled garden； the house itself being its four walls。 But it had two stories； and each level could have been divided； it seemed to me； into twelve to sixteen large rooms plus the usual ancillary spaces。 Twenty…four or more rooms for a household of eight？ The~ more blatantly rich in New Rome might display ego in so much space； but it seemed inappropriate in a new colony； as well as out of tune with what I had learned in my long research of the Senior's lives。
Simple… Half the building was given over to a rejuvenation clinic； a therapy clinic； an infirmary； these could be reached from the foyer without entering the private part of the house。
…The number of family rooms remaining was' indefinite； most interior wall~ were movable。 The Howard Clinic and the medical facilities would be moved to a nearby site when the colony needed larger facilities； when size of the Senior's family made more home space desirable。
（I was lucky in that； when I arrived； no client was being rejuvenated； no patient was in the infirmary…or most of the adults would have been busy。）
The size of his family seemed as hazy as the number of rooms。 I had thought there were eight…three men； the Senior； Ira； and Galahad； three women； Ishtar； Hamadryad； and Minerva； two youngsters； Lorelei Lee and Lapis Lazuli…but I was not aware of two girl toddlers and a small boy。 Besides that； I was neither the first nor the last to be urged to move in and stay as long as one wished。 Whether such stay was as a guest or as a member of th？Senior's family might also be ut1~鑜ear to an outsider。
Relationships inside his family also were vague。 Colonists are always families； a single 'colonist is a contradiction in terms。 But all of Tertius …Colony were Howards； and we Howards have used every sort of marriage； I think； except lifetime monogamy。
But Tertius has no laws about marriage； the Senior had not thought them necessary。 The few laws it has are in the migration contract； written by Ira and Lazarus jointly。 It contains the usual covenants about homesteading； with the colony leader absolute arbitrator until such time as he resigns。 But it says not one word about marriage and family relationships。 The colonists register their babies； Howards always do
…in this case with the puter Athene as surrogate for the 'Archives。 But I found when I reviewed these records that parentage of children was expressed in geic classification code； not by 〃marriages and putative ancestry。 This system the Families' geicists have been urging for generations （and I agree）； but it does make a genealogist work harder； especially if marriages have not been registered at all； as was sometimes the case。 '
I found one couple with eleven children； six his； five hers； none theirs。 I understood it when I read their codes…utterly inpatible。 I met them later； a fine family on a prosperous farm and no suggestion that the swarm of children were any
thing but 〃theirs。〃…
But the Senior's family was even more vague。 Geic an…
cestry in each case was 'a matter of record； surely…but who was married to whom？
Their bathing room was as 〃decadent〃 as had been promised； it was a lounging room； as well as a refresher； and planned for family relaxation and entertaining。 It stretched all along the ground floor on the side 'facing the foyer across the inner garden； and its walls could be pushed back to open it to the garden in clement weather…。
It had anything a jaundiced Sybarite could ask for： a fountain in its center matching a fountain in the garden and
昬ach with fortably wide rims to sit on while soaking tired feet'and enjoying a drink； a sauna in one corner； a huge happy shower at the other end with' space for several cycles to be enjoyed at once without waiting turns； a panion querafansible with sophisticated controls； a long soaking pooi kneedeep at the blue end to chin…deep at the red； and flanked by two bathing poois lavish for one person and fortable for two or three； couches for napping； for cooling； for sweating； for intimate talk and touch； a cosmetics table with a bi'g duomirror in which one； could see her back as readily as her front simply by asking Athene's help； a corner big enough； for a dozen people in which floor cushioning was bed…soft and lavish with pillows large and small； firm and soft； a refreshments counter which backed onto their kitchen…and if I failed to name something； it is my omission； not that of the designers。 All the more monplace items were of course at hand。
I had thought that the lighting was random until I rezed that Athene was changing it endlessly so as not to shine it in anyone's eyes while changing the light level in all parts of that big room to match what was going on…high key for makeup； subdued light for lounging； and so on…and to match personalities too； our little redheads were crowned with light no matter how they bounced around…as they did。
Soft music was there and in the garden； or on request anywhere； 'selected by Athene unless someone asked for some…； thing…it seemed as if she had stored in her all the music that ever was written。 Or she might harmonize with the twins while continuing to take part in three different conversations in other parts of the bath lounge。 A self…aware puter of her capacity…great enough to manage Secundus…can and often
must talk simultaneously at many places； but I had never encountered； it before in such a way as to notice it。 But big puters are not often members of a family。
The rest of the house was almost unautomated…a matter of taste as Athene's capacity was largely unused。 My hostesses actually cooked； with Athene helping only by seeing to it that nothing burned and watching the timing in other ways… twice on Athene's advice Hamadryad left the bath lounge； once in such a Jwrry that she fled bare and dripping； not stoppmg to grab a towel robe。
Bathing with Lazi and Lori is indeed 〃squirmy but fun；〃 plus squeals； giggles； chatter in which one sentence would be chopped several times before one of them put a period on it （I hypothesized that they were telepathic with each other and had an uneasy suspicion that they sometimes read thoughts of persons in their presence…but was not anxious to find out）… all charmingly blunt and childishly innocent。
First they slathered me all over anded the same service from me and threatened me with chin quivering when I held back a little； and said loudly that 〃Uncle Cuddly〃 （my old friend Obadiah； now Galahad） washed them better than that and everybody knows how lazy he is…or didn't I like them well enough to soapy…cuddle them and if they married me； would I go along with them in their spaceship； and while they were still virgins； though not from lack of opportunity； don't worry about that one bit as both Mama Hamadryad and Mama Ishtar were coaching them in beginning and advanced sensuality and would speed up the course if I happened to want to many them now…won't you； Mama Hamalambie？…tell him！
Hamadryad from a meter away （she was soaping Ira） as…' sured us that she would； if they could persuade me to marry them that quickly。 I assumed that the youngsters were farcing me and that their mother…one of their mothers…was going along with the jest。 I've wondered since whether I mi