Reversion - A Novel Part 22

aIf fact you will become our fifth princ.i.p.al.a He spread his hands. aI have no papers and no money.a aYou need neither. What you need is the intelligence and technical training to grasp the math Iam about to reveal. Weall soon find out about that. You must also have the organizational ability to direct a large enterprise. Dornberger a.s.sured me of that. You must be willing to sever your ties to current society and devote the next several years of your life to Fernworks, as you will find we have done. But in a few years youall go with us into s.p.a.ce, Karl. Weall colonize the moon and the asteroids, well ahead of the rest of humanity. Thatas our true reward.a He stared at me and took a deep breath of his own. aI donat suppose weall be using slave labor.a aYour key engineers will be paid more than you, excepting the value of your personal maintenance. Weall have none of the n.a.z.i amorality, Karl.a aGood. Did the general tell you the Gestapo arrested me along with Von Braun?a aNo. Did you also claim to be building s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+ps instead of weapons?a He grunted. aIam the one who said that! They only arrested Von Braun because he was my boss and refused to fire me.a His expression was indignant. I studied him with interest. aDid they keep you as long as your boss?a aNo. Peenemunde ground to a standstill. They let me out first to restart testing.a aYou were fortunate that Hitler still had rational moments. Well, for now letas obey our financial officer. Here is the equation for the D dependencies.a * * *

Rosalind and I were comfortable lovers. I had learned she liked it tight: bodies squeezed together by arms and legs, tongues intertwined, maximum pressure on the c.l.i.t. When we traveled together, as we did to recruit Karl, we slept together every night and exhibited other habits of old marrieds, including her head on my shoulder afterwards for a discussion of the dayas events.

She remarked on it with an air of exasperation. aChrist, Tim, according to my mother, pillow-talk was always her habit afterwards too.a aOh? She talked about it, did she?a aYes, she did. She liked it the same way I do. I wish you could meet her. I know we agreed to stay away from relatives, but this is ridiculous! Iave practically been married to all you reverters now for nearly two years and Iave never taken you home to mother.a aAlice and I have stayed away from our parents too, you know. And you do write to your mother.a aYes, but I canat tell her anything important.a aOnce weare out of reach, you can tell her anything you like.a She sighed. aI know. Iam just impatient. Iall be good.a aYou are good!a She sniffed. aI think you mean that somewhat differently, but Iall second it. So are you.a With a chuckle I squeezed her closer. aLetas get serious a moment. Whatas your take on Karl.a aHeas certainly enthusiastic about your invention. When I returned this afternoon, his face was flushed. I thought he was high on schnaps but found out it was opportunity that turned him on. Heas already planning a mission to Mars.a aYes, heas taken the hook and dived deep. But tell me this. You were complaining the other day that you hadnat been unfaithful to me with a man in over a year. Have you a"a aNot complaining, just amazed to realize it!a aHave you corrected that problem?a The city skylight seeping around the edges of drapes was enough to see her glittering eyes and the amus.e.m.e.nt on her face. aYou ask that so indifferently!a aWell, Iam not indifferent. The more glue we can spread on him the better.a aGlue!a she repeated with a sniff. aIs that a Twenty-first Century term for av.a.g.i.n.al lubricant?aa I chuckled. aThatas a pretty good glue in any era. Hmm. I noticed your head-shake at dinner. Is something the matter with Karl?a aI know youare impressed, Tim.a She grinned slowly. aAt first I thought he might be queer.a aYou did what?a aAs an engineer, he surely didnat react like the boys at Roosevelt Poly!a aOf course not. Heas European-educated, not American.a aThatas supposed to make a difference?a aNow, Ros, consider your European history. You know that women there, as of 1952, occupy a lower rung of the social ladder. Look at it from his point of view. I told him you were Fernworksa CFO. You shouldave seen his chin drop. If he was rather cool to you, probably the thought of taking direction from you wilted his d.i.c.k.a She laughed with genuine humor.

aDid I say something funny?a She turned on the headboard light and pa.s.sed me a viewer from the night table. aTake a look at this.a I raised the binoculars and turned them to the light. I saw Rosalind lounging on the couch of the suiteas sitting room, primly clad in the afternoonas striped green dress, modestly exposing long, shapely calves and rounded arms. Karl stood fidgeting near the window, alternatively looking out and stealing glances at her. At every opportunity she met his eyes.

aI know what Johnas up to,a she said. aAs usual heas killing two birds with one stone.a Karl looked around, a bit wide-eyed. aHeas what?a She chuckled. aDonat you have that expression in German? I mean on this trip heas recruiting you as well as ordering materials. Heall not return until suppertime.a She smiled slightly and added, aYou said you were once married?a aBriefly. My wife was killed in an air raid.a aOh a Iam sorry.a He shrugged. aIn fact we were already separated less than a year after the wedding. There were, as you say, airreconcilable differences.aa Rosalind noted sympathetically, aSome very religious girls are shocked by marriage.a He barked a laugh. aNo, no. It was not about s.e.x. She was quite robust in that regard. It was politics. She was a fervent n.a.z.i.a aRobust?a aIs that not the correct word? But Iam sure you understand what I mean.a aYes, I do. You must miss such robustness, even with a n.a.z.i. Did you find another girl?a He shrugged.

