Ronny closed his eyes momentarily. “To get back to this ‘no family’ thing. Suppose a man and woman want to live together?”
“Then they do, for as long as both want to. Any number of men and women who wish to live together can.”
“Wizard,” Ronny said triumphantly. “And suppose that they have a baby?”
“If the genetics computers okay it, they do.”
Ronny looked at her, but then shook his head. “We’ll get back to that later. You’ve got a man, a woman and a child. Isn’t that a family?”
“No. Any one of the three can leave at any time.” She added, “Children are no longer dependent on their parents.”
“You mean the state raises all children?”
“There is no state on Einstein. Children are the responsibility of society.”
“Then a couple of parents aren’t allowed to raise their own child?” Dorn said.
“Certainly they are, if the computers find that they are competent to do so. However, few people desire to. Children have always been a drag. In the past you were taught that it was your duty to raise your offspring, no matter how incompetent you might be to do so. You also supposedly loved them, whatever that means. Your early education in your home, your schools, your religious institutions, all taught that you must love and raise your children. It is no longer necessary to raise them, and we are somewhat sceptical about the meaning of love. It’s too elastic a term to make much sense.”
“Confound it,” Ronny said. “Who raises the kid?”
“People who are competent to do so, and who are particularly fond of children. There are always ample volunteers to go into that field of endeavor,” She came to her feet and said, “But I’m being a terrible hostess again. Dorn, I note that you have a taste for Italian food. Would you like a glass of Marsala as a nightcap? I can recommend it. And you, Ronald?”
They both accepted and she went off for it.
Ronny said to Dorn, “I’ve still got a good many questions, obviously, but it still sounds like a Utopia to me. Why in the hell do they want to join United Planets? What have we got to offer them?”
“That’s what we’re here to find out,” Dorn Horsten said, his voice also low. “Don’t have to raise your children, eh? Sounds like a Utopia at that. I never have liked children. One of the reasons I’ve never gotten married. We have some rather prudish institutions on the planet of my birth.”
Rosemary returned with three glasses and a dark bottle and served them.
She smiled brightly and said, “Now then, where were we? We seem to go off on tangents. Before I can answer one of your questions, two more have popped up.”
Ronny said, “Rosemary, you mentioned the genetics computers, and later you mentioned that two people could raise their own child if the computers decided they were competent. Suppose the computers decided against them in one or the other case, or both. And suppose they wanted the child anyway and wanted to raise it, and the hell with the computers.”
Rosemary finished her wine and put down her glass before answering. She said, very seriously, “Genetics are our strongest raison d’etre. It is the reason Einstein was colonized. Anyone refusing to conform to our institutions pertaining to genetics is perfectly free to leave Einstein and seek what he desires on some other planet.”
She looked at her watch. “But you two must be tired. And you’re to have a full day tomorrow. Is bed in order?”
The two men stood. “I suppose that you’re right, my dear,” the doctor said. “And perhaps we should mull over some of the things that you have already told us. It’s all been fascinating.”
She stood too and smiled her dazzling bright smile and said, “Would either, or both of you, like me to sleep with you?”
Chapter Eight
Dorn Horsten had always been a light sleeper, and since he had affiliated himself with Section G and the United Planets dream had become even more so. The cloak and dagger assignments he had been given had a tendency to sharpen the senses. A stirring brought him instantly awake.
When Rosemary had made her startling offer, obviously thinking nothing of it, both of the Section G agents had boggled at her. If she had suddenly grown an elephant’s trunk, they could hardly have been more surprised.
But Doctor Horsten had no taste for group sex, and he had noticed all evening that Ronny could hardly keep his eyes off the pretty girl. So, as politely as possible under the circumstances, the doctor had begged off, explaining that he was overtired and realized that the day ahead was to be a full one. He went off to bed, leaving Ronny and the beauteous Rosemary to their arrangements.
He had no idea, when he was awakened, what time it was or how long he had slept. Einstein had no moon, and hence nightlight was dependent upon the stars. True, the atmosphere was extremely clear, and the distant suns shone bright, but still there was little light coming through the large windows which opened onto the patio.
There was no lock on the door, allowing for easy entry into his suite, and, in spite of the dimness, Dorn Horsten realized that someone had taken advantage of the fact. Indeed, there were two of them, and at first he couldn’t make out what they were up to.
By their bulk, they were both men and, though not of Horsten’s size, substantial nevertheless. As his eyes grew more accustomed to the room, he made out what seemed to be masks, or goggles, on their faces and both seemed to be carrying what he would have guessed were flashlights, though neither of them were lit. He wished he could take up his glasses from the night table, but that would only alert them.
They were bending over something on the floor, and at first he couldn’t make out what the object was. Then it came to him. They were going through one of his suitcases. And to one side was the other one, open. It had obviously already been ransacked.
He was completely awake now.
Suddenly he threw back the covers and was on them, hoping fervently that the objects they carried weren’t weapons. If they were some sort of laser or other advanced weapon developed on this planet, he’d undoubtedly had it.
’The scrambling fight turned out to be a farce. There was insufficient light for anyone involved to operate with any sort of efficiency. All three of them, at one time or the other, were on the floor, or stumbling about, unable to make contact in the dark.
On top of that, Dorn Horsten was pulling his punches. He knew perfectly well that a full blow from his ham-sized fist would have caved in the rib cage of one of the intruders, and he was not on Einstein to commit mayhem. He was here on peaceful mission, simply to gain information. From what Rosemary had said, the citizens of Einstein probably took a dim view of violence. The member worlds of United Planets which boasted the highest standards of living almost invariably had little criminal activity. Crime, except crimes of passion, deals almost exclusively with property, and when there is plenty for all, crime withers. And from what he learned thus far about Einstein, it had possbily the highest standard of living of any world Dorn had ever seen.
Suddenly the strangers disentangled themselves and were gone out the unlocked door.
His first inclination was to pursue, if for no other reason than to find out who they were. But he drew himself up before dashing out the door after them. For all he knew, those were weapons they carried and if they found themselves being followed, they might attempt to finish him. Besides, he knew nothing about the vicinity and the way these underground houses were camouflaged he wasn’t sure that he’d be able to find his way back, if he got more than a few meters from the entry to Rosemary’s home.