were amusingly long as it scampered nervously out of their way.
"You are a teacher?" said Pinocchio, with studied courtesy.
"Unless your programming's wrong, bot, you know that already." It was probably quite cool in here, but the brightness of the daylight-simulator was making her feel hot. The SSIA uniform was designed for use on Mars, not in Earth-standard.
"You will have very little to do during the first few years of this mission," said Pinocchio. "It is unlikely that any child will be born before we leave the orbit of Jupiter."
"All teachers are, by definition, highly trained in data retrieval," Lan Yi pointed out. "They have to be, because that is what they spend most of their time teaching to their young charges. Ms Strauss-Giolitto's expertise in that field will also be of considerable use to the mission."
"Do we have to respond to this bot?" said Strauss-Giolitto angrily to Lan Yi.
The out-of-Taiwanese looked offended. "I told you, he is a friend of mine. He is making conversation, although sometimes I suspect his conversation is not just idle. Why can't you be courteous to him?"
A yellow butterfly landed on Pinocchio's shoulder, flapped its wings for a moment or two, then fluttered away.
"Be courteous to a machine ? Why should I be?"
"He's a very clever machine," said Lan Yi.
"And I brew excellent coffee," added Pinocchio.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he were as clever as, for example, you," Lan Yi continued.
"I doubt it," said Pinocchio. "Ms Strauss-Giolitto has an IQ of"—his head buzzed again—"one hundred and eighty-four plus or minus ten. I am a mere valetbot, so that I do not require an IQ higher than several decades less than that."
"You've kept telling me so," said Lan Yi, "but you've taken three games of chess off me."
"You were playing badly at the time."
They'd been walking for quite a while, yet still didn't seem to be much closer to the cabins at the Santa Maria 's far end.
"Look, can I just get a word in edge—?" began Strauss-Giolitto.
"No. You can shut up," said Lan Yi, rounding on her suddenly, holding up his hand, palm towards her, so that instinctively she stopped walking.
"I really don't think—" Pinocchio said.
"And you can shut up for a moment or two as well, my friend," said Lan Yi. His face had become pale. Strauss-Giolitto had the sudden impression that the scientist had grown taller than herself.
"There are going to be fewer than fifty of us on this ship for the next thirty years or longer, perhaps very much longer," said Lan Yi, "and we are going to have to learn to rub along together somehow. Since we left the shuttle a few minutes ago you have beefed about Captain Strider—whom you have never even met—and now you are being directly insulting to a being who, while he is not organic, is nevertheless a sentient creature and a valued friend of mine. You were insulting to me when I remarked on the fact that you were physically beautiful. I don't know what chip it is that you have on your shoulder, Ms Strauss-Giolitto, but could you get rid of it, please?"
He stared up at her, his dark eyes very hard.
She could probably have clubbed him to the ground with a single swing of her arm, but of course she didn't.
"I am amazed you got through the screening procedures," said Lan Yi. "You seem like an atavism. I will make a point of observing you during the next three years and if necessary recommending to Strider that she send you back to Mars before we leave Jovian orbit."
Strauss-Giolitto felt the blood drain from her lips. "You'd get me thrown off the mission?" she said.
"Too damnably right," said Lan Yi. "I might have children during this voyage. You are a teacher. I do not want them to be taught your ghastly little prejudices."
"What makes you think Strider would listen to you?" said Strauss-Giolitto.
"Oh, you really do have a lot to learn, Ms Strauss-Giolitto," said Lan Yi. "Come on, Pinocchio. Let us get to the cabins. Let this stupid individual come along
"You are a teacher?" said Pinocchio, with studied courtesy.
"Unless your programming's wrong, bot, you know that already." It was probably quite cool in here, but the brightness of the daylight-simulator was making her feel hot. The SSIA uniform was designed for use on Mars, not in Earth-standard.
"You will have very little to do during the first few years of this mission," said Pinocchio. "It is unlikely that any child will be born before we leave the orbit of Jupiter."
"All teachers are, by definition, highly trained in data retrieval," Lan Yi pointed out. "They have to be, because that is what they spend most of their time teaching to their young charges. Ms Strauss-Giolitto's expertise in that field will also be of considerable use to the mission."
"Do we have to respond to this bot?" said Strauss-Giolitto angrily to Lan Yi.
The out-of-Taiwanese looked offended. "I told you, he is a friend of mine. He is making conversation, although sometimes I suspect his conversation is not just idle. Why can't you be courteous to him?"
A yellow butterfly landed on Pinocchio's shoulder, flapped its wings for a moment or two, then fluttered away.
"Be courteous to a machine ? Why should I be?"
"He's a very clever machine," said Lan Yi.
"And I brew excellent coffee," added Pinocchio.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he were as clever as, for example, you," Lan Yi continued.
"I doubt it," said Pinocchio. "Ms Strauss-Giolitto has an IQ of"—his head buzzed again—"one hundred and eighty-four plus or minus ten. I am a mere valetbot, so that I do not require an IQ higher than several decades less than that."
"You've kept telling me so," said Lan Yi, "but you've taken three games of chess off me."
"You were playing badly at the time."
They'd been walking for quite a while, yet still didn't seem to be much closer to the cabins at the Santa Maria 's far end.
"Look, can I just get a word in edge—?" began Strauss-Giolitto.
"No. You can shut up," said Lan Yi, rounding on her suddenly, holding up his hand, palm towards her, so that instinctively she stopped walking.
"I really don't think—" Pinocchio said.
"And you can shut up for a moment or two as well, my friend," said Lan Yi. His face had become pale. Strauss-Giolitto had the sudden impression that the scientist had grown taller than herself.
"There are going to be fewer than fifty of us on this ship for the next thirty years or longer, perhaps very much longer," said Lan Yi, "and we are going to have to learn to rub along together somehow. Since we left the shuttle a few minutes ago you have beefed about Captain Strider—whom you have never even met—and now you are being directly insulting to a being who, while he is not organic, is nevertheless a sentient creature and a valued friend of mine. You were insulting to me when I remarked on the fact that you were physically beautiful. I don't know what chip it is that you have on your shoulder, Ms Strauss-Giolitto, but could you get rid of it, please?"
He stared up at her, his dark eyes very hard.
She could probably have clubbed him to the ground with a single swing of her arm, but of course she didn't.
"I am amazed you got through the screening procedures," said Lan Yi. "You seem like an atavism. I will make a point of observing you during the next three years and if necessary recommending to Strider that she send you back to Mars before we leave Jovian orbit."
Strauss-Giolitto felt the blood drain from her lips. "You'd get me thrown off the mission?" she said.
"Too damnably right," said Lan Yi. "I might have children during this voyage. You are a teacher. I do not want them to be taught your ghastly little prejudices."
"What makes you think Strider would listen to you?" said Strauss-Giolitto.
"Oh, you really do have a lot to learn, Ms Strauss-Giolitto," said Lan Yi. "Come on, Pinocchio. Let us get to the cabins. Let this stupid individual come along
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