She nodded. aI see. No one special. Just an occasional friend?a aYou speak very boldly for a woman.a aThis is America, Karl. You must be cautious of girls who appear to be demure.a aDemure?a he muttered. aAch, so! Sprde.a He grinned. aThose kind are supposed to make good wives.a aIs that what youare looking for, a wife?a aIam married to my work,a he retorted.

aOf course you are. Thatas why you would prefer a bold girl to one who is demure.a He stared at her with mouth agape. aActually,a he finally said, athere has been neither kind for me in a number of years.a aThatas very unhealthy, Karl,a she responded, as if by accident brus.h.i.+ng the skirtas hem to reveal her knees. aAnd Iam responsible for the health of our employees,a she added.

aYou are more than bold!a he exclaimed, turning again to the window.

aDo I shock you? We arenat ordinary people, you know. Weare going to the moon.a He faced her once more to reveal a blush on his cheeks. aYou make me very uncomfortable, I suppose because I was never a, a b.u.mmler. I never chased around and have always been too serious about work.a aI would never interfere with your work, Karl. But as Iave already mentioned, we have a few hours to pa.s.s until John returns.a aWhat are you saying?a he exploded. aYou should not play with people like this!a She rose from the couch and approached him in three steps. She placed her hands on his waist to pull him close.

aI do enjoy playing, Karl, but not alone.a She kissed him soundly with arms encircling his back. At first he stood pa.s.sively with her lips pressed to his, but very soon his arms embraced her and he returned the kiss pa.s.sionately. Rosalind smiled broadly when they separated.

aYouare not teasing me?a he asked, as if he could not believe his good fortune.

aHardly that. I find you very attractive, and youave gone without a woman for too long.a They kissed again, he with extreme intensity. His hand roughly captured one of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She pushed him back gently, but with a palm she caressed his cheek.

aLetas be more deliberate about this,a she said, aand not tear our clothes.a aYouare having second thoughts,a he stated with a frown.

aOn the contrary, Karl. Iam available to you totally. Are there things you have only dreamed of doing with a woman? Do you wish me to play a role for you? I can be demure, if you like, or s.l.u.tty. You may rape me, if that would please you.a aI would never do that, Anna!a aBut you have my permission.a He grinned. aI would rip your dress, if I were such a beast.a aIave changed my mind about that. Itas not expensive.a aNo.a he said, touching her left breast with a finger. aWhen I was fourteen I had an older cousin who once allowed me to feel her, but very briefly. She was tall like you.a aIall be your cousin, Karl.a His eyes grew large. aYes, Gudrund,a he gasped. aI want to undress you.a With nervous fingers he began to disrobe her, slowly, deliberately, as if unwrapping an unexpected present. aHelp me with this,a he begged when daunted by the bra clasp. Her large b.r.e.a.s.t.s sprang forth when released, firm and youthful. He embraced her, half kneeling to suck a nipple.

aSit down!a he ordered almost in a shout and shoved her to the floor, her back against the couch.

He tore open his trousers, then paused. A wriggle of his legs sent them falling down. His clean, white under shorts tented above her, promising a significant member. With an expression of pure lechery on his boyish face he pushed them slowly off. The purplish head thrust half out of the foreskin. He knelt astride her and ran the tip across her lips, which parted submissively. Her hands on his thighs limited his crude thrust. Her throat worked and her mouth sucked with a purpose. His response was almost immediate.

aOh, du Schne!a he cried, hips jerking as he held her head with both hands.

Once sated, he was obviously aghast at his behavior. He stood and retreated a couple of steps while her tongue pushed s.e.m.e.n over lips and chin.

aAre you all right?a he asked. aIam sorry.a aGet me a towel,a she mumbled thickly.

He was back in seconds. She grabbed the cloth and buried her face with spitting sounds. He stood watching with a contrite, foolish expression, nevertheless removing his s.h.i.+rt expectantly. She rose from one knee.

aWeave just begun,a she said, stroking the hair on his chest. aBut perhaps I should brush my teeth first, unless, of course, you prefer to taste yourself.a He grinned. aI tried that once when I was thirteen but didnat enjoy it.a aYou sucked yourself?a aOnly in my dreams! No. I contorted myself upside down and squirted into my mouth.a She laughed indulgently. He followed when she turned and went into the bathroom, touching her as if he were blind. At the sink he leaned against her from behind, hands on her hips, pressing his half erect member against her b.u.t.t cheeks.

aIs this permitted too?a he asked.

She put aside the toothbrush, rinsed her mouth and turned to him.

aAnything you want, Karl,a she purred, placing her arms around his neck. aBut first I need you to please me. Iam feeling itchy.a He looked at her dumbly, not comprehending.

aI want you to lick on me,a she explained.

aReally? Like another woman?a aYouave never done it before?a aMy wife never allowed that. She said it was perverse.a Rosalind grinned. aIall teach you.a aIam familiar with the anatomy,a he protested.

Hand in hand they went into his room, to his bed, where she reclined with knees raised and arms inviting. He rushed his head between her outspread thighs. She fondled a breast, and with the other hand gripped his hair.

aOh, yes! You know how!a she exclaimed.

