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g； you were in the third fleabag we …checked。 I spotted you myself； I was with one of the …raiding parties。 Then your geic pattern confirmed your identity。〃 Ira Weatheral smiled slightly。 〃But we were pouring new blood into you before the geic analyzer reported your identity； you were in bad shape； sir。〃
〃I was like hell in bad shape； I was simply dying…and
In…
minding my own business； a Fa~ctice you could emulate。 Ira； do you realize what a… dirty trick you' have done me？ A man ought not to have to die twice … 。 and 1 was past the bad part and ready for the finale as easy as falling asleep。 Then you butted in。 I've never heard of rejuvenation being forced on anyone。 If I had suspected that you had changed the rules； I would… never have e near this pla。 Now I have to go through it again。 Either with the suicide swit�h…and …suicide is an idea I've always despised…or the natural way。 Which could now take a long time。 Is my old blood still around？ Stored？〃
〃I will inquire of the Clinic's …Director； sir。〃 …
〃Huxnph。。 That's ……not… an answer； so don't bother to lie。 You've put… me in a dilemma； Ira。 Even though I haven't had the full treatment； J feel better than I've felt for forty years or more…which means either that I must again wait it out for many weary years…or use that switch when my body isn't saying； 'Time to adjourn。' You meddling scoundrel； by what authority…no； you've got the authority。 By what ethical principle did you interfere with my death？〃
〃Because we needed you； sir。〃…
〃That's not an ethical reason； just a pragmatic one。 The need was not mutual。〃
〃Senior…； I have studied your life as thoroughly as the records ipermit。 It seems to me that you often acted pragmatically。〃 … …
Lazarus grinned。 〃That's my boy！ I was wondering if you would have the gall to try to twist it into some high moral principle； like a damned … preacher。 I don't trust a man who talks about ethics when he's picking my pocket。 But if he's acting in his own self…interest and says so； I have usually been able to work out some way to do business with； him。〃
〃La~arus； if you will let us plete your rejuvenation； you'll feel… like living again。 I think you know that； you've been through it before。〃
〃To what end； sir？ When I've had more than two thousand years of trying everything？ When I've seen so many plas that they blur in my mind？ …When I've had so …many wives I can't remember their names？ 'We pray for one last landing on the Globe that gave us birth…' I can't even do that； the lovely green pla I was born on has aged even more than I have； to return to it would be a time for tears； not a happy
…homeing。 No； Son； despite all rejuvenation there es a time when the only reasonable thing to do is turn out the
lights and go to sleep…and you； damn you； you took It away from me。〃
〃Fm sorry…no； I'm not sorry。 But I do ask your pardon。〃
〃Well 。 … you might get it。 But not now。 What was this aching reason you needed me？ You mentioned some problem other than the troublemakers you transport。〃
〃Yes； although it is not one that would have caused me to interfere with your right to die your own way； I can handle it； one way or another。 I think Secundus is being both too crowded and too civilized…〃 …
〃I'm sure of it； Ira。〃
〃Therefor~ I think the Families should move again。〃
〃I agree even though I am not interested。 As a thumb rule； one can say that any time a pla starts developing cities of more than one million people； it is approaching critical mass。 In a century or two it won't be fit to live on。 Do you have a pla in mind？ Do you think you can get the Trustees to go along？ And will the Families follow the Trustees？〃
〃Yes to the first； maybe to the second； probably No to the third。 I have a pla in mind as 'Tertius；' one as good or better than Secundus。 I think many。 of the Trustees would agree with my reasoning but I'm not sure of the overwhelming support such a move would need…Secundus is too fortable for4he danger to seem imminent to most people。 As for the Families themselves…no； I don't think we could persuade most of them to uproot and move … … but even a few hundred thousand would suffice。 Gideon's Band…you follow me？〃
〃I'm way ahead of you。 Migration always involves selection and improvement。 Elementary。 If they'll do it。 If。 Ira； I had a hell of a time selling the idea to the Families when we moved here back in the twenty…third centwy。 Could not have sold it at all if Earth had not bee a dreary p~ace。 Good luck… you'll need it。〃
