Chapter 11 Polyphony III

Mr. Vesallo's private residence at the Chancellor's Residence.Ishtar was giving instructions to the rejuvenation doctor who was guarding him, while Hamadiyad and Grahid were waiting by the side.Then the three of them took the elevator down the stairs, across the mansion, to the room Ella had arranged for Ishtar.This place is bigger than her residence in Huichun Clinic, and much more luxurious than that penthouse, but there is no garden; this is the room for entertaining directors or other VIP guests.It doesn't matter whether it is extravagant or not, because Ishtar and Grahead spend most of their time with Lazarus, even eating, and they mainly sleep here.

Minerva also prepared more than a dozen smaller rooms for Ishtar to arrange people on the guardian list, one of which belonged to Grahead, but he didn't need it.After Hamadiyad became an unofficial member of the team caring for the Patriarch, Ishtar asked Minerva to reassign the room to her.Hamadiyad sometimes sleeps here instead of returning to her suburban home.She did not tell her father because the acting patriarch discouraged his relatives from using rooms in the mansion unnecessarily.She also sometimes stayed with Ishtar and Grahead. All three entered Ishtar's room; they had matters to discuss.After entering the room, Ishtar said:

"Minerva?" "I'm listening, Ishtar?" ."What's the situation now?" "Lazarus was talking to Ella. It was a private conversation." "Let me know something, dear." "Of course, dear." Ishtar turned to the others and said, "Anyone want something to drink? It's too early for dinner." Grahead replied: "I'm going to take a shower and have a drink. It's hot and sweaty and I was going to have a drink when Lazarus kicked us out." "You stink," Ishtar said, "I smelled it in the elevator."

"You need a shower yourself, you big ass; you and I work hard at the gym." "Unfortunately, it is true, brave knight; after the last match, I deliberately sat downwind of the two elders. Hama, little smelly and I take a bath, prepare us some cold drinks Bar." "Can you two have some plum juice or something ready-made? Let's both take a shower. Although I don't exercise like you two, I broke out in a cold sweat from fear when I proposed to my grandfather. I put things Fucked up! After you showed me how to do it, Ishtar. I'm sorry!" She began to twitch.

Ishtar hugged the younger woman, "Okay, okay, honey. Don't cry. I don't think you messed up." "He turned me down." "You laid a good foundation and gave him a good jolt—just what he needed. I was taken aback by your timing, but you're going to pull it off." "He might not even be Let me go back!" "He will. Stop babbling. Come on, dear; Grahead and I will give you a good back rub and let you relax. Go get your drink and come to the bathroom, Smelly." "There are two women here who want me to do something. All right."

When Grahide came to the bathroom with an iced drink, Ishtar and Hamadiyad were lying face down on the massage table.Ishtar looked up and said, "Honey, check to see if there are three bathrobes on the hanger before you take a bath; I didn't check." "Okay, ma'am, right away, ma'am; that's all the requests, ma'am?—There's plenty of bathrobes; I called up this morning and asked for many. Don't scratch her, you don't know how strong you are. I'll need her again later." "I'll trade you for a dog, sweetheart, and sell the dog. Pass us the drinks and come over to help, or you won't get either of us later. There won't be another chance. We just agreed that all men are beasts." She continued to massage Hamadiyadh's back gently but forcefully: very professionally.The massage table under Hamadiyad has been adjusted according to her body, supporting her very obediently.Ishtar told Grahead to put the drinking straw in her mouth without slowing down at all.

He put Hamadiyadh's drink on the table, put the straw into her mouth, patted her cheek, and then stood on the other side of the massage table, following Ishtar's rhythm to help massage.The massage table changes the motion pattern to accommodate four-handed massage. After a few minutes, he spat out his drinking straw, "Ishtar, could Grandpa have noticed the intentions of you two fat girls?" "We're not that fat. At least Hamma isn't fat." "'Fat girl' is a common English idiom for women. You said that as long as we are on this mission, we should be speaking and thinking in English."

"I'm just saying that Hamadiyadh isn't that fat, even though she's had more babies than me. I haven't had a baby since my spring. But the saying is funny; I like it. I can't imagine la How could Saru have guessed that we were pregnant. Even if he did, it would be fine with me. He would wonder how I got pregnant, but he would not know that I did something on the record of the source of the cloned cells Hands and feet. Hama, you didn't hint anything to Lazarus, did you? Hamadiyad stopped drinking, "Of course not!" "Minerva knows," said Grahead.