Her moans soon climaxed in a shriek. She captured his head between tightly pressed thighs.

aDo me now!a she gasped, releasing his head and pulling at his shoulders.

aI donat have a condom,a he muttered, but he mounted her nevertheless.

She groaned with the penetration, glancing at his face then closing her eyes. She established the rhythm, a wild, greedy thrusting and grappling with arms and legs. He serviced her, gazing at her distorted mouth with an amused expression, watching the onset and arrival of her o.r.g.a.s.m. She cried out wordlessly, but redoubled her efforts, wanting another one.

aKiss me!a she screamed, and he did.

For a moment they clutched each other in a tight embrace, not moving. Then he rose on his elbows to look down on her. She smiled at him.

aItas your turn now, Karl. Take your pleasure.a Slowly he obeyed, staring into her eyes. She stroked his arms affectionately. He grimaced and pounded until he collapsed heavily upon her. She sucked his ear lobe as his body convulsed.

aYouare smothering me,a she protested gently when he was obviously finished.

He rolled off to lie beside her. He reached over to fondle a sweaty breast, then rose on an elbow to kiss her.

aThat was magnificent, Anna,a he said. aIave never experience it like that before.a aYou may do it every day, Karl. Whenever you want.a aWhat about John? Wonat he be jealous?a She tousled his hair. aWeare all family. There are two other women who are prettier and greedier than I.a He smiled and kissed her again. aHow is that possible?a aKarl, I am only the first special benefit that will come to you as a Fernworks princ.i.p.al. Go get us another gla.s.s of schnaps and letas snuggle for a while. Iad like to hear your colonization dreams.a I lowered the viewer. She was grinning at me. aNot too wilted, was it?a I laughed sheepishly. aAnd I was about to give you a few suggestions! This reminds me of another old saying not common in Germany: aDonat teach your grandmother to suck eggs.aa aIam not your grandmother.a Her hand caught me. aThis thing is hard!a aWhy does that surprise you?a She took a deep breath. aTimmy aa aIam right here.a I pulled her atop me. aI donat mind if you pretend otherwise.a

Chapter 17: Growing Pains.

aGosh-aamighty! Two pretty guys!a The woman, on her knees searching for something under the huge forming brake, was staring wide-eyed up at Karl and me.

Karl blushed. I couldnat resist asking with a grin, aIs that what youare looking for?a aIam a-looking for my guide piece that went and fell off just now.a But she blushed also and returned my grin. aaCourse, Iam always a-looking for a pretty guy. Evening, Mr. Haines.a That last was intended for Carl Haines, the pseudonym Karl-Heinz Studer had reluctantly chosen for himself as director of Fernworks. His reluctance had derived from his eye for history, as he put it. He had finally acquiesced when I reminded him that the director must sign orders, contracts and bank checks.

ah.e.l.lo, Maryanne,a Karl responded, necessarily raising his voice to be heard over the crash and whine of machinery. Structural members and paneling suba.s.semblies were taking shape all around us.

The woman wore a workeras attire, including the bandanna and jeans Rosie the Riveter had made popular during WW2. She was attractive enough, thirtyish, bright, with lines in her face doubtlessly reflecting motherhood in the mountains. As we watched she rose to her feet, the toolsteel edge guide in hand. With a triumphant smile for us, she turned back to her machine.

But Karl caught her arm. aOne moment, Maryanne.a He beckoned for the shop foreman, who had been surrept.i.tiously watching us from his desk. The man scurried around the looming machines. aYes, sir, Mr. Haines!a aGive me that guide please, Maryanne.a Karl held it up for the foremanas scrutiny. aIf one of these falls in the wrong place, it can damage a machine or a worker. I want a hole drilled in every such piece in this shop and a line attaching it to the machine frame.a aA hole and a line,a repeated the man. aSteel cable?a Karl shrugged. aA piece of heavy twine will do a" and is probably safer. The idea is to limit where it falls when vibration throws it out. I authorize overtime for the machinists. Get it done tonight, please.a aYes, sir.a Karl returned the guide to the woman and we proceeded to the center of the floor, where the scaffolding was under construction. Within its shape the forms of the two s.h.i.+ps-to-be were imaginable.

aAmerican women!a said Karl, voice pitched only for my ears.

I grinned at him. aDidnat your a.s.semblers at Peenemunde think you were pretty?a He blinked then barked a laugh. aI donat know if they did. None was female!a aThat surprises me!a I admitted.

He smiled. aWomen have better sense than men. Peenemunde was built in a swamp. Look at that. You can certainly appreciate the diamond-shaped s.h.i.+p plan!a aYes, the scaffolding outlines it.a He shook his head and chuckled sheepishly. aI doubt that anyone in the world would believe the shape of humanityas first s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+ps.a I nodded agreement. aThe circle and the ellipse dominate in aeronautical design for the sake of streamlining. But once you leave the atmosphere streamlining loses its importance. The shape of your s.h.i.+p can be chosen to meet other objectives. You do know itas not just my arbitrariness, donat you?a aYes.a He sighed. aYou explained to me that all these flat, triangular surfaces, set at acute angles with each other, reflect the radar pulse off in useless directions instead of back at the scanner. And that makes sense. Except ...a He looked away.

