No one spoke up. Lazarus Long’s streamlined version of parliamentary procedure had them somewhat startled; they were used to long, leisurely discussions until it became evident that one point of view had become unanimous. Doing things in a hurry was slightly shocking.
But the man’s personality was powerful, his years gave him prestige, and his slightly archaic way of speaking added to his patriarchal authority; nobody argued.
“Okay,” Lazarus announced, clapping his hands once. “Church is out until tomorrow night.” He stepped down from the platform.
Mary Sperling came up to him. “I would like to know you better,” she said, looking him in the eyes.
“Sure, Sis. Why not?”
“Are you staying for discussion?”
“Could you come home with me?”
“Like to. I’ve no pressing business elsewhere.”
“Come then.” She led him through the tunnel to the underground pool connecting with Lake Michigan. He widened his eyes at the pseudo-Camden but said nothing until they were submerged.
“Nice little car you’ve got.”
“Yes.”
“Has some unusual features.”
She smiled. “Yes. Among other things, it blows up-quite thoroughly-if anyone tries to investigate it.”
“Good.” He added, “You a designing engineer, Mary?”
“Me? Heavens, no! Not this past century, at least, and I no longer try to keep up with such things. But you can order a car modified the way this one is through the Families, if you want one. Talk to-“
“Never mind, I’ve no need for one. I just like gadgets that do what they were designed to do and do it quietly and efficiently. Some good skull sweat in this one.”
“Yes.” She was busy then, surfacing, making a radar check, and getting them back ashore without attracting notice.
When they reached her apartment she put tobacco and drink close to him, then went to her retiring room, threw off her street clothes and put on a soft loose robe that made her look even smaller and younger than she had looked before. When she rejoined Lazarus, he stood up, struck a cigarette for her, then paused as he handed it to her and gave a gallant and indelicate whistle.
She smiled briefly, took the cigarette, and sat down in a large chair, pulling her feet under her. “Lazarus, you reassure me.”
“Don’t you own a mirror, girl?”
“Not that,” she said impatiently. “You yourself. You know that I have passed the reasonable life expectancy of our people-I’ve been expecting to die, been resigned to it, for the past ten years. Yet there you sit … years and years o1der than I am. You give me hope.”
He sat up straight. “You expecting to die? Good grief, girl-you look good for another century.”
She made a tired gesture. “Don’t try to jolly me. You know that appearance has nothing to do with it. Lazarus, I don’t want to die!”
Lazarus answered soberly, “I wasn’t trying to kid you, Sis. You simply don’t look like a candidate for corpse.”
She shrugged gracefully. “A matter of biotechniques. I’m holding my appearance at the early thirties.”
“Or less, I’d say. I guess I’m not up on the latest dodges, Mary. You heard me say that I had not attended a get-together for more than a century. As a matter of fact I’ve been completely out of touch with the Families the whole time.”
“Really? May I ask why?”
“A long story and a dull one. What it amounts to is that I got bored with them. I used to be a delegate to the annual meetings. But they got stuffy and set in their ways-or so it seemed to me. So I wandered off. I spent the Interregnum on Venus, mostly. I came back for a while after the Covenant was signed but I don’t suppose I’ve spent two years on Earth since then. I like to move around.”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh, tell me about it! I’ve never been out in-deep space. Just Luna City, once.”
“Sure,” he agreed. “Sometime. But I want to hear more about this matter of your appearance. Girl, you sure don’t look your age.”
“I suppose not. Or, rather, of course I don’t. As to how it’s done, I can’t tell you much. Hormones and symbiotics and gland therapy and some psychotherapy-things like that. What it adds up to is that, for members of the Families, senility is postponed and that senescence can be arrested at least cosmetically.” She brooded for a moment. “Once they thought they were on the track of the secret of immortality, the true Fountain of Youth. But it was a mistake. Senility is simply postponed … and shortened. About ninety days from the first clear warning-then death from old age.” She shivered. “Of course, most of our cousins don’t wait-a couple of weeks to make certain of the diagnosis, then euthanasia.”
“The hell you say! Well, I won’t go that way. When the Old Boy comes to get me, he’ll have to drag me-and I’ll be kicking and gouging eyes every step of the way!”
She smiled lopsidedly. “It does me good to hear you talk that way. Lazarus, I wouldn’t let my guards down this way with anyone younger than myself. But your example gives me courage.”
“We’ll outlast the lot of ‘em, Mary, never you fear. But about the meeting tonight: I haven’t paid any attention to the news and I’ve only recently come earthside-does this chap Ralph Schultz know what he is talking about?”
“I think he must. His grandfather was a brilliant man and so is his father.”
“I take it you know Ralph.”
“Slightly. He is one of my grandchildren.”
“That’s amusing. He looks older than you do.”
“Ralph found it suited him to arrest his appearance at about forty, that’s all. His father was my twenty-seventh child. Ralph must be-let me see-oh, eighty or ninety years younger than I am, at least. At that, he is older than some of my children.”
“You’ve done well by the Families, Mary.”
“I suppose so. But they’ve done well by me, too. I’ve enjoyed having children and the trust benefits for my thirty-odd come to quite a lot. I have every luxury one could want.” She shivered again. “I suppose that’s why I’m in such a funk-I enjoy life.”
“Stop it! I thought my sterling example and boyish grin had cured you of that nonsense.”
“Well you’ve helped.”
“Mmm … look, Mary, why don’t you marry again and have some more squally brats? Keep you too busy to fret.”
“What? At my age? Now, really, Lazarus!”
“Nothing wrong with your age. You’re younger than I am.” She studied him for a moment. “Lazarus, are you proposing a contract? If so, I wish you would speak more plainly.”
His mouth opened and he gulped. “Hey, wait a minute! Take it easy! I was speaking in general terms … I’m not the domestic type. Why, every time I’ve married my wife has grown sick of the sight of me inside of a few years. Not but what I-well, I mean you’re a very pretty girl and a man ought to-“
She shut him off by leaning forward and putting a hand over his mouth, while grinning impishly. “I didn’t mean to panic you, cousin. Or perhaps I did-men are so funny when they think they are about to be trapped.”
“Well-” he said glumly.
“Forget it, dear. Tell me, what plan do you think they will settle on?”
“That bunch tonight?’
“Yes.”
“None, of course. They won’t get anywhere. Mary, a committee is the only known form of life with a hundred bellies and no brain. But presently somebody with a mind of his own will bulldoze them into accepting his plan. I don’t know what it will be.”
“Well … what course of action do you favor?”
“Me? Why, none. Mary, if there is any one thing I have learned in the past couple of centuries, it’s this: These things pass. Wars and depressions and Prophets and Covenants-they pass. The trick is to stay alive through them.”