"Of course she knows, and I discussed it with her. But you're making me a little uncertain at the moment. Minerva?" "I'm listening, Ishtar," said the computer. "Ayla is leaving; Lazarus is back in the room. No problem." "Thank you, dear. Minerva, is it possible that Lazarus already knew about Hamadiyad and me? I mean about the fact that we were pregnant, and why and how." "He didn't mention it, and no one mentioned it in front of him. By analyzing the relevant data I have, the possibility that he knows is less than one in a thousand."

"And what about Ella?" "Less than one ten thousandth. Ishtar, when Ayla ordered me to provide you with a service and to assign you a restricted memory bank, he programmed it so that any subsequent procedures would simply delete the assignment For your memory bank. That way, he has no way of recovering your personal files, and I can't program it myself to spread it." "Yes, you assured me so. But I'm not very computer literate, Minerva." Minerva giggled, "But I understand. You can say that computing is my profession. Don't worry, my dear, your secrets are safe with me. Lazarus just asked me to prepare him a simple meal." dinner, after which he will go to bed."

"Okay. Tell me what and how much he ate, and when he went to bed, and let me know when he wakes up. If a man can't sleep at night, he's having a low; I have to be prepared, Ready to react. You know what I mean." "I'll be watching his brain patterns, Ishtar. You'll be warned two to five minutes in advance—unless El Diablo jumps on him on the stomach." "Damn cat. But waking up that way won't upset him; I'm worried about his suicide nightmares. I'm running out of emergency diversions, and I can't do it again." Set fire to that hut." "During this month, Lazarus hasn't had that typical melancholic nightmare when he's asleep, Ishtar. I've learned how to spot a brainwave pattern like that now; I'll be very careful." "I know you will, dear. Wish we knew what happened to him in the past to have such nightmares; then we might be able to get rid of them altogether." Ishtargrahyde interjected: "If you tamper with his memory, you may destroy all the things Ella is after." "But I might have saved our customer by doing it. Do your back massage, and leave the finer work to Minerva and me. Anything else, Minerva?" "No. Oh yes. Ella sent me to Hamadiyad. He wants to talk to her. Does she answer the phone?" "Of course!" said Hamadiyad, rolling over. "Let him speak through you, Minerva; I don't want to use the phone, and I want to continue with the massage." "Hamadiyad?" "I'm here, Ella." "Here's a message for you. Be nice to Patriarch and go to that hut as usual, okay? Better go early and have breakfast with him. "Are you sure he wants to see me?" "Yes, he thought. He shouldn't have wanted to see you, you're embarrassing him. What's wrong with you, Hama? But the message was his, not mine. He wanted to make sure you weren't scared off .” She breathed a sigh of relief, "As long as he allows me to stay, I will not be scared away. Father, I told you, I will stay as long as he allows me to stay. I am serious Yes, I used to think so, and I still think so. Wondering how serious I am? I've told my manager and she can buy my business with a long-term loan." "Really? I'm very happy. If you really do this, as long as you want to cash out, I - should say the government - can take over the loan from you without any discount. I have placed Order, any matter related to the ancestor can be granted with an unlimited loan amount. If necessary, just tell Minerva." "Thank you, sir. But I don't need the money—unless my grandfather gets tired of me and I see something else worth investing in. My business is doing fine; I can get Priscilla to help me for a few years .In fact, the business is very good. I bet, my property has surpassed yours. I mean your private property." "Don't be silly, my silly girl; as a citizen, I'm almost penniless, but my power allows me to confiscate your property with a single word, transfer it to Minerva, and no one will question I." "But you'd never do that. You've been so kind to me, Ella." "Ok?" "You're really good...even if you can't remember my baby's name. I'm so happy, Daddy, you make me so happy." "You haven't called me 'Daddy' in fifty or sixty years." "Because you don't encourage children to grow up and maintain such a close relationship with you. I ask my children to do the same. But this task makes me feel closer to you. I won't say it, sir, I'll be there tomorrow-early. Hang up?" "Wait a minute. I forgot to ask you where you are. If you're home—" "I'm not at home; I'm taking a bath with Grahead and Ishtar. I mean, getting ready to take a bath. They're rubbing my back and it's nice, you interrupted them." "I'm sorry. Since you're still at the mansion, I suggest you stay. That way you can get there early tomorrow. Let them arrange a