aExcept what?a He took a breath. aIam sure it will work. A little.a aWhat bothers you, Karl?a aEven a mirror surface scatters some of the radiation.a aVery good,a I agreed again. aSo I intend to absorb 99 per-cent of the scatter before it bounces.a He blinked two or three times. aHow?a aWith 20,000 d.i.c.ks plus that hopper load of iron splinters waiting on the siding. Youare supposed to start straining and filtering it next week, if youave been studying the schedules.a ad.i.c.ks!a he repeated scornfully, shaking his head. aIave been studying everything. Do you really intend to paint the s.h.i.+ps with that stuff?a aThree coats each a" in the appropriate solution, of course. Iall use the d.i.c.ks, tuned for a magnetic instead of an inertial field, to align the splinters while the paint dries. With three different paint layers and three different splinter sizes I expect to get absorption over a large part of the radar spectrum. These s.h.i.+ps will be invisible, Karl.a His mouth worked. Something was biting him, I could tell. aWhat is it?a I asked softly.

He blurted, aHow do you know?a aWhat?a aHow do you know these schemes will stop radar?a aBecause of the ...a Gulf War, I did not say.

aYou have no plan to test any of it. You blithely a.s.sert these results as if they have been operational for years! One thing I learned well at Peenemunde and again at White Sands: you can never test a new machine too much.a I nodded. aThatas true. But believe me, these stealthing concepts have been well tested.a aWhere? When?a I grinned. aThatas the right question, Karl. Speaking of awhen,a the time has come to bring you fully on board.a His eyes widened slightly. He sighed and smiled slowly. aI hoped you would learn to trust me a little. Thank you, Mr. Kimball.a aYouare wela" Ah! Did Rosa" I mean, Ann, tell you?a aRosalind. No, not in so many words. You people are not a" Iave had cause to look this word up a" not good dissimulators.a aIall take that as a compliment.a He clasped his hands together, blinking like mad. aIt is a compliment! I have never imagined people so brilliant as you two.a aWell, thank you. Do you know about Labor Day?a aLabor a"a His eyes twinkled. aAre you referring to the tiny American concession to socialism?a aIam referring to next Monday, the seventh of September. I want you to announce that the plant will close Friday at six p.m. and not reopen until Tuesday at six a.m.a He blinked. aThree and a half days!a aWith only our three night watchmen in the building a" in particular no director. If he has no other plans, Iad like to invite him to come home with me.a aaHome!aa he repeated and grinned. aYou have a home?a aIn fact I do a" along with all the current Fernworks princ.i.p.als.a I reached into my coat pocket, removed his air tickets and put them into his hand. aThe flight leaves Charlotte at eight.a He opened the ticket folder. aTo Cleveland? Your home is in Cleveland?a aKarl, Iall be frank. We hope youall soon also consider it yours.a * * *

Alice asked sweetly in her precise German, aHow much of a fascist were you, Karl?a aAlice!a I declared in startlement.

aI have a good reason for asking,a she said, switching to English, anot a critical one.a Karlas eyes were popping. aYou ... you asked me that in German! Seine Aussprache ist ausgezeichtnet! Bitte, weiter sprechen!"

aOne of my degrees is from Heidelberg,a she explained, once again in German.

aWhen could you possibly have attended ... I didnat think Heidelberg admitted women.a She grinned slyly. aCustoms are changing. I took a degree there in 1968.a aIn ...a He shook his head and chuckled defensively, reverting to English. aYou wish to have a bit of fun with me, isnat it so?a aOnly a bit. Were you a strong fascist, Karl?a His voice stiffened. aApparently not so strong. My wife left me because I criticized n.a.z.i ruthlessness.a aDid she! Karl, I apologize for my impertinence, but I do have good reason. How do you feel about relations with inferior races?a He blinked several times. aDo you mean Negroes? We have hired ...a His voice trailed off as Alazar scampered across the floor and leapt into Aliceas lap. The capuchinas short arms encircled her neck. His hairy cheek pressed hers. From that vantage he stared suspiciously at Karl, who half rose in his chair before falling back, wide-eyed.

Aliceas smile strengthened. aPerhaps I should have said, ainferior species.aa aAh, uh ...a Karl sputtered. He looked at me blankly.

I turned to Clara, sitting on the couch beside me and asked dryly, aIs this how you plan to do it?a The older woman smiled. aDonat you think it will be interesting?a We were sitting in the den. Two other capuchins entered from the hall and crossed the floor to stand between Karl and myself. I recognized Melita, my old playmate, plus a female member of the new crop, born in Cleveland. When I gestured to her, Melita jumped into my lap then up to my shoulder, her preferred perch.

Clara said, aThe young female in front of you, Karl, is named Ochela. She wants to love you.a aI, I ...a He was blinking like mad. Suddenly he blushed. aI could never refuse a female who wanted to love me. Do I ... extend my arms?a Instead of what I call scampering, which I define as running on the feet plus knuckles of the hands, the remaining capuchin held herself fully erect and closed the distance to Karl with short, dainty steps. Directly before him she raised her arms. Hesitantly he leaned forward, caught her furry sides and raised her into his lap. He released her to stroke her back but she moved closer, leaned up and kissed him on the point of the chin. No natural monkey would do that. To his credit Karl did not flinch.

