“despite your feelings that you were mistreated as their prisoner during your odyssey years ago. They did not harm Katie or me when they easily could have. And they did return you to us eventually.”
“By that time I was in a deep coma,” Richard replied. “And no good to them anymore as a test subject. Besides, how do you explain Takagishi? Or, for that matter, the attacks that were made on Prince Hal and Falstaff?”
“Each of those incidents has a plausible, non-hostile explanation. That’s what is so confusing. Suppose Takagishi died of a heart attack. Suppose also that the octos preserved and stuffed his body to use as some sort of exhibit, for teaching other octospiders. We might do the same thing.”
“I’m puzzled,” Richard said after a moment’s hesitation. “Here you are; defending the octospiders. But you ran away from them yesterday even faster than I did.”
“Yes,” Nicole answered contemplatively. “I admit that I was terrified. My animal instinct was to assume hostility and flee. Today I’m disappointed in myself. We humans are supposed to use our brains to overcome instinctive reactions… Especially you and I. After everything we have seen in Rama and at the Node, we should be completely immune from xenophobia.”
Richard smiled and nodded. “So are you suggesting now that maybe the octospiders were just trying to establish some kind of peaceful contact?”
“Perhaps,” Nicole answered. “I don’t know what they want. But I do know that I have never seen them do anything unambiguously hostile.”
Richard stared distractedly at the walls for a few seconds and then rubbed his forehead. “I wish I could remember more of the details about my time with them. I still have these blinding headaches when I try to concentrate on that period of my life-only while I was inside the sessile were my memories of the octos not accompanied by pain.”
“Your odyssey was long ago,” Nicole said. “Maybe the octospiders also are capable of learning and have adopted a different attitude toward us now.”
Richard stood up. “All right,” he said. “You have convinced me. The next time we see an octospider, we won’t run away.” He laughed. “At least not immediately.”
Another month passed. Richard and Nicole did not go behind the black screen again and they did not have any more encounters with the octospiders. They passed the days tending to the hatchlings (who were learning to fly) and enjoying each other. During much of their conversation they talked about their children and reminisced about the past.
“I guess we are now old,” Nicole said one morning as she and Richard were walking through one of the three central plazas of New York.
“How can you say that?” Richard replied with a mischievous grin. “Just because we spend most of our time talking about what happened long ago, and our everyday bathroom functions occupy more of our attention and energy than sex, does that mean we’re old?”
Nicole laughed. “Is it as bad as that?” she said.
“Not quite,” Richard said in a kidding tone. “I still love you like a schoolboy. But every now and then that love is pushed aside by aches and pains that I never had before… Which reminds me, wasn’t I supposed to help you examine your heart?”
“Yes.” Nicole nodded. “But there’s really nothing you can do. The only instruments I brought with me in my medicine kit when I escaped were the stethoscope and the sphygmomanometer. I have used them both several times to examine myself… I haven’t been able to find anything unusual except an occasional leaky valve, and my shortness of breath has not recurred.” She smiled. “It was probably all the excitement… and age.”
“If our son-in-law the cardiologist were here,” Richard said, “then he could give you a complete examination.”
They walked together in silence for several minutes. “You miss the children a lot, don’t you?” Richard said.
“Yes,” Nicole replied with a sigh. “But I try not to think about them too much. I am happy to be alive and here with you — it’s certainly much better than those last months in prison. And I have many wonderful memories of the children…”
“God grant me the wisdom to accept the things I cannot change,” Richard quoted. “It is one of your best qualities, Nicole… I have always been envious of your equanimity.”
A few moments later Richard stopped abruptly and turned to face Nicole. “I love you very much,” he said, embracing her vigorously.
“What is this all about?” Nicole asked, puzzled by his sudden show of emotion.
Richard’s eyes had a faraway look. “During the last week,” he said excitedly, “a wild and crazy plan has been developing in my brain. I have known from the outset that it was dangerous, and probably insane, but like all my projects it has taken hold of me. Twice I have even gotten out of our bed in the middle of the night to work on the details. I have wanted to tell you about it before now, but I needed to convince myself that it was indeed possible.”
“I have no idea at all what you are talking about,” Nicole said impatiently.
“The children,” Richard said with a flourish. “I have a plan for them to escape, to join us here in New York. I have even begun to reprogram Joan and Eleanor.”
Nicole stared at her husband, her emotions struggling with her reason. He started to explain his escape plan. “Wait a minute, Richard,” Nicole interrupted after several seconds. “There’s an important question we must answer first. What makes you think the children would even want to escape? They are not under indictment in New Eden, or in prison. Granted, Nakamura is a tyrant and life in the colony is difficult and depressing, but as far as I know, the children are as free as any of the other citizens. And if they were to try to join us and fail, their lives would be in danger. Besides, our existence here, although fine for us, would hardly be considered a paradise for them.”
“I know… I know,” Richard replied, “and perhaps I have been carried away by my desire to see them. But what do we risk by sending Joan and Eleanor to talk to them? Patrick and Ellie are adults and can make up their own minds.”
“And what about Benjy and Katie?” Nicole asked.
A frown creased Richard’s face. “Obviously Benjy could not come by himself, so his participation depends on whether or not any of the others decide to help him. As for Katie, she is so unstable and unpredictable… she might conceivably even decide to tell Nakamura. I think we have no choice except to leave her out.”
“A parent never gives up hope,” Nicole said softly, as much to herself as to Richard. “By the way,” she added, “does your scheme also include Max and Eponine? They are virtually members of the family.”
“Max is realty the perfect choice to coordinate the escape from inside the colony,” Richard said, growing excited again. “He did a fantastic job hiding you and then getting you to Lake Shakespeare without being detected. Patrick and Ellie will need someone mature and levelheaded to guide them through all the details. In my plan, Joan and Eleanor approach Max first. Not only is he already familiar with the robots, but also he will give his honest assessment as to whether or not the plan can work. If he tells us through the robots that the whole idea is preposterous, then we’ll drop it.”
Nicole tried to imagine the joy she would feel at the moment of embracing any of her children again. It was impossible. “All right, Richard,” she said, finally smiling. “I admit that I’m interested. Let’s talk about it. But we must promise ourselves that we won’t do anything unless we are certain that we are not going to endanger the children.”
8
Max Puckett and Ellie Turner excused themselves from Eponine, Robert, and little Nicole shortly after dinner and walked outside at Max’s farmhouse in New Eden. As soon as they were out of earshot, Max began telling Ellie about his recent visits from the little robots. Ellie could not believe what she was hearing. “Surely you’re mistaken,” she said in a loud voice to Max. “They can’t be suggesting that we just leave—”
Max put a finger to his lips as they walked the final few meters to the barn. “You can talk to them yourself,”