bed for you, or, if that's not convenient, come to my residence; we'll find you a room." .” "Don't worry about me, Ella. If they can't keep me overnight, Minerva will find me a bed. Honestly, I've never had a problem with my bed - Lazarus The bed is the only exception. Maybe I'll have to do another rejuvenation treatment." Mr. Acting Patriarch hesitated when he answered, "Hamadiyad...you are serious about having a baby with him, aren't you?" "Privacy, sir." "Sorry. Well, I respect privacy, but that doesn't stop me from expressing my opinion. I think it's a very good idea. If you want, I will support you in any way I can." Hamadiyad looked at Ishtar, spread his hands, and made a gesture of "what to do now?" before replying: "His refusal looks firm, sir." "Let me give you the man's position, my girl. A man will usually refuse such an offer before he accepts it—the man wants to know for sure whether the woman's motives are sincere. He may accept it after a while. I'm not saying you should keep nagging him in his ear; it won't help. If you want to marry him...be patient and bide your time. You're charming; I have faith in you." "Yes, sir. If he could actually give me a child, we'd all be worth more, wouldn't we?" "Yes, of course. But my purpose is different. If he dies, or leaves us, he will always leave a sperm bank and a tissue bank - two things, he can't do anything with us. If need , I'll do some tricks. But I don't want him to die, Hamadiyadh, and I don't want him to leave anytime soon. I'm not saying this for sentimental reasons. Patriarch is unique; in order not to lose him, I've gotten into a lot of trouble already. Your presence made him happy, your proposal sparked his interest...even though you feel like he's reacting badly. You're helping us keep him alive. If he ends up getting you pregnant His child, you will be able to successfully keep him alive for quite a long time. Live indefinitely." Hamadiyad shook his body excitedly and smiled at Ishtar, "Father, you Make me proud of myself." "You've been a proud daughter, dear. But I can't take all the credit for myself; your mother was the best woman. Now dead?" "Okay. Good night, sir." Hamadiyad did not get up, she put her arms around the waist of the two friends and hugged them tightly. "Oh, I feel great!" "Get off the massage table, you skinny fat chick; it's my turn." "You don't need a massage," Ishtar said firmly. "You're not suffering emotionally. The hardest work you did all day was beating me in two sports." "But I'm a very emotional person. Sensitive and delicate." "Indeed, dear Grahead, now you can help her down delicately, and bathe her delicately with me." Grahead did as she was told, still grumbling, "You two should bathe me like I'm a blind musician." He closed his eyes and sang: "There is a police at the corner of the street he is sometimes not very friendly to those no money Or the unfortunate-- "This is me, 'Unfortunate One,' or I wouldn't be working with two women. Which next step is it, Ishtar?" "Of course it's 'relax'. Dear Hamma, since you let us listen to your conversation with your father, I think we should discuss it. I agree with Ella. You have sexualized Lazarus , whether he realizes it or not. If you can keep him going like this, he won't be depressed." "Is he really nearly fully recovered, Ishtar?" Hamadiyad asked.She held her arms up and asked them to help her bathe, "He looks better than before, but I still can't tell, his attitude hasn't changed." "Oh, of course. He started masturbating a month ago. Shampoo, honey?" "He masturbated? Really? Oh, great! Shampoo? Yes, thanks." "So there is a nice sister Even if there is only one old uncle "Close your eyes, little Hamma; here comes the foamy water. At Ishtar, customers have no privacy, but she won't tell me; I can only guess from his brain wave pattern. Ishtar, why? Always ask me to wash Hama's back?" "Because you tickle other people's itch, sweetheart. You don't have to know. With Minerva's help, customers certainly don't have privacy. That's how it should be. By the way, we need better computers in our clinic too, I Realized now. Of course, his privacy will not be revealed, and our oath also covers this aspect. Hama, you are not a full member, but I am sure you know this." "Oh, of course! Take it easy, Grahead. The red-hot pincers won't let me speak, except to you two. Not to Ayla. Ishtar, can I learn to be a A real rejuvenator? What do you think?" "If you make up your mind and study hard. Get on the shower, Grahead. I'm sure you have a passion for it. What's your intelligence?" "They're your friends, boy. don't ignore them Birthdays and Yom Kippur—" "Hmm... 