On the contrary, he trembled and stroked her back with both hands, muttering in awe, aMein Gott!a She caught one of his hands and also kissed the palm. Using finger and thumb he brought one of her tiny hands up to his own lips, then turned an oddly softened expression toward me.

aSheas adorable!a he declared breathily.

Clara said, aThese are capuchins, Karl, New World monkeys. Ochela wants to love you with all her heart. She is yours whenever you are here. She actually understands a few words of English. Try giving her simple directions when you have her alone.a aI had no idea they were so tame! These are ... pets?a aMuch more than that, Karl.a aAnd they have the run of the house?a aOh, yes.a She stood up. aIam sure youare full of questions, but youave hardly arrived. Alice will be your guide tonight and provide you with answers.a He and Alice rose together. He turned to me. aRosalind is not here?a Alice said, aSheall fly in tomorrow,a and added with a saucy grin, aSheas giving me tonight to get to know you.a He grinned. aIs she indeed!a Suddenly he blushed.

aOoo, thatas pretty!a the young woman a.s.serted, winking at me. She took his hand possessively. aIall lead you upstairs, but first look behind you.a With a blink he turned. He and I had parked our suitcases just inside the hall door. Eight capuchins appeared, four to each bag. After pulling each flat on the floor, they hefted both by their corners and scampered away to the stairs. Multiple bare feet pattered rapidly on the treads, ascending. That display evoked the second aMein Gott!a of many to come.

When man and girl, each bearing his familiar, had departed after an eye-roll from the former and a wink from the latter, I said dryly to Clara, aThat bit about Rosalindas motive was the exact truth, I gather. Where is she?a aIn Was.h.i.+ngton, running a couple of financial errands for Mr. Upchurch. Among other things, Alice wanted to be the one who advises Karl about reversion. According to Rosalind, neither you nor she has yet spilled those beans.a aNo, Rosalind doesnat know the math.a aThe math!a She smiled. aWill you have time this weekend to disclose it all?a aIf you women donat keep him to yourselves!a aNow, Timmy, would we do that?a She grinned at me askance. aIall show him the birds and the bugs tomorrow at breakfast, and activate his computer. But in the meantime Alice wants to find out something very specific about our new man.a aWhatas that?a aCan he enjoy women while in contact with another man?a I started. aIn contact? What do you mean?a Her eyes never wavered. aPerhaps I mean while his skin is touching that of another man as well as a woman or two.a aOr three,a I added. aMy G.o.d, Clara!a She nodded. aI said as much. The real question is whether you can tolerate it!a I took another swig of the traveleras restorative that had awaited us on the sideboard. She watched me with a steady, quizzical expression.

aYou women like this idea, I take it.a She shrugged. aThe young ones do, certainly. They could only indulge two or three times at Chicago because, they tell me, itas very hard to find willing men. Theyare both atwitter over the possibility now.a aChrist, Clara! How do you feel about it?a aI think it has potential.a She sighed. aTim, consider it. You certainly have no inferiority to exhibit to your friend, no cause to feel compet.i.tion in any sphere. Are men so different from women? Could not the performance of another man and the greater responsiveness of the women stimulate you to greater heights?a I stared at her and licked my lips. aIt might. But it might also cause irreparable harm.a She laughed with a touch of derision. aIs this my G.o.dlike first reverter who suddenly wishes to minimize risk?a aRisk to my women.a aLook again, Tim. In this you donat worry for your women.a aWhatever.a I shook my head. aI need to think about it, Clara, probably for some time.a She studied me, eyes flicking back and forth over my face before her interest faded. aYour women will be disappointed.a aI havenat said, aNo!aa aHavenat you?a The trouble was that I had an instant picture of Karlas and my d.i.c.ks plunging together into the same v.a.g.i.n.a. Whose didnat matter. That picture was anything but stimulating! I wanted to chuckle ruefully at my previously undetected Victorianism.

The only times I had ever seen Karlas equipment were in views of two or three encounters with Rosalind, recommended because of some presumably inadvertent revelation about his nature or history. His was smaller than my current size. Most are. Considering it any kind of threat was ridiculous. A line from one of the Greek savants came to me: aExtreme attraction and extreme revulsion are weaknesses of a common root.a Yuck!

aI havenat said, aNo,aa I repeated. s.h.i.+fting Melita to my arm, I stood up. aItas been a long day and I need some refreshment.a Clara stood too. With an understanding smile she tugged her ruffled blouse over her head. Out popped the full b.r.e.a.s.t.s de rigueur since Rosalind and Alice had set the style.

aExactly right,a I declared. Cupping one in my hand, I turned her away toward the stairs.

Karl and Alice joined us for breakfast, all four people in robes and slippers. He paused in the kitchen doorway, allowed Alice to precede him to the table and bowed to the three of us, declaring solemnly, aGtter von der Zukunft, guten Morgen!a aKarl!a Alice rebuked him. aClara doesnat speak German.a She grinned slyly. aThe aG.o.dsa part is correct, of course.a His brow knitted while he stared at Clara. He asked in English, aDid no German speaker survive the Calamity?a Clara shook her head. aA few thousand survived in the oneills.a He blinked. aOneills?a aArtificial s.p.a.ce habitats, named for Jerry OaNeill, the American who first designed onea a" she grinned a" aabout 12 years from now. But Karl, I fear that in my universe, outside a few such enclaves, all languages but English are dying. The Tower of Babel is reversed.a He blinked several times. Suddenly he took a deep breath, wrinkled his nose appreciatively and licked his lips. Both females smiled fondly. Shortly he was seated between them to attack a large American breakfast.