〃Lazarus； I don't expect to succeed。 I will try。 But if I fail； I'll resign and migrate anyhow。 To Tertius if I can organize a party large … enough for a viable colony。 To some pla colonized but very thinly settled if not。〃
〃Do you mean that； Ira？ Or； when the time es； will you kid …yourself that it is really your duty to hang on？ If a man has the temperament for power…and you have or you wouldn't be where you are…he finds it hard to abdicate。〃
〃I mean it； Lazarus。 Oh； I like to run things； I know it。 I hope to lead the Families on their third Exodus。 But I don't expect to。 However； I think my chances of putting together
a viable colony…of young people； not over a hundred。 years old； two hundred at most…without the aid of the Foundation； are fairly good。 But if I fail in that； too〃…he shrugged… 〃migration will be the only worthwhile course open to me； Secundus will have nothing more to offer。〃 Weatheral added； 〃Perhaps I feel as you do； sir； in a minor way。 I have no wish to be Chairman Pro Tern all my days。 I've had almost a century of it； that's enough。 If I can't put this over。〃 …
Lazarus was thoughtfully silent； Weatheral waited。
〃Ira； install that suicide switch for me。 But tomorrow。 Not today。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Don't you Want to know why？〃 Lazarus picked up the large envelope； his will。 〃If you convince me that you are going to migrate； e hell or high water and no matter what the Trustees do； I want to rewrite this。 My investments and cash accounts here and there…if somebody hasn't stolen them while my back was turned…add up to a nice piece of change。 Possibly enough to make the difference between success and failure in mounting a migration。 If the Trustees won't back it with Foundation funds。 And they won't。〃
Weatheral said nothing。 Lazarus glared at him。 〃Didn't your mother teach you to say 'Thank you'？〃
〃For what； Lazarus？ For giving me something after you're dead and no longer need it？ If you do this； it will be to tickle your vanity…not to please me。〃
Lazarus grinned。 〃Hell； yes。 I ought to stick in a condition that you name the pla 'Lazarus。' But 1 would have no way to enforce it。 Okay； we understand each other。 And I think… Do you respect good；machinery？〃
〃Eh？ Yes。 As much as I despise machinery that doesn't do what it is putatively designed to do。〃 …
〃We still understand each other。 I think I'll leave the 'Dora'
…that's my yacht…to you personally rather than to the Families' chairman 。 。 if you lead a migration。〃
〃Uh 。 。 you tempt me to thank you。〃
〃Don't。 Just be good to her。 She's a sweet craft； she's never known anything but kindness。 She'll make a fine flagship for you。 With simple reoutfitting…specs for it in her puter… she'll house a staff of twenty or thirty。 And you can ground and reconnoiter in her； then lift off again…which your transports won't be able to do； most likely。〃
〃Lazarus 。 。 I don't want to inherit either money or a yacht from you。 Let thcm finish your rejuvenation…and e
with us； mani I'll step aside and you can boss。 Or you can have no duties at all。 But e！〃 …
Lazarus smiled bleakly and shook his head。 〃I've been on six such colonizing ventures to virgin plas； not counting Secundlis。 All to plas I discovered。 Gave it up centuries back。 Anything gets boring in time。 Do you think Solomon serviced all his thousand wives？ If so； what sort of job did he do on the last one？…poor girl！ Find me something new to do and I might never touch that suicide switch and still give you all I've got for your colony。 It 'ud be a fair swap
as this half~vay rejuvenation is most unsatisfactory； I don't feel well； yet I can't die。 So I'm stuck between the suicide switch and giving in for the full treatment 。 … the donkey that starved to death between two piles of hay。 But it would have to be new； Ira； not something I've done over and over again。 Like that old whore； I've climbed the same stairs too many times； my feet hurt。〃
〃I'll think about the problem； Lazarus。 I'll give it hard and systematic research。〃
〃Seven to t？o you can't find anything I haven't done。〃
〃I'll make a real try； You'll lay off the suicide switch while I research it？〃
〃No promises。 Not once I get this will redrafted。 Can you trust your chief legal eagle？ May need some help 。 。 because this will〃…he tapped the envelope… 〃leaving everything to the Families would stand up on Secun