'genius minus'," Hamadiyadh replied. "It takes genius in this business," suggested Grahead, "and a passion for work. She's a slaveholder, little Hamma." "And Christmas and Hanukkah A greeting card or even a candle. " "You're off-key, dear. You're a 'Genius Plus,' Hama, slightly higher than Grahead. I checked your numbers, just in case—and you really asked for it. I am very happy." "'Off key?' You're exaggerating." "You have other qualities, my knight; you don't need to be a troubadour. Come to think of it, little Hamma, if you make up your mind, you can be a paramedic when we emigrate. If you don’t want to immigrate. The clinics here are always in need of staff, and it’s not easy to find good ones. But I hope—very hope—that you will join us. We will all help you.” "Of course we will, Hama! Needless to say? Will we practice polygamy after we emigrate?" "Ask Ella. Does it matter? Get a bathrobe and put it on little Hamma, and then you and I rub each other's backs; I'm a little hungry." "You want to take a risk? After you commented on my singing level like that? I know where your itchy flesh is, and I have to burn them all." "King's Cross! I apologize! I love your song, honey." "That idiom should be 'King X', Ishtar, which means stop making trouble. Hama, what a nice girl to bring us our bathrobes. By the way, long-legged girl, when she sang just now—the pitch Pretty spot on - I figured out what the idiom I was baffled by. Minerva was wrong; 'hook shop' means whorehouse, i.e. the born loser in that song Sister, she is a whore. In this way, the following sentence will follow." "Why, that's true! No wonder she can support her brother. Artists always earn more than ordinary people." Hamadiyad returned with a bathrobe.She put her bathrobe on the massage table' and said, "Grahde,... so you're not sure what those idioms mean. I never knew that. The first time I heard that song, I knew it." took its meaning." "Wish you'd have told me in the first place." "Is it important?" "There is one more clue. Hama, when analyzing a culture, myths and legends, folk songs, idioms and proverbs are more basic than official history. If you don't understand a person's culture, you can't fully understand her - In English, you should say 'he'. This pronoun alone tells you something basic about our customer's upbringing. A pronoun that can refer to both men and women always appears as a masculine pronoun, It means that either men are dominant in this society' or that women are just rising from a lower social status - language always lags behind the development of social culture. The society where Lazarus grew up belongs to the latter case, which is caused by other Inferred from clues." "From the grammar rules alone, you have so many discoveries?" "Sometimes. Hama, once upon a time, it was my profession. I was old, gray-haired, and waiting for rejuvenation. This kind of analysis is a bit like detective work, one clue is never enough For example, even if there are clues that women have the same status as men, it may not be the case. Who ever heard of a brothel being run by a man? Men are more or less like thugs in a brothel. According to Lazarus , his work in the brothel also includes the beater part. But can a man be a manager? This is simply ridiculous in the context of modern brothels. This shows that the colony of Mars is an atypical society in decline. There are I'm not sure about this possibility." "Come on at meal time, boys; mother is hungry." "Come on, Ishtar. Grahaide, I understood the saying without thinking much. You know, my mother was - and still is - a whore." "Really? What a coincidence. So did my mother, and so did Ishtar's mother. And all three of us ended up working in rejuvenation, serving the same customer. People in both professions are more Less—I wonder what the odds are of that happening?" "It's not very unusual, because both professions require strong emotions. If you want to know the probability, ask Minerva." Ishtar suggested, "Please pass me the bathrobe .I don't like being blown dry, and I don't want to catch a cold while eating. Hama, sweetie, why don't you pursue your mother's career? You are so beautiful and sure to be a star." Hamadiyadh shrugged, "Oh, I know I'm long but my mother can snatch a man away from me with the flick of a little finger - unless I don't let her have that chance. In this kind of In fact, it doesn't matter if a woman is beautiful or not. You saw a man reject me today. Lazarus taught us that it takes many qualities to be a great artist, including spiritual strength that a man can feel. My mother is Has that quality, and I don't." "I agree with you," said Ishtar.They walked through the living room to the dining room.She glanced at the menu provided in the kitchen downstairs. "My mother had that quality too. She wasn't very pretty, but she had just what a man needed. It's the same until now, even though she's retired." "Long-legged girl," said Grahead, solemnly, "you're all right. You have that too." "Thank you, my knight, but it's not true. With a given man, up to two, I sometimes exhibit this quality, sometimes not at