know, so you can’t fine him.”
“Or downgrade him on the promotion lists, either,” said Womrath gloomily.
“No. And it’s a little late to use the Pavlov-Morganstern treatments we all had when we were children. We can’t prevent a crime he’s already committed. So our thought was, since you’re the games instructor—”
“We thought,” Womrath said diplomatically, “you might have noticed something that might be useful. You know, rough-housing and so on.”
Kelly thought this over. “Well, there’s low blows,” he said, “but I mean, hell—” He gestured futilely at George, who had just decided to put his auricles out again. “What would you—”
“No, that’s out of the question,” Dominick said heavily. “Well, I’m sorry, Kelly. It was nice of you to help out.”
“No, now, wait a minute,” said Kelly. “I got something coming to me, maybe.” He nibbled a thumbnail, staring down at the gorgon. “How would this be. I was thinking—sometimes the boys in the pool, they get kind of frisky, they take to ducking each other. Under the water. Now what I was thinking, he breathes air, doesn’t he? You know what I mean?”
Dominick and Womrath looked at each other. “It sounds possible,” said Dominick.
, “Out of the question. We don’t know what his tolerance is. Suppose Kelly should damage him severely, or even—”
.. “Oh,” said Dominick. “No, you’re right, we couldn’t take a chance.”
“I’ve been a games instructor for seventy-three years—two rejuvenations—” Kelly began, bristling.
“No, it isn’t that, Kelly,” said Womrath hastily. “We’re just thinking, George isn’t human. So how do we know how he’d react to a ducking?”
“On the other hand,” Dominick said, “gorgons do turn blue when they’re not happy—we have Rubinson’s assurance for that. It seems to me George wouldn’t be happy when smothering; that would be the whole point, wouldn’t it? Dr. Alvarez would supervise closely, of course. Really, Alvarez, I don’t see why not. Kelly, if you’ll tell what time would be most convenient for you—”
“Well,” said Kelly, looking at his thumbwatch, “hell, the pool is empty now—it’s ladies’ day, but all the girls are down in Section Seven, hanging around Mrs. Carver. I hear she’s still . hysterical.”
Struck by a thought, Alvarez was bending over to speak to the gorgon. “George, you breathe by spiracles, is that correct? Those little tubes all over your skin?”
“Yes,” said George.
“Well, do they work under water?”
“No.”
Dominick and Kelly were listening with interest.
“If we held you under water, would it hurt you?”
George flickered uncertainly, from rose to pale magenta. “Don’t know. Little bit.”
The three men leaned closer. “Well, George,” said Dominick tensely, “would that be a punishment? ”
George flickered again, violently. “Yes. No. Maybe. Don’t know.”
They straightened again, disappointed; Dominick sighed gustily. “He always gives us those mixed-up answers. I don’t know. Let’s try it—what else can we do?”
Kelly found himself paired off with George,following Dominick and Dr. Alvarez, and preceding Womrath and an orderly named Josling who was wheeling one of the dispensary pul-motors. The up-curving corridors were deserted. Kelly lagged a little, adjusting his pace to George’s waddling steps. After a moment, he was surprised to feel something small and soft grip his fingers. He looked down; George the gorgon had put one seven-fingered “hand” into his. The gorgon’s flowerlike photoceptors were turned trustfully upward.
Kelly was taken by surprise. No children were allowed on the Satellite, but Kelly had been the father of eight in a previous rejuvenation. The confiding touch stirred old memories. “That’ll be all right,” said Kelly gruffly. “You just come along with me.”
The pool, as he had predicted, was empty. Ripples reflected faint
“Or downgrade him on the promotion lists, either,” said Womrath gloomily.
“No. And it’s a little late to use the Pavlov-Morganstern treatments we all had when we were children. We can’t prevent a crime he’s already committed. So our thought was, since you’re the games instructor—”
“We thought,” Womrath said diplomatically, “you might have noticed something that might be useful. You know, rough-housing and so on.”
Kelly thought this over. “Well, there’s low blows,” he said, “but I mean, hell—” He gestured futilely at George, who had just decided to put his auricles out again. “What would you—”
“No, that’s out of the question,” Dominick said heavily. “Well, I’m sorry, Kelly. It was nice of you to help out.”
“No, now, wait a minute,” said Kelly. “I got something coming to me, maybe.” He nibbled a thumbnail, staring down at the gorgon. “How would this be. I was thinking—sometimes the boys in the pool, they get kind of frisky, they take to ducking each other. Under the water. Now what I was thinking, he breathes air, doesn’t he? You know what I mean?”
Dominick and Womrath looked at each other. “It sounds possible,” said Dominick.
, “Out of the question. We don’t know what his tolerance is. Suppose Kelly should damage him severely, or even—”
.. “Oh,” said Dominick. “No, you’re right, we couldn’t take a chance.”
“I’ve been a games instructor for seventy-three years—two rejuvenations—” Kelly began, bristling.
“No, it isn’t that, Kelly,” said Womrath hastily. “We’re just thinking, George isn’t human. So how do we know how he’d react to a ducking?”
“On the other hand,” Dominick said, “gorgons do turn blue when they’re not happy—we have Rubinson’s assurance for that. It seems to me George wouldn’t be happy when smothering; that would be the whole point, wouldn’t it? Dr. Alvarez would supervise closely, of course. Really, Alvarez, I don’t see why not. Kelly, if you’ll tell what time would be most convenient for you—”
“Well,” said Kelly, looking at his thumbwatch, “hell, the pool is empty now—it’s ladies’ day, but all the girls are down in Section Seven, hanging around Mrs. Carver. I hear she’s still . hysterical.”
Struck by a thought, Alvarez was bending over to speak to the gorgon. “George, you breathe by spiracles, is that correct? Those little tubes all over your skin?”
“Yes,” said George.
“Well, do they work under water?”
“No.”
Dominick and Kelly were listening with interest.
“If we held you under water, would it hurt you?”
George flickered uncertainly, from rose to pale magenta. “Don’t know. Little bit.”
The three men leaned closer. “Well, George,” said Dominick tensely, “would that be a punishment? ”
George flickered again, violently. “Yes. No. Maybe. Don’t know.”
They straightened again, disappointed; Dominick sighed gustily. “He always gives us those mixed-up answers. I don’t know. Let’s try it—what else can we do?”
Kelly found himself paired off with George,following Dominick and Dr. Alvarez, and preceding Womrath and an orderly named Josling who was wheeling one of the dispensary pul-motors. The up-curving corridors were deserted. Kelly lagged a little, adjusting his pace to George’s waddling steps. After a moment, he was surprised to feel something small and soft grip his fingers. He looked down; George the gorgon had put one seven-fingered “hand” into his. The gorgon’s flowerlike photoceptors were turned trustfully upward.
Kelly was taken by surprise. No children were allowed on the Satellite, but Kelly had been the father of eight in a previous rejuvenation. The confiding touch stirred old memories. “That’ll be all right,” said Kelly gruffly. “You just come along with me.”
The pool, as he had predicted, was empty. Ripples reflected faint
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