When his appet.i.te was obviously blunted, I asked with a grin, aWhat has happened to convince you of our divinity?a aYour powers would convince anyone.a He took a breath and blushed but continued doggedly, aThis young lady told me in advance what I might do with her help, then showed me it was all true. Only eine Gttin a" does English have the feminine of G.o.d? Ah. Only a G.o.ddess might give a man such a night as my last!a Alice grinned smugly. aYou are almost the poet, Karl.a I chuckled. aSo religious conversion takes a new form?a Clara giggled. Karl caught Aliceas hand and raised it to his lips. aThis divine form!a Alice is often inventive in matters s.e.xual. I resolved to review her performance for novelty.

Clara asked Karl, aWill you have some more coffee?a aNo, thank you,a he answered, wiping his chin with a napkin then rubbing his belly in contentment.

aThen we should clear the decks,a she continued, afor the next step.a As she spoke perhaps a dozen monkeys scurried into the kitchen, removed our soiled utensils from the table and ran water into the sink behind us. Karl pushed back to give them room but took the incursion with good grace. Monkey maids were only a practical elaboration of what he had seen last night. But when the huge cloud of wasps swarmed into the room and descended upon us, his face paled, his eyes grew large as saucers and with a m.u.f.fled cry he half rose from his chair. I imagine he behaved very much as I had done upon my own introduction to them.

Again he recovered well. Noting our amused faces, he settled slowly back into his chair. He trembled when a few score insects settled upon his hand lying on the table, apparently for its trace of spilled maple syrup, but managed not to s.n.a.t.c.h the hand away.

Biting his lips with an expression of anguish, he asked me, raising his voice above the multifarious whine and clatter that filled the kitchen, aAre they not harmful?a I glared at Alice. aYou mightave warned him!a aAnd miss his shock?a She laughed aloud. aIam not his mother.a aTell him, Clara,a I directed gruffly.

Our eldest issued her spiel about the wasps. As she spoke they and the monkeys finished the cleanup ch.o.r.e. A monkey approached, ducking under the table. Karlas expression, until then intent upon Claraas explanation, suddenly grew vacant. His mouth fell open.

Alice c.o.c.ked her head past the edge of the table and grinned at him. aDid you spill something in your lap, sweetie?a aAh, ah ...a He blushed furiously. aItas licking ... I canat believe ...a aThatas Ochela,a Alice corrected, awho would not be pleased to understand you calling her an ait.aa aI ... Iam sorry.a The monkeyas head appeared first in his lap, from which she bounced up to perch on the edge of the table long enough to bend down and close his robe. Her next move was to spin and huddle in the crook of his arm, where she sat licking her lips in evident satisfaction.

Karl visibly took control of himself. To Clara he said, aYou were saying you manage your, ah, helpers by wireless?a As she explained about the special organs in her head, the wasps and monkeys departed, aside from Ochela. The kitchen was again spotless.

Karl protested, aI cannot believe you grew tiny wireless devices in a" what did you say? a" 50,000 wasps!a aBut I did,a she countered, smiling at his vehemence. aAlice has told you of DNA, the cellular code discovered in the Nineteenth Century and finally understood in the productive Twentieth. Once a valid change has been imposed upon it, it replicates true in successive generations. My capuchins and Vespidae, descendants of the originals, require no further interference with their codes.a He looked at me. aCan you ... and Alice exercise such control of them?a aAnd Rosalind,a I answered, athough not directly as Clara does. We must use our computers.a This led to a discussion of Claraas built-in communication devices and the reasons we achildrena had declined them, including the abominable internal searches at future airports. Karl would not believe suicide could become so popular. He shook his head. aReligion has to be at the root of that!a But he soon returned to the key point. aYou speak of a computer. Both Alice and Rosalind have mentioned this device. What is it?a Clara smiled at him encouragingly. aHow well can you cross your fingers, Karl?a * * *

For the rest of the day we allowed Karl solitude to play with his new toy and to practice at his keyless keyboard. That night he entertained both Alice and Clara while I slept alone, a.s.sisted by Melitaas delicate touch upon shoulders, neck and hairline a" very possibly the finest soporific ever discovered. He seemed a bit drawn at breakfast despite the loving attention of both women.

Rosalind arrived early Sunday afternoon. After she had satisfied herself with the success of Karlas aintegration into the family,a we held our first board meeting with five partic.i.p.ants. Clara, though chairman by right and custom, having supplied all the money, declined my offer to preside, so I took up the symbolic gavel.

