Asimov's Future History Volume 5

by Isaac Asimov

  “Because she is attractive and has a warm personality?” Gremionis hesitated. “Well, I wouldn’t say she has a warm personality,” he said cautiously, “but certainly she’s attractive.”

  “I’ve been told that you offer yourself to everybody – without distinction.”

  “That is a lie.”

  “What is a lie? That you offer yourself to everybody or that I have been told so?”

  “That I offer myself to everybody. Who said that?”

  “I don’t know that it would serve any purpose to answer that question. Would you expect me to quote you as a source of embarrassing information? Would you speak freely to me if you thought I would?”

  “Well, whoever said it is a liar.”

  “Perhaps it was merely dramatic exaggeration. Had you offered yourself to others before you offered yourself to Dr. Vasilia?”

  Gremionis looked away. “Once or twice. Never seriously.”

  “But Dr. Vasilia was someone you were serious about?”

  “Well –”

  “It is my understanding you offered yourself to her repeatedly, which is quite against Auroran custom.”

  “Oh, Auroran custom –” Gremionis began furiously. Then he pressed his lips together firmly and his forehead furrowed. “See here, Mr. Baley, can I speak to you confidentially?”

  “Yes. All my questions are intended to satisfy myself that you had nothing to do with Jander’s death. Once I am satisfied of that, you may be sure I’ll keep your remarks in confidence.”

  “Very well, then. It’s nothing wrong – it’s nothing I’m ashamed of, you understand. It’s just that I have a strong sense of privacy and I have a right to that if I wish, don’t I?”

  “Absolutely,” said Baley consolingly.

  “You see, I feel that social sex is best when there is a profound love and affection between partners.”

  “I imagine that’s very true.”

  “And then there’s no need for others, wouldn’t you say?”

  “It sounds – plausible.”

  “I’ve always dreamed of finding the perfect partner and never seeking anyone else. They call it monogamy. It doesn’t exist on Aurora, but on some worlds it does – and they have it on Earth don’t they, Mr. Baley?”

  “In theory, Mr. Gremionis.”

  “It’s what I want. I’ve looked for it for years. When I experimented with sex sometimes, I could tell something was missing. Then I met Dr. Vasilia and she told me – well, people get confidential with their personnel artists because it’s very personal work – and this is the really confidential part –”

  “Well, go on.”

  Gremionis licked his ups. “If what I say now gets out, I’m ruined. She’ll do her best to see to it that I get no further commissions. Are you sure this has something to do with the case?”

  “I assure you with as much force as I can, Mr. Gremionis, that this can be totally important.”

  “Well, then” – Gremionis did not look quite convinced –” the fact is, that I gathered from what Dr. Vasilia told me, in bits and pieces, that she is” – his voice dropped to a whisper –” a virgin.

  “I see,” said Baley quietly (remembering Vasilia’s certainty that her father’s refusal had distorted her life and getting a firmer understanding of her hatred of her father).

  “That excited me. It seemed to me I could have her all to myself and I would be the only one that she would ever have. I can’t explain how much that meant to me. It made her look gloriously beautiful in my eyes and I just wanted her so much.”

  “So you offered yourself to her?”

  “Yes.”

  “Repeatedly. You weren’t discouraged by her refusals?”

  “It just reinforced her virginity, so to speak, and made me more eager. It was more exciting that it wasn’t easy. I can’t explain and I don’t expect you to understand.”

  “Actually, Mr. Gremionis, I do understand. – But there came a time when you stopped offering yourself to Dr. Vasilia?”

  “Well, yes.”

  “And began offering yourself to Gladia?”

  “Well, yes.”

  “Repeatedly?”

  “Well, yes.”

  “Why? Why the change?”

  Gremionis said, “Dr. Vasilia finally made it clear that there was no chance and then Gladia came along and she looked like Dr. Vasilia and – and – that was it.”

  Baley said, “But Gladia is no virgin. She was married on Solaria and she experimented rather widely on Aurora, I am told.”

