Betty’s eyes widened, then she started to laugh and choked. “Mr. Kiku! Oh no!”
“I am quite serious. It is a matter of viewpoint and made more reasonable by considering relative lifetimes. Lummox had raised several generations of John Thomases. It was Lummox’s only hobby and principal interest. Childish, but Lummox was, and still is, a child.”
Betty got herself under control to the point where she could talk through giggles. ”Raising John Thomases.” Does Johnnie know about this?”
“Well, yes, but I explained it to him somewhat differently.”
“Does Mrs. Stuart know about this?”
“Ah. . . I haven’t found it necessary to tell her.”
“May I tell her? I want to see her face. ‘John Thomases’. . . oh my!”
“I think that would be cruel,” Mr. Kiku answered stiffly.
“I suppose so. All right, I won’t do it. But I can dream about it, can’t I?”
“We all can dream. But to continue: Lummox appears to have been perfectly happy with this innocent hobby. It was the Hroshia’s intention to continue it indefinitely. That was the reason that we found ourselves faced with this curious dilemma of being unable to get the Hroshii to leave after their sibling had been restored. Lummox wished to continue, uh, raising John Thomases.” He hesitated.
Finally Betty said, “Well, Mr. Kiku? Go on.”
“Uh, what are your own plans, Betty. . . Miss Sorenson?”
“Mine? I haven’t discussed them with anyone.”
“Um. Pardon me if I was unduly personal. You see, there are requirements in any endeavor and Lummox, it appears, is aware of one of the requirements. . . uh, let’s put it this way. If we have here a rabbit. . . or a cat. . .” He stopped dead, unable to go on.
She searched his unhappy face. “Mr. Kiku, are you trying to say that it takes two rabbits to have more rabbits?”
“Well, yes. That was part of it.”
“Now, really! Why make such a fuss about it? Everybody knows it. I suppose the rest is that Lummox knows that the same rule applies to John Thomases?”
He could only nod dumbly.
“You poor dear, you should have written me a note about it. It would have been less of a strain on you. I suppose I’ll have to help you with the rest, too. You thought I might figure in this plan?”
“I had no wish to intrude. . . but I did want to sound out your intentions.”
“Am I going to marry John Thomas? I’ve never had any other intention. Of course.”
Mr. Kiku sighed. “Thank you.”
“Oh, I won’t be doing it to please you.”
“Oh no! I was thanking you for assisting me.”
“Thank Lummie. Good old Lummie! You can’t fool Lummox.”
“I take it that this is all settled?”
“Huh? I haven’t proposed to him yet. But I will. . . I was waiting until it was a little nearer time for the ship to leave. You know how men are-nervous and skittery. I didn’t want to leave him time to worry. Did your wife propose to you right off? Or did she wait until you were ripe for the kill?”
“Uh, well, the customs of my people are somewhat different. Her father arranged it with my father.”
Betty looked shocked. “Slavery,” she stated baldly.
“No doubt. However I have not been unhappy under it.” He stood up. “I’m glad that we have concluded our talk so amiably.”
“Just a moment, Mr. Kiku. There are one or two other matters. Just what are you doing for John Thomas?”
“Eh?”
“What’s the contract?”
“Oh. Financially we mean to be liberal. He will devote most of his time to his education, but I had thought of giving him a nominal title in the embassy-special attaché, or assistant secretary, or some such.”
Betty remained silent. “Of course, since you are going along, it might be well to give you a semi-official status, too. Say special aide, with the same salary? It would give you two a nice nest egg if you return. . .when you return.”
She shook her head. “Johnnie isn’t ambitious. I am.”
“Yes?”
“Johnnie is to be ambassador to the Hroshii.”