We sat in robes around the dining room table, each with his liquid refreshment before him and familiar capuchin on arm or shoulder. aThe meeting will come to order,a I declared, aon Sunday, September 6, 1953. And yes, Karl, Clara is recording the proceedings.

aFirst I want to welcome our new member to the Fernworks board, Mr. Karl-Heinz Studer, Managing Director of Plant One, and call on him to report the status of it.a His eyebrows rose. aaPlant One.a Is there a second?a aYes, in a manner of speaking. Rosalind will report on that.a aOh.a He blinked. aVery well.a He smiled around at the others. aThank you all for your confidence.a All three women clapped for him. I joined in, of course, though they seemed to be more enthusiastic than a formal welcome required. Ah, the advantage of fresh meat!

aBut I canat give you much detail,a he continued apologetically. aTim a" I mean, Mr. Kimball a" this is formal, isnat it so? a" didnat warn me and I didnat bring my notes.a He smiled proudly and put forefinger to temple. aNext time Iall have them in here.a I waved a hand. aI can supply details, if anyone asks. Just speak generally.a aThen Iam pleased to report weare about two weeks ahead of schedule. The s.h.i.+p suba.s.semblies are over half completed. In particular the steam propulsion units are ready for both s.h.i.+ps. Weall test them next week.

aThe scaffolding is complete in both construction bays. We expect to jig up the main stringera a" he grinned at me a" aI prefer to call it the keel a" for s.h.i.+p One when we resume on Tuesday.

aThese are good workers,a he added, staring at me. aWomen and men, theyare conscientious as any Iave ever seen. First stage cuts and bends have required very little refinement. Our high productivity is due entirely to their carefulness. My quality inspectors have little to do.a aI told you so,a I acknowledged with a grin. For the benefit of the others I added, aThat was another reason to locate in Appalachia. The pride those people take in their work survives from an English yeoman background, along with their language.a aAlong with their standard of living,a appended Alice with a sniff.

aThe salaries we pay should help that,a I retorted. aHow about problems, Karl?a He grinned. aOnly one, really. The engineers whoave seen the drawings like to remind me that they could be so much more helpful if they knew the true purpose of these strange shapes.a His grin became a chuckle. aThe s.h.i.+ps are stealthy in more than one sense. No one would believe theyare s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+ps. The engineers have guessed theyare meant to be military tanks, except where are the treads, where are the huge diesel engines? One bright fellow suggested they might be cargo aircraft, taking advantage of flat panels for easier construction, until another pointed out the complete lack of wings and control surfaces. aGiant fern potsa is the womenas suggestion.a He paused. I could see him hesitate, then decide to plunge ahead. aWhat will you build in Baylor when the s.h.i.+ps are finished?a aMore of the same.a He stared at me. aWhoall crew them?a I chuckled. aKarl, I like a man who looks far ahead. When I have a sheaf of photographs and a few minutes of a movie showing you prancing around in a sixth of a G, I donat think Iall have much trouble with recruits.a His eyes lit. aI agree. Those sharp lunar peaks will convince anyone who understands.a aUh-oh. Iave got bad news for you, Karl. Lunar peaks are anything but sharp.a His face fell. aYouave been there?a aYouave been there a" or your head has. Check under Lunar Views.a While he stared toward the window I sighed toward Alice. aThat could be a problem. I forgot everyone currently believes the lack of weather would leave lunar mountains rugged.a aMaybe not,a she answered. aThe reason theyare smooth is pretty obvious when you think about it.a aMein Gott, thatas obvious!a we soon heard Karl mutter. aSuch extreme temperature changes would crack anything in a few million years.a aYou see?a she said with a smug chuckle.

I cleared my throat ostentatiously. aKarl, you voiced a concern to me on the flight up. Care to repeat it?a His eyes came into focus. aYes. The d.i.c.ks!a He giggled, regarding the women with embarra.s.sment, but immediately sat up straight, face solemn. aWe need ten thousand per s.h.i.+p, plus spares. I know theyare supposed to be installed as the next to last a.s.sembly step, just before the stealth painting, in 15 months according to the schedule. Ah a may I inquire as to their current status?a I nodded. aThatas your cue, Alice.a She leered. aI do so love to talk about d.i.c.ks!a I shook my head sorrowfully. a30 years of b.u.mping against you in the lab and I never realized it. What a waste!a aI think youare catching up, Tim.a She cleared her throat. aAnyway a letas discuss s.p.a.ce d.i.c.ks.a She regarded Karl thoughtfully. aWe can almost supply enough for one s.h.i.+p now.a I asked, aHow many do you have fully tested?a a9,945, as of this morning. Weall pa.s.s ten thousand next week.a aEach s.h.i.+p requires 500 spares, along with 500 sockets, before it lifts,a I reminded her.