  “I knew about that, but she – stopped. You see, she’s a Solarian by birth, not an Auroran, and she didn’t quite understand Auroran customs. But she stopped because she doesn’t like what she calls ‘promiscuity.”

  “Did she tell you that?”

  “Yes. Monogamy is the custom on Solaria. She wasn’t happily married, but it is still the custom she’s used to, so she never enjoyed the Auroran way when she tried it – and monogamy is what I want, too. Do you see?”

  “I see. But how did you meet her in the first place?”

  “I just met her. She was on the hyperwave when she arrived in Aurora, a romantic refugee from Solaria. And she played a part in that hyperwave drama –”

  “Yes yes, but there was something else, wasn’t there?”

  “I don’t know what else you want.”

  “Well, let me guess. Didn’t there come a point when Dr. Vasilia said she was rejecting you forever – and didn’t she suggest an alternative to you?”

  Gremionis, in sudden fury, shouted, “Did Dr. Vasilia tell you that?”

  “Not in so many words, but I think I know what happened, even so. Did she not tell you that it might be advantageous if you looked up a new arrival on the planet, a young lady from Solaria who was a ward or protégée of Dr. Fastolfe – who you know is Dr. Vasilia’s father? Did Dr. Vasilia perhaps not tell you that people thought this young lady, Gladia, rather resembled herself, but that she was younger and had a warmer personality? Did Dr. Vasilia not, in short, encourage your to transfer your attentions from herself to Gladia?”

  Gremionis was visibly suffering. His eyes flicked to those of Baley and away again. It was the first time that Baley saw in the eyes of any Spacer a look of fright – or was it awe? (Baley shook his head slightly. He must not take too much satisfaction at having overawed a Spacer. It could damage his objectivity.)

  He said, “Well? Am I right or wrong?”

  And Gremionis said in a low voice. “That hyperwave show was no exaggeration, then. – Do you read minds?”

  50.

  BALEY SAID CALMLY, “I just ask questions. – And you haven’t answered directly. Am I right or wrong?”

  Gremionis said, “It didn’t quite happen like that. Not just like that. She did talk about Gladia, but –” He bit at his lower lip and then said, “Well, it amounted to what you said. It was just about the way you described it.”

  “And you were not disappointed? You found that Gladia did resemble Dr. Vasilia?”

  “In a way, she did.” Gremionis’ eyes brightened. “But not really. Stand them side by side and you’ll see the difference. Gladia has much greater delicacy and grace. A greater spirit of – of fun.”

  “Have you offered yourself to Vasilia since you met Gladia?”

  “Are you mad? Of course not.”

  “But you have offered yourself to Gladia?”

  “Yes.”

  “And she rejected you?”

  “Well, yes, but you have to understand that she has to be sure, as I would have to be. Think what a mistake I would have made if I had moved Dr. Vasilia to accept me. Gladia doesn’t want to make that mistake and I don’t blame her.”

  “But you don’t think it would be a mistake for her to accept you, so you have offered yourself again – and again – and again.”

  Gremionis stared vacantly at Baley for a moment and then seemed to shudder. He thrust out his lower lip, as though he were a rebellious child. “You
say it in an insulting way –”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean it to be insulting. Please answer the question.”

  “Well, I have.”

  “How many times have you offered yourself?”

  “I haven’t counted. Four times. Well, five. Or maybe more.”

  “And she has always rejected you.”

  “Yes. Or I wouldn’t have to offer again, would I?”

  “Did she reject you angrily?”

  “Oh no. That’s not Gladia. Very kindly.”

  “Has it made you offer yourself to anyone else?”

  “What?”

  “Well, Gladia has rejected you. One way of responding would be to offer yourself to someone else. Why not? If Gladia doesn’t want you –”

  “No. I don’t want anyone else.”

  “Why is that, do you suppose?”

  And, strenuously, Gremionis said, “How should I know why that is? I want Gladia. It’s a – it’s a kind of madness, except that I think it’s the best kind of insanity. I’d be mad not to have that kind of madness. – I don’t expect you to understand.”

