“I don’t want to be beaten.”
“Too bad, I was looking forward to it. That’s settled, gentle sirs; she stays. Marj, we swindled you. Georges will require you to pose inordinate hours-he’s a brute-and he’ll be getting you just for groceries instead of the guild rates he ordinarily has to pay. He’ll show a profit.”
“No,” said Georges, “I won’t show a profit; I’ll take a profit. Because I’ll show her as a business expense, Jan my heart. But not at guild basic rate; she’s worth more. One and a half?”
“At least. Double, I would say. Be generous, since you aren’t going to pay her anyhow. Don’t you wish you had her on campus? In your lab, I mean.”
“A worthy thought! One that has been hovering in the back of my mind . . . and thank you, our dear one, for bringing it out into the open.” Georges addressed me: “Marjorie, will you sell me an egg?”
He startled me. I tried to look as if I did not understand him. “I don’t have any eggs.”
“Ah, but you do! Some dozens, in fact, far more than you will ever need for your own purposes. A human ovum is the egg I mean. The laboratory pays far more for an egg than it does for sperm- simple arithmetic. Are you shocked?”
“No. Surprised. I thought you were an artist.”
Janet put in, “Marj hon, I told you that Georges is several sorts of an artist. He is. In one sort he is Mendel Professor of Teratology at the University of Manitoba . . . and also chief technologist for the associated production lab and crèche, and believe me, that calls for high art. But he’s good with paint and canvas, too. Or a computer screen.”
“That’s true,” Ian agreed. “Georges is an artist with anything he touches. But you two should not have sprung this on Marj while she’s our guest. Some people get terribly upset at the very idea of gene manipulation-especially their own genes.”
“Marj, did I upset you? I’m sorry.”
“No, Jan. I’m not one of those people who get upset at the very thought of living artifacts or artificial people or whatever. Uh, some of my best friends are artificial people.”
“Dear, dear,” Georges said gently, “do not pull the long bow.”
“Why do you say that?” I tried not to make my voice sharp.
“I can claim that, because I work in that field and, I am proud to say, have quite a number of artificial persons who are my friends. But-”
I interrupted: “I thought an AP never knew her designers?”
“That is true and I have never violated that canon. But I do have many opportunities to know both living artifacts and artificial persons-they are not the same-and to win their friendship. But- forgive me, dear Miss Marjorie-unless you are a member of my profession- Are you?”
“No.”
“Only a genetic engineer or someone closely associated with the industry can possibly claim a number of friends among artificial people. Because, my dear, contrary to popular myth, it is simply not possible for a layman to distinguish between an artificial person and a natural person . . . and, because of the vicious prejudice of ignorant people, an artificial person almost never voluntarily admits to his derivation-I’m tempted to say never. So, while I am delighted that you don’t go through the roof at the idea of artificial creatures, I am forced to treat your claim as hyperbole intended to show that you are free of prejudice.”
“Well- All right. Take it as such. I can’t see why APs have to be second-class citizens. I think it’s unfair.”
“It is. But some people feel threatened. Ask Ian. He’s about to go charging off to Vancouver to keep artificial persons from ever becoming pilots. He-”
“Hooooold it! I am like hell. I am submitting it that way because my guild brothers voted it that way. But I’m no fool, Georges; living with and talking with you has made me aware that We are going to have to compromise. We are no longer really pilots and we haven’t been this century. The computer does it. If the computer cuts out I will make a real Boy Scout try at getting that bus safely down out of the sky. But don’t bet on it! The speeds and the possible emergencies went beyond human-reaction time years back. Oh, I’ll try! And any of my guild brothers will. But, Georges, if you can design an artificial person who can think and move fast enough to cope with a glitch at touchdown, I’ll take my pension. That’s all we’re going to hold out for, anyhow-if the company puts in AP pilots that displace us, then it has to be full pay and allowances. If you can design them.”