all, because I get so absorbed in my work that I forget about sex. I told you how many years I hadn't had sex. Honey, if our customers hadn't made me so emotional, I wouldn't have found you, and I wouldn't have risked 'seven hours' of pleasure. This Very unprofessional, Hamadiyad; I'm like a school girl on a warm spring night. But, Grahead, Tamara - that's my mother - she's available anytime, to anyone who needs her Tamara never put a price on herself, she didn't need it; they sent her tons of presents. She is now retired and is considering rejuvenation. But her fans won't Leave her alone; till now she's been in business." "I'd love to be like her," Grahead said sadly. "But I'm the 'born loser' in that song. A man in that profession would kill himself in a month." "Dear Grahead, if you do that, it may take longer. Eat well now, and get your strength back; we're going to put you in the middle of the bed to-night." "So I've been invited too?" Hamadiyad asked. "It's very kind of you to say that. Rather I'm inviting myself. Graheade made it clear in the bath that he had you in his plans for tonight, dear. But he didn't mention me." "Oh, he did! Anyway, he's been lusting after you sexually; I can feel it." "He received a sexual desire message, over. Is it okay to have steak with random side dishes? How about you two order your own? My imagination is not enough." "I can. Ishtar, you should legalize your relationship with Grahead while he's in a daze." "It's personal, dear." "I'm sorry. I just blurted it out because I like you two so much." "Big asses don't marry me," said Grahead, "but I'm so nice and simple and humble. Just tickle. Will you marry me, sweet little Harma?" " "What? Grahead, you're the greatest teaser in the world. You don't really want to marry me; besides, you know, I'm with my grandfather, though he refuses me—until Ian Shita told me to give up. She might never say that." Ishtar finished ordering and cleared the screen. "Gralhead, stop teasing our little girl. As long as either of us—or one of us—has any chance of getting that customer interested in living with us, or having a baby, or both, I will let Hamadiyad and I not be restricted by any marriage contract. We are not playing with him casually, and we must let him take it seriously." "Really? Then for the sake of the God of Fertility, why did you arrange for the two of you to conceive at the same time? I don't understand. I heard what you said, but I don't understand the meaning." "My stupid cutie, it's because I can't wait any longer. The head of the clinic could be back any minute." "But why the two of you? There are thousands of registered, ready-to-use surrogate mothers. Also, why both of you?" "My dear, I'm sorry, I said you were stupid, but you're not; it's just that you're a man. Both Hamadiyadh and I know exactly what risks we're taking and why. We're still No sign of pregnancy, it won't show for a few weeks, if any of us can lure Lazarus into marrying him, it will take ten minutes to remove the fetus. Professional surrogate mothers don't do that I do, so I definitely have to find someone I can control and trust completely. I have to trust a genetic surgeon and risk a medical procedure that has been banned. It's bad enough, I don't want to be on the surrogate side Take another risk. If word gets out, Ella will force me to cancel the plan. "You know as well as I do, dear Grahead, that even the ordinary cloning process sometimes goes wrong. I wish I had four surrogate mothers I could trust, not two. Eight, sixteen would be better. !This will increase the odds of getting a normal fetus. In a month - when we will still not be seen by everyone - we will know what we are carrying. If both of us fail one then I Will be ready to do it again, Hamadiyad is also in the same mind." "As often as it takes, Ishtar. I swear." Ishtar patted her hand, "We will conceive a normal fetus. Grahead, Lazarus is about to have an identical twin sister, I assure you. Once this becomes a fact, we will not Gonna hear him talk about a suicide selector switch, or leave us, or whatever—at least until she grows up!" "Ishtar?" "What, Hamadiyad?" "If in a month's time it turns out we're all pregnant with normal fetuses—" "Then you can have an abortion, honey; you know that." "No, no, no! I don't want an abortion! What's wrong with having twins?" Grahead winked at her, "You don't have to answer, Ishtar. I'll tell you how a man thinks. A man who can refuse to raise two twin girls has not yet been born. Even if he did, his The name won't be Lazarus Long either. Honey, is there anything you can do to improve your chances of success? Something you can do right now?" "No," Ishtar replied softly, "no. We both have confirmed pregnancy, that's all we know and can do now. There's nothing to do but pray. The problem is I don't know how to pray." "Then now is the time for us to learn to pray."