  “Have you tried to explain this to Gladia? She might understand.”

  “Never. I’d distress her. I’d embarrass her. You don’t talk about such things. I should see a mentologist.”

  “Have you?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  Gremionis frowned. “You have a way of asking the rudest questions, Earthman.”

  “Perhaps because I’m an Earthman. I know no better. But I’m also an investigator and I must know these things. Why have you not seen a mentologist?”

  Surprisingly, Gremionis laughed. “I told you. The cure would be greater madness than the disease. I would rather be with Gladia and be rejected than be with anyone else and be accepted. – Imagine having your mind out of whack and wanting it to stay out of whack. Any mentologist would put me in for major treatment.”

  Baley thought awhile, then said, “Do you know whether Dr. Vasilia is a mentologist in any way?”

  “She’s a roboticist. They say that’s the closest thing to it. If you know how a robot works, you’ve got a hint as to how a human brain works. Or so they say.”

  “Does it occur to you that Vasilia knows these strange feelings you have in connection with Gladia?”

  Gremionis stiffened. “I’ve never told her. – I mean in so many words.”

  “Isn’t it possible that she understands your feelings without having to ask? Is she aware that you have repeatedly offered yourself to Gladia?”

  “Well – She would ask how I was getting along. In the way of long – standing acquaintanceship, you know. I would say certain things. Nothing intimate.”

  “Are you sure that it was never anything intimate? Surely she encouraged you to continue to offer.”

  “You know – now that you mention it, I seem to see it all in a new way. I don’t see quite how you managed to put it into my head. It’s the questions you ask, I suppose, but it seems to me now that she did continue to encourage my friendship with Gladia. She actively supported it.” He looked very uneasy. “This never occurred to me before. I never really thought about it.”

  “Why do you think she encouraged you to make repeated offers to Gladia?”

  Gremionis twitched his eyebrows ruefully and his finger went to his mustache. “I suppose some might guess she was trying to get rid of me. Trying to make sure I wouldn’t want to bother her.” He made a small laughing sound. “That’s not very complimentary to me, is it?”

  “Did Dr. Vasilia cease being friendly with you?”

  “Not at all. She was more friendly – if anything.”

  “Did she try to tell you how to be more successful with Gladia? To show a greater interest in Gladia’s work, for example?”

  “She didn’t have to do that. Gladia’s work and mine are very similar. I work with human beings and she with robots, but we’re both designers – artists – That does make for closeness, you know. We even help each other at times. When I’m not offering and being rejected, we’re good friends. – That’s a lot, when you come to think of it.”

  “Did Dr. Vasilia suggest you show a greater interest in Dr. Fastolfe’s work?”

  “Why should she suggest that? I don’t know anything about Dr. Fastolfe’s work.”

  “Gladia might be interested in her benefactor’s work and it might be a way for you to ingratiate yourself with her.”

  Gremionis’ eyes narrowed. He rose with almost explosive force, walked to the other end of the room, came back, stood in front of Baley, and said, “Now – you – look – here! I’m not the biggest brain on the planet, not even the second – biggest, but I’m not a blithering idiot. I see what you’re getting at, you know.”

  “Oh?”

  “All your questions have served to sort of wriggle me into saying that Dr. Vasilia got me to fall in love – That’s it” – he stopped in sudden surprise – “I’m in love, like in the historical novels.” He thought about that with the light of wonder in his eyes. Then the anger returned. “That she got me to fall in love and to stay in love, so that I could find out things from Dr. Fastolfe and learn how to immobilize that robot, Jander.”

  “You don’t think that’s so?”

  “No, it’s not!” shouted Gremionis. “I don’t know anything about robotics. Anything. No matter how carefully anything about robotics were explained to me, I wouldn’t understand it. And I don’t think Gladia would either. Besides, I never asked anyone about robotics. I was never told – by Dr. Fastolfe or anyone – anything about robotics. No one ever suggested I get involved with robotics. Dr. Vasilia never suggested it. Your whole rotten theory doesn’t work.” He shot his arms out to either side. “It doesn’t work. Forget it.”

  He sat back, folded his arms rigidly across his chest, and forced his lips together in a thin line, making his small mustache bristle.

  Baley looked up at the unsegmented orange, which was still humming its low, pleasantly varying tune and displaying a gentle change of color as it swayed hypnotically through a small, slow arc.

  If Gremionis’ outburst had upset his line of attack, he showed no sign of it. He said, “I understand what you’re saying, but it’s still true that you see much of Gladia, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Your repeated offers do not offend her – and her repeated rejections do not offend you?”

  Gremionis shrugged. “My offers are polite. Her refusals are gentle. Why should we be offended?”

  “But how do you spend time together? Sex is out, obviously, and you don’t talk robotics. What do you do?”

  “Is that all there is to companionship – sex and robotics? We do a great deal together. We talk, for one thing. She is very curious about Aurora and I spend hours describing the planet. She’s seen very little of it, you know. And she spends hours telling me about Solaria and what a hellhole it is. I’d rather live on Earth – no offense intended. And there’s her dead husband. What a miserable character he was. Gladia’s had a hard life, poor woman.

  “We go to concerts, I took her to the Art Institute a few times, and we work together. I told you that. We go over my designs – or her designs – together. To be perfectly honest, I don’t see that working on robots is very rewarding, but we all have our own notions, you know. For that matter, she seemed to be amused when I explained why it was so important to cut hair correctly – her own hair isn’t quite right, you know. But mostly, we go for walks.”

  “Walks? Where?”

  “Nowhere particularly. Just walks. That is her habit – because of the way she was brought up on Solaria. Have you ever been on Solaria? – Yes, you have been, of course. I’m sorry. – On Solaria, there are these huge estates with only one or two human beings on them, just robots otherwise. You can walk for miles and be completely alone and Gladia says that it makes you feel as though you owned the entire planet. The robots are always there, of course, keeping an eye on you
and taking care of you, but, of course, they keep out of sight. Gladia misses that feeling of world ownership here on Aurora.”

  “Do you mean that she wants world ownership?”

  “You mean a kind of lust for power? Gladia? That’s crazy. All she means is that she misses the feeling of being alone with nature. I don’t see it myself, you understand, but I like humoring her. Of course, you can’t quite get the Solarian feeling in Aurora. There are bound to be people about, especially in the Eos metropolitan area, and robots haven’t been programmed to keep out of sight. In fact, Aurorans generally walk with robots. – Still, I know some routes that are pleasant and not very crowded and Gladia enjoys them.”

  “Do you enjoy them, too?”

  “Well, only because I would be with Gladia. Aurorans are walkers, too, by and large, but I must admit I’m not. I had protesting muscles at first and Vasilia laughed at me.”

  “She knew you went on walks, did she?”

  “Well, I came in limping one day and creaking at the thighs, so I had to explain. She laughed and said it was a good idea and the best way to get a walker to accept an offer was to walk with them. ‘Keep it up,’ she said, ‘and she’ll cancel her rejection before you get a chance to offer again. She’ll make the offer herself.’ As it happened, Gladia didn’t, but eventually I grew to like the walks very much, just the same.”

  He seemed to have gotten over his flash of anger and was now very much at his ease. He might have been thinking of the walks, Baley thought, for there was a half – smile on his face. He looked rather likable – and vulnerable – with his mind back on who – knew – what conversational passage on a walk that had taken them who – knew – where. Baley almost smiled in response.

  “Vasilia knew, then, that you continued the walks.”

  “I suppose so. I began to take Wednesdays and Saturdays off because that fit in with Gladia’s schedule choice – and Vasilia would sometimes joke about my ‘WS walks’ when I brought in some sketches.”

  “Did Dr. Vasilia ever join the walks?”

  “Certainly not.”

  Baley shifted in his seat and stared intently at his fingertips as he said, “I presume you had robots accompanying you on your walks.”