She tossed her head. aThatas arbitrary, Tim.a She grinned. aMy d.i.c.ks donat fail, do they, Karl?a He blushed but declared with some asperity, aNot when theyare reinforced by Aphrody.a aNot even the VID d.i.c.ks,a she declared stoutly. Her eyes swung on me. aI doubt your Appalachian yeomen are more careful and painstaking than my capuchins.a I had seen her capuchins in operation, unpacking and checking the blanks with micrometers, weighing the wound bobbins, metering the charge current. aTheyare very precise,a I admitted, adding toward Karl, aand their testers reject about every other one. Theyave done well to produce ten thousand by now. But we must have those spares, Alice. I only hope 500 is enough.a aWhy do we need them?a she asked, staring at me.

aThe clue is the need for as many sockets. Have you noticed where these d.i.c.ks sit? Theyare arrayed against the skin of the s.h.i.+p in order to detach the maximum volume. They and their sockets const.i.tute our meteor b.u.mper.a Her eyes widened. aOur what?a aMore precisely, our micrometeor b.u.mper. Anything out there much larger than a grain of sand will go right through the s.h.i.+p. Fortunately as 400 years of s.p.a.cefaring have demonstrated, larger things are vanis.h.i.+ngly rare. But sand grains are relatively common. A volume the size of a s.h.i.+p should expect about one hit a day on average. A d.i.c.k or its socket will stop one a" at the cost of the d.i.c.k.a I cleared my throat. aThe question remains: can you produce another ten thousand in 15 months?a She raised her chin as if I had challenged her. aMy capuchins have got the hang of it. Weall do it in half that time.a I sighed, chuckled and winked at Karl. aWomen! They do hate to simply say yes!a aYes!a she snarled, ayou male chauvinist pig!a aHuh?a Rosalindas eyebrows rose.

Karl blinked several times. aaChauvinist?a Doesnat that mean patriot?a aNot after about 1970,a I retorted. aAlice, Iam glad to hear your confidence. You never know: we may have to accelerate the schedule. Clara, howas the money holding out?a The womanas eyes twinkled. aIn my universe the Lunar Development Corporation didnat show a profit for 30 years. Weare following their venerable-to-be tactic of raising our funds from outside the main business. I just liquidated my Airguidance holdings. Weare flush for some time to come. Meanwhile a couple more flashes in the pan are due to occur this year and next. Donat worry about money, Tim. Buy what you need.a I winked at Karl. aClara is Fernworksa doting mother.a He stared at her in awe. aKnowing the future is the ultimate advantage.a aNow you know it too,a I reminded him. aSo long as we donat perturb it too much.a aIave been thinking about that,a mused Alice. aWhy must there be an infinity of universes? Why couldnat we reverters merely be present in our own original universe?a I straightened up. aHave you forgot the paperclips?a aPaperclips?a asked Karl.

aMy original universe used helical wires, Aliceas used W-shaped clamps. And how about childhood with a father who didnat die on Okinawa?a aOh. I forgot.a At Karlas stare she reminded him, aI told you about that.a Having nipped the digression in the bud, I said, aRosalind, howas the facilities effort?a She smiled. aFacilitous. Hmm. Is that a word?a aYouare the linguist.a aIt ought to be!a She paused, fingers tapping the tabletop. aFerndep is almost complete. The hinge problem is fixed and the roof opened smoothly last week. I expect to sign off on the inspections by the fifteenth. Weall begin stocking it on the first of October.a aGood.a I had to grin. aHow about telling our new board member just what Ferndep is?a aOkay. Close your mouth, Karlie. Fernworks Depot One is Timas stuffy name for it. What it is, is a quarter-million square-foot warehouse with a hinged roof just outside Neldon, Virginia, about 20 miles west of Radford, also in the Appalachians. It could be used to build more s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+ps if necessary, but initially itas a backup for Baylor and a resupply point for the s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+ps. Weall also do some ancillary manufacturing there, such as panels and girders for s.p.a.ce construction. The public name for it is Tyler Manufacturing Company. Mr. Tyler, the sole owner, enjoyed your company with Alice just last night, so Iam told.a Karl blinked. aMr. Tyler?a aHow do you do,a intoned Clara gravely. aAnd I did very much enjoy your company, Mr. Haines.a She smiled.

aI see,a he muttered. aIs this what you call an in-joke?a Alice sniffed. aAnd have you ever been in!a He flushed bright red. Alice giggled. aIsnat he pretty?a Rosalind chuckled. aHave you noticed? On a good zing the red goes down to his navel.a aIall take that as a challenge,a Alice responded, studying him speculatively. His blush actually deepened.

aThatas all very interesting,a I interjected in my best killjoy tone. aI want your d.i.c.k production to continue, Alice, with all your output transs.h.i.+pped via Ferndep. Make a note, will you?a aAye, aye, sir!a she declared ironically. Abruptly her grin disappeared. aWhy?a aTo obfuscate the trail back to Cleveland.a She stared at me. aDo you know something we donat?a aNo, but a lot can go wrong in 15 months.

Upper crustiness has its obligations, like n.o.blesse oblige. One February morning I found Lacey, who was file clerk, telephone interface and general gofor for both Karl and myself, nervous and tearful. Thinking it must be that time of month, I dismissed my concern until I overheard her demand from the telephone, aTheyave arrested him?a Her shoulders hunched, beginning to shake. aOh, my G.o.d!a When she hung up, her hands retrieved a gob of tissues from her purse but her back continued to tremble. I hate to see a lady in distress, which is especially true of my gofor. So I got to my feet, ambled out to her office and sat on the corner of her little secretarial desk. She peeked at me from one reddened eye around the wad of Kleenex.

aAnybody I know?a aJerome.a She p.r.o.nounced the name with a m.u.f.fled sob. It sounded familiar.

aI hope youare not referring to Jerome Kelliam, our shop foreman.a She wailed something.

aWould you